Kalighat Falta Railway
Encyclopedia
The Kalighat Falta Railway (KFR) was one of four lines built in the early part of the 20th Century by McLeod & Company, a subsidiary of a London company of managing agents, McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd, to open up undeveloped parts of India, all of them in and around Kolkata
. The running of the trains were managed by a company called the McLeod's Light Railways. This company also owned and managed the Ahmedpur
-Katwa
, Burdwan-Katwa
and the Bankura Damodar Railway lines.
KFR was 26.95 miles (43.4 km) long, opened on 28 May 1917 from Gholeshapur in Behala
to Falta
and was extended a further 0.92 miles (1.5 km) to Majherhat on 7 May 1920. The lines used were a 2' 6" gauge railway track.
The KFR line was the first in India to use three brand new 2-6-2 side tank AK16 locomotives, built in November 1916 by WG Bagnall Ltd. of the Castle Engine Works at Stafford in England. They entered service with KFR in February, 1917. The 'AK' in the name stood for 'Ahmedpur-Katwa'. They were also known as the 'Delta Class' engines (since they were originally ordered by the Egyptian Delta Light Railways
but were more successful in India) and they were very successful and a lot many were used in the following years till 1953 when the last order was placed. One of the 1916 built Bagnall locomotives has been preserved by the Phyllis Rampton Trust
in the UK .
The Kalighat Falta line closed in 1957.
Some years after the independence of India, when the British owners, McLeod, folded up their operations in India, and the new Govrnment of India and West Bengal
thought it best to close down this stretch of railway tracks.
The reclaimed land, from where the tracks used to be, has been used to construct a road - the James Long Sarani in Behala.
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. The running of the trains were managed by a company called the McLeod's Light Railways. This company also owned and managed the Ahmedpur
Ahmedpur, Birbhum
Ahmedpur is a town in the Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Ahmedpur is a village panchayat under Sainthia panchayat of Birbum Zilla Parishad...
-Katwa
Katwa
Katwa is the head quarters of Katwa subdivision in the district of Bardhaman, West Bengal. The area has a rural charm and natural beauty, but many trading and other business activities has made it clumsy and congested. It is mostly a middle class residential area.-History:The small town has a five...
, Burdwan-Katwa
Katwa
Katwa is the head quarters of Katwa subdivision in the district of Bardhaman, West Bengal. The area has a rural charm and natural beauty, but many trading and other business activities has made it clumsy and congested. It is mostly a middle class residential area.-History:The small town has a five...
and the Bankura Damodar Railway lines.
KFR was 26.95 miles (43.4 km) long, opened on 28 May 1917 from Gholeshapur in Behala
Behala
Behala is a neighbourhood in South West Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal. Behala was officially known as South Suburban Municipality until it was merged with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on January, 1984. Now it is broadly spread across Ward Nos.118 and 132 of the KMC and is...
to Falta
Falta, South 24 Parganas
Falta is a town with a Special Economic Zone and a police station in Diamond Harbour subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-History:...
and was extended a further 0.92 miles (1.5 km) to Majherhat on 7 May 1920. The lines used were a 2' 6" gauge railway track.
The KFR line was the first in India to use three brand new 2-6-2 side tank AK16 locomotives, built in November 1916 by WG Bagnall Ltd. of the Castle Engine Works at Stafford in England. They entered service with KFR in February, 1917. The 'AK' in the name stood for 'Ahmedpur-Katwa'. They were also known as the 'Delta Class' engines (since they were originally ordered by the Egyptian Delta Light Railways
Egyptian Delta Light Railways
The Egyptian Delta Light Railways was a gauge Egyptian narrow gauge railway, construction of which began in 1898. The railway consisted of a network of lines throughout the Nile delta region, north of Cairo. The lines were constructed to supplement the standard gauge network, and not all lines...
but were more successful in India) and they were very successful and a lot many were used in the following years till 1953 when the last order was placed. One of the 1916 built Bagnall locomotives has been preserved by the Phyllis Rampton Trust
Phyllis Rampton Trust
The Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust is a British charity which is registered with the British Charity Commission as 292240 under the classification of "Education/TrainingEnvironment/Conservation/Heritage"...
in the UK .
The Kalighat Falta line closed in 1957.
Some years after the independence of India, when the British owners, McLeod, folded up their operations in India, and the new Govrnment of India and West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
thought it best to close down this stretch of railway tracks.
The reclaimed land, from where the tracks used to be, has been used to construct a road - the James Long Sarani in Behala.
Railway Stations
- Kalighat
- Behala
- Amtala
- Rajarhat (Near Surya Cinema Hall & State Bank of India)
- Shirakol (Water Tank now under PWD)
- Fatehpur
- Falta