Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line

The {{convert|561|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}) long trunk line, been treated in more detail in smaller sections:

1. Howrah–Bandel–Katwa section
2. Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop
3. Barsoi–New Farakka section
4. Katihar–New Jalpaiguri, Thakurganj and Siliguri sections

During the British period all connections to North Bengal were through the eastern part of Bengal. From 1878, the railway route from Calcutta (now spelt Kolkata) to Siliguri was in two laps. The first lap was a 185 km journey along the Eastern Bengal State Railway from Calcutta Station (later renamed Sealdah) to Damookdeah Ghat on the southern bank of the Padma River, then across the river in a ferry and the second lap of the journey. A 336 km metre-gauge line of the North Bengal Railway linked Saraghat on the northern bank of the Padma to Siliguri.{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/docs/rinbad-siliguri.html|title = India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri | publisher= IRFCA|access-date = 2011-11-12 }}

The {{convert|1.849|km}} long Hardinge Bridge across the Padma came up in 1912. Presently, it is between the Paksey and Bheramara stations on the broad-gauge line between {{stnlnk|Darshana}} and {{stnlnk|Parbatipur}} in Bangladesh.{{cite book |last=Chowdhury |first=Sifatul Quader |year=2012 |chapter=Hardinge Bridge |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Hardinge_Bridge |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}} In 1926 the metre-gauge section north of the bridge was converted to broad gauge, and so the entire {{convert|529|km}} long Calcutta–Siliguri route became broad gauge. The route till 1947 thus ran:

0 {{stnlnk|Sealdah}}

{{convert|23|km}} {{stnlnk|Barrackpore}}

{{convert|38|km}} {{stnlnk|Naihati}}

{{convert|74|km}} {{stnlnk|Ranaghat}}

{{convert|169|km}} Bheramara–Hardinge Bridge

{{convert|225|km}} {{stnlnk|Iswardi}}

{{convert|287|km}} {{stnlnk|Santahar}}

{{convert|342|km}} {{stnlnk|Hili}}

{{convert|386|km}} Parabtipur

{{convert|430|km}} Nilphamari

{{convert|464.4|km}} {{stnlnk|Haldibari}}

{{convert|489|km}} {{stnlnk|Jalpaiguri}}

{{convert|529|km}} Siliguri.

{{see also|Sealdah–Ranaghat line|Chilahati–Parbatipur–Santahar–Darshana line}}

With the partition of India in 1947, a major portion of the Calcutta–Siliguri line ran through East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. With several rail links in Bihar, the attention was on those links, and new links were developed. However, one hurdle stood out. There was no bridge across the Ganga river even in Bihar. A generally acceptable route to Siliguri was via Sahibganj loop to Sakrigali ghat. Across the Ganges by ferry to Manihari Ghat. Then metre gauge via {{stnlnk|Katihar}} and {{stnlnk|Barsoi}} to {{stnlnk|Kishanganj}} and finally narrow gauge to Sliguri.{{cite web| url = http://goethals1907-2007.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html |title = my school i wish |work = Madhyamgram Re-visited after 15 years |access-date = 2011-01-23 }} In 1949 Kishanganj–Siliguri section was converted to metre gauge.

In the early 1960s, when Farakka Barrage was being constructed, a far reaching change was made. Indian Railways constructed a new broad-gauge rail link from south Bengal. {{stnlnk|New Jalpaiguri}}, a new broad-gauge station was built south of Siliguri Town. The {{convert|37|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-long {{track gauge|1676mm}} wide {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} broad gauge line was constructed from Khejuriaghat, on the north bank of the Ganga to Malda between 1959 and 1963.{{cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=v21-4YYgocUC&q=Muri-Chandrapura+line&pg=PA60 |title = Transport Geography of India: Commodity Flow and the Regional Structure of Indian Economy| work= page 60|last= Moonis Raza & Yash Aggarwal|year = 1986|publisher= Concept Publishing Company, A-15/16 Commercial Block, Mohan Garden, New Delhi – 110059| isbn = 81-7022-089-0|access-date = 2 May 2013}}

