Dholera-Khumbanda Tramway

Dholera-Khumbanda Tramway

There is a reference in a letter of 24 June 1857 to an ‘alleged failure’ on the tramway from Dholera to Khumbanda (Khoombunder) in the India Office Records (IOR) see ‘Records’ below.

Dholera is a town in Gujarat, India. Dholera was an ancient port-city in Gulf of Khambhat. The nearest broad gauge connection is Bhavnagar (34 km) to the south of Dholera .

The location of Khumbanda (or alternative spelling Khoombunder) has not been identified. It appears most likely that this town is situated at the head of the Bhader Creek which leads directly to the sea. The records show that there was ‘a tramway of unknown gauge which was laid for 4½ miles(7.2km) from the head of a creek to a cotton godown (warehouse) at Dholera.’ It was used for transporting cotton bales and opened on 15 May 1851 .

A close examination on Goggle Earth indicate the remains of a trackway from Dholera running southeasterly direction towards the Bhader Creek, this trackway runs alongside a more recent road .

No further references have been found to this tramway.

Records

The India Office Records (IOR) records held at the British Library relating to this tramway gives Catalogue entry Z/E/4/33/T200; “Tramway, information respecting alleged failure of, from Dholera to Khumbanda called for”; 1858.

This gives are four records relating to the road from Dholera to Khumbanda and a tramway. All these four records direct to the item below and the same paragraph:-

• IOR/E/4/853, p191 “Tramway, information respecting alleged failure of, from Dholera to Khumbanda called for.”

Answers to letters (Revenue) dated 24th June (No 11) 1857
Side Note 24 Correspondence with the Bombay Government respecting the road from Dholera to Khoombunder (Khumbanda): paragraph 105 We approve you having called for information respecting to the tramway between these two places and it’s alleged failure.