South Indian Railway
The South Indian Railway Company was a railway company which operated in South India from 1874 to 1951.
1853 The Great Southern of India Railway Company was established with its headquarters in England in 1853.
1860 The Broad Gauge line was brought into operation
1861 The Metre Gauge line was brought into operation
1865 99 miles in operation
1869 The Carnatic Railway Company was founded.
1874 The South Indian Railway (metre gauge) was formed by the merger with the Great Southern of India Railway, broad gauge converted to metre gauge, and with the Carnatic Railway. Received Government Guarantee[1]
1875 282 route miles
1885 George B. Bruce and Charles Douglas Fox, Consulting Engineers; William S. Betts, Agent in India; David Logan, Engineer-in-Chief; W. H. Spalding. Acting Chief Engineer; Charles E. Crighton, Locomotive Superintendent. 654 route miles.[2]
1890 The Government of India acquired the railway. A new firm was registered in London with Trichinopoly as its headquarters.
1891 The Pondicherry Railway (incorporation in 1845) merged with the South Indian Railway Company. The company moved its headquarters to Madurai and later, Chennai Central. The company operated a suburban electric train service for Madras city from May 1931 onwards.
1899 Mileage: South Indian Railway is 654 miles; Villupuram - Guntakal State Railway of which 83 miles are open and 369 miles under construction. Sir George B. Bruce, Consulting Engineer.[3]
1910 Total lines worked are 1,694 miles. Officers: Robert White, Consulting Engineer; H. J. Thompson (Trichinopoly), Acting Agent; J. T. Lewis, Chief Engineer; W. B. Reynolds, Locomotive Superintendent.[4]
1944 The South Indian Railway was nationalised.
On 1 April 1951, the South Indian Railway, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway and the Mysore State Railway were merged to form the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways.