Misplaced Pages

Sealdah South section
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Kolkata South 24 Parganas
Termini	• Sealdah • Budge Budge • Canning • Diamond Harbour • Namkhana
Stations	Total stations: 67 Interchange stations: 5
Website	Eastern Railway
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Kolkata Suburban Railway
Services	Sealdah – Diamond Harbour Ballygunge – Majerhat – Budge Budge Sonarpur – Canning Baruipur – Lakshmikantapur – Namkhana
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway
Depot(s)	Sonarpur EMU Carshed (with 32 rake strength)
History
Opened	2 January 1862; 163 years ago (1862-01-02)
Technical
Line length	238 km (148 mi)
Number of tracks	1/2/3
Character	At-grade
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV AC overhead line
Operating speed	up to 110 km/h (68 mph)
Route map Legend km Sealdah Main & North section 5 Bidhannagar Road Press House siding Kankurgachi Road 2 Kankurgachi Road Junction Narkeldanga EMU Carshed 3 Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt Circular Canal Kankurgachi Chord line Sealdah North 00 0 Sealdah Main Sealdah  KM Line 2  Sealdah South 00 Beliaghata Diesel Loco Shed 6 Kamardanga Halt Beruck & Comens Siding 3│7 Park Circus Maa Flyover Hindusthan Engineering & Industrial Ltd. siding BESCO siding Bijon Setu 5 Ballygunge Junction Lake Gardens 07 6 Dhakuria Tollygunge 08 8 Jadabpur Rabindra Sarobar 0  KM Line 1  Tollygunge Bridge 0 10 Bagha Jatin Adi Ganga river 0  KM Line 6  New Alipore 09 Jai Hind Bridge New Garia Metro Depot New Garia–Baruipur Metro (planned) Kavi Subhash  KM Line 1  0 11 New Garia Kalighat–Falta Railway (NG) (dismantled) Majerhat 10  KM Line 3  Kolkata Circular Railway 12 Garia KDS Railway 14 Narendrapur Brace Bridge 12 16 Sonarpur Junction KDS Railway Sonarpur EMU Carshed Santoshpur 15 Clive jute mill siding 19 Bidyadharpur Union jute mill siding 22 Kalikapur Akra 18 planned extension Nangi 21 46 Ghatakpukur Batanagar factory siding 60 Minakhan Caledonian jute mill siding 24 Champahati K.M. Budge Budge 24 27 Piali IBP/IOCL Depot 29 Gourdaha Budge Budge Rail Yard 31 Ghutiari Shariff HPCL Siding 34 Betberia Ghola Budge Budge jute mill siding 38 Taldi BPCL Siding 41 Matla Halt IOCL Siding 45 Canning Charial Canal planned extension Lothian jute mill siding Matla River (planned) Kalipur 29 50 Bhangankhali Magadi Soda factory siding 60 Sonakhali Orient jute mill siding 65 Basanti Albion jute mill siding 87 Jharkhali FCI Siding Charial Extension Canal CESC Siding planned extension Pujali 31 Howrah–Kharagpur line Hooghly River Bir Shibpur 41 Howrah–Kharagpur line Pujali–Bankrahat line (planned) Bankrahat 42 Gurudasnagar–Bankrahat line (planned) 19 Subhasgram 22 Mallikpur New Garia–Baruipur Metro (planned) BESCO Siding (planned) Baruipur 00 25 Baruipur Junction Baruipur Metro Depot Kalyanpur 28 27 Shasan Road Dakshin Durgapur 30 29 Krishna Mohan Hotar 32 31 Dhapdhapi Dhamua 34 33 Surjyapur Uttar Radhanagar 37 35 Gocharan Magra Hat 40 38 Hogla Bahirpuya 43 41 Dakshin Barasat Sangrampur 45 44 Baharu (planned) Sangrampur– Krishnachandrapur line 49 Jaynagar Majilpur Deula 50 87 Durgapur (planned) Netra 53 planned extension Basuldanga 55 Gurudas Nagar 63 57 70 57 Krishnachandrapur 61 Uttar Kashinagar 66 Companirthek Diamond Harbour 60 70 Raidighi Hara Fort goods siding 54 Mathurapur Road 59 Madhabpur 62 Lakshmikantapur Gurudasnagar–Kulpi line (planned) 67 Udairampur 75 71 Kulpi 76 Karanjali 82 Nischintapur Market 84 Nischintapur 88 Madhabnagar 92 Kashinagar 95 Kakdwip Budhakhali 103 planned extension Muriganga river 103 Ukilerhat Sagar Island 108 110 Namkhana planned extension 112 Namkhana Ghat 124 Chandranagar 141 Bakkhali km Key Indian Railways broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) standard gauge (1435 mm) narrow gauge (762 mm) in use │ out of use, planned, or under construction (u/c) │ tunnel

