Assam-Bengal Railway

1891 Commenced construction of a railway track on the eastern side of Bengal

1892 The Assam Bengal Railway was incorporated to serve British-owned tea plantations in Assam.

1895 The metre gauge line was a state owned but company operated railway^[1]

1895 July 1st. The 93 mile section between Chittagong and Comilla and the 38 mile section between Laksam and Chandpur were opened to traffic.

1895 November 3rd. The section from Chittagong to Chittagong Port opened.

1896 The section from Comilla-Akhaura-Karimganj was opened

1898 Silchar branch opened

1899 Opened first jetty at Chittagong (known as old berth No.1 and later as berth No.4)

1900 Gauhati (Guwahati) branch opened

1903 The section to Tinsukia was opened

1903 Connected to Dibru-Sadiya Railway

1903 The Noakhali branch opened - built by the Noakhali (Bengal) Railway Co and merged with the Assam Bengal Railway 1906

1904 February 16th. Official opening of the 740 miles between Bengal and Assam by Lord Curzon

1910 In operation: 771 miles. Officers - F. A. Lyall, Secretary; V. Woods, Agent in India; Rendel and Robertson, Consulting Engineers; A. M. Berkeley, Chief Engineer Chittagong; R. S. Hawkins, Locomotive and Carriage Superintendent (Pahartali); G. H. Ormerod, District Engineer (Lumding); T. R. Nolan, District Engineer (Haflong); A. James, District Engineer (Pahartali); G. Anson Bayley, Traffic manager (Chittagong).^[2]

1918 In operation: 811 miles. Officers - G. A. Bayley, Agent in India; A. M. Berkeley, Chief Engineer; T. R. Nolan, Acting Chief Engineer; R. S. Hawkins, Locomotive and Carriage superintendent; G. H. Ormerod (Chittagong), W. B. Venters (Haflong), E. W. Thomas (Pahartail), District Engineers.^[3]

Sources of Information