Line length 97 km (60 mi) | Opened 1915-1917 Track gauge 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | |
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Owner McLeod’s Light Railways Operator(s) 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. On 1 July 1967, MLR was merged with South Eastern Railway.
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Ahmedpur-Katwa Railway
Ahmedpur-Katwa Railway connecting Ahmedpur and Katwa in West Bengal was opened to traffic on 29 September 1917. The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 53 miles (85 km). In 1966, Indian Railways had taken over the operation of this narrow gauge railway from McLeod & Company.
The railway is under conversion to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge. The conversion work started in 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2017.
Bankura-Damodar Railway
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. The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 97 kilometres (60 mi). 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 but during the first world war some 2-6-2T engines were also obtained from Stafford company of 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.
The BDR services were withdrawn in 1995 after it incurred huge losses due to higher maintenance costs, falling passenger numbers as well as falling freight. In 2005, the railway was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge and train services were resumed.
Burdwan-Katwa Railway
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).
The engines chugged along at the maximum speed of 30 km per hour.
The railway is under conversion to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge. The 26 km Burdwan-Balgona section has been converted to broad gauge in 2013. Conversion of the remaining 26 km Balgona-Katwa section to broad gauge started in 2015 and is expected to be completed in 2017.
Kalighat-Falta Railway
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 26.95 miles (43.37 km).
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 Trust in the UK.
Few years after independence, due to increasing losses, the KFR was closed in 1957. The reclaimed land, on where the tracks used to be, were used to construct a road namely the James Long Sarani in Behala.