Railways in Jharia Coalfield

Jharia Coalfield has a series of railway lines covering the region lying between the Grand Chord line on the north and the Damodar river in the south. It consists of five lines of which four are managed by East Central Railway's Dhanbad railway division and one is managed by theSouth Eastern Railway's Adra railway division.

Railways in Jharia Coalfield
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Jharia Coalfield, Jharkhand
Operation
Opened	1894
Owner	Indian Railway
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad Gauge
Electrification	1960-61 onwards with 25 kV AC overhead
Route map km km to Barkakana 0 to Gaya to Bokaro 0 30 50 N.S.C Bose Gomoh Chandrapura 34 17 5 Kochargara (from Gomoh) 9 Telo (from Gomoh) Chandrapura TPS Patrakulhi Colliery Dugda Coal Washery 30 Dugda Halt Dhanabd-Chandrapura line 44 Khario Halt KKC Main Siding Jamunia River 39 Khanudih KKC Link Siding Jamuniatanr Halt 27 Adra-Gomoh line Jamuni Halt 24 37 Benidih 22 Phulwartanr 21 Budora Halt Jamuniatand 38 Tundu Colliery 18 Tundu Halt Kharkhari 35 24 Ramakunda Halt Malkera-Kharkhari defunct loop line Mucheraidih 32 Dhanbad-Chandrapura line Mahuda Junction 30 20 Matari Murulidih Colliery to Talgaria 0 17 Sonardih Halt Moonidih Colliery 14 Tentulia Malkera 24 15 Nichitpur Malkera-Katrasgarh defunct colliery line Katrasgarh 13 Salanpur Colliery Angarpathra Halt 11 Sijua 10 Dhanbad-Gomoh line Bansjora 08 Baseria Halt 06 9 Tetulmari Kendua Colliery Kusunda 04 Kusunda-Jharia branch line (dismantled) 4 Bhuli Block Hut Diamond Crossing of defunct Dhanbad-Jharia line 0 Dhanbad Adra-Gomoh line 5 Dokra Halt to New Giridih under construction 9 Pradhankhunta Junction TSBD Colliery to Asansol Tata Sijua 20 Kankanee Colliery Layabad 18 Pradhankhunta-Pathardih line Dhanbad-Jharia-Pathardih line (dismantled) Layabad Coking plant K.S.T Siding Karkend 16 2 Dhansar Halt Pootkee Colliery 4 Bastakulha Halt 6 Nayakanali Halt Ballihari Colliery 7 Jharia Jitpur Colliery 8 Kujama Halt Bhaga Goods Shed 9 Lodna Bhaga 10 10 Bagdigi Halt 11 Barari Bazar Halt Jamadoba Halt 07 Barari Colliery 14 Rakshitpur C.K. Siding JBO Washery Patherdih-Rakshitpur loop under construction Mohalboni 06 14 Patherdih Bazar Bhowrah 04 16 27 Patherdih Junction 22 Sindri Block Hut Pathardih Washery Sudamdih Washery Chasnalla Colliery 25 Sindri Marshalling Yard Sudamdih 00 30 27 Sindri Town to Bhojudih 0 Sindri FCI siding km Sources: [1] [2]

History

It was possible to develop mining in the Jharia Coalfield in the late nineteenth century primarily because of the introduction of railways. East Indian Railway Company extended the Grand Chord to Katrasgarh via Dhanbad in 1894.[3]

The Bengal Nagpur Railway extended its then mainline, the Nagpur-Asansol line, to Netaji SC Bose Gomoh, on EIR’s Grand Chord, in 1907. The Mahuda Junction-Chandrapura branch line was opened in 1913.[4]

The District Gazetteer of Manbhum noted that : "There is a network of railway line in this district passing through colliery area. Grand Chord Line of the Eastern Railway and branch line of South Eastern Railway pass through this district from Gomoh Junction two railway line one of the Eastern Railway and another of the south Eastern Railway branch off, one going to Dehri on Sone (Shahabad) via Barkakana and another from Gomoh to Adra (Purulia district). There are branch lines in both the railway for carrying coal to different places in the country." [5]

EIR had four major sections:
(1) Kumardhubi-Gomoh section,
(2) Pradhankhanta-Pathardih section (15 km), opened in 1913,
(3) Dhanbad-Phularitand section (21.6 km), opened in 1894 to Katrasgarh and extended to Phularitand in 1924,
(4) Dhanbad-Pathardih section opened in 1903.[5]

BNR had one-section from Sudamdih to Gomoh.[5]

Sections

Apart from the numerous branch lines which serve the various collieries in the area, there are 5 major sections:

1. Dhanbad-N.S.C Bose Gomoh line (part of the Asansol–Gaya section of the Grand Chord)
2. Dhanbad-Chandrapura line
3. Dhanbad-Jharia-Pathardih line (now dismantled due to underground fires)
4. Pradhankhunta-Pathardih-Sindri Town branch line
5. Sudamdih-N.S.C Bose Gomoh section of the Adra-N.S.C Bose Gomoh line

Electrification

Electrification of the stretch of mainline of this section from Asansol to Netaji SC Bose Gomoh was completed in 1960-61.[6]

Stretches of railway track in the Jharia Coalfield were electrified from time to time. Dhanbad-Kusunda-Tetulmari was electrified in 1961-62. The Santaldih-Pathardih-Sudamdih-Jamadoba sector was electrified in 1965-66. The Bhojudih-Netaji SC Bose Gomoh stretch was electrified in 1985-86. The Netaji SC Bose Gomoh-Chandrapura-Bhandaridah-Rajabera sector was electrified in 1986-87. The Chandrapura-Jamuniatanr-Mahuda sector was electrified in 1986-87. The Tupkadih-Talgoria sector was electrified in 1987-88.[6]

References

1. "Adra Division Railway Map". South Eastern Railway.
2. "East Coast Railway System Map" (PDF). East Coast Railway.
3. E.R., Gee. "History of Coal Mining in India". pages 314-315. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
4. "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
5. "Chapter VII - Communications" (PDF). Dhanbad district administration. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
6. "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 24 April 2013.