Howrah–Bardhaman main line

The Howrah–Bardhaman main line is a broad-gauge railway line connecting Howrah and Bardhaman via Bandel. The 108 kilometres (67 mi) railway line operates in Howrah, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of the Howrah–Delhi main line and the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.

Howrah–Bardhaman main line (including Bandel-Katwa branch line)
Overview
System	Commuter rail
Status	Operational
Locale	West Bengal
Termini	Howrah Bardhaman
Stations	34
Operation
Opened	1854
Owner	Indian Railway
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway
Technical
Line length	108 km (67 mi)
Number of tracks	4
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge
Electrification	1958 with 25 kV AC
Operating speed	up to 130 km/ h

Howrah–Bardhaman main line
km Barharwa–Azimganj– Katwa loop Bardhaman–Katwa line 144 Katwa 137 Dainhat 134 Sahebtala Manteshwar (planned) 131 Agradwip 227 Patuli 222 Belerhat km 119 Lakshmipur Bardhaman–Katwa line 116 Mertala Phaleya Bardhaman–Asansol section 113 Purbasthali Bardhaman 107 110 Bhandartikuri Gangpur 100 107 Bishnupriya Saktigarh 96 105 Nabadwip Dham to Nabadwip Ghat (planned) Howrah–Bardhaman chord 101 Kalinagar Palsit 92 97 Samudragarh 94 Nandaigram Rasulpur 88 91 Dhatrigram Nimo (Halt) 85 86 Baghnapara Memari 82 82 Ambika Kalna Bagila 79 75 Guptipara Debipur 75 73 Behula Bainchi 70 68 Somra Bazar Bainchigram 68 65 Balagarh Simlagarh 66 62 Jirat Pundooah 61 57 Khamargachi Khanyan 56 54 Dumurdaha Talandu 51 51 Kuntighat Mogra 47 48 Tribeni Adisaptagram 43 45 Islampara Halt 44 Bansberia Bandel 40 44 Hooghly Ghat Jubilee Bridge over Hooghly River 45 Garifa Sealdah–Ranaghat line 53 Naihati Sealdah–Ranaghat line 38 Hooghly 36 Chunchura 33 Chandannagar 31 Mankundu 29 Bhadreswar 25 Baidyabati Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur line 23 Seoraphuli Junction 20 Shrirampur 17 Rishra 14 Konnagar 12 Hind Motor 10 Uttarpara 9 Bally Howrah–Bardhaman chord Sealdah–Ranaghat line 7 Belur Belur Math 5 Liluah Howrah–Kharagpur line 0 Howrah km Source: Indian Railway Time Table

History

The East Indian Railway Company which was formed on 1 June 1845, planned to construct a line from Howrah to Delhi. After surveys, construction began in 1851.

Howrah station was a tin shed and to reach it from Kolkata one had to cross the Hooghly in a ferry. On 15 August 1854, the first passenger train in the eastern section was operated up to Hooghly, 39 kilometres (24 mi) away. On 1 February 1855 the first train ran from Howrah to Raniganj, 195 kilometres (121 mi) from Howrah.

Access to Howrah Station

A pontoon bridge was built across the Hooghly River in 1874 to provide easy access to Howrah Station, and in 1943 the cantilever Howrah Bridge, later renamed Rabindra Setu, was built.[1]

First train of the East Indian Railway, 1854

A Howrah bound EMU train leaving Bandel Jn.

Other routes

The Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line was constructed in 1885, and the Howrah–Bardhaman chord, a shorter link to Bardhaman, was constructed in 1917.[2] (See route diagram for Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Line with this page also).

With the construction of the Jubilee Bridge in 1887 across the Hooghly, railway lines on the eastern side of the Hooghly were linked to the Main line at Bandel. In 1932, the Calcutta chord line was built over the Willingdon Bridge joining Dum Dum with Dankuni.

In 1913, the Hooghly–Katwa Railway constructed a line from Bandel to Katwa, and the Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa Railway constructed the Barharwa-Azimganj-Katwa Loop Line.(See route diagram for the Bandel-Katwa Line with this page).

The railway track was extended to Belur Math in 2003.[3]

Electrification

Electrification of the Howrah–Bardhaman main line was initiated up to Bandel in 1957, with the 3000 v DC system, and the entire Howrah–Bardhaman route completed with AC system, along with conversion of earlier DC portions to 25 kV AC, in 1958.

Tracks

There are 5 tracks between Howrah and Bally. There are 3 tracks between Bally and Serampore, 4 tracks between Serampore and Seoraphuli Junction, 3 tracks between Seoraphuli Junction and Bandel Junction and 2 tracks between Bandel Junction and Saktigarh and from Saktigarh up to Barddhaman Junction 5 tracks.[4] Third track is operational from October, 2018 between Khanyan and Debipur in the Bandel- Bardhaman Section

Loco and car sheds

Howrah has a diesel and an electric loco shed. Both of them rank among the largest in India. The diesel loco shed houses WDM-2, WDM-3(A, B and D), WDP-4D and WDS-6 locos. Some WDS-4 are also occasionally seen shunting alongside the regular WDS-6 ones . The electric loco shed houses WAP-4 and WAP-7 locos. Commissioned in 2001, it is one of the largest WAP-4 sheds in Indian Railways. There used to be a time when, 60% of the shed was occupied by WAP-4 alone. It is also growing in stature as it can also now handle large no. of locos of one of the premier passenger WORKHORSE locos of India...i.e.WAP-7.it currently holds ownership of more than 30+ WAP-7 locos. It has facilities for handling 100+ locos. Some of these, like WAM-4 and WAG-5 are borrowed in temporarily from the Asansol electric loco shed, The main hub for handling WAM and WAG types (except WAG-9., whose ownership resides with Howrah shed ). The HOWRAH electric loco shed has a very detailed planning of the infrastructure that allows it to hold and maintain its own locos as well as locos from other sheds. There is a diesel loco shed at Bamangachi with WDM-2(not more than 7 generally ), WDS-4 and WDS-6(some of them being diesel hydraulic shunters). Bardhaman has a diesel loco shed with WDG-3(A and B), WDM-6(generally a couple of them), WDM-2 and WDM-3(A, B, D) locos. It can handle 35+ locos. There is a diesel loco shed at Liluah and an Electrical multiple unit (EMU) car shed at Howrah and Bandel. Liluah Carriage & Wagon Workshop maintains coaches and freight wagons.[5]

Tikiapara Coaching Depot maintains 22 primary base trains and 6 round trip trains. Total coach holding capacity is 744 coaches. It handles prestigious trains like Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express. The Coaching Depot is under Howrah Division, Eastern Railway. Bardhaman Coaching & Wagon Depot can maintain four passenger trains, including one DEMU rake. It has a capacity of holding 71 coaches.[6]

Speed limits

The Howrah–Bardhaman main line is classified as 'B' class line where trains can run up to 130 km per hour .[7]

References

1. "Bridge Highlights". Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
2. "The Chronology of Railway development in Eastern Indian". railindia. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
3. "New rail link to Belur Math from August 16". The Times of India, 13 August 2003. 13 August 2003. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
4. "Howrah Division Operating Department". Eastern Railway. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
5. "Sheds and Workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
6. "Carriage and Wagon / Howrah Division" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
7. "Permanent Way". Track Classifications. Retrieved 15 January 2012.