Sealdah South section consists of a set of four lines which connect Sealdah in Kolkata with its southern suburbs and with the entire South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It is a part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway and is under the jurisdiction of the Sealdah railway division of the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways.

It is linked to the Sealdah Main and North section via the Kankurgachi Chord line at Park Circus and via the Kolkata Circular Railway at Majerhat Junction.

It also connects to the Kolkata Dock System Railway (KDS Railway) at Majerhat and Brace Bridge respectively.

Services

The Sealdah South section consists of four lines or four sub-sections:

• Sealdah – Diamond Harbour (60 km (37 mi))
• Ballygunge Junction – Budge Budge (20 km (12 mi))
• Sonarpur Junction – Canning (29 km (18 mi))
• Baruipur Junction – Namkhana (83 km (52 mi))

The section is primarily a suburban section with a total of 334 daily services and 288 Sunday services serving the four lines of the section. A majority of the services are served by 12-car EMU rakes from the Sonarpur EMU Carshed. There are many "Galloping local" services which only stop at the important stations of a line.

The Gangasagar mela, which attracts thousands of pilgrims during Makar Sankranti in mid-January, and is held in Sagar Island is approached through the Namkhana branch line of this section. Kakdwip and Namkhana railway stations serve as handy rail heads for travel to the 'mela'. Eastern Railway runs a lot of special trains for the 'mela' to cope with the increase in passenger traffic. There also are special trains from New Delhi to Namkhana via Lucknow Junction and Allahabad Junction during 'mela'.

Interchanges with the Circular line are available at stations at Park Circus, Ballygunge Junction, Lake Gardens, Tollygunge, New Alipore and Majerhat stations respectively. The New Garia Station serve as major interchange with the Line 1 and Line 6 of the Kolkata Metro while Tollygunge, Sealdah and Majerhat serve as interchanges with Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3 of the Kolkata Metro respectively. A new metro line from New Garia to Baruipur has been proposed as well.

This section connects to the Kolkata Port, via the KDS Railway, from where major freight commodities like containers, coal and fertilizers are loaded and transferred throughout the Indian Railways network.

History

Sealdah–Canning line

The Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway (reporting mark :CSER) was formed in 1859 to connect Calcutta with Port Canning on the Matla River. It constructed and completed the 45 km (28 mi) long line on 15 May 1863. It was the first railway track on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River and ran from what was then the Beliaghata railway station (presently Sealdah South railway terminus) to Port Canning on the Matla River via Jadavpur and Sonarpur.

In 1868, CSER having suffered extensive losses due to floods and other problems, sold the line to the Indian government (management then being leased to the Eastern Bengal Railway (reporting mark :EBR)) and the company was dissolved in March 1870. Thus the line became a part of the Southern section of the Eastern Bengal Railway.

Post partition of India in 1947 and re-organisation of railway zones in 1952, the entire Southern section of Eastern Bengal Railway was amalgamated under the Sealdah division of Eastern Railway.

Sonarpur–Diamond Harbour line

While multiple feasibility reports and proposals, beginning from 1839, were made for the construction of a railway line between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour, no action were taken on these.

