Sealdah South lines

Sealdah South lines are a set of four lines from Sealdah railway station connecting Sealdah with Budge Budge, Canning, Diamond Harbour and Namkhana. It is a part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system and is under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway.

Sealdah South lines
EMU Train of Sealdah South Lines between Dhakuria and Jadavpur
Overview
Type	Commuter rail
System	Kolkata Suburban Railway
Status	Operational
Locale	West Bengal
Termini	Sealdah Budge Budge Canning Diamond Harbour Namkhana
Stations	68
Services	Sealdah–Namkhana Ballygunge–Budge Budge Sonarpur–Canning Baruipur–Diamond Harbour
Website	Eastern Railway
Operation
Owner	Indian Railway
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway
Character	At grade
Depot(s)	Sealdah Namkhana
Technical
Line length	Sealdah–Namkhana: 108 km (67 mi) Ballygunge–Budge Budge: 19 km (12 mi) Sonarpur–Canning: 28 km (17 mi) Baruipur–Diamond Harbour: 35 km (22 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV AC overhead line
Operating speed	up to 100 km/h (62 mph)
Route map km Sealdah–Ranaghat line Howrah–Bardhaman chord Sealdah–Bangaon line Dum Dum 7 Dum Dum Junction Kolkata Metro Patipukur Kolkata Circular Railway Kolkata 4 Bidhannagar Road km Sealdah North & Main 00 Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt Sealdah South 00 Park Circus 03 6 Ballygunge Junction 7 Dhakuria 8 Jadavpur Kavi Subhash 10 Baghajatin Lake Gardens 08 12 New Garia Rabindra Sarobar 13 Garia Tollygunge 09 15 Narendrapur Kolkata Metro 17 Sonarpur Junction New Alipore 10 Majerhat 12 20 Bidyadharpur Kolkata Circular Railway 23 Kalikapur Ghatakpukur planned extension Minakhan Brace Bridge 14 24 Champahati Santoshpur 17 27 Piali Akra 19 29 Gourdaha Halt Nangi 23 32 Ghutiari Sharif Budge Budge 25 35 Betberia Ghola IBP Siding 39 Taldi HPCL Siding 45 Canning BPCL Siding Matla River IOC Siding Bhangankhali FCI Siding Sonakhali CESC Siding Basanti planned extension Jharkhali Pujali to Uluberia Subhashgram 20 Mallikpur 22 Baruipur Junction 25 Bankrahat Kalyanpur 28 27 Shasan Road Dakshin Durgapur 30 29 Krishna Mohan Hotar 32 31 Dhapdhapi Dhamua 35 33 Surjyapur Uttar Radhanagar 37 35 Gocharan Magra Hat 40 38 Hogla Bahirpuya Halt 43 41 Dakshin Barasat Sangrampur 45 44 Baharu Krishnachandrapur (planned) Deula 50 49 Jaynagar Majilpur Netra 53 to Raidighi (planned) Basuldanga 55 54 Mathurapur Road Gurudas Nagar 57 59 Madhabpur to Bankrahat (planned) 62 Lakshmikantapur Diamond Harbour 60 68 Udairampur to Kulpi (planned) 72 Kulpi 77 Karanjali km 83 Nischintapur Market 84 Nischintapur 88 Madhabnagar 92 Kashinagar 95 Kakdwip to Sagar Island via Budhakholi (planned) 103 Ukilerhat 108 Namkhana planned extension Chandranagar Bakkhali km Source: Indian Railway Time Table

History

The 45 km long line from Calcutta to Port Canning via Sonarpur, constructed in 1862 by the Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway, was the first railway track on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It ran from what was then Beliaghata station (presently Sealdah South) to Canning on the Matla River. Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway was formed in 1859 as a private company but was taken over by the government in 1868 after it incurred extensive losses because of floods and other problems. It was the first case in India of the railway being taken over by the state.

The 33 km long line from Sonarpur to Jaynagar Majilpur via Baruipur, constructed in 1882 by the Eastern Bengal Railway. It was extended up to Lakshmikantapur in 1928.[1] Thereafter the line was extended up to Kakdwip in 2001 and up to Namkhana in 2006.[2]

The 35 km long line from Baruipur to Diamond Harbour, constructed in 1883 by the Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway.

