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The '''Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway'''(GBSR) was formed in c.19201921 from the original [[Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway]](GDR) that had started 1862 and progressively expanded as a narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) network. The Gaekwars of the [[Princely states|Princely ]][[Baroda State]] were responsible for building several narrow and metre and narrow gauge lines in and around [[Baroda State]] and the eastern [[Gujerat]].
The ‘[[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]]’(BB&CIR) had been working the’ [[Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway]]’ on behalf of the Baroda Durbar together with the ‘[[Gaekwar's Petlad Railway]]’, the ‘[[Gaekwar's Mehsana Railway]]’, the [[Petlad-Vaso Railway]] and the ‘[[Bodeli-Chhota Udaipur Railway]]’.The working arrangements of all these lines were transferred to the newly formed GBSR in 1921.
==Origins of GBSR==
The 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) railway network, known as the '''[[Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway]]''' commenced with an oxen driven line between [[Dabhoi]] and [[Miyagam Karjan]], a distance of 20 miles(33km) , that first opened in 1862. The rails were inadequate for steam locomotives andthe and the upgraded railway was reopened to traffic in 1873. The network expanded and by 1909 [[Dabhoi ]] had become an NG railway junction, it had become the centre where the lines from [[Miyagam]], [[Chandod ]] , [[Bodeli ]] and [[Baroda ]] converged with a line length of 92 miles(147km). By the early 1919 1918 the NG network had expanded to 187 154 miles(299km246km)<ref name=Admin1918>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n44/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 36 and 37]; Retrieved 16 Nov 2016</ref>.By 1921, when the network was renamed the GBSR, there was approximately 246 miles(393km) of track. The network on handover in 1921 is shown in "Red" on Route Map
<blockquote> See '''[[Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway]]''' for details and references == Development of GBSR==</blockquote>
== Development of GBSR ==
Additional lines were constructed up to 1929, creating a complex network using two railgauges:-
* 1000mm metre gauge ([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]])
* 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]])
These are detailed separately:-
===GBSR Narrow Gauge Expansion in chronological order===
The GBSR took over the [[Gaekwar's Dabhoi Railway]](GDR) network shown in “Red” on Route Map. A number of projects had been sanctioned for construction by the GDR and some were in progress, these were taken over and completed by GBSR. Some lines previously sanctioned were apparently never constructed.
[[File:Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway Routes.png|thumb| Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway Routes]]
'''Narrow Gauge First Division – Headquarters [[Dabhoi]]'''
From 1921 GBSR continued to develop their NG system :-
* ‘Dabhoi-Miyagam Line’ (“Red Line A”); 20 miles(32km) NG, first opened 1862, re-opened 1873 by GDR; transferred from GDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘Dabhoi-Chandod Line’ (“Red Line B”); 11 miles(17km) NG, opened by GDR 1879; transferred from GDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘Dabhoi-Baroda Line’ (“Red Line B”); 19 miles(34km) NG, opened by GDR 1879-90; transferred from GDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘Baroda-Masor Road Line’ (“Red Line C”); 20 miles(32km) NG, opened by GDR 1897-1904; transferred from GDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘Miyaram Karjan-Malsar Line’ (“Red Line D”); 24 miles(44km) NG, opened by GDR 1912; transferred from GDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘Dabhoi-Timba Line’ (“Red Line E”) 62 miles(100km) NG; opened by GDR 1913-19; transferred from DDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘Masor Road-Jambusar Junction Line’ (“Red Line F”) 7 miles(11km) NG; opened by GDR 1917; transferred from GDR to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘[[Bodeli-Chhota Udaipur Railway]]’ (“Green Line H”) 22.5 miles(36km) NG; opened 1917. This was a separate Company worked by BB&CIR and transferred to GBSR, 1921.
