East Bengal Mail

 Sealdah-Parbatipur Line 
Track gauge: Broad gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Legend
Sealdah
Ranaghat
to Lalgola
Gede
India-Bangladesh border
Darshana
to Jessore
Poradah
to Goalundo Ghat
Hardinge Bridge across Padma
Iswardi
to Dhaka
to Rahanpur-Singhabad border
Abdulpur
Santahar
to Lalmonirhat MG
Hili
to Biral-Radhikapur border MG
Parbatipur
to Lalmonirhat MG
to Chilahati-Haldibari border

The East Bengal Mail was a railway train that was one of three train services running between India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) . The railway link was suspended at the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

Contents

Overview

Prior to 1965, when armed conflict broke out between India and Pakistan, rail links existed between India and East Pakistan. Three trains ran between the two countries carrying goods and passengers: (1) East Bengal Express between Sealdah and Goalundo Ghat via Gede and Darshana, (2) East Bengal Mail between Sealdah and Parbatipur via Gede and Darshana, and (3) Barisal Express between Sealdah and Khulna via Petrapole-Benapole. [1][2]

History

From 1878, the railway route from Kolkata, then called Calcutta, to Siliguri was in two laps through the eastern part of Bengal. 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.[3]

The 1.8 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 Khulna and Parbatipur in Bangladesh.[4] In 1926 the metre-gauge section north of the bridge was converted to broad gauge, and so the entire Calcutta - Siliguri route became broad-gauge.[3]

In the pre-independence days, two legendary mail trains used the Sealdah-Parbatipur line. The Darjeeling Mail linked Kolkata, then known as Calcutta, and Siliguri. The Assam Mail originally ran from Santahar to Guwahati. [5]

Branch lines

Not only was the mainline an important one but a cursory glance at the route map shows important links. The Maitree Express uses a part of the route from Iswardi.

Abdulpur is an important junction with links to Rajshahi and the India-Bangladesh border at Rahanpur-Singhabad. In olden days, it was the route for travel between Malda and Kolkata.

Santahar is another important junction, with a metre gauge connection to many places in the northern part of Bangladesh. [6]

In pre-idependence days, there was a metre gauge line: Katihar - Radhikapur - Biral - Parbatipur - Tista - Geetaldaha - Golakganj – Fakiragram.[7]

References

  1. ^ Sangeeta Thapliyal. "India-Bangladesh Transportation Links: A Move for Closer Cooperation". http://www.idsa-india.org/an-mar9-8.html. Retrieved 2011-12-10. 
  2. ^ "Geography - International". IRFCA. http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-inter.html. Retrieved 2011-12-10. 
  3. ^ a b "India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri". IRFCA. http://www.irfca.org/docs/rinbad-siliguri.html. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  4. ^ "Hardinge Bridge". Banglapaedia. http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/H_0054.HTM. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  5. ^ "Trains of fame and locos with a name - Part 2". IRFCA. http://www.irfca.org/articles/isrs/fnrm3-fame-name.html. Retrieved 2011-12-15. 
  6. ^ "Railways". Banglapaedia. http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/R_0048.HTM. Retrieved 2011-12-15. 
  7. ^ "Geography - International". IRFCA. http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-inter.html. Retrieved 2011-12-10.