Bengaluru heard the sound of a steam locomotive for the first time as a train began running from Bengaluru Cantonment to Jolarpettai in present-day Tamil Nadu. The 149-km railway line gave the city its first direct rail connection to the wider network and changed the way people, troops and goods could travel in and out of Bengaluru.The first passenger service began on August 1, 1864, with the train popularly known as the Bangalore Mail. It was operated by the Madras Railway Company, one of the private companies formed to develop railway lines in British India.
Bengaluru’s first railway station
The railway arrived first in the city’s Cantonment area, which was then known as the Civil and Military Station. The Bengaluru Cantonment railway station had been completed by 1862 and was initially associated with the movement of British Indian troops. The station later became the starting point for passenger services to Jolarpettai, a railway town in what is now Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. From Jolarpettai, passengers could connect with trains running towards Madras and other parts of the railway network. The railway therefore did more than bring trains to Bengaluru. It connected the city with the expanding railway system of British India and made travel towards the Madras Presidency considerably easier.
A railway built with military needs in mind
The early railway had a strong military purpose. Bengaluru’s Cantonment was an important British military centre, and the railway provided a direct connection between the city and Madras. Historical accounts say the first passenger service also carried large numbers of Tamil-speaking soldiers who served in the Cantonment. The railway consequently contributed to the movement of people into Bengaluru and became part of the city’s changing demographic and economic landscape.The route also passed through the Kolar Gold Fields region. The railway’s connection to this area later became important as mining activity expanded, although the earliest service was particularly useful for military movement and administration. The journey was nothing like a modern train ride. Historical accounts of the early service indicate that trains travelled at around 12 miles per hour on parts of the route. A journey between Jolarpettai and Bengaluru could take many hours, with one account describing journeys of close to 10 hours when stops were taken into consideration. Passengers could reportedly emerge covered in ash from the steam locomotive.
Bengaluru’s railway had no modern telephone system
The early railway relied on Magneto phones to communicate between stations. Unlike today’s phones, these devices had no dial or number pad. A user had to turn a handle on the telephone, which would cause the instrument at the other end to ring. The system provided a direct means of communication between railway stations at a time when railway operations depended heavily on signals and manual coordination. Railway signalling itself was also very different. Historical accounts describe the use of coloured lamps, with red indicating stop or emergency, yellow meaning proceed and blue indicating that the line or operation was not yet ready.
The railway eventually moved into central Bengaluru
For its first 18 years, the Cantonment station was the city’s main railway gateway. The railway line was eventually extended to Bengaluru City station in 1882, opening another important phase in the city’s railway history. The new station subsequently became the starting point for routes towards Mysore, Tumkur and other parts of the region. A Bangalore-Channapatna service began in 1881, while the Bangalore-Mysore line was completed in 1882. What began in 1864 as a 149-km railway connection to Jolarpettai had therefore grown into a much larger network linking Bengaluru with different parts of southern India.