The {{convert|2240|m|abbr=on}} long Farakka Barrage carries a rail-cum-road bridge across the Ganga. The rail bridge was opened in 1971 thereby linking the Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop to {{stnlnk|Malda Town}}, New Jalpaiguri and other railway stations in North Bengal.{{cite book|last1=Salman|first1=Salman M. A.|last2=Uprety|first2=Kishor|title=Conflict and cooperation on South Asia's international rivers: a legal perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8GEr4fyDbqgC&pg=PA135|access-date= 2011-07-05|year=2002|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0-8213-5352-3|pages=135–136}}

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway came up as a narrow-gauge (2 feet) railway in 1881. In 1915, it was extended up the Teesta Valley to Gielle Kola and to the south to Kishenganj. In 1949 Kishanganj – Siliguri was converted from narrow-gauge to metre-gauge and extended north-east into Assam, partly along the narrow-gauge Teesta Valley route. Along with development of the metre-gauge line, a new Siliguri Junction station, north of the traditional Siliguri Town station, became the main station in the area. With the development of the broad-gauge system and the New Jalpaiguri station, the narrow gauge DHR was extended to New Jalpaiguri.

The earlier Siliguri–Kishanganj metre-gauge line is now part of the Siliguri–Kishnaganj–Katihar metre-gauge line. Part of the metre-gauge track runs parallel to the broad-gauge track and part of it has a separate route.

The Siliguri–Haldibari route, part of the original broad-gauge Calcutta–Siliguri track via Hardinge Bridge, got delinked from the trunk route because of partition in 1947. As all the other tracks in the area were metre gauge, it was converted from broad gauge to metre gauge in the late 1940s. When New Jalpaiguri station came up, the line was extended to New Jalpiguri. When broad-gauge lines were laid in the area, it was reconverted to broad gauge and now functions as the Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line.

The railway system in Assam got delinked from the rest of India in 1947. In order to establish a link with Assam, the Assam Rail Link Project, connecting Kishanganj with Fakirgram was started on a war footing on 26 January 1948. A 229 km-long metre-gauge line was built and commissioned in two years. The Kishanganj branch of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was taken over and converted to metre gauge. It was connected to the North Eastern Railway network at Barsoi. The Teesta Valley Line up to Sivok was taken over and converted to metre gauge. The link spanned three major rivers – Teesta, Torsha, and Sankosh. The Kishanganj–Naxalbari section was completed on 31 July 1948, the Naxalbari–New Bagrakot section on 26 January 1950, the Madarihat–Hashimara section on 25 December 1949 and Alipurduar–Fakirgram section on 26 January 1950.

In the seventies a new broad-gauge line was laid between New Jalpaiguri and Guwahati. The entire Barauni–Katihar–Guwahati line is being electrified.{{cite web| url = http://www.topnews.in/electrification-barauni-katihar-guwahati-railway-section-rs-506-crore-219338 |title= Electrification of Barauni–Katihar–Guwahati railway section at Rs. 506 crore | publisher= Top News |date=7 February 2008|access-date = 2011-11-12 }}

The Katihar–Barsoi–Raiganj–Radhikapur–Dinajpur–Parabatipur line is now operated on the Indian side up to {{stnlnk|Radhikapur}} only. The transit facility in the Radhikapur–Birol sector is virtually closed. The railway track on the Indian side has been converted to broad gauge while that on the Bangladesh side remains metre gauge.{{cite web | url = http://www.nitdb.org/Ex_Sum_Singhabad-Rohanpur_Route.pdf | title = Executive Summary | access-date = 2011-11-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120426032103/http://www.nitdb.org/Ex_Sum_Singhabad-Rohanpur_Route.pdf | archive-date = 26 April 2012 | url-status = dead }}

