Martin's Light Railways
Encyclopedia
Martin's Light Railways was a private company operating railways in India
. The routes on which trains were run by Martin's Light Railways are as shown below: gauge Howrah Maidan-Amta
and Howrah-Shiakhala lines (closed on January 1, 1971).
The Howrah-Amta line was opened up to Domjur in 1897, and to Amta in 1898. An extension from Bargachhia (Bargechhe) junction to Antpur was opened in 1904, and a further extension to Champadanga
in 1908. This extension, however, lies almost exclusively in Hooghly district. Both the Howrah- Amta and Howrah-Shiakhala lines start from Telkalghat on the Hooghly river, and skirting the Court maidan pass through the crowded Panchanantala road to Kadamtala station. Here they separate, the Howrah-Sliiakhala line running north-west along the Benares road to the border of the district, and thence to Shiakhala in Hooghly district. The Howrah-Amta line runs west, chiefly along the side of the Jagatballabhpur road, and then goes south-west to Amta.
The new Howrah-Amta broad gauge line project, including the Bargachia-Champadanga branch line, was sanctioned in 1974-75. The first 24-km stretch of the section from Howrah to Bargachia was completed in 1984 by South Eastern Railway
along with electrification, and commissioned soon after. The 6 km long Bargachhia-Munsirhat
stretch was inaugurated in 2000.The Mahendralal Nagar-Amta section was opened in 2005.However, the Bargachhia-Champadanga branch line is yet to be completed. According to the reply to a parliamentary question in 2006, land to be provided free of cost by the State Government as per Memorandum of Understanding, was still to be handed over.
and Rajgir
.
Bukhtiarpur-Bihar line of Martin's Light Railways was taken over by the local district board in 1950. This line was later taken over by Indian Railways in 1961 and replaced by (Indian gauge
) line in 1962.
line was laid by Indian Railways from Sasaram to Arrah in 2006-07.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The routes on which trains were run by Martin's Light Railways are as shown below: gauge Howrah Maidan-Amta
Amta
Amta I is an administrative division in Uluberia subdivision of Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Amta police station serves this block...
and Howrah-Shiakhala lines (closed on January 1, 1971).
- BakhtiarpurBakhtiarpurBakhtiarpur is a city and a notified area in Patna district in the state of Bihar, India.-Demographics: India census, Bakhtiarpur had a population of 32,288. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bakhtiarpur has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of...
-RajgirRajgirRajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire. Its date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have...
(Bukhtiarpur Bihar Light RailwayBukhtiarpur Bihar Light RailwayBukhtiarpur Bihar Light Railway was a narrow gauge gauge railway line running between Bakhtiarpur and Rajgir.Bukhtiarpur-Bihar line of Martin's Light Railways was opened in 1903 and taken over by the local district board in 1950. This line was later taken over by Indian Railways in 1961 and...
) taken over by the local district board in 1950, taken over by Indian RailwaysIndian RailwaysIndian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
(IR) and replaced by (BGIndian gaugeIndian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
) in 1962. - BarasatBarasatBarasat is a city in the outskirts of Kolkata, West Bengal India and is the district head quarter of the district North 24 Parganas. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. The town is an important railway and roadway junction...
-BasirhatBasirhatBasirhat is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. Basirhat subdivisional town is located on the banks of Ichamati River.- History :...
line. (Barasat Basirhat RailwayBarasat Basirhat Railway-History:Barasat Basirhat Railway was a gauge railway line started by Martin & Co. in 1914 as part of their wide network of narrow gauge operations under the aegis of Martin's Light Railways...
) gauge. Closed 1955, partly replaced by BG in 1962 by IR.
Howrah-Amta/Shiakhala
The light railways had their origin in an agreement, dated 12 June 1889 between the District Board of Howrah and Messrs. Walsh, Lovett & Co., which was subsequently renewed with Messrs. Martin & Co., and sanctioned by Government notification in the Calcutta Gazette of March 27th, 1895.The Howrah-Amta line was opened up to Domjur in 1897, and to Amta in 1898. An extension from Bargachhia (Bargechhe) junction to Antpur was opened in 1904, and a further extension to Champadanga
Champadanga
Champadanga is a village under Tarakeswar bloc and police station in Chandannagore subdivision of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Economics:This is a rich agricultural area with several cold storages. Chief products are potato and rice....
in 1908. This extension, however, lies almost exclusively in Hooghly district. Both the Howrah- Amta and Howrah-Shiakhala lines start from Telkalghat on the Hooghly river, and skirting the Court maidan pass through the crowded Panchanantala road to Kadamtala station. Here they separate, the Howrah-Sliiakhala line running north-west along the Benares road to the border of the district, and thence to Shiakhala in Hooghly district. The Howrah-Amta line runs west, chiefly along the side of the Jagatballabhpur road, and then goes south-west to Amta.
The new Howrah-Amta broad gauge line project, including the Bargachia-Champadanga branch line, was sanctioned in 1974-75. The first 24-km stretch of the section from Howrah to Bargachia was completed in 1984 by South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (India)
The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata. It comprises four divisions:# Adra Railway Division# Chakradharpur Railway Division# Kharagpur Railway Division...
along with electrification, and commissioned soon after. The 6 km long Bargachhia-Munsirhat
Munsirhat
Munsirhat is part of the Jagatballavpur bloc in the Howrah Sadar subdivision of the Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Transport:...
stretch was inaugurated in 2000.The Mahendralal Nagar-Amta section was opened in 2005.However, the Bargachhia-Champadanga branch line is yet to be completed. According to the reply to a parliamentary question in 2006, land to be provided free of cost by the State Government as per Memorandum of Understanding, was still to be handed over.
Bukhtiarpur Bihar Light Railway
Bukhtiarpur-Bihar line (or Bakhtiarpur-Bihar line) was a narrow gauge railway line running between BakhtiarpurBakhtiarpur
Bakhtiarpur is a city and a notified area in Patna district in the state of Bihar, India.-Demographics: India census, Bakhtiarpur had a population of 32,288. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bakhtiarpur has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of...
and Rajgir
Rajgir
Rajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire. Its date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have...
.
Bukhtiarpur-Bihar line of Martin's Light Railways was taken over by the local district board in 1950. This line was later taken over by Indian Railways in 1961 and replaced by (Indian gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
) line in 1962.
Arrah-Sasaram
The Arrah-Sasaram line was opened as a narrow gauge (2’ 6”) section of Martin’s Light Railways in 1914 and was closed in 1978. A new broad gaugeBroad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line was laid by Indian Railways from Sasaram to Arrah in 2006-07.
Other lines
There were three other light railways operated by Martin Burn:- Fulwah-Islampur Light RailwayFulwah-Islampur Light RailwayThe Futwah-Islampur Light Railway was a was a narrow gauge railway in the Indian state of Bihar. Constructed in 1922, it was operated by the Martin's Light Railways company until taken over by the Indian Railways and closed in 1987. The line operated three 0-6-2T locomotives constructed by Manning...
in Bihar - Delhi Shahdra to Saharanpur in UP.