Tracks of Necessity: Railway, Famine and Empire in Deccan

by Prashant Kumar Mishra

About the Book Born of famine and forged through adversity, the Southern Mahratta Railway (SMR) was more than a line of steel—it was a lifeline for a starving land. Conceived as a vast “food for work” enterprise, it grew into one of colonial India’s most dynamic railway systems, built by visionaries, engineers, and labourers who defied terrain, disease, and despair. Alongside it runs the fascinating tale of the West of India Portuguese Guaranteed Railway (WIPGR)—a daring transnational venture linking the British dominions with Portuguese Goa, from the cotton fields of Dharwad to the deep-water harbour of Mormugao. Drawing on forgotten archives, this book brings to life an age of ambition and intrigue, of aristocratic financiers and tireless engineers, of political bargains struck across empires. It is the story of how iron rails stitched together famine-ravaged lands, rival colonies, and restless dreams into the first international railway of the Indian subcontinent.

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2026

Reviews

[Punit Singh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book presents early history of South Western Railway. It reads like a PhD thesis.