Kolkata railway station
Encyclopedia
Kolkata Station (In Bengali: চিতপূর ) is the newest of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata
, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Shalimar Station
in Howrah and Howrah Station
in Howrah. Kolkata station is situated in the Chitpur locality of north central Kolkata.
In 2000, the first plans were made to utilise this area as a railway station, since the rapid growth of long distance passengers was overcrowding the Sealdah
station. Due to limitations of space, new platform construction is restricted at Sealdah. Two new platforms (9A & 9B) constructed between 2004 and 2005 proved insufficient. Due to its central position in Kolkata
, the Sealdah station is too busy for suburban train traffic. To overcome this problem, Eastern Railways suggested constructing another large railway station in Kolkata, to cater mostly to long distance trains.The decision to build a terminal at Chitpur came after a lot of deliberation and a process of elimination. Different locations were suggested for the station site. Three years ago, Majerhat was suggested as a possible location. The idea was shelved owing to technical difficulties involving the construction of a bridge over the Hooghly river from Bauria to Budge Budge. Then there was Shalimar, in Howrah district, which was already a goods terminal operating under the South Eastern Railway. In fact, a passenger service on a trial basis was also started from there through two pairs of trains. But the project could not take off owing to certain problems relating to infrastructure and the considerable distance of the terminal from Kolkata proper.Chitpur was decided upon finally and approved by the Railway Ministry in 2003-04. Certain inherent advantages helped in the selection of this place. Other than being located in the heart of Kolkata, Chitpur has already functioned as an important rail yard for around a century. Moreover, unlike in the case of Majerhat and Shalimar, the huge property in and around the place belongs to the Railways. The proposal has been accepted by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), and on May 15, 2003, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone for the project.
Construction started in 2004. The tracks from the coal-yard were closed first, and then a large portion of electrified goods tracks were shut down. Those tracks, masts and wires were demolished. Next, the Dumdum - Majherhat link rail line's (Kolkata Circular Railway) track was temporarily re-aligned. This action permitted the construction of platforms, station buildings and a parking area to begin. After construction was completed, the circular rail tracks were aligned as before, now via the new station. Other tracks were re-aligned, and completely electrified for passenger coaches shunting (up to side of Tala station). Tracks in the opposite direction, which were not electrified and underutilized, were re-laid, re-aligned and fully electrified for goods trains (with wagon
to lorry
transfer facility). Part of the former electrified goods lines, which were closed, now entered use as a coach siding.
After these, the official inauguration occurred in January 2006.
Maitree Express
, which runs towards Bangladesh
, is also departed from here.
The Maharaja Express
departed from this station for the first time at 20 March 2010.
2.Kolkata--Guwhati Garib Rath Exp.
3.Kolkata--Delhi Lal Quilla Exp.
4.Kolkata--JammuTwai Exp.
5.Kolkata--Jogbani Exp.
6.Kolkata--Radhikapur Exp.
7.Kolkata--Gorokhpur Purvanchal Exp.
8.Kolkata--Gorokhpur Exp.
9.Kolkata—Gorokhpur Exp.
10.Kolkata--Lalgola Hazar Duari Exp.
11.Kolkata--Muzzaffarpur Trihut Exp.
12.Kolkata--Darbhanga Mithilanchal Exp.
13.Kolkata--Dhaka Maitree Express
14.Kolkata--Balurghat Tebhaga Exp.
15.Kolkata--Haldibadi Intercity Exp.
16.Kolkata--Jhansi Exp.
17.Kolkata--Berhampur Court Exp.
18.Kolkata--Nagore--Bikaneer Exp.
19.Kolkata--Darbhanga Maithili Express
20.Kolkata--Jogbani Express
21.Kolkata--Amritsar Superfast
22.Kolkata--Agra Cantt. Superfast
23.'Kolkata--Ajmer Exp.
24.Kolkata--Nangal Dam Exp.
Chipur station has following features
1. 3DD lines with platform.
2. Balance station building and circulating area.
3. Parcel complex, RRI building.
4. Over head tank, water and effluent treatment plant
5. Coaching and ROH depot.
6. 3 Washing Pit lines
The nearest tram depot is Belgachhia and the nearest tram track is at Radha Gobinda Kar Road for tram routes 1, 2, 4 and 11. The nearest metro station is also at Belgachhia.
