Which Governor General of India advocated rapid railway construction in India?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

WBCS Prelims 2018 Official Paper

Answer 1

The correct answer is Lord Dalhousie.

Key Points

Lord Dalhousie, who became Governor-General of India in 1849, was the proponent of rapid railway construction.
Dalhousie proposed a network of four main trunk lines that would link the interior of the country with the big ports and interconnect the different parts of erstwhile British India.
He laid down the first railway line connecting Bombay and Thane in 1853.
Important events when Dalhousie was Governor-General:
- Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
- The annexation of Lower Burma (1852)
- Introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse
- Wood’s Despatch 1854
- Establishment of PWD

Additional Information

The British also established a modern postal system and introduced the telegraph.
The first telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra was opened in 1853.
Lord Dalhousie introduced postage stamps.
He also cut down postal rates and charged a uniform rate.