Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line

Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line
including Adra-Gomoh and Tatanagar-Badampahar branch lines
Overview
Status Operational
Locale West Bengal, Jharkhand
Termini Asansol
Kharagpur
Operation
Opening 1891 onwards
Owner Indian Railway
Operator(s) South Eastern Railway
Technical
Track gauge Broad gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification 1961-63 with 25 kV AC overhead line

Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line

Legend
Kms
Kms
Bokaro Steel Plant
(Steel Authority of India Limited)

 
Bokaro Airport 
to Gomoh-Muri line 
Bokaro Steel City 
to Gomoh-Muri line 
Ispat Nagar 
 to Bardhaman-Asansol section
Chas 
0 Asansol
to Grand Chord 
 to
Asansol-Gaya section
of Grand Chord

Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose Gomoh

 
5 BurnpurBurnpur Airport Burnpur Airport
Mahuda 
 
IISCO Steel Plant
(Steel Authority of India Limited)

Damodar River 

 to Kalipahari (freight line)
Talgora 

 Colliery sidings
Shewbabudih 
11 Damodar
to Sudamdih
Jharia Coalfield rail network

 
 Damodar River
71
Bhojudih 
16 Madhukunda
West Bengal
Jharkhand

border 
23 Muradi
Santaldih Thermal Power Station
(W. Bengal Power Development Corp. Ltd.)

 
 Parbeliya Colliery
64
Santaldih 
28 Ramkanali
56
Rukni 
33 Bero
49
Sanka 
38 Joychandi Pahar

42
Adra 
42 Adra
 to Adra-Kharagpur line
to Gomoh-Muri line 
49 Gardhrubeswar
Kotshila 
56 Anara
Garhjaipur 
62 Bagalia
Chas Road 
65 Kushfaur
Gourinathdham 
73 Charrah
Charra Airfield
(abandoned)
80 Purulia
 Kangsabati River
87 Tamnah
95 Kantadih
103 Urma
111 Barabhum
117 Biramdih
125 Nimdih
 
West Bengal
Jharkhand

border

to Tatanagar-Barkakana line 
133 Chandil
138 Manikul
 Subarnarekha River
143 Kunki
147 Kandra
to Tatanagar-Bilaspur section 
Sini 
 Birrajpur
Birbans 
158 Gamharia
165 Adityapur
 Kharkai River
 Sonari Airport
170
Tatanagar 
 
Jamshedpur Steel Plant
(Tata Steel)

Haldipokhar 
 
Jamshedpur Plant
(Tata Motors)

Jharkhand
Odisha

border 
 Asanbani
Bahalda Road 
 Rakha Mines
Aonlajhari 
 Subarnarekha River
 Mahulia
Gorumahisani 
 Ghatshila
Gorumahisani Iron Ore Mines
(Tata Steel)

 
 Dhalbhumgarh
Rairangpur 
 Kokpara
Kuldiha 
 ChakuliaChakulia Airport
Chhanua 
 
West Bengal
Jharkhand

border

Badampahar Iron Ore Mines 
 Gidhni
Badampahar 
 Jhargram
 Sardha
 Khemasuli
 Kalaikunda
Kalaikunda
Air Force Station
 to Adra-Kharagpur line

 Nimpura

to Kharagpur-Puri line 

 Kharagpur
 to Howrah-Kharagpur line
Kms
Kms

The Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line is part of Howrah and eastern India's links with Mumbai and Chennai. It is also a major freight line for transporting iron ore, coal and steel products. This page includes the Adra-Gomoh branch line and Tatanagar-Badampahar branch lines.

History

The Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line, a joint effort of Great Indian Peninsula Railway and East Indian Railway Company came up in 1870.[1] The Bengal Nagpur Railway was formed in 1887 for the purpose of upgrading the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway and then extending it via Bilaspur to Asansol, in order to develop a shorter Howrah-Mumbai route than the one via Allahabad.[2] The Bengal Nagpur Railway main line from Nagpur to Asansol, on the Howrah-Delhi main line, was opened for goods traffic on 1 February 1891.[3] However, it was only after Kharagpur was linked from the west and the south that it was connected to Howrah in 1900.[4]

The closing years of the 19th century and the opening years of the 20th century were momentous for the area. 800 miles of East Coast Railway was built and opened for traffic between 1893 and 1896. The most vital sections of Bengal Nagpur Railway, Sini-Kharagpur-Kolaghat and Kharagpur-Cuttack, were opened to traffic in 1898-99. The Purlia-Ranchi branch was opened for traffic on 15 November 1907. BNR lines were extended to Gomoh, on EIR’s main line, in 1907. The Mohuda-Chandrapura branch line was opened in 1913.[3]

A 40 mile branch line from Tatanagar to Gorumahisani was opened to traffic in 1911 mainly for transportation of iron ore.[3]

The Purulia-Ranchi line was opened as a narrow gauge railway of BNR in 1907.[5]

A MEMU train travelling on the bridge across Damodar River

Railway reorganization

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.[3]Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway.[6] In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier.[6][7]

Steel plants and freight traffic

India’s first integrated steel plant, Tata Steel’s plant at Jamshedpur, became operational in 1908.[8]IISCO Steel Plant was established at Burnpur in 1918.[9]Steel Authority of India’s Durgapur Steel Plant was established in the late fifties,[10] and Bokaro Steel Plant became operational in the seventies.[11]

Although the Asansol-Gaya section of Grand Chord and Bardhaman-Asansol section of Howrah-Delhi main line serves as the principal links for Jharia Coalfield and Raniganj Coalfield this line also links to both the coalfields.

With four steel plants served by these lines South Eastern Railway transports bulk of the raw materials like coal and iron ore used by the steel industry. It loaded 61.24 million tonnes during the period April to September 2012.[12][13] Indian Railway handled 456 million tonnes of coal in 2011-12. It was the single largest item of freight traffic. It handled 104.71 million tonnes of Iron ore in 2011-12.[14]

Electrification

The Asansol-Purulia, Purulia-Chakradharpur, Kandra-Gamharria and Sini-Adityapur sectors were electrified in 1961-62. The Tatanagar-Kharagpur sector was electrified in 1962-63.[15]

Passenger movement

Asansol, Tatanagar and Kharagpur, on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "IR History: Early Days – II". Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1870 - 1899). Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Number 1 Down Mail". Railways of the Raj. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  4. ↑ R. P. Saxena. "Indian Railway History Time line". Irse.bravehost.com. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "IR History: Part - III (1900 - 1947)". IRFCA. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "IR History: Part - IV (1947 - 1970)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  8. ↑ "A Century of Trust". Tata Steel. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "IISCO Steel Plant". Steel Authority of India Limited. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Durgapur Steel Plant". Steel Authority of India Limited. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Bokaro Steel Plant". Steel Authority of India Limited. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "South Eastern Railway reports 2.34% growth in freight loading in April-September 2012". The Economic Times, 4 October 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "Iron ore helps South Eastern Rly cross freight target". The Hindu Business Line, 19 August 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  14. ↑ Sanyal, Santanu. "Coal continues to top Railway’s freight list". The Hindu Business Line, 9 May 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  15. ↑ "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  16. ↑ "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. IRFCA. Retrieved 30 December 2012.

External links