ΤΟ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA IN COUNCIL ON RAILWAYS IN INDIA. FOR THE YEAR 1862-63. BY JULAND DANVERS, ESQ., GOVERNMENT DIRECTOR OF THE INDIAN RAILWAY COMPANIES. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. PRINTED BY GEORGE EDWARD EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, 3860. FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. 1863. FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE RAILWAY COMPANIES STATEMENT SHOWING FINANCIAL OPERATIONS DURING PAST YEAR 1862-63 REPORT. SIR, To the Right Honourable Sir CHARLES WOOD, Bart., G.C.B., M.P. India Office, May 1863. I HAVE the honour to submit my Fourth Annual Report on Railways in India, being that for the year 1862-63. 2. The progress made towards the completion of the lines has, upon the whole, been satisfactory. Seven hundred and forty-seven (747) miles had, on the 31st December last, been added to the 1,6094 which were open for traffic on the 1st January 1862. Since the beginning of this year, one hundred and eightyfour (184) miles more have been finished, making a total of two thousand five hundred and twenty-eight (2,540) miles upon which passengers and goods are now being conveyed. 3. The greatest distance traversed in a direct line without interruption is on the East Indian Railway from Calcutta to Benares, a length of five hundred and forty (540) miles; the next greatest is the trans-peninsula line from Madras to Beypore, which is 405 miles; and the next from Bombay to Sholapore, across the Bhore Ghât, a length of 295 miles. 4. Several works of great importance and magnitude occur on the lines which have been recently opened. The ascent by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway of the Bhore Ghât, between Bombay and Poonah, comprises some of the most formidable of these. In a distance of 15 miles, the Railway climbs a height of 1,831 feet, the difficulties in its course being overcome by such a series of cuttings, tunnels, viaducts, and embankments as is hardly to be found within the same space in any other work in the world, and are only rivalled in India by those on the sister incline over the Thull Ghât. This arduous undertaking, the particulars of which have been described in a previous report, was carried out by Mr. J. J. Berkley, the Chief Engineer to the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, who, unhappily, has not lived to witness the result of his skill and labour. The addresses to and from Sir Hy. Bartle Frere, K.C.B., the Governor of Bombay, on the occasion of the official opening of the Bhore Ghât Incline, will be found in the Appendix. 5. The Soane Bridge, on the East Indian line, is another magnificent work. Almost twice the length of the railway bridge over the Thames at Charing Cross, it consists of 27 iron girders of 150 feet each, supported on brick foundations. When it is remembered that this immense mass of iron-work has been sent out from England and conveyed hundreds of miles up country, the difficulty of the undertaking, irrespective of its magnitude, will be understood. 6. The bridges on the Baroda line, over the Bassein, Taptee, Nerbudda and Mhye Rivers, crossing water-way to an extent of about six miles, are also very remarkable works. The foundations, in each case, consist of screw piles, braced together and fixed in the bed of the river, the superstructure being made of wrought-iron girders. 7. In addition to the work done to enable 930 miles of new line to be opened, fair progress has been made on the unopened lines, and it is expected that in the course of the present year, between six and seven hundred miles more will be ready for traffic. 4 8. The following Statement shows the present condition of each railway in respect to its completed and uncompleted portions :— * The length of these lines depends upon the course chosen for the line from Sholapore to Madras. 9. A contract has been made by the East Indian Railway with Messrs. Waring & Co. for the Jubbulpore line, which has now been fairly commenced. The contract price for the 225 miles, exclusive of permanent way, locomotive engines, and rolling stock, was Rs. 1,31,71,841. 10. With regard to the line from Umritser towards Delhi, it has been decided that, instead of going, as originally proposed, direct through Ferozepore to Delhi, on the right bank of the River Jumna, it shall proceed by the left bank, making a circuit of between thirty and forty miles through a richer country, and by the important towns of Loodiana, Umballa, and Meerut. The Company, who had undertaken to construct it, has issued shares representing a capital of 2,500,000l., upwards of 1,000,000l. of which has been paid into the Government Treasury. 11. The examination of the country midway between Bombay and Madras is still going on, and it has not yet been determined whether the lines of the Madras and the Peninsula Railways shall meet at Hydrabad or whether the original route by Bellary shall be followed. Each line has its advocates. On one side it is contended that the direct route is 40 miles shorter than the new one, and is therefore more suitable for political objects; that it is more important that Bellary should be on the main line than Hydrabad, where disturbances would peril the communications; that by adopting the Hydrabad line the capital to be expended in completing the communication between Madras and Bombay would be increased, and that this would reduce the prospect of a return from the through traffic. On the other side it is argued that, while it is true that the through traffic between Madras and Bombay ought not to be carried an unnecessary distance, there is really, comparatively, but small through traffic to provide for, the natural flow of the traffic being from the interior to the coasts on each side; that the centre tract of country which the direct line would traverse has no large towns and but a scanty population; that though called the direct line in comparing it with that by Hydrabad, it is not really a direct one, inasmuch as it goes 30 miles to the left to touch Bellary, and 60 miles to the right to pass through Sholapore, and that, consequently, it cannot be very unwise to diverge 40 miles to reach so important a place as Hydrabad, which, both on political and commercial grounds, it is more desirable to have on the main line than Bellary; that, if disturbances should arise there, the assistance of a railway would be a source of strength and |