Deli Railway

For the station in Hungary see Budapest-Déli Railway Terminal

Deli Railway Company, Dutch: Deli Spoorweg Maatschappij (DSM), was a private railway company that operated near the east coast of Sumatra around Deli (now Medan). The Deli Company established itself as a tobacco plantation and then expanded into tea, rubber and timber products. The company was founded in 1883. Routes were built in cape gauge (1067mm). It was the last remaining private Dutch railway when it was taken over by the state network PT Kereta Api in 1957.

The Deli Railway company was founded in 1883 and registered in Amsterdam. The headquarters was located in Serdang until 1890 and then moved to Deli, now Medan. The official company name was Naamlooze Vennootschap Deli Maatschappij Spoorweg.

The company was capitalized with 2.6 million florins (fl.) increased to four million in 1889. A first concession was granted in order to facilitate the distribution of tobacco from the area's highlands. Jacob Cremer, of the tobacco wholesale Deli Company (Deli Maatschappij) was involved in establishing the company. Railroad construction broke ground on 1 July 1883 in the Resident of Siak Sri Indrapura. The first 56 km of track cost 2.43 million fl. Chinese workers were used.

Until 1912, W.H.M. Schaade was chief in Medan and then a director in Amsterdam. The driving force in Sumatra from 1919 - 1926 G.C.M. Smits. He also led the company as "dananch"" Amsterdam director. During the Great Depression Bernardus Hermanus Antonius van Kreel ran the company.

In 1888 the company moved 28,559 tonnes of freight, mostly tobacco. The tonnage grew sevenfold by 1900 (90% of it tobacco). Share capital was increased in 1914 to 10 million. In order to finance larger investments bonds were issued.

A central maintenance facility originated in the suburb of Poloe-Brayan in north Medan. Rubber became an important freight after 1910. [3] In 1913, the transported 50,230 First Class passengers, 151,000 II, and 1.56 million III .: 1.56 million for a total of 31.4 million passenger kilometers. Luggage was 1,319 tons, cargo 163,000 tons and approximately 2,000 animals. This brought a turnover of almost 3½ million fl. against 1.45 million in expenses. By 1914, they had 263 km of route in operation. Tobacco decreased to 8% of freight by weight and 15% by volume. It was decided a capital increase to ten million in April 1913. A dividend was paid from 1900-11 of 10% and in the following years until 1919 of 12-15%.

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