Finally in 1883, a 44 km (27 mi) branch line to Diamond Harbour via Baruipur and Magrahat was constructed from Sonarpur on the Sealdah–Canning line of the Eastern Bengal Railway. This line, from Sealdah to Diamond Harbour, then became the main line of the Southern section of the Eastern Bengal Railway.

A small 0.81 km (0.50 mi) branch line was constructed in 1883, from Diamond Harbour to Hara Fort near the Hooghly River to transport goods and military supplies as well.

Ballygunge–Budge Budge line

The Budge Budge branch line was initially sanctioned in 1886 as a line to connect Ballygunge with the Kidderpore Docks. Sanction to an extension to Budge Budge was given in 1888 and the whole of 21 km (13 mi) long line from Ballygunge to Budge Budge via Majerhat was opened on 1890 by the Eastern Bengal Railway.

The Calcutta Port Commissioners' Railway (reporting mark :CPCR) built a branch line from Kidderpore Docks to Majerhat on 1893. It further constructed a branch line from the subsidiary marshaling yard at Brace Bridge to King George's Dock (renamed to Netaji Subhas Dock in 1973) in 1928.

Baruipur–Lakshmikantapur–Namkhana line

In 1928, a 37 km (23 mi) long line from Baruipur on the Diamond Harbour branch line to Lakshmikantapur via Jaynagar Majilpur was constructed by the Eastern Bengal Railway and became a branch line of its Southern section.

In an effort to give access to remote areas and promote new growth areas, the 47 km (29 mi) long Lakshmikantapur–Namkhana line project was sanctioned in 1987-88 amongst other projects. The line was extended up to Kulpi by 1992 and was completed till Kakdwip by 2001. The Kakdwip–Namkhana section was completed by 2004.

Kalighat–Falta Railway

The Kalighat–Falta Railway (reporting mark :KFR) was a 40 km (25 mi) long narrow gauge (762 mm) railway line constructed by the Kalighat–Falta Railway Company, and operated as a part of McLeod's Light Railways, opening to traffic on 28 May 1917 from Gholeshapur (near Kalighat) to Falta. Gholeshapur was connected to Majerhat junction on the Eastern Bengal Railway on 1920. The railway line was closed on 1955 due to ever increasing losses. The tracks were dismantled and the land was reclaimed to build a road, now called James Long Sarani, in Behala.

Electrification

The Sealdah South section lines are fully electrified with 25 kV AC overhead system. The electrification process was started in 1965 from Sealdah to Lakshmikantapur line and the other lines in this division with the different phases and completed up to 1966 from that time the whole division is also fully electrified.

EMU Carshed

The Sealdah South section is primarily served by all 12 Coach EMU rakes from the Sonarpur (SPR) EMU Carshed. They are also served with a few 12 Coach EMU rakes from the Narkeldanga (NKG), Barasat (BT) and Ranaghat (RHA) EMU Carshed which comes to Sealdah South as North/Main to South Link Trains via Kolkata Circular Railway.

While the section was initially served by the Narkeldanga EMU carshed which opened on 1963, a need for a dedicated EMU carshed for the section led to the construction of the Sonarpur EMU carshed in 1978. This reduced the inconvenience faced by the overburdened Narkeldanga EMU Carshed.

As of November 2021, the Sonarpur Carshed had 32 12 Coach EMU rakes which exclusively served the Sealdah South section.

Routes and stations

Stations

Names in bold indicate that the station is a galloping train stop as well as important terminal station.

Sealdah–Diamond Harbour line

Budge Budge branch line

Canning branch line

Namkhana branch line

Planned extensions

Multiple new lines and extensions on this section have been planned by the Eastern Railway; however, most remain blocked due to land issues.

Budge Budge–Pujali–Uluberia (Birshibpur) line

The 11 km (6.8 mi) long Budge Budge–Pujali line was sanctioned in the railway budget on 2009-10 while a 10.25 km (6.37 mi) extension from Pujali to Birshibpur near Uluberia on the Howrah–Kharagpur line was sanctioned in 2011-12. Once completed this will connect the South Eastern Railway network under Kharagpur division directly with the Majerhat station in the Sealdah South section of the Eastern Railway via a bridge over the Hooghly river. As of 2021, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance.

