The Indian Branch Railway Company was formed in 1862 to build short branch and feeder lines. It received no guarantee but was offered a 20-year subsidy. In the 1850s, it secured a guaranteed return.
In 1863, it built the wide narrow gauge railway line between Azimganj and Nalhati. The Azimgan–Nalhati line was taken over by the Government in 1872, as Nalhati State Railway. In 1867, it opened the wide metre gauge Kanpur–Lucknow branch line.
It established a railway workshop at Alambagh in 1865 and another at Charbagh in 1867.
Around 1872, it was merged into Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway. Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway was subsequently merged with East Indian Railway Company in 1925.
Conversion to broad gauge
The railway lines were converted to broad gauge in 2017.