28th November, 1864. This was the day, when the First train ran between Grant Rd and Ahmedabad along the erstwhile Bombay Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CIR)'s Bombay-Ahmedabad Line. BB&CIR was the precursor to today's Western Railway. The beginning of this line was an important milestone, since now Cotton from Gujarat could finally reach the port of Bombay swiftly by rail, what the early lines were strongly envisaged for.
The First Official Commercial Passenger Train in Asia was run by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) between Bombay's Bori Bundur Station, to Tannah (Thane) on 16th April, 1853. The Celebrations were grand. There was a sort of celebration at Bori Bunder, the station was decorated and several invitees were invited. A public Holiday was declared in Bombay that Saturday, which is a testimony to the enthusiasm about the event. The train set out with all the dignitaries and passengers, and on the route, people crowded along the line, some even climbing trees, walls, and others watching from Bungalows and temples. At Tannah, the line was crowded for more than a mile (1.6 km) and the crowd had to kept in control by the Ghat police. The Journey was completed in about 55 minutes. Near the Tannah station, a large tent was erected, under which a tiffin was held. The invitees enjoyed their food, and speeches were also given, by important officials related to the rail line.
The GIPR was incorporated by the British Law back in 1849, and began operating its line 4 years later. The BB&CIR on the other hand, was itself incorporated in 1855, and an agreement was made with the East India Company (EIC) to just construct a line from Surat to Baroda and Ahmedabad. The contract from Utran to Bombay was only signed four years later, in 1859. And work on this began only in 1860. So, its quite clear that BB&CI got quite a late start. Yet, it was on its way to transform Bombay in its own way, later even becoming more technologically advanced than its rival, the GIPR.
The first train on the BB&CI line ran on the Amroli-Ankleshwar section on 10th February, 1860. The line was then pushed to Ahmedabad.
The Extension to Bombay wasn't easy. The GIPR had its beginnings in Bombay itself, from where it then expanded gradually. BB&CI on the other hand had begun in Gujarat, quite far from Bombay. The route passed over rivers, notably the Tapti, and the two Bassein Creeks. These were to be bridged. Further problems arose about the route from Grant Rd to Colaba. An Extension to Colaba was already decided upon and sanctioned in 1861.The question was about what route to take. One proposal by the Railway Chairman suggested a line that moved through crowded regions, necessitating expensive land purchases. The Municipality Chairman and the Commissioner of Police highlighted this plans's impracticality. This whole matter had debates of its own, which occurred as late as 1863. The debates culminated with the final decision to instead reclaiming a portion of the Backbay, a large seaface extending from the Malabar Hill to Colaba. This proposal was eventually accepted, which later paved way for an extension to Colaba, a cotton hub.
But these were still future issues, and a terminus at Grant Rd, although couldn't cater to the population residing in the south that well, it could still fare well enough for the time being. It would now temporarily serve as a terminus. The station had platforms as wide as that of GIPR's Bori Bunder Terminus, and its accommodations were more extensive as well. The end of 1864 was nearing, and the line was finally ready to host its first passenger train.
It was morning on Monday, 28th November,1864 that the first train ran on this section. The Celebrations were not as grand as that at Bori Bunder 11 years ago, but nevertheless, the line itself was an accomplishment to reckon with. A bottle of Wine was smashed on the engine by the Traffic Manager, and as The Times of India reported in its issue of the following day,
'a feeble cheer was raised at the moment, but it was quickly drowned by the whistle and the pant of the iron horse,as he snorted for his race.'
~The Times of India, 29th November 1864
The inaugural train was composed of a total of 30 carriages, consisting of First, Second, and Third classes, with most being of the Second and Third Class. Interestingly, even then the First class was scarcely filled, in contrast to the well filled Second and Third classes. The departure station was well filled with natives of every rank, and some Europeans. The report in The Times of India then marveled at the accommodations at the Grant Rd station, followed by the novel coach design in some Third Class coaches of the BB&CI Railway.
This is an interesting topic of its own. Just imagine, that the coaches that were supposed to provide the bare minimum level of comfort to the lowest paying passengers, was quite surprisingly, a double Decker accommodation! Yes, Double Decker coaches back in in 1863. These were built at Amroli in present day Gujarat, and had a capacity of 120 passengers; 70 in the lower section, and 50 in the upper. There was a double row of seats on the upper section, with some space left behind. It was in this space, that the passengers could lie down for some rest. These were supposed to add a bit to the the comfort of the passengers whose comfort had been neglected till then. Check out this link for a diagram of the aforementioned coaches- https://www.alamy.com/indian-3rd-class-coach-image65393572.html
 |
| The new coaches! (A sketch by me!) |
How was the Journey to be for a traveler aboard that train? Quite a long one actually. The BB&CI advertised its rail timetable in some local newspapers like The Bombay Gazette, and The Times of India. I'll provide a link to one in the end of this post as always.
The total journey from Bombay to Ahmedabad would span 306 miles (492.45 km), much greater than GIPR's original 21 mi (34 km) line. On the Down line, the Train would depart from Grant Rd at 7:00 a.m on the first day, reaching Bassein Rd (Vasai Rd) by 8:52. Surat would be reached by 5:10 p.m. on the same day. Here, you would stop till the next morning accommodated in a refreshment room or a travel Bungalow, if you were willing to go further. The Journey would then continue the next day with departure from Surat at 7:10 a.m. Unclesur (most likely Ankleshwar) would be reached by 8:47 p.m. and here you would de-board. Now you would take a ferry to cross the Nerbudda (Narmada) river, reaching on the other side at Broach (Bharuch). The Train there would depart at 10:42 a.m, chugging its way to reach Baroda (Vadodhara) at 1:24 p.m, and finally Ahmedabad at 5:00 p.m. on the Second Day of Travel.
On the Up Line, The train would depart Ahmedabad at 7:00 a.m, reaching Baroda by 10:46 a.m., and Broach by 1:28 p.m.. The next train would depart at 3:18 p.m. from Unclesur, reaching Surat by 5:00 p.m. One more half day would be spent at Surat, the train departing on the Second Day at 7:20 a.m. Bassein Rd would be reached at 3:43 p.m, and finally Grant Rd at 5:30 p.m. that day.
Since there was this gap in the Journey at Surat, where you'd have to spend 14 hrs alone, there was a rule that Ordinary tickets issued on either side of the station were valid till the evening of the day following that when the ticket was issued. That is, since Surat was sort of this point of discontinuity, the ticket you would buy on the first day, would be valid only till the evening of the second day.
One more catch was at Unclesur, where you had the Narmada River being an obstacle. A ferry was provided by the railway, which you had to take to cover the remaining part of your journey. The charges for the ferry were higher for the First class, than the Third. The Fares were as follows-
There were further options for First and Second Class passengers for travel from each side of the ferry (perhaps to the stations). Special tickets for this purpose were to be bought at the stations only, since no cash payments would be accepted on either side of the river. Palkhees or Shigrams were available at a rate of Rs.2 /passenger. Horses could be conveyed across the river at Rs.2 per horse. Carriages too were available at additional charges of, Four Wheeled ones at Rs.3/carriage, Two Wheeled vehicles at Rs.2/Vehicle, and Palanquins at Rs.1 each.
- A Century of Suburban Service: Westrail News, 1961- For a brief history of Bombay and the BB&CIR-
- The Promised link to the Published Timetable in The Bombay Gazette 30th November 1864 - Search 'Down Train' in the pdf to find.
- Anchoring a City Line: Eminence Designs Pvt Ltd, 2000- Chapter 1 and 2
