Here’s a polished and detailed version of that historical milestone for clarity and added context:

R.M. Stephenson, a visionary British railway engineer, played a pioneering role in India’s railway history.

Established: 1844 by R.M. Stephenson.

Purpose: To build and operate railway lines in eastern India, particularly from Calcutta (now Kolkata) inland.

Date Signed: 17 August 1849

Parties Involved:

East Indian Railway (EIR) Company

Great Indian Peninsula (GIP) Railway Company, England

Both companies were granted official permission by the British Government to construct and operate railway lines in:

Calcutta (Kolkata) – under the EIR

Bombay (Mumbai) – under the GIP Railway

This contract marked the beginning of organized railway development in British India.

It laid the groundwork for two of the earliest and most influential railway networks:

The EIR, which launched the first passenger train in eastern India from Howrah to Hooghly in 1854

The GIP Railway, which ran India’s first-ever passenger train from Bombay to Thane on 16 April 1853