McLeod's Light Railways

McLeod's Light Railways (MLR) consisted of following four 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge lines in West Bengal in India. The railways were built and owned by McLeod & Company, which was the subsidiary of a London company of managing agents, McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd.^[1] On 1 July 1967, the Bankura Damodar Railway was merged with South Eastern Railway.^[2]

McLeod's Light Railways
Overview
Owner	McLeod's Light Railways
Locale	West Bengal
Service
Operator(s)	McLeod's Light Railways
Depot(s)	Kalighat, Falta, Burdwan, Katwa, Ahmadpur, Bankura,
History
Opened	1915–1917
Technical
Line length	245.3 km (152 mi)
Track length	245.3 km (152 mi)
Track gauge	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Operating speed	NG 36 kilometres per hour (22 mph). BG 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph)

Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway

See also: Ahmadpur–Katwa line

Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway at Labhpur

Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway connecting Ahmedpur and Katwa in West Bengal was opened to traffic on 29 September 1917.^[3][4] The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 52 kilometres (32 mi).^[5] In 1966, Indian Railways had taken over the operation of this narrow gauge railway from McLeod & Company.^[6]

The 52 km long railway section has been converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge. The conversion work started in 2013 and was completed in early 2017.^[7] On 24 May 2018, the section was opened to passenger traffic.

Bankura–Damodar Railway

See also: Bankura–Masagram line

Narrow-gauge loco plinthed at Bankura railway station

Bankura–Damodar Railway (also called as Bankura Damodar River Railway) connecting Bankura and Rainagar in Bankura and Bardhaman districts in now West Bengal was opened to traffic in sections between 15 December 1916 and 6 June 1917.^[8] The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 97 kilometres (60 mi).^[2][9] The railway was known as Bankura Damodar Railway, as it used to terminate at Rainagar, which was on banks of Damodar River. People used to take ferries to cross river to go on other side.

The standard locomotive for BDR was a powerful 0-6-4T design from W. G. Bagnall of Stafford, but during the First World War some 2-6-2T engines were also obtained from Bagnall, same as was ordered for the Egyptian Delta Light Railways (and hence known as the Delta class). The 1953 additions were also of this type. There were two Sentinel locomotives; one (No.8) is now preserved at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi. A steam loco shed at Bankura served the narrow gauge line.^[10]

The BDR services were withdrawn in 1995 after it incurred huge losses due to higher maintenance costs, falling passenger numbers as well as falling freight.^[11] In 2005, the 120.3 kilometres (74.8 mi) long railway section was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad Gauge and train services were resumed which extended its part to Masagram in 2012, thus making Masagram Junction point of Bankura Damodar Railway & connecting Howrah–Bardhaman chord.

Bankura–Purulia Railway

See also: Kharagpur–Bankura–Adra line

The Bankura-Purulia Light Railway(BPLR) was a similar proposal to connect Bankura with Purulia via Dhaldanga, Puabagan, Kumidiya, Teghori, Hatgram, Bishpuria, Hura & Hutmura. The plan was to connect Bankura & Purulia belt with a 84.4 kilometres (52.4 mi) long Narrow Gauge railway line. From 1916-17 the line was laid from Bankura to Puabagan & from Purulia to Hura. But a catastrophic flood in 1917-18 washed away line from Bankura to Dhaldanga & lack of Passengers prompted McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd. to scrap the route.

Burdwan–Katwa Railway

See also: Bardhaman–Katwa line

Burdwan–Katwa Railway connecting Bardhaman (earlier known as Burdwan) and Katwa in now Bardhaman district, West Bengal was opened to traffic on 1 December 1915. The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 53 kilometres (33 mi).^[12]

The engines chugged along at the maximum speed of 30 km per hour.^[13][14]

The 52 km long railway section was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.^[15][16] The Bardhaman-Katwa line after conversion from narrow gauge to electrified broad gauge was opened to the public on 12 January 2018.^[17]

Kalighat–Falta Railway

See also: Sealdah South lines

Kalighat–Falta Railway
Overview
Owner	McLeod's Light Railways
Locale	West Bengal
Service
Operator(s)	McLeod's Light Railways
Depot(s)	Kalighat, Falta
History
Opened	1915–1917
Technical
Line length	45 km (28 mi)
Track length	45 km (28 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Operating speed	NG 36 kilometres per hour (22 mph)
Route map Legend km Sealdah–Budge Budge line KDS Railway Kolkata Circular Railway 0 Majerhat Junction Sealdah–Budge Budge line 2 Gholeshapur 5 Sakherbazar 8 Thakurpukur 11 Pailan 15 Bhasa 16 Halt No. 1 (Bagirhat) 18 Udairampur 19 Amtala Hat 21 Halt No. 2 (Gangarampur) 23 Halt No. 3 (Rajarhat) 24 Shirakole 26 Halt No. 3/A (Banganagar) 29 Shivanipur 32 Dighirpar 35 Harindanga 37 Halt No. 4 (Belsingha) 39 Sararhat 44 Falta km Key IR broad gauge (1676 mm) Narrow gauge (762 mm)

