Chapter 1

 ( From book Dabhoi Lines)

Bombay se Baroda tak

Kennedy Bridge, located amongst hustle bustle of shops, houses and many activities, very close to Grant Road station, witnesses hundreds of local trains passing under it every day. It is one amongst many bridges created long ago to make road and rail traffic co exist peacefully. Most of these bridges were named after Governors, (Frere, Reay, Carnac, Elphinstone amongst them) but this and one more were named after men who made link of Mumbai with Western and Northern India possible. Kennedy Bridge, an observer to growth of first B.B. &C.I. and now Western Railway, was named after Lieutenant Colonel John Pitt Kennedy, a visionary and planner who dreamt about western lines and executed it. Not very far from this bridge is another one named after Colonel P.T.French, co founder of B.B. &C.I. and whose statue shares pedestal with Kennedy at Church Gate headquarters of Western Railway.   J.P.Kennedy, mooted the idea for western lines linking Bombay with Northern-Western part of country and Baroda was an important part of his plans. His scheme got some initial resistance but was supported by Sir J.P. Grant, which made it see light of the day (not the one on whom Grant Road station has been named. Like most of the bridges stations too have been named on Bombay Governors and Grant Road was named on Sir Robert Grant, Governor of Bombay (1835-1839), son of Charles Grant, Chairman of Directors of East India Company. It is another matter that Sir J.P. Grant was at one time considered for gubernatorial assignment during 1861 and 1862, but Lord Canning before his retirement recommended name of Sir Bartle Frere (Sir Bartle Frere and his times: a study of his Bombay years, 1862-1867 By Rekha Ranade) who assumed charge on 22^nd April 1862.)

Plan for linking Mumbai with Western –Northern India via Vadodara (then Baroda) was part of early schemes. Introduction of Railway in India was much debated in 1840s. In October 1846, a committee of Court of Directors presented its report dealing with the general issues and listed number of projects which can be taken. There were 15 projects, and 14^th was ‘ Bombay,Surat,Barodah’. Except two suggested lines, number 4 and 12, linking Calcutta and Diamond Harbor and Madras with Pondicherry via Arcot , all other projects were undertaken, suggesting meticulous analysis.

However, Board of Directors declined to accept specific proposals and confined their remarks to the question of introduction of railways into India. They resolved that the first line in India ought to be long one and first railway line was to be from Calcutta to Delhi via Mirzapore. There was a lot of discussion about terms of guarantee and three members strongly dissented alleging that the state of information about railway in India is imperfect. On 19^th December 1846, result of deliberations was communicated to Board of control, which accepted need for early introduction of railways into India.

 East India Railway (E.I.R) was established on 1 June 1845 in London by a deed of settlement with a capital of £4,000,000, largely raised in London. It was the first railway company with a goal of introducing railway network to eastern and northern India. Second company to be incorporated was Great Indian Peninsular Railway (G.I.P.R.), linking Mumbai with Central India. The G.I.P.R was incorporated on August 1, 1849 by an act of the British Parliament. It had a share capital of 50,000 pounds. On August 17, 1849 it entered into a formal contract with the East India Company for the construction and operation of a line, 56 km long, to form part of a trunk line connecting Bombay with Khandesh and Berar and with the other presidencies of India. Company which was to link Mumbai with Vadodara, came much later in 1855, as there were many doubts and issues about linking Mumbai with the North-Western India.