* ‘‘Jambusar-Broach Section’, (“Blue Line J”) about 26 miles(42km) NG; from [[Jambusar]] via [[Samni]] to [[Broach]]; was completed by GBSR on ''date unknown''. It was part of the ‘Broach-Jambusar-Masor Road(Kangat) Branch’, proposed by GDR in 1903 <ref name=Hist1906>[https://archive.org/stream/RailwayProjects/Railway%20projects#page/n0/mode/1up Histories of (Indian)Railway Projects ...up to June 1906 “Railways in India – GOI Administrative Report 1916-17 / Native States Lines” page 17 (pdf44]; Retrieved 10 Feb 2018</ref> and not completed until after the GBSR took over in 1921.
* ‘Nar-Petlad-Nadiad Line’, (“Blue Line K”),about 29 miles(46km) NG; from [[Nar Town]] to [[Petlad]](''see note'' ‡‡) and then via Sojitra, Dewa Deva, Vaso to [[Nadiad]] 29 miles. Part was first surveyed in 1905 as the ‘Nar-Nadiad Loop’ 20 miles(32km) <ref name=Hist1906/> and not completed until much later:-
**‘[[Petlad-Vaso Railway]]’, (“Purple Line S“) 16 miles(25km) NG, as a separate Railway Company. The line ran from [[Petlad]]‡‡ to Vaso and opened in 1914. This section was incorporated into the ‘Nar-Petlad-Nadiad Line’ given above, and was extended a further 3½ miles(6km) to Pihij in 1915. The line was operated by the BB&CIR and was absorbed into GBSR in 1921.
** ‘Nar-Petlad Section’ was completed by GBSR on ''date unknown''
** ‘Vaso-Nadiad Section’ was completed by GBSR on ''date unknown''
* ‘Choranda Junction-Moti Koral Line’, (“Blue Line L”) 12 miles(19km) NG, sanctioned in 1914 for the GDR <ref name=Admin1918p44>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n44/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 36]; Retrieved 10 Feb 2018</ref>. Finally completed and opened by GBSR in Nov 1921 <ref name=Scholey>”Indian Railways – A New Chronology” by permission of the author and researcher Keith Scholey</ref>.
* ‘Petlad-Bhadran Line’, (“Blue Line M”) 14 miles(22km) NG, opened by GBSR Jun 1922 <ref name=Scholey/>.The line connected [[Bhadran]] to the [[Petlad|Petlad Juction]](''see note'' ‡‡)
* ‘Motipura-Tankhala Line’, (“Blue Line N”) 26 miles(42km) NG, sanctioned in 1914 for the GDR <ref name=Admin1918p44/>. Finally completed and opened by GBSR in Mar 1923 <ref name=Scholey/>. ''Motipura given in the 1918 Admin Report but not identified - thought it refers to the ‘Chhuchhapura Junction to Tankala Line’ of about 24 miles(38km).''
* ‘Jambusar-Kavi Line’, (“Blue Line P”) 16 miles(26km) NG, from [[Jambusar]] to [[Kavi]], opened by GBSR Aug 1929 <ref name=Scholey/>.
* ‘Samni-Dahej Line’, (“Blue Line R”) 42 miles(67km) NG, from [[Samni]] to Dahej, a village on the coast on the Gulf of Cambey; opened by GBSR Mar 1930 <ref name=Scholey/>.
<blockquote>''Note'' ‡‡ [[Petlad]] was station between [[Anand]] and [[Cambay]] on the broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) [[Petlad-Cambay Railway]] worked by [[BB&CIR]] which linked to the 'BB&CIR BG Mainline'. At this station there were interchange with the narrow gauge ‘Petlad-Bhadran Line’ also the ‘[[Petlad-Vaso Railway]]'</blockquote>.
'''Narrow Gauge Second Division – Headquarters [[Navsari]]'''
GBSR set up a second ‘Narrow Gauge Division’ based in [[Navsari]] with two isolated lines initially operated by BB&CIR but from 1921 the working was transferred to GBSR <ref name=Vodora>[http://www.historyofvadodara.in/gbsr-gaekwars-baroda-state-railways/ "History of Vadora/Baroda” – “Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway" Para 3]; Retrieved 12 Feb 2018</ref>.