Kalighat–Falta Railway connecting Gholeshapur in Behala to Falta was opened on 28 May 1917 and was extended a further 0.92 miles (1.48 km) to Kalighat, now Majherhat in West Bengal on 7 May 1920. The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 27 miles (43 km).^[18]

The KFR line was the first in India to use three brand new 2-6-2 side tank AK16 locomotives, built in November 1916 by W. G. Bagnall Ltd. of the Castle Engine Works at Stafford in England. They entered service with KFR in February 1917. The 'AK' in the name stood for 'Ahmedpur-Katwa'. They were also known as the 'Delta Class' engines (since they were originally ordered by the Egyptian Delta Light Railways but were more successful in India) and they were very successful and a lot many were used in the following years till 1953 when the last order was placed. One of the 1916-built Bagnall locomotives has been preserved by the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust at the Vale of Rheidol Railway in the UK.^[18]

It is a small line—26’2 miles of narrow gauge. A private company was running it at a deficit and according to the agreement entered into with that company by the Central Government, we have been paying a subsidy, on an average, of Rs. 3 71 lakhs, from year to year. Therefore, we decided that it will be better to take over this and dismantle it, if adequate facilities are provided for the public. The West Bengal Government also took up the matter with us and they gave an assurance that they would make all possible efforts; they said that the road services would be sufficiently developed in that area to cope with the normal traffic; That is the position so far as public are concerned^[19]

As regards the staff of the Kalighat-Falta Railway, it had been decided by the Government of India to offer fresh employment(during 1952) to such of the staff as are below the age of superannuation and are otherwise found suitable. Detailed instructions in this connection have already issued to the General Managers of the Eastern and the South-Eastern Railways So, on both these points, namely, hardship to the public and unemployment to the staff, we have taken measures so that the public will not be put to inconvenience when this line is eventually dismantled and the staff who have not superannuated will be offered alternative employment.^[19]

Due to ever-increasing losses, the KFR was closed in 1957.The land where the tracks used to be was used to construct a road, the James Long Sarani, in Behala.

Classification

The McLeod's Light Railways were labeled as Class III railways according to Indian Railway Classification System of 1926.^[20]

References

1. "McLeod's Light Railways". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
2. "Bankura-Damodar Railway (BDR)". SE Railway. Archived from the original on 27 August 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
3. Chakraborty, Snehamoy. "Emotions pasted – One last run". The Telegraph, 14 January 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
4. "Ahmadpur-Katwa Railway". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
5. "Narrow gauge gets a new lease of life". The Statesman, 14 October 2004. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
6. Mortimer, Simon. "India: narrow-gauge lines in late 2002 and late 2003". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
7. Mortimer, Simon. "India: narrow-gauge lines in late 2002 and late 2003". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
8. "Bankura-Damodar Railway". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
9. Indian railways: glorious 150 years - Page 81 by R. R. Bhandari, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Publications Division - 2005 - McLeod & Co. owned and managed four 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge lines in Eastern region - (1) Bankura- Rainagar line - 97 km long - opened in 1916-17.
10. Aitken, Bill. "Bankura's Iron Horses". Rediff on the NeT Travel. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
11. "BDR resumes service after 13 yrs". The Statesman, 23 January 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}
12. "Burdwan-Katwa Railway". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
13. "Narrow gauge gets a new lease of life". The Statesman, 14 October 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2009. ^{[dead link]}
14. Manning, Ian. "The Katwa Railways". From Bengal Towards Nagpur. Indian Railway Fan Club. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
15. "Burdwan-Katwa Railway". fibis. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
16. Siddiqui, Kanchan. "Burdwan bids adieu to vintage narrow gauge trains". The Statesman, 14 April 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}
17. "Baro rail Katwae, jamlo bhidr (Big railway in Katwa, crowd gathers)". Bengali. Ananda Bazar Patrika, 13 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
18. "AK16 Steam Locomotive". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
19. https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56093/1/lsd_01_15_28-03-1957.pdf page 30
20. "Indian Railway Classification". Retrieved 16 March 2023.

External links

• A classic travelogue on the McLeod lines
• Photographs of Katwa-Ahmedpur Narrow Gauge Train