Jodhpur–Bathinda line

The Jodhpur–Bathinda line connects Jodhpur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan to Bathinda in the Punjab, via Dabwali Railway in Haryana. During the British Raj, Bathinda was on the Delhi-Karachi line and after independence and partition of India in 1947, it is on the Delhi-Fazilka line. This line operates under the jurisdiction of North Western Railway.

Jodhpur–Bathinda line
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleFringe areas of Thar desert, Rajasthan and small sections of Haryana and Punjab
TerminiJodhpur
Bathinda
Operation
Opened1901-02
OwnerIndian Railway
Operator(s)North Western Railway
Technical
Track length600 km (373 mi)
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Highest elevationJodhpur 241 m (791 ft), Bathinda 208 m (682 ft)

History

A 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) wide metre gauge line from Marwar Junction to Pali was built by the Rajputana Railway in 1882. It was extended to Luni in 1884 and Jodhpur in 1885. It formed the first Jodhpur Railway. It later became part of Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway.[1][2]

In 1889, the Bikaner Princely State and Jodhpur Princely State started constructing the Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway within the Rajputana Agency. In 1891 the metre gauge Jodhpur - Merta Road sector was opened on 8 April, the Merta Road - Nagaur sector on 16 October, and the Nagaur-Bikaner sector on 9 December. In 1901-02, the metre gauge line was extended to Bathinda. The Jodhpur–Bikaner line was extended to Bathinda in 1901–02 to connect it with the metre gauge section of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway and the meter gauge of North Western Railway Delhi–Fazilka line via Hanumangarh.

Sometime around or prior to