Eastern Bengal Railway
The Eastern Bengal Railway (full name Eastern Bengal Railway Company, shortened EBR) was one of the pioneering railway companies that operated from 1857 to 1942, in Bengal and Assam provinces of British India.
The Eastern Bengal Railway Company was established with the objective of introduction of railway transport in eastern Bengal and even to move into Burma.
The proposal for the railway was presented to the Government by Wellington Purdon
1857 August. The company was incorporated by United Kingdom Act of Parliament. The operational area of Eastern Bengal Railway was to be the east bank of the Hooghly River, while the East Indian Railway operated on the west bank of the river
1862 Received Government Guarantee[1]
1862 The first line opened from Calcutta to Kushtia (presently covered by Sealdah-Ranaghat Line, Ranaghat-Gede Line and Chilahati-Parbatipur-Santahar-Darshana Line).
1865 The line was extended to Goalundo Ghat.
1884 The EBR was taken over by the Government of India and renamed the Eastern Bengal State Railway. Amalgamated with the Northern Bengal State Railway, the Calcutta and Southern State Railway[2]
1885 233 miles in operation.
1887 The Calcutta and South Eastern Railway was merged into it.
1887 The Eastern Bengal Railway, which operated east of the Hooghly, was linked with the East Indian Railway, which operated west of the river, when Jubilee Bridge, linking Bandel and Naihati, was opened.
1902 Extended north as far as Dhubri in Assam.
1915 Reverted to its old name Eastern Bengal Railway.
1932 The Calcutta Chord Railway constructed the line from Dum Dum to Dankuni over the Willingdon Bridge. The bridge was later renamed Vivekananda Setu.
1941 The Bengal Dooars Railway was merged into it.
1942 January 1st. The Assam-Bengal Railway combined with the Eastern Bengal Railway to form the Bengal and Assam Railway.