Kalikapur–Ghatakpukur–Minakhan line

In the 2011-12 railway budget, a 38 km (24 mi) long line from Kalikapur on the Canning branch line to Minakhan via Ghatakpukur was sanctioned. However, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance as of 2021.

Canning–Jharkhali extension

A 4.84 km (3.01 mi) extension from Canning to Bhangankhali was sanctioned in the 2009-10 railway budget with a railway bridge proposed over the Matla river. In 2011-12 this line was further proposed to be extended by 14.3 km (8.9 mi) to Basanti from where another extension of 23 km (14 mi) to Jharkhali was planned to be taken up. However, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance as of 2021.

Planned branches to Raidighi and Durgapur

The 20 km (12 mi) long Jaynagar Majilpur–Raidighi line via Krishnachandrapur was sanctioned in 2009-10. In 2011-12 railway budget, a 25 km (16 mi) long new line from Sangrampur on the Sealdah–Diamond Harbour line to Krishnachandrapur was sanctioned along with a 32 km (20 mi) new line from Jaynagar Majilpur to Durgapur. However, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance as of 2021.

Namkhana–Chandranagar–Bakkhali extension

The Namkhana branch line was sanctioned to be extended by 14 km (8.7 mi) to Chandranagar in 2009-10 and then by 17.2 km (10.7 mi) km to Bakkhali in 2011-12. However, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance as of 2021.

Dankuni–Sagar Island rail line

While there have been multiple proposals to build a railway line to Sagar Island, none have been constructed yet. In 2017, a preliminary survey for a 138 km (86 mi) long line was sanctioned by the Indian Railways in order to boost connectivity between Dankuni and the proposed deep sea port at Sagar Island. The below sections are supposed to be a part of the line if built:

• Pujali–Bankrahat–Diamond Harbour (Gurudasnagar)–Kulpi line: The 10 km (6.2 mi) Pujali–Bankrahat line and the 21 km (13 mi) Diamond Harbour (Gurudas Nagar)–Bankrahat line were sanctioned in 2011-12 railway budget. The 17.25 km (10.72 mi) Diamond Harbour (Gurudas Nagar)–Kulpi line was sanctioned in 2012-13. As of 2021, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance.
• Kakdwip–Budakholi–Sagar Island line: A 5 km (3.1 mi) extension from Kakdwip to Budhakholi was sanctioned in the 2011-12 railway budget with plans to further extend it to Sagar Island via a rail-road bridge. As of 2021, work could not be started on this extension due to non-availability of land and as such the project had been kept under abeyance.