* [[Bilimora-Kalamba State Railway| ‘Bilimora-Waghai Railway’]], (“Green Line X”) 39 miles(62km) NG. From [[Bilimora]] ''(an interchange station on the ‘BB&CIR BG Mainline’) '' initially to Kalamba ''(now named Kalva Amba)'' ; extended to reach Waghai , 4 miles(7km) by Nov 1929 <ref name=Scholey/>. Worked by BB&CIR until 1921 then by GBSR <ref name=Vodora/>
* ‘Kosamba-Zankhvav-Umarpada Line’, (“Green Line Y”) 38 miles(61km) NG; developed as two sections:-.
**‘[[Kosamba-Zankhvav Railway|Kosamba-Zankhvav Railway]]’, 26 miles(42km) NG. Surveyed in 1900 <ref name=Hist1906/>, opened in 1912 from [[Kosamba]] to [[Zankhvav]] <ref name=Admin1918p38>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n46/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 38]; Retrieved 10 Feb 2018</ref> . Initially operated by BB&CIR but from 1921 GBSR took over the working.
** ‘Zankhvav-Umarpada Section’, 12 miles(19km) NG from [[Zankhvav]] to [[Umarpada]] , opened by GBSR Jul 1929 <ref name=Scholey/>
** ‘Zankhvav-Bardipadu Extension’, 22 ½ miles(36km) NG, sanction in 1914 <ref name=Admin1918p38/> '' There is no indication that line was constructed''
* ‘[[Navsari-Kamrej Light Railway]], 20 miles(32km) NG, sanctioned as a steam tramway in 1914 for the Baroda Durbar1912 <ref name=Admin1918p39>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n48/mode/1up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 39]; Retrieved 10 Feb 2018</ref> . '' There is no indication that line was constructed''
The 1936-37 “Report by the Railway Board on Indian Railways” gives the Route Mileage of the GBSR ‘Narrow Gauge Division’ as 333 Miles <ref name =Report1936-7>[http://hdl.handle.net/10973/18160 “Report by the Railway Board on Indian Railways for 1936-37. Vol. I; Railway Department, Government of India” Download GIPE-017080.pdf page 120 (pdf 149)]; Retrieved 10 Feb 2018</ref>. In addition it separately lists under GBSR Narrow Gauge ‘Bodeli-Dhhota-Udaipur Railway’, 23 miles
===GBSR Metre Gauge System in chronological order===
The 1936-37 “Report by the Railway Board on Indian Railways” <ref name =Report1936-7/> gives the Route Mileage of the GBSR ‘Metre Gauge Division’ as 255 Miles(210km). It also separately lists under GBSR Metre Gauge ‘Khijadiya-Dhari Railway’, 37 miles(60km)and ‘Prachi Road-Kodinar Railway’, 16 miles(26km) under construction ''(page 120 and 41'')
''The routes of the GBSR Metre Gauge system have not been identified''
==Later Developments==In 1949, the GBSR was merged into the [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]](BB&CIR).
==NG Lines constructed and worked by GBSRExternal Lnks==* [[Kosambahttps://indianrlynews.wordpress.com/tag/gaekwars-baroda-state-Zankhvav rlys/ "Preserving rich heritage of Gaekwar’s Baroda State Rlys“ by Vikas Singh, Editor of Indian Steam RailwaySociety Magazine", 2015]*[http://www.historyofvadodara.in/gbsr-gaekwars-baroda-state-railways/ “History of Vadora/Baroda - Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway”] - a NG line opened in 1900
==External LinksReferences ==*[https:<references //indianrlynews.wordpress.com/tag/gaekwars-baroda-state-rlys/ Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway by Vikas Singh, Editor of Indian Steam Railway Society Magazine]>
[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Indian States Railways]]
[[Category:Narrow Gauge (NG) Railways]]
