Sealdah South lines


Sealdah South lines
Overview
System Electrified
Status Operational
Locale West Bengal
Termini Sealdah
Budge Budge, Diamond Harbour, Namkhana, Canning
Operation
Owner Indian Railway
Operator(s) Eastern Railway
Technical
Line length 25 km (16 mi) (Sealdah-Budge Budge),
60 km (37 mi)(Sealdah-Diamond Harbour),
108 km (67 mi)(Sealdah-Namkhana),
45 km (28 mi)(Sealdah-Canning)
Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge
Electrification Yes
Operating speed up to 100 km per hour

The Sealdah South lines are a set of four lines from Sealdah South station connecting Sealdah with Budge Budge, Diamond Harbour, Namkhana and Canning. It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system and is under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway.

Layout of Sealdah-South Lines

History

The 45 km long line from Calcutta to Port Canning via Sonarpur, constructed in 1862 by the Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway, was the first railway track on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It ran from what was then Beliaghata station (presently Sealdah South station) to Canning on the Matla River. Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway was formed in 1859 as a private company but was taken over by the government in 1868 after it incurred extensive losses because of floods and other problems. It was the first case in India of the railway being taken over by the state.

The Jaynagar Majilpur line was constructed by Eastern Bengal Railway in 1882. It was extended up to Lakshmikantapur in 1928.[1] Later, the line was extended up to Kakdwip in 2001 and up to Namkhana in 2006.[2]

The Diamond Harbour line was constructed by Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway in 1883.

The Budge Budge line was constructed by Eastern Bengal Railway in 1890.[1]

Ganga Sagar mela

The Ganga Sagar mela, which attracts thousands of pilgrims during Makar Sankranti in mid-January, is approached through this line. Kakdwip and Namkhana stations serve as handy rail heads for travel to the mela. Eastern Railway runs around 80 special trains for the mela.[3] There also are special trains from Delhi to Namkhana via Lucknow and Allahabad.[4]

Future developments

There are plans for constructing a deep sea port at Sagar Island. This would also require the construction of a 4.5 km long rail-cum-road bridge to connect the island to the mainland and around 40 km long rail connection.[5]

A project costing Rs. 1.24 billion has been sanctioned for extension of the Sealdah-Canning line to Bhangankhali, with a bridge across the Matla. There are plans to extend the line later to Gosaba.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Chronology of Railway development in Eastern Indian". railindia. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  2. ↑ "Travel: A Great Escape". The Statesman, 13 June 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Eastern Railway to run 80 spl trains for Ganga Sagar Mela". newkerala.com. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "Sagar trains". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 30 November 2009. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Land reclaim for Sagar port soon". The Times of India, 23 June 2011. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Rail link to tiger territory". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 15 November 2009. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
External video
Train leaving Budge Budge
Ganga Sagar pilgrims boarding ferry at Namkhana
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