The 19 km long line from Ballygunge to Budge Budge, constructed in 1890 by the Eastern Bengal Railway.[1]

Routes with Stations

Routes

• Sealdah – Namkhana
• Ballygunge – Budge Budge
• Sonarpur – Canning
• Baruipur – Diamond Harbour

Main line

Main line
#	Distance from Sealdah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	Sealdah	SDAH	Chord link line / Eastern line
2	3	Park Circus		Circular line
3	6	Ballygunge Junction	BLN	Circular line / Budge Budge (South lines)
4	7	Dhakuria		None
5	8	Jadavpur		None
6	10	Baghajatin		None
7	12	New Garia		None
8	13	Garia		None
9	15	Narendrapur		None
10	17	Sonarpur Junction	SPR	Canning (South lines)
11	20	Subhashgram		None
12	22	Mallikpur		None
13	25	Baruipur Junction	BRP	Diamond Harbour (South lines)
14	27	Shasan Road		None
15	29	Krishna Mohan		None
16	31	Dhapdhapi		None
17	33	Surjyapur		None
18	35	Gocharan		None
19	38	Hogla		None
20	41	Dakshin Barasat		None
21	44	Baharu		None
22	49	Jaynagar Majilpur	JNM	None
23	54	Mathurapur Road		None
24	59	Madhabpur		None
25	62	Lakshmikantapur		None
26	68	Udairampur		None
27	72	Kulpi		None
28	77	Karanjali		None
29	83	Nischintapur Market		None
30	84	Nischintapur		None
31	88	Madhabnagar		None
32	92	Kashinagar		None
33	95	Kakdwip		None
34	103	Ukilerhat		None
35	108	Namkhana	NMKA	None

Branch lines

Budge Budge Branch line

Budge Budge Branch line
#	Distance from Ballygunge (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	Ballygunge Junction	BLN	Main (South lines) / Circular line
2	2	Lake Gardens	LKF	Circular line
3	3	Tollygunge	TLG	Circular line
4	4	New Alipore	NACC	Circular line
5	6	Majerhat	MJT	Circular line
6	8	Brace Bridge	BRJ	None
7	11	Santoshpur	SSP	None
8	13	Akra	AKRA	None
9	17	Nangi	NAI	None
10	19	Budge Budge	BGB	None

Canning Branch line

Canning Branch line
#	Distance from Sonarpur (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	Sonarpur Junction	SPR	Main (South lines)
2	3	Bidyadharpur	BDYP	None
3	6	Kalikapur	KLKR	None
4	7	Champahati	CHT	None
5	10	Piali	PLF	None
6	12	Gourdaha Halt	GOD	None
7	15	Ghutiari Sharif	GOF	None
8	18	Betberia Ghola	BTPG	None
9	22	Taldi	TLX	None
10	25	Chandkhali Halt		None
11	28	Canning	CG	Planned extension to Bhanagankhali

Diamond Harbour Branch line

Diamond Harbour Branch line
#	Distance from Baruipur (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	Baruipur Junction	BRP	Main (South lines)
2	3	Kalyanpur		None
3	5	Dakshin Durgapur		None
4	7	Hotar		None
5	10	Dhamua		None
6	12	Uttar Radhanagar		None
7	15	Magra Hat		None
8	18	Bahirpuya Halt		None
9	20	Sangrampur		None
10	25	Deula		None
11	28	Netra		None
12	30	Basuldanga		None
13	32	Gurudas Nagar		None
14	35	Diamond Harbour	DH	None

Ganga Sagar mela

The Ganga Sagar mela, which attracts thousands of pilgrims during Makar Sankranti in mid-January, is approached through this line. Kakdwip and Namkhana stations serve as handy rail heads for travel to the mela. Eastern Railway runs around 80 special trains for the mela.[3] There also are special trains from Delhi to Namkhana via Lucknow and Allahabad.[4]

Future developments

There are plans for constructing a deep sea port at Sagar Island. This would also require the construction of a 4.5 km long rail-cum-road bridge to connect the island to the mainland and around 40 km long rail connection.[5]

A project costing Rs. 1.24 billion has been sanctioned for extension of the Sealdah-Canning line to Bhangankhali, with a bridge across the Matla. There are plans to extend the line later to Gosaba.[6]

References

1. "The Chronology of Railway development in Eastern Indian". railindia. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
2. "Travel: A Great Escape". The Statesman, 13 June 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
3. "Eastern Railway to run 80 spl trains for Ganga Sagar Mela". newkerala.com. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
4. "Sagar trains". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 30 November 2009. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
5. "Land reclaim for Sagar port soon". The Times of India, 23 June 2011. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
6. "Rail link to tiger territory". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 15 November 2009. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2012.

External links

External video

Train leaving Budge Budge

Ganga Sagar pilgrims boarding ferry at Namkhana