Pondicherry Railway

Pondicherry Railway
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Line of route
Pondicherry to Gingee River Bridge (near Chinnababusamudram
Gauge / mileage
Metre gauge	7.5 miles (1905)
Timeline
Key locations
Presidency	Madras
Stations	Pondicherry
System agency
1907	South Indian Railway
How to interpret this infobox

Pondicherry Railway

The Pondicherry Railway was a short metre gauge(MG) branch line of 7½ miles (12km) which connected the French enclave of Pondicherry with the rest of British India at the Gingi/Gingee River bridge where it met the South Indian Railway Pondicherry Branch, 17 miles(27km)
The two railways were operated jointly by the South Indian Railway and when opened in 1879 connected Pondicherry to the SIR mainline at Villupuram.

The construction of the railway by the ‘Pondicheri Railway Company ‘ (see Spelling Note and Company below) was under the supervision of the South Indian Railway commenced in Oct 1878. Mr. White, the Deputy Chief Engineer to the SIR Company, was appointed to carry out the entire work, both on the French and English sections .

The works within the British territory were commenced in April 1879, and the line was opened, with a temporary road laid across the bed of the River Gingi/Gingee on the 15 Dec 1879. The French section, from that river to Pondicherry, was commenced in Oct 1878, and completed in June 1879, being opened for traffic simultaneously with the South Indian portion of the line .Thus simultaneously with the SIR Pondicherry Branch so when opened in 1879 connected Pondicherry to the SIR mainline at Villupuram. The line was maintained and worked by the SIR under the management of the SIR Agent which had remained at the original Negapatam. The joint Agent finally moved to Trichinopoly in 1880 .

Spelling Note – Pondicheri spelling was used when the Company was established. The spelling soon changed to Pondicherry

Pondicherry Railway Company

The following is recorded in a 1931 Court Record :-.
The Pondicherry Railway Company Limited was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1869 under the British Joint Stock Companies Acts for the purpose of constructing a railway in French Colony of Pondicherry. The registered office of the company has always been in London. In the year 1878 the company entered into a convention with the Minister of Marine and Colonies acting on behalf of the French Colony of India, whereby a concession was granted to the company to construct and work a line of railway from the landing pier at Pondicherry to a junction with the South Indian Railway at the frontier of the French territory. The duration of the convention was fixed at ninety-nine years and the company thereby undertook to construct and work the proposed railway, or to cause the same to be constructed and worked, and assumed various obligations in regard to it. In consideration of the company's engagements the French Minister undertook to pay to the company in instalments a subsidy of 1,264,375 francs and to provide the requisite land free of charge. The convention further provided as follows:
The Company undertakes on its part to make over to the Colonial Government during the whole duration of the concession one half of the net profits which shall be arrived at by deducting from the gross receipts the rates and taxes of every kind chargeable to the Company as well as the amount expended in the purchase or hire of rolling stock, the expenditure relating to the maintenance and repair of the lines, of fixed plant and rolling stock ; expenses of working and administration; as well as such sums, if any, as with the consent of the Colonial Government may be placed to reserve to the costs of heavy repairs of the works of the railway and for the renewal of the 'material.' But this division shall not commence until after deduction by the Company of a sum of one hundred and fifty-seven thousand five hundred francs (157,500 francs) from the aggregate amount of the net profits during the first years of the working of the line; and this by way of reimbursement for the expenses of administration for which the Company has made itself liable.

The company duly constructed the projected line of railway, which was entirely situated in French territory, and effected the junction at the frontier with the system of the South Indian Railway. As empowered in the convention with the French Minister the company entered into an agreement dated March 25,1879, with the South Indian Railway Company Limited, where by the latter undertook to work, manage and maintain the Pondicherry Railway. The agreement in force between the two railway companies at the time of the assessments in question was dated December 30, 1890.
The working agreement in the present case is on simple lines. The South Indian Company undertakes to work the Pondicherry line "as if it were an integral part of their undertaking " and from time to time to pay the gross receipts of the line " into such Government Treasury in India as the Secretary of State may prescribe." It is then provided that "out of the gross receipts of the Pondicherry line there shall be deducted and retained by the South Indian Company for working expenses the same percentage of gross receipts as the traffic of the South Indian Company, including therein the Pondicherry line, -is from time to time worked at." After deduction of this percentage for working expenses from gross receipts " the balance shall be ascertained and...shall be paid over every six months by the South Indian Company to the Pondicherry Company in India in rupees," Provision is made for dividing between the two companies on a mileage basis the gross receipts from through traffic.