Why did railways lead to a decline in large-scale navigation on the Ganges River?

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Physical map showing the Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage networks across northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet (China), and Myanmar. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, from the high Himalayas in brown and white to lowland plains in green, and marks major rivers, tributaries, glaciers, dams, irrigated areas, and regions subject to flooding. An inset locator map highlights the region within South Asia. — Ganges River The Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage network.

The decline of large-scale navigation on the Ganges River was primarily driven by the construction of railways during the mid-19th century, which provided a more efficient alternative for transport.1

Additionally, the increasing withdrawal of water from the river for irrigation purposes further hindered navigation by reducing the water levels necessary for large-scale river traffic. While inland waterways remain vital for transporting agricultural products in regions like West Bengal and Bangladesh, commercial navigation on the main Ganges is now largely insignificant beyond the middle basin.1