The Old Maldah–Rajshahi section is used up to {{stnlnk|Singhabad}} on the Indian side. Bangladesh started export of fertilizer to Nepal utilizing the Rahanpur–Singhabad transit point in November 2011.{{cite web | url = http://news.priyo.com/business/2011/07/11/bangladesh-export-nepal-thru-i-31397.html | title = Bangladesh export to Nepal thru India resumes tomorrow | publisher = Priyo Internet Life | access-date = 2011-11-12 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120406181147/http://news.priyo.com/business/2011/07/11/bangladesh-export-nepal-thru-i-31397.html | archive-date = 6 April 2012 | df = dmy-all }}

The {{convert|87.26 |km}}-long {{stnlnk|Eklakhi}}–{{stnlnk|Balurghat}} broad-gauge line was opened in 2004.{{cite web| url = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=6114 |title = Opening of Eklakhi–Balurghat new line | publisher= Press Information Bureau| access-date = 2011-12-01 }} Extension of the Eklakhi–Balurghat branch line to Hili was announced in the Rail Budget for 2010–11.{{cite web| url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-logistics/article985043.ece|title = Railway projects galore for Bengal | work=The Hindu Business Line|date=26 February 2010 | access-date = 2011-12-10 }}

See also Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop for other branch lines along this route.

Fully electrified. Passenger service with electric locomotives initiated on 09.01.2020.{{cite web|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/planning/downloads/vision_2020_blue_050411.pdf |title=Vision 2020 - A Blueprint for Railway Electrification Programme |publisher=Indian Railways |access-date=2011-04-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710212957/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/planning/downloads/vision_2020_blue_050411.pdf |archive-date=10 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.core.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,294,302,532 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314144929/http://www.core.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0%2C294%2C302%2C532 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 March 2011 |title=Brief on Railway Electrification |publisher=Central Organisation for Railway Electrification [CORE] |access-date=2012-09-19 }}

Some of the important trains running through this line are as follows:

1. Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express
2. Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express
3. Howrah–New Jalpaiguri AC Superfast Express
4. Sealdah-New Jalpaiguri Superfast Darjeeling Mail
5. Sealdah-New Alipurduar Padatik Superfast Express
6. Sealdah-Alipurduar Kanchan Kanya Express
7. Sealdah-New Alipurduar Teesta Torsha Express
8. Sealdah-Malda Town Gour Express
9. Sealdah-Bamanhat Uttar Banga Express
10. Sealdah–Silchar Kanchenjunga Express
11. Sealdah–Agartala Kanchenjunga Express
12. Sealdah-Rampurhat Intercity Express
13. Sealdah-Rampurhat Maa Taara Express
14. Sealdah-Saharsa Hate Bazare Express
15. Howrah-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express
16. Howrah–Malda Town Intercity Express
17. Howrah-Guwahati Saraighat Superfast Express
18. Howrah–Rampurhat Express
19. Howrah-Bolpur Shantiniketan Express
20. Howrah-Azimganj Ganadevata Express
21. Howrah-Radhikapur Kulik Express
22. Howrah–Jamalpur Express
23. Howrah–Gaya Express
24. Howrah–Malda Town Intercity Express
25. Howrah–Azimganj Kavi Guru Express
26. Howrah-Malda Town Express via Azimganj
27. Howrah–Katihar Weekly Express
28. Digha-New Jalpaiguri Paharia Express
29. Digha–Malda Town Express
30. Kolkata-Dibrugarh Superfast Express
31. Kolkata–Haldibari Intercity Express
32. Kolkata–Jogbani Express
33. Kolkata–Guwahati Garib Rath Express
34. Kolkata–Radhikapur Express
35. Kolkata-Balurghat Tebhaga Express

{{reflist}}

|{{Railways in Eastern India}}

{{Railways in North-East India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howrah-New Jalpaiguri line}}

Category:5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India

Category:Transport in Siliguri

Category:Transport in Jalpaiguri

Category:Rail transport in Howrah