How did the railway system develop in eastern India through West Bengal?

The railway system in eastern India was inaugurated in West Bengal in 1854. This development was part of a broader expansion of railroads across the Indian subcontinent under British rule, which accelerated significantly after 1858.12

The rail network served to link India’s agricultural heartland to major imperial port cities, including Calcutta (now Kolkata), facilitating the extraction of raw materials and the transition toward commercial agricultural production. These railways also enabled the distribution of cheap, manufactured goods from England to inland villages, which contributed to the decline of indigenous handicraft industries. Additionally, the rail system provided the British military with rapid access to all parts of the country and eventually assisted in the transport of grain for famine relief.2

To support the operation of imported British locomotives, the mining of coal in the nearby region of Bihar was significantly expanded. Today, West Bengal remains a key hub for rail infrastructure, housing local railway headquarters and featuring the first underground railway system opened in an Indian city.21