Burdwan Katwa Railway
Encyclopedia
Burdwan Katwa Railway is a narrow gauge line, built and operated as part of McLeod’s Light Railways, in Bardhaman district
in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. The narrow gauge track is being converted to broad gauge.
McLeod & Company was the subsidiary of a London-based company of managing agents, McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd, formed to build and operate four narrow gauge railways (McLeod's Light Railways) – Burdwan Katwa Railway, Bankura Damodar Railway, Kalighat Falta Railway
and Ahmedpur Katwa Railway
.
The 53 kilometres (32.9 mi) long Burdwan Katwa Railway connecting Bardhaman
(earlier known as Burdwan) and Katwa
, built on 760 millimetres (29.9 in), was opened to traffic on 1 December 1915. In 1966, ownership of the BKR was transferred Eastern Railway
which continues to operate the BKR as a narrow-gauge operation.
As of 2004 five trains plied each way. There is a crossing point at Bolgona station.
The Up and Down trains have to reach the crossing on time to facilitate crossing. The rail journey takes 2.45 hours, the engines chugging along at the maximum speed of 30 km per hour.
Here is a description of the journey in 2007, “The train waited for less than an hour before it returned to Katwa. Engine BK1 made little puffs of steam as it shunted, while a beggar peered in at the open swinging carriage doors, alternately moaning his distress and slurping an icy pole. The broad gauge could be heard – electric toots and diesel growlings – but was hidden by sheds. The land west of the Hooghly, though still alluvial and flat, is not as wet as riverine Bengal. Its fields, though usually covered with close-cropped green grass, bear but one crop a year and lie open, instead of being divided by watercourses and frequent villages. Altogether they do nothing to prevent the BK Railway from following a straight surveyed line, or to stop its trains from traveling at an even pace marked by the measured clunking of four-wheeled carriages on rail joints. My train from Burdwan stopped regularly, sometimes to shunt or to cross a southbound service. At each station the passenger load increased, so that after two stops the man opposite had to give up sleeping on the seat, and after several more there were fowls underfoot and small boys and women sitting on the floor and young men hanging on while standing on the footboards. So we rounded the curve into Katwa – doors open, dhotis flapping, all bound for Katwa market.”
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. The narrow gauge track is being converted to broad gauge.
McLeod & Company was the subsidiary of a London-based company of managing agents, McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd, formed to build and operate four narrow gauge railways (McLeod's Light Railways) – Burdwan Katwa Railway, Bankura Damodar Railway, Kalighat Falta Railway
Kalighat Falta Railway
The Kalighat Falta Railway was one of four lines built in the early part of the 20th Century by McLeod & Company, a subsidiary of a London company of managing agents, McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd, to open up undeveloped parts of India, all of them in and around Kolkata. The running of the trains were...
and Ahmedpur Katwa Railway
Ahmedpur Katwa Railway
Ahmedpur Katwa Railway is a narrow gauge line, built and operated as part of McLeod’s Light Railways, in Birbhum and Bardhaman districts in the Indian state of West Bengal....
.
The 53 kilometres (32.9 mi) long Burdwan Katwa Railway connecting Bardhaman
Bardhaman
'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....
(earlier known as Burdwan) and Katwa
Katwa
Katwa is the head quarters of Katwa subdivision in the district of Bardhaman, West Bengal. The area has a rural charm and natural beauty, but many trading and other business activities has made it clumsy and congested. It is mostly a middle class residential area.-History:The small town has a five...
, built on 760 millimetres (29.9 in), was opened to traffic on 1 December 1915. In 1966, ownership of the BKR was transferred Eastern Railway
Eastern Railway (India)
The Eastern Railway is one of the 17 zones of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is at Fairley Place, Kolkata, and comprises four divisions: Howrah, Malda, Sealdah, and Asansol. These are the financial departments and each has an assistant divisional financial manager , divisional railway...
which continues to operate the BKR as a narrow-gauge operation.
As of 2004 five trains plied each way. There is a crossing point at Bolgona station.
The Up and Down trains have to reach the crossing on time to facilitate crossing. The rail journey takes 2.45 hours, the engines chugging along at the maximum speed of 30 km per hour.
Here is a description of the journey in 2007, “The train waited for less than an hour before it returned to Katwa. Engine BK1 made little puffs of steam as it shunted, while a beggar peered in at the open swinging carriage doors, alternately moaning his distress and slurping an icy pole. The broad gauge could be heard – electric toots and diesel growlings – but was hidden by sheds. The land west of the Hooghly, though still alluvial and flat, is not as wet as riverine Bengal. Its fields, though usually covered with close-cropped green grass, bear but one crop a year and lie open, instead of being divided by watercourses and frequent villages. Altogether they do nothing to prevent the BK Railway from following a straight surveyed line, or to stop its trains from traveling at an even pace marked by the measured clunking of four-wheeled carriages on rail joints. My train from Burdwan stopped regularly, sometimes to shunt or to cross a southbound service. At each station the passenger load increased, so that after two stops the man opposite had to give up sleeping on the seat, and after several more there were fowls underfoot and small boys and women sitting on the floor and young men hanging on while standing on the footboards. So we rounded the curve into Katwa – doors open, dhotis flapping, all bound for Katwa market.”