160 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — INDIA AND DEPENDENCIES
The Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Indus, and the Irawadi, with some of their branches, are largely used for inland traffic. In Southern India, especially, canals are an important means of communication. Railways, how- ever, are now rapidly spreading all over the Peninsula.
II. Railways.
The rate of progress in each of the last sixteen years in opening out railway communications in India will be apparent from the following figures : —
Miles oiten 1882 10,145 1883-84 10,828 1884-85 12,000 1885-86 12,375
Miles open 1886-87 13,386 1887-88 14,377 1888-89 15,242 1889-90 16,097
Miles open 1890-91 16,977 1891-92 17,571 1892-93 18,048 1893-94 18,500
Miles open 1894-95 18,855 1895-96 19,678 1896-97 20,390 1897-98 21,157
The total length of railway open on March 31, 1898, was as follows : —
State lines worked by Companies
,, ,, the State ......
Lines worked by Guaranteed Companies ....
,, ,, Assisted Companies .....
Lines owned by Native States and worked l)y Companies
Lines owned b}^ Native States and worked by State Railway Agency
Lines owned and worked by Native States ....
Foreign Lines .........
Total
Miles. 10,422
5,16U 2,588i 8941 9191 146 952a
7H 21,157
The total capital expenditure on Indian Railways up to the end of 1897, including lines under construction and survey, &c., amounted to Rx. 285,211,784 allocated as follows :—
to
Rx.
170,421,746
38,224,662 50,709,764 10,921,414 12,385,252
Foreign lines Surveys . Collieries
Total
Rx
. 1,750,179 . 491,196 . 307,571
Rx. 285,211,784
State Railways . State lines leased
Companies Guaranteed Railways Assisted Companies Native States
Up to the end of 1897 the total amount of cajtital raised by the various Guaranteed Railway Companies was 46,512,239?., and for State lines leased to companies 28,741,207/., or a total amount of 75,253,446/., as shown below.
State Lilies Leased to Cuinpanics
£
25,732,515 Bengal Central . . . 1,000,000
Bengal Nagpur . . .8,175,128
9,516,768 Indian Midland . . 7,342,275
11,262,956 Lucknow Bareilly . . 147,000
- Southern Mahratta . . 6,703,207
46,512,239 Mysore .... 1,224,000
' Assam-Bengal . . . 2,313,135
Burma .... 1,836,462
Guaranteed Railways
Great India Peninsula Bombay, Baroda, & Cen- tral India . Madras ....
Total .
Total
28,741,207
