Silchar railway station

Silchar railway station also known as Bhasha Shahid Railway Station[1] is a railway station situated at Tarapur, Silchar in Assam. The railway station falls under the jurisdiction of the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The railway gauge functioned here is broad gauge[7]. The station consists of "Single Diesel Line[2]". It is one of the oldest railway station in India built under Assam Bengal Railway[8]. The station has three platforms with a total of 14 originating trains[9]. It serves Silchar, as well as the whole Barak Valley. Trains operate to different cities of India from Silchar including Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kanpur, Patna, Prayagraj, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Thiruvananthapuram & Agartala. As of now, 170 stations across India are directly connected to Silchar railway station.

Silchar
Train Station
Silchar railway station
General information
Other names	Bhasha Shahid railway station[1]
Location	Station Road, Tarapur, NH37, Silchar, 788003, Barak Valley, Assam India
Coordinates	24°49′12″N 92°48′00″E
Elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Northeast Frontier Railway zone
Line(s)	Lumding–Sabroom section Silchar–Sabroom section
Distance	20 Km from Assam University 8 Km from Silchar Medical College and Hospital 10 Km from NIT Silchar
Platforms	3[2]
Tracks	9
Bus routes	NH37
Bus stands	Silchar ISBT
Bus operators	Assam State Transport Corporation
Connections	Auto rickshaw E–Rickshaw Cycle rickshaw
Construction
Structure type	Standard (on ground station)
Platform levels	1
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Functioning
Station code	SCL
Zone(s)	Northeast Frontier Railway zone
Division(s)	Lumding
Classification	NSG–4
History
Opened	1898 (1898)
Closed	2014 (2014)[3]
Rebuilt	2015 (2015)[4]
Electrified	Not Available
Key dates
1995 (1995)	Upgraded with Reservation facilities through ticket counters[5]
2014 (2014)	Closed for Gauge Conversion[3]
2015 (2015)	Reopened after Gauge Conversion[4]
2019 (2019)	Upgraded with free WiFi facilities[6]
Traffic
Passengers (2019)	10,000-15,000 approx   5% (Daily)
Services
Preceding station   Indian Railways   Following station Arunachal Junction Northeast Frontier Railway zone Silchar–Sabroom section New Silchar
Location
Silchar Railway Station Location in Assam Show map of Assam Silchar Railway Station Location in India Show map of India

Railways around Silchar
km km 0 Lumding Junction 10 Manderdisa 20 Hatikhali 26 Dibolong 31 Dijaobra 39 Langting 47 Dihakho 54 Mupa 59 Kalachand 64 Maibang 71 Wadrengdisa 74 Daotuhaja 83 Phiding abandoned MG route Mahur 88 Mahur Migrendisa 93 Migrendisa Lower Halflong Bagetar 98 New Haflong Halflong Hill Jatinga 109 Jatinga Lumpur Longrangajao Mailongdisa 119 New Harangajao Harangajao Ditokcherra 127 Ditokcherra abandoned MG route to Moreh (planned) km Imphal Phayeng Bandarkhal 132 Haochong Tupul Noney Khongsang Damchara 140 Thingu Kambiron Kaimai Road Chandranathpur 149 67 Vangaichungpao 56 Jiribam Assam Manipur border 52 Jirighat Bihara 154 42 Kamranga 36 Shribar 28 Ranigaon Hilara 158 18 Moinarband 10 New Silchar 0 Silchar 6 Arunachal Junction Sukritipur 164 9 Srikona 14 Salchapara Katakhal Junction 20 30 Algapur Panchgram 25 38 Hailakandi Badarpur Ghat 28 46 Monacherra 54 Lalabazar Badarpur Junction 169 59 Mahamadpur Rupasibari 172 67 Katlicherra Bhanga 178 76 Manipur Bagan Chargola 184 86 Jamira New Karimganj 187 96 Ramnathpur Karimganj Junction 190 Assam Mizoram border Longai 193 103 Bairabi Maishashan 200 Hartoki India Bangladesh border Kwanpui Suprakandi 198 Maulkhang Nilambazar 205 Sairang Kayasthagram 208 Baraigram Junction 212 Kanaibazar 216 215 Eraligul Patharkandi 220 219 Phakhoagram Kalkhalighat 224 225 Bazarghat Chand Khira Bagan 230 230 Ratabari Tilbhum 238 233 Anipur Assam Tripura border 240 Dullabcherra Churaibari 243 Nadiapur 250 Dharmanagar 256 Panisagar 267 Pencharthal 278 Kumarghat 288 Nalkata 299 Manu 309 S K Para 312 Jawaharnagar 324 Ambassa 329 Mungiakami 347 Teliamura 358 Jirania 378 Jogendra Nagar 392 to Akhaura (proposed) Bangladesh India border Agartala 396 Sekerkote 402 Bishalgarh 410 Bishramganj 423 Udaipur 438 Garjee 447 Santir Bazar 460 470 Belonia 484 Jolaibari 492 Thailik Twisa 500 Manu Bazar 509 Sabroom km

History

The Station was first inaugurated in 1898 under Assam Bengal Railway. Assam Bengal Railway was incorporated in 1892 to serve British-owned tea plantations in Assam. Assam Bengal Railway had III sections & Silchar railway station come under Section I named as Comilla-Akhaura-Kulaura-Badarpur section opened in 1896–1898 and finally extended to Lumding in 1903[10].

