Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line
Encyclopedia
The Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line is a broad-gauge railway line connecting Howrah
and Bardhaman
. The 108 kilometres (67.1 mi) railway line operates in Howrah
, Hooghly
and Bardhaman
districts in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. It is part of the Howrah-Delhi main line
and the Kolkata Suburban Railway
system.
The East Indian Railway Company
which was formed on 1 June 1845, planned to construct a line from Howrah to Delhi. After surveys, construction began in 1851.
Howrah station was a tin shed and to reach it from Kolkata one had to cross the Hooghly in a ferry. On 15 August 1854, the first passenger train in the eastern section was operated up to Hooghly
, 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) away. On 1 February 1855 the first train ran from Hooghly to Raniganj
, 195 kilometres (121.2 mi) from Howrah.
, later renamed Rabindra Setu, was built.
was constructed in 1885, and the Howrah-Bardhaman Chord
, a shorter link to Bardhaman, was constructed in 1917.With the construction of the Jubilee Bridge (India) in 1887 across the Hooghly, railway lines on the eastern side of the Hooghly was linked to the Main line at Bandel
. In 1932, the Calcutta Chord Line was built over the Willingdon Bridge
joining Dum Dum
with Dankuni
. The railway track was extended to Belur Math in 2003.
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
and Bardhaman
Bardhaman
'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....
. The 108 kilometres (67.1 mi) railway line operates in Howrah
Howrah District
Howrah district is a district of the West Bengal state in eastern India. It has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut. The district is named after its headquarters, the city of Howrah.-Geography:...
, Hooghly
Hooghly District
Hooghly district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal in India. It can alternatively be spelt Hoogli or Hugli. The district is named after the Hooghly River.The headquarters of the district are at Chinsura...
and Bardhaman
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...
districts 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...
. It is part of the Howrah-Delhi main line
Howrah-Delhi main line
The Howrah-Delhi main line is a railway line connecting Delhi and Kolkata cutting across northern India. The railway line was opened to traffic in 1866 with the introduction of the 1 Dn/ 2 Up Mail.The first Rajdhani Express, the most prestigious train of the country, had its maiden run on this...
and the Kolkata Suburban Railway
Kolkata Suburban Railway
The Kolkata Suburban Railway is the rail system for the suburbs surrounding the city of Kolkata . Railways such as this are important and heavily-used infrastructure in India....
system.
History
East Indian Railway Company
The East Indian Railway Company, later known as the East Indian Railway , introduced railways to eastern and northern India, while the Companies such as the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, South Indian Railway, Central India Railway and the North-Western Railway operated in other parts of India...
which was formed on 1 June 1845, planned to construct a line from Howrah to Delhi. After surveys, construction began in 1851.
Howrah station was a tin shed and to reach it from Kolkata one had to cross the Hooghly in a ferry. On 15 August 1854, the first passenger train in the eastern section was operated up to Hooghly
Hugli-Chuchura
Hugli-Chuchura is a city in the state of West Bengal, India. It lies on the Hooghly River, 35 km north of Kolkata . It is located in the district of Hugli and is home to the district headquarters. Chuchura houses the Commissioner of the Burdwan Range...
, 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) away. On 1 February 1855 the first train ran from Hooghly to Raniganj
Raniganj
Raniganj is a city and a municipality in Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Raniganj is located at . It has an average elevation of 91 metres ....
, 195 kilometres (121.2 mi) from Howrah.
Access to Howrah Station
A pontoon bridge was built across the Hooghly River in 1874 to provide easy access to Howrah Station, and in 1943 the cantilever Howrah BridgeHowrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
, later renamed Rabindra Setu, was built.
Other routes
The Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch LineSheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line
The Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line is a railway line connecting Sheoraphuli on the Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line and the temple town of Tarakeswar. The railway line is entirely in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sheoraphuli is from Howrah...
was constructed in 1885, and the Howrah-Bardhaman Chord
Howrah-Bardhaman Chord
The Howrah-Bardhaman Chord is a broad-gauge railway line connecting Howrah and Bardhaman. The railway line operates in Howrah, Hooghly and Bardhaman districts in the Indian state of West Bengal...
, a shorter link to Bardhaman, was constructed in 1917.With the construction of the Jubilee Bridge (India) in 1887 across the Hooghly, railway lines on the eastern side of the Hooghly was linked to the Main line at Bandel
Bandel
Bandel , founded by Portuguese settlers, is a gram panchayat in Chinsurah-Mogra block in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under Chinsurah police station. A major junction station of Eastern Railway, it is 40 km from Howrah station...
. In 1932, the Calcutta Chord Line was built over the Willingdon Bridge
Vivekananda Setu
Vivekananda Setu is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Howrah, at Bally, to its twin city of Kolkata, at Dakshineswar. Built in December 1932, it is a multispan steel bridge and was built to provide road cum rail link between the Calcutta Port and its...
joining Dum Dum
Dum Dum
Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...
with Dankuni
Dankuni
Dankuni is a fast-growing industrial township near Kolkata, India. The town is part of the Hooghly District, in the state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority....
. The railway track was extended to Belur Math in 2003.