The output of the Raniganj mine was 36,000 tonnes by that time.
The first railway line was opened between Bombay and Thana in 1853 and
between Calcutta and Raniganj in 1855.
Coal mining in India
began in 1774 when commercial exploitation of Raniganj Coalfileds(West Bengal) was started by East India Company.
The condition is almost similar in Badore and Raniganj village which is 5 to 15 km away from the city.
The most important mines opened
up in later years were Jharia and Giridih, of which Jharia before long overshadowed even Raniganj.
On the whole, the contribution of the mines outside the Raniganj area was insignificant, and remained so for many years to follow.
We are also harnessing Coal Bed Methane: so far, we have held 4 license rounds,
and commercial production has commenced at Raniganj in West Bengal.
The Raniganj, Jharia
and Giridih mines produced coke and their output was over one- a- and- quarter lakh tons during the early years of the present century.
During the next thirty years leading to the Great War, the number of mines outside the Raniganj areas, as also Bengal area,
increased, but Bengal did not lose its predominant position.
Initially, the 5 ft 6 in(1,676 mm) gauge locomotive was used to haul light mail trains in West Bengal,
operating between Howrah and Raniganj, and during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 hauled troop trains.