's bus routes serve the station directly. Other buses and trams run through Radha Gobinda Kar Road, which is 1 km away from the station. The nearest metro station is 2 km away.
There is a plan to transfer the long distance bus terminus of Shyambazar from the other side of the canal to the front of the station, but nothing has yet materialized. However, there is a bus service from Kolkata station up to Sonarpur station which plies via Shyambazar, Ultadanga, Em-bye pass, Ajoynagar and Garia
up to Sonarpur. Travel takes 1hr30mins from Sonarpur station to Kolkata station. One can also take an auto-rickshaw from Ultadanga to Kolkata station.
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station is the newest of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Kolkata Station in Kolkata and Howrah Station in Howrah. Shalimar station is situated in the Shalimar area of Howrah. It is located near Shibpur area of...
in Howrah and Howrah Station
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...
in Howrah. Kolkata station is situated in the Chitpur locality of north central Kolkata.
History
The place where the station is situated was formerly a large goods yard. The present car and bus parking areas, as well as the path to the station, formed part of a coal loading yard. The present-day platforms were once used as goods lines and formed part of the large Chitpur Rail Yard.In 2000, the first plans were made to utilise this area as a railway station, since the rapid growth of long distance passengers was overcrowding the Sealdah
Sealdah
Sealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...
station. Due to limitations of space, new platform construction is restricted at Sealdah. Two new platforms (9A & 9B) constructed between 2004 and 2005 proved insufficient. Due to its central position in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, the Sealdah station is too busy for suburban train traffic. To overcome this problem, Eastern Railways suggested constructing another large railway station in Kolkata, to cater mostly to long distance trains.The decision to build a terminal at Chitpur came after a lot of deliberation and a process of elimination. Different locations were suggested for the station site. Three years ago, Majerhat was suggested as a possible location. The idea was shelved owing to technical difficulties involving the construction of a bridge over the Hooghly river from Bauria to Budge Budge. Then there was Shalimar, in Howrah district, which was already a goods terminal operating under the South Eastern Railway. In fact, a passenger service on a trial basis was also started from there through two pairs of trains. But the project could not take off owing to certain problems relating to infrastructure and the considerable distance of the terminal from Kolkata proper.Chitpur was decided upon finally and approved by the Railway Ministry in 2003-04. Certain inherent advantages helped in the selection of this place. Other than being located in the heart of Kolkata, Chitpur has already functioned as an important rail yard for around a century. Moreover, unlike in the case of Majerhat and Shalimar, the huge property in and around the place belongs to the Railways. The proposal has been accepted by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), and on May 15, 2003, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone for the project.
Construction started in 2004. The tracks from the coal-yard were closed first, and then a large portion of electrified goods tracks were shut down. Those tracks, masts and wires were demolished. Next, the Dumdum - Majherhat link rail line's (Kolkata Circular Railway) track was temporarily re-aligned. This action permitted the construction of platforms, station buildings and a parking area to begin. After construction was completed, the circular rail tracks were aligned as before, now via the new station. Other tracks were re-aligned, and completely electrified for passenger coaches shunting (up to side of Tala station). Tracks in the opposite direction, which were not electrified and underutilized, were re-laid, re-aligned and fully electrified for goods trains (with wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
to lorry
Lorry
-Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, or a Mine car in USA: an open gondola with a tipping trough* Lorry , a horse-drawn low-loading trolley-In fiction:...
transfer facility). Part of the former electrified goods lines, which were closed, now entered use as a coach siding.
After these, the official inauguration occurred in January 2006.
Services
The station is served by the Eastern Railway for trains to Bandel, Kalyani Simanta, Gede, Shantipur, Krishnanagar, Dankuni, Kolkata Airport, Bongaon, Hasnabad and others. The number of suburban trains is lower than long-distance trains. This station runs many long distance express trains including two pairs of Garibrath Express, and one long distance passenger train - Lalgola Passenger. There are five platforms, among them Platform 1 & 2 is used by only suburban trains, and Platform 3,4 & 5 are used by long-distance trains. . The station is operated by the Eastern Railway. The only international train of eastern India is Kolkata - DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
Maitree Express
Maitree Express
The Maitree Express or Dhaka-Kolkata Express is an International passenger train serving the railway connecting the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and India's West Bengal province's capital Kolkata.This is the only railway link between the cities of the two nations and has been revived after being...
, which runs towards Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, is also departed from here.
