South Indian Railway Company
South Indian Railway Company was a railway company which operated a number of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge lines[1] in South India from 1874 to 1951.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | York Street, Westminster, London, UKGBI (R. O.) Trichinopoly, Madras Presidency, British Raj (Operations) |
| Reporting mark | SIR |
| Locale | Madras Presidency |
| Dates of operation | 1 July 1874–13 April 1951 (76 years, 9 months and 13 days) |
| Predecessor | Great Southern Railway of India Carnatic Railway |
| Successor | Southern Railway zone |
| Technical | |
| Previous gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
History
The Great Southern of India Railway Company was established with its headquarters in England in 1853. The Carnatic Railway Company was founded in 1869.[2] The two companies merged in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company.[3] The new firm was registered in London in 1890 with Trichinopoly as its headquarters. In 1891, the Pondicherry Railway Company (incorporated in 1845[2]) merged with the South Indian Railway Company. The company moved its headquarters later to, Chennai Central. The company operated a suburban electric train service for Madras city from May 1931 onwards. The South Indian Railway Company was nationalized in 1944. On 1 April 1951, the South Indian Railway Company, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company and the Mysore Railway Company were merged to form the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways.
Opening of the South Indian Railway between Tuticorin and Madura by Madras Presidency. "Natives waiting to see the Prince in 1876"
An up-country railway station
Conversion to broad gauge
The railway lines were converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge in the 1990s.
References
- South Indian Railway Company Ltd (15 July 2015). The Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway. Amberley Publishing.
- "Indian Tramway Limited". Herepath's Railway and Commercial Journal. 32 (1595): 3. 1 January 1870.
- Report on the Administration of the Madras Presidency During the Year 1875-76. Government Press. 1877. p. 260.