Significance

Main article: Bengali Language Movement (Barak Valley)

• 
  Language Martyr's Memorial at Silchar Railway Station
• 
  Silchar railway station is described as Bhasa Shahid Station

Silchar railway station was the location of one of the uprisings in support of the Bengali language. When the Assam government, under Chief Minister Bimala Prasad Chaliha, passed a circular to make Assamese mandatory, Bengalis of Barak Valley protested. On 19 May 1961, Assam police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at Silchar railway station. Eleven protesters were killed.

After the popular revolt, the Assam government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the three districts of Barak Valley.[11][12]

Every year on 19 May is celebrated as Bhasha Shahid Divas to commemorate the incident.

Amenities

The station contains three platforms serving several passengers. It contains retiring rooms or passenger waiting rooms with proper sanitation facilities[13]. The Station is upgraded with reservation facilities through ticket counters in the year 1995[5]. It is also upgraded with RailTel free WiFi facilities.[6] The Station is also upgraded with a Digital Museum Video Wall on the entrance of the station that will showcase the rich heritage of Indian Railways and other information related to rail travellers[14][15]

Incidents

On 19th May 1961, during the Bengali Language Movement of Barak Valley[16], Assam Police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at Silchar railway station in which 11 protesters were killed[17]. After which Bengali language was ultimately given official status in Barak Valley[18]

On 9th June 2019, three coaches of Silchar-Trivandram Express caught fire in the early hours of Sunday, while it was stationed at Silchar railway station. No casualties recorded later[19]

Security

In 2020, High definition CCTV cameras were installed at platforms, circulating and waiting areas of Silchar railway station by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) under ISS (integrated security system) to ensure round-the-clock security to passengers, especially women[20]

Major Trains

• Silchar - New Delhi Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express
• Thiruvananthapuram - Silchar Superfast Express
• Sealdah - Silchar Kanchanjunga Express
• Silchar - Dibrugarh Barak Brahmaputra Express
• Guwahati – Silchar Express

Gallery

• 
  Front view
• 
  Platforms

See also

• Assam Bengal Railway
• Silchar (Lok Sabha constituency)
• Silchar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)

References

1. "Centre nod to renaming Silchar station after language martyrs". Times of India. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
2. "Silchar railway station overview". Travel Khana. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
3. "Mega blocks from Oct 1 on Silchar-Lumding section". Rail News. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
4. Samudra Gupta Kashyap (21 November 2015). "Assam: New Lumding-Silchar BG track opened for passenger traffic". The Indian Express. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
5. "Welcome to North East Frontier Railway / Indian Railways Portal". PRS functioning in various districts under the jurisdiction of North East Frontier Railway. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
6. "PROVISION OF WI-FI AT STATIONS". nfr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
7. "After a two-decade wait, Assam's Barak Valley finally gets broad gauge rail connectivity". Business Standard. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
8. "Silchar station to be shifted". The Telegraph. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
9. "Scl railway station overview". NDTV. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
10. "[IRFCA] Indian Railway History - Assam Railways and Trading Company". www.irfca.org. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
11. "No alliance with BJP, says AGP chief". The Telegraph, Calcutta. 27 December 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
12. "Silchar rly station to be renamed soon". The Times of India. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
13. "Retiring Room Accommodation Rules". nfr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
14. Kushal Deb Roy (31 October 2019). "GM Sanjive Roy, Silchar MP inaugurate digital museum video wall at silchar station". Barak Bulletin. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
15. "NF Railway launches digital museum in 22 stations". Northeast Now. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
16. Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty (8 July 2017). "In Language Movements of West Bengal and Assam, a Parallel in Governments Responses". The Wire. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
17. "Assam Government will pay tribute to 11 martyrs of 1961 Bhasha Andalan". Barak Bulletin. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
18. Rupali Pruthi (10 September 2014). "Assam government withdrew Assamese as official language from Barak Valley". Jagran Josh. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
19. "3 coaches of Silchar-Trivandrum Express gutted in fire". India Today. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
20. Satananda Bhattacharjee (9 January 2020). "CCTV camera in 28 Northeast stations". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2020.

External links

External video
Train arriving at Silchar railway station on YouTube, N F Railway, 2019

• NFR official website