The Maharaja Express
Maharaja Express
The Maharajas' Express is a luxury train operated on the Indian Railways from early 2010. It is a joint venture between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the travel agency Cox and Kings India Ltd....
departed from this station for the first time at 20 March 2010.
Mail/Express trains
1.Kolkata--Patna Garib Rath Exp.2.Kolkata--Guwhati Garib Rath Exp.
3.Kolkata--Delhi Lal Quilla Exp.
4.Kolkata--JammuTwai Exp.
5.Kolkata--Jogbani Exp.
6.Kolkata--Radhikapur Exp.
7.Kolkata--Gorokhpur Purvanchal Exp.
8.Kolkata--Gorokhpur Exp.
9.Kolkata—Gorokhpur Exp.
10.Kolkata--Lalgola Hazar Duari Exp.
11.Kolkata--Muzzaffarpur Trihut Exp.
12.Kolkata--Darbhanga Mithilanchal Exp.
13.Kolkata--Dhaka Maitree Express
Maitree Express
The Maitree Express or Dhaka-Kolkata Express is an International passenger train serving the railway connecting the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and India's West Bengal province's capital Kolkata.This is the only railway link between the cities of the two nations and has been revived after being...
14.Kolkata--Balurghat Tebhaga Exp.
15.Kolkata--Haldibadi Intercity Exp.
16.Kolkata--Jhansi Exp.
17.Kolkata--Berhampur Court Exp.
18.Kolkata--Nagore--Bikaneer Exp.
19.Kolkata--Darbhanga Maithili Express
20.Kolkata--Jogbani Express
21.Kolkata--Amritsar Superfast
22.Kolkata--Agra Cantt. Superfast
23.'Kolkata--Ajmer Exp.
24.Kolkata--Nangal Dam Exp.
Facilities
There are waiting rooms and retiring rooms for use by passengers awaiting connecting trains. In addition there is a taxi stand and a bus stand outside the station.Chipur station has following features
1. 3DD lines with platform.
2. Balance station building and circulating area.
3. Parcel complex, RRI building.
4. Over head tank, water and effluent treatment plant
5. Coaching and ROH depot.
6. 3 Washing Pit lines
The nearest tram depot is Belgachhia and the nearest tram track is at Radha Gobinda Kar Road for tram routes 1, 2, 4 and 11. The nearest metro station is also at Belgachhia.
Criticism
As a newer rail station, this station is not well served by public transport. Only two or three of the West Bengal Surface Transport CorporationWest Bengal Surface Transport Corporation
West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation is a West Bengal state government undertaken transport corporation. Besides plying buses throughout West Bengal it controls some waterways transport, e.g. ferries. WBSTC owns many depots throughout the state to station their buses...
's bus routes serve the station directly. Other buses and trams run through Radha Gobinda Kar Road, which is 1 km away from the station. The nearest metro station is 2 km away.
There is a plan to transfer the long distance bus terminus of Shyambazar from the other side of the canal to the front of the station, but nothing has yet materialized. However, there is a bus service from Kolkata station up to Sonarpur station which plies via Shyambazar, Ultadanga, Em-bye pass, Ajoynagar and Garia
Garia
Garia is a posh neighbourhood in south Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Naktala, New Garia, Chak Garia, Garia Park, Baghajatin, Baishnabghata-Patuli, Techno City, Model Town, Ganguly Bagan, Tentulberia, East Tentulberia, Ramgarh, Briji, Kamalgazi, Mahamayatala, Boral, Sreenagar,...
up to Sonarpur. Travel takes 1hr30mins from Sonarpur station to Kolkata station. One can also take an auto-rickshaw from Ultadanga to Kolkata station.
See also
- Howrah StationHowrah stationHowrah 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...
- Shalimar StationShalimar StationShalimar Station is the newest of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Kolkata Station in Kolkata and Howrah Station in Howrah. Shalimar station is situated in the Shalimar area of Howrah. It is located near Shibpur area of...
- Sealdah StationSealdahSealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...
- Kolkata Suburban RailwayKolkata Suburban RailwayThe 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....
- Kolkata Metro RailwayKolkata MetroThe Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line and five lines currently under construction...
- Kolkata TramwaysCalcutta Tramways CompanyThe Calcutta Tramways Company Limited is a West Bengal, India government-run company which runs trams in Kolkata and buses in and around Kolkata...