HOW DID IT GROW

The Chronology of Railway Development in Eastern India.  
   

1851     : Construction of EIR experimental line from Howrah to Rajmahal begins.
1854    : The first passenger train in Eastern India operated from Howrah to Hooghly on 15th. August.
1855    : The "experimental" line extended upto Raneegunje- 122 miles.
           :  Azimganj connected to Burdwan.
1857    : East Bengal Railway (EBR) was formed  to lay a track along the east bank of the Ganga to  Kushthia and then across  the river to Dhaka, but          opened a single  line from Calcutta to Ranaghat in September 1862 which was extended to Kusthia two months later

1860    : Sahibganj loop line from Panduah to Rajmahal.
1861    : Rajmahal connected to Bhagalpur

1862    : (a)   The Jamalpur Locomotive workshop established. 
             (b)   The line to Kushthia (EBR) was opened , ending at Calcutta at a tin-roofed station room at Sealdah.
             (c)   Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway(?) opened a line southward from what was then called Beliaghata Station to
                    Port Canning. The development of the railways in Bengal had created an  anomaly whereby the link with the rest of
                    India, across the river, was controlled by one company but rail access to the Port by another. After much 
                    deliberation, the Jubilee Bridge linking Hooghli (Bandel) and Naihati was opened on 21 February 1887, so that freight
                    traffic  from upper India could run through to the Port, a  charge being paid to the EBR for the use of its tracks.

             (d)   EIR extended upto the west bank of Yamuna on its way to Delhi. 

             (e)   A New company named Indian Branch Railway Company formed to build and operate small  branch lines .

1863    : Nalhati - Azimganj -4 feet gauge line built by Indian Branch Railway Co.

1864    : In a bid to connect Calcutta and Delhi trains started running between the two cities without  any bridge on Yamuna by
             ferrying the coaches on boats across the river at Allahabad.

1865    : The Yamuna Bridge at Allahabad opened.

1867    : EIR branch line extended from Allahabad to Jubbalpore.

1871     : The "main line" on the Calcutta - Delhi route completed. Total EIR track 1350 miles much ahead of other competitors.

1880    : EIR taken over by state. (Construction and operation handed over to the company.)
             Bengal Nagpur Railway formed.

1882-1884:    On the Sealdah side, the line to Bongaon was constructed.

1885    : Tarakeshwar line was opened.

1887    : The Bengal Nagpur Railway extended services to Asansol coal belt.

1890    : Budge Budge line came up.

1892    : Assam Bengal Railway formed.

1894    : BPR( Bengal Provincial Railway) between Tarakeswar to Magra (2 ft. gauge) started on 7th. November.

1899    : Jamalpur Workshops started producing steam locomotives.

 

1900    : Upper Sone bridge built -The longest in India - 10,052 feet.

1901     : EIR's Grand Chord section completed. linking Sitarampur and Mughalsarai via Gaya.

1905    : The Prince of Wales visits India . EIR built special luxury coaches equaling those built in Europe for the prince.

1906    :  Howrah Terminus built. Construction was started in 1901.

1912.    : The Howrah-Katwa line opened.

 

1915     : Burdwan Katwa line opened on 1st. December.

1916     : BDR( Bankura Damodar Railway) - 2ft. 6 inches gauge , between Bankura and Rainagar Started on 15th. December.

1917     : Ahmadpur-Katwa line(MG)  was opened on 29th. September.

1917     : Howrah Burdwan chord line opened. 

1928    : The Lakshmikantapur line on Sealdah south opened .    

1932.   : The Calcutta Chord to Dankuni over the Wellingdon Bridge constructed.

1935    : The Jamalpur Workshops along with entire railway colony was destroyed by an earth-quake on 15th. January 1935. It took
             3 years to rebuild it from scratch.

 

1947    : India is partitioned. Bengal Assam Railway goes to East Pakistan including the workshop at Saidpur.

1950    : The Chittaranjan Locomotive Works set up.

1952    : Eastern Railway formed with BNR and Lower portion of EIR up to Mughalsarai. The upper portion of EIR and few other    
             smaller Railway companies formed Northern Railway

1953    :  Howrah- Burdwan  section electrification starts.

1955    : ER splitted. BNR portion is carved out to form SER.

1955    : Martin's Light Railway between Barasat-Basirhat and McLeod's Light railways between Kalighat-Falta closed.
             (established between 1917-1919)

1957    : Burdwan-Mughalsarai section via Grand Chord electrification started. (25Kv Traction).

1958    : Howrah-Burdwan Main Line section and Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar branch electrified.

1963    : Sealdah- Ranaghat section electrified.

1969    : Howrah New Delhi Rajdhani Express started in March. at 120 Kmph with "technical" halts ( not stoppage) at
             Gomoh,Mughalsarai and Kanpur.

 

1971     : Howrah-Amta and Howrah- Shiakhala lines of Martin's Railway - 2ft. gauge, closed.(established between 1897-1898)

1984    : The Circular Railway in Calcutta inaugurated between Dum Dum and Prinsep Ghat.

1986    : Fatuha-Islampur Martin's Light Railway closed.

2006    :  Kolkata's new passenger terminal "KOLKATA", inaugurated at Chitpur in Sealdah division