References

1. ^ Brief Detail of Sealdah Division Archived 25 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Eastern Railway
2. "Railway Facilities - Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port Trust, Kolkata". Retrieved 9 November 2021.
3. "Sealdah Division System map" (PDF). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
4. ^ "Details of Operating Department: Sealdah Division, Eastern Railway". Retrieved 30 November 2021.
5. ^ "Highlights of TRS Organisation, Sealdah division, Eastern Railway". Retrieved 30 November 2021.
6. "West Bengal local train services to resume from Nov 11". The Economic Times. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
7. "Indian Railways suburban train services in West Bengal to resume from November 11". Financial Express. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
8. "ER TO RUN SPECIAL TRAINS FOR GANGASAGAR MELA, 2015". Eastern Railway. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
9. "GM/ER INSPECTED SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PILGRIMS OF GANGASAGAR MELA AT SEALDAH STATION". Eastern Railway. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
10. "गंगा सागर मेला के लिए 7 जनवरी से 15 जनवरी तक चलेगी स्पेशल ट्रेन". Prabhat Khabar (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
11. "Sagar trains". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 30 November 2009. 30 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
12. "SEALDAH DIVISION – AN OVERVIEW". Eastern Railway. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
13. "One stn joins 3 railway modes to make Majerhat the latest boom zone in Kol". The Times of India. 6 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
14. Service, Statesman News (17 July 2022). "E-W Metro sees 10-fold increase in footfall in 2 days". The Statesman. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
15. "Metro links may go the extra mile". The Telegraph. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
16. "Kolkata: Rs 103 crore tender boost for New Garia Metro". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
17. ^ "History Of Indian Railways, constructed and in progress', 31 March 1937 by 'The Government of India - Railway Department'". Retrieved 28 November 2021.
18. ^ "Administration Report on Railways 1918". Retrieved 28 November 2021.
19. ^ "Indian Railway History Time line". Indian Railways. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
20. ^ "The Chronology of Railway development in Eastern Indian". railindia. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
21. "H.M. Government "Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 28 November 2021.
22. Google Books ‘Herapath's Railway Journal’, Volume 6 March 1839, pages 169-172;Retrieved 5 March 2018
23. “Allen’s Indian Mail” Vol 3 Jan-Dec 1945 Page 608 ; Retrieved 12 November 2016
24. British Library ‘India Office Records’ IOR/E/4/819 Page 227
25. Google Books ‘The Calcutta Review, no XIV, Volume 7’ Jan-June 1847. "OUR INDIAN RAILWAYS” Article II, pages 362 to 366; by the Editors of the ‘Calcutta Review’, Calcutta 1847; Retrieved 25 March 2018
26. British Library ‘India Office Records’ IOR/E/4/819, pp229-231 “Docks and Harbours, Diamond Harbour, Scheme for railway communication with Calcutta”, 1852,53
27. ^ "Bengal District Gazetteers: 24-Parganas" – page 168 by Lewis Sydney Steward O'Malley,I.C.S;Retrieved 10 December 2015
28. "Explained: The significance of the Kolkata port, renamed by PM Modi". The Indian Express. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
29. ^ "STANDING COMMIlTEE ON RAILWAYS (1993-94) TENTH LOK SABHA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS FOURTH REPORT" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
30. "Travel: A Great Escape". The Statesman, 13 June 2006. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
31. "Speech of Kumari Mamata Banerjee Introducing the Railway Budget for 2001-02, on 26th February 2001" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
32. "Speech of Shri Lalu Prasad Introducing the Railway Budget, for 2004-05, on 6th July, 2004" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
33. "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
34. ^ "Category of stations - Eastern Railway" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2021.
35. ^ "Project Summary - EASTERN RAILWAYS, NEW ALIPUR TO AKRA, MM FOR BUDGE BUDGE-PUJALI NL, PUJALI-ULUBERIA(BIRSHIVPUR) AND PUJALI-BAKRAHAT NL". Ministry of Statistic and Programme Implementation. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
36. ^ "Project Summary - Eastern Railway, SONARPUR-CANNING WITH NEW MM FOR KALIKAPUR-MINAKHAN VIA GHATAKPUR NL". Ministry of Statistics and Implementation. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
37. ^ "EASTERN RAILWAY (CONSTRUCTION ORGANISATION) ONGOING PROJECTS ON NEW LINES, GAUGE CONVERSION AND DOUBLING, POSITION AS ON 01.04.2020" (PDF). Eastern Railway. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
38. "Rs 12K-cr projects to improve city railway". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
39. ^ "Rail link to tiger territory". Kolkata, India: The Telegraph. 15 November 2009. Archived from the original on 19 December 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
40. ^ "Sunderbans rail link on track". The Times of India. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
41. New Projects, Eastern Railway, 29 November 2018
42. ^ "Railway ministry sanctions preliminary survey for rail line". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
43. ^ Gupta, Jayanta (23 June 2011). "Land reclaim for Sagar port soon". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 August 2020.

• 5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India
• Transport in Kolkata
• Sealdah railway division
• Eastern Railway zone
• Kolkata Suburban Railway lines
• Railway lines opened in 1862