The reason for this is said to be that a British railroad construction engineer called Ray who had been employed by the Meiji government engaged in fraudulent practices, scheming to line his own pockets by reducing costs through the use of used and unnecessary equipment (tracks and carriages); this equipment were being stored in India at that time, but had been used in the Republic of South Africa prior to that.
その理由は、明治政府の雇った鉄道建設担当の英国人技師レイが詐欺まがいの人物で、それまで南アフリカ共和国の鉄道で使われていて、不要になってインドに当時置かれていた中古品（線路・車両）を使って鉄道を安上がりに建設して、私腹を肥やそうとしたからともいわれる。