Barasat Junction railway station

{{Infobox station

| name = Barasat Junction

| type = 30px Kolkata Suburban Railway junction station

| native_name_lang = bn

| style = Kolkata Suburban Railway

| image = Barasat Railway Station.jpg

| image_caption = Barasat Junction railway station

| address = Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

| country = India

| coordinates = {{coord|22.723940|N|88.483665|E|display=inline,title}}

| elevation = {{convert|12|m|ft}}

| line =

| structure = At grade

| platform = 5

| tracks = 6

| parking = Not available

| opened = {{start date and age|1906}}

| closed =

| rebuilt =

| electrified = {{start date and age|1972}}

| accessible =

| code = {{Indian railway code

| code = BT

| zone = Eastern Railway

| division = {{rwd|Sealdah}}

}}

| owned = Indian Railways

| operator = Eastern Railway

| status = {{color|green|Active}}

| former =

| passengers =

| pass_year =

| pass_percent =

| pass_system =

| map_type = India West Bengal#India

| map_dot_label = Barasat Junction

| map_size = 300

| map_caption = Location in West Bengal##Location in India

| services = {{Adjacent stations|system=Kolkata Suburban Railway

|line2=Eastern|left2=Hridaypur|right2=Kazipara|to-left2=Sealdah|to-right2=Hasnabad|type2=Dum Dum–Bangaon branch line}}

| route_map = {{Sealdah–Hasnabad–Bangaon–Ranaghat line}}

| map_state = collapsed

}}

Barasat Junction is a Kolkata Suburban Railway station in Barasat.{{cite web|title=About Barasat Tourism|url=http://www.holidayiq.com/destinations/Barasat-Overview.html|work=Holiday IQ – Discover Intelligent Holiday Planning|publisher=Leisure & Lifestyle Information Services Pvt. Ltd.|access-date=5 April 2012|format=Web page|date=December 2005}} It is one of the major suburban railway stations in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India. Generally, people commuting daily use this station for travelling to Kolkata's Central Business District or other towns, with the busiest times at the station being the morning and evening peak periods. This station provides the facility of separate rest rooms for both male & female passengers. Barasat Junction Railway station consists of 6 permanent platforms (Platform no: 1–6).

Station complex

A reservation counter for booking long-distance railway tickets in the early morning and regular non-reservation tickets booking are all time available. Tickets can be collected from the main ticket counter at the junction of platform no. 1. Two smart card booths are operational for ticket purchasing through the use computerised smart cards.

A railway car shade forms a part of the station's overall structure, having been designed to cover two trains for rail engine and car maintenance.

=Redevelopment=

In 2024, Ministry of Railways allocated {{INRConvert|28.83|c}} for the redevelopment purpose of this station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.{{cite news |title=বাংলার এই ১৭ স্টেশনকে ঝাঁ চকচকে করে তুলছে রেল! কাজের পরে কেমন দেখতে হবে? রইল ছবি |url=https://bangla.hindustantimes.com/pictures/17-stations-of-wb-under-eastern-railways-to-be-redeveloped-under-amrit-bharat-scheme-check-images-of-panagarh-others-31708782064751.html |access-date=14 March 2025 |work=Hindustantimes Bangla |date=24 February 2024 |language=bn}}

Barasat Basirhat Railway

Barasat Basirhat Railway (BBR) was a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge railway line started by Martin & Co. in 1914 as part of their wide network of narrow gauge operations under the name of Martin's Light Railways. The line connected the two towns of Barasat and Basirhat near Calcutta (now Kolkata), in West Bengal, India. The line was closed in 1955, after Indian independence (in 1947), when all privately run lines were taken over by the government or were closed. BBR got a fresh lease of life when Indian Railways placed the line under its Eastern Railways zone, Sealdah division and converted the route partly to broad gauge in 1962. Later on, this route was fully restored to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) (Indian gauge) and local trains started using the route.

Metro Railway Kolkata expansion plan

Recently, the government-owned Indian Railways corporation approved a proposal for an underground metro railway station connecting Barasat Junction to Noapara metro station. The construction of the project has started in October 2011.

Extension plan from Noapara to Barasat:{{cite web|title=Dum Dum–Barasat metro extension Plan|url=http://www.mtp.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,397|work=MRK|publisher=Metro Railway Kolkata, Web site publish|access-date=16 October 2012|format=Web page|year=2012}}

The proposed Kolkata Metro Yellow Line extension alignment pass through Dum Dum Cantonment and Jessore Road up to Biman Bandar station. From there, the line would run under Jessore Road until New Barrackpore before reaching the surface at Madhyamgram station. From Madhyamgram to Barasat, the alignment would be elevated. However, for crossing the existing road overbridge at Madhyamgram and Barasat, the alignment would descend gradually to ground level and rise again on viaduct. This is supposed to be beneficial for the people of North 24 Parganas district and will bring them closer to Kolkata's Business district. This would reduce the heavy pressure on Sealdah–Barasat section of Eastern Railways. The Madhyamgram Metro railway station is to be constructed in the Madhyamgram-Barasat section.{{cite web|title=Kolkata Metro Official Map|url=https://mtp.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1504000368490-System%20Map%20of%20Metro%20Railway_31_03_2017.jpg}}{{cite news|title=Barasat Metro Progressing|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/kolkata-metro-to-run-below-surface-after-airport/articleshow/70342134.cms}}

Work for the Noapara–Barasat (via NSC Bose Airport) metro extension came to a halt in 2013 as construction giant L&T has pulled out of the 20 km metro corridor project. L&T was unable to get on with the work due to huge encroachment problems on railway land.

L&T has moved out all major equipment from the project site at Barasat and has closed down two of the three site offices. The lone site office is under locked.{{cite web|title=End of the road for Dum Dum–Barasat metro extension|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/End-of-the-road-for-Dum-Dum-Barasat-metro-extension/articleshow/17755909.cms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411033225/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-25/kolkata/35999100_1_railway-land-metro-corridor-encroachment|url-status=live|archive-date=11 April 2013|access-date=25 December 2012|format=Web page|work=The Times of India|year=2012}}

After almost 7 years with the ongoing land acquisition problems, Barasat metro was in the brink of getting cancelled. The development of New Barrackpore to Barasat (phase 3 of Yellow Line) was supposed to go elevated to cut down the expenses, but the stretch was in doubt due to huge encroachment problem. But in February 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his nod to construct this stretch underground, giving respite to thousands of families who were supposed to be evicted for the development of the elevated stretch.{{Cite web |title=PM nod for underground Metro averts eviction |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/prime-minister-nod-for-underground-metro-averts-eviction/cid/1805748 |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=www.telegraphindia.com}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-20 |title=Senbo & ITD Win Kolkata Metro Barasat Line's Underground Work |url=https://themetrorailguy.com/2022/03/20/senbo-itd-win-kolkata-metro-barasat-lines-underground-work/ |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=The Metro Rail Guy |language=en-US}}

Yellow Line has now been divided into 3 phases :

Phase 1: Noapara - Biman Bandar (Services to start from March 2025)
Phase 2: Biman Bandar - New Barrackpore (under construction)
Phase 3: New Barrackpore - Barasat (construction to begin soon)

Gallery

File:Train In Barasat Junction.jpg|Up and Down Trains in Barasat railway station at platform Number 1 and 2.

File:Barasat Metro.jpg|Metro railway construction going on near Barasat Junction

File:Barasat Rail Truck.jpg|Passengers are walking on the railway tracks at Barasat

File:Barasat Junction railway station (3).jpg|Barasat Junction railway station

File:Barasat Junction railway station (2).jpg|Barasat Junction platformboard

==See also==

References

External links

{{Wikivoyage inline|Kolkata/Northern fringes}}
[http://www.mtp.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,397 mtp.indianrailways.gov.in]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924063116/http://www.ovguide.com/barasat-basirhat-railway-9202a8c04000641f8000000000b4e694 ovguide.com] (archived 24 September 2015)
[http://erail.in/KolkataSubUrbanTrains.htm erail.in]

Category:Railway stations in India opened in 1906

Category:Railway stations in North 24 Parganas district

Category:Sealdah railway division

Category:Kolkata Suburban Railway stations

Category:Railway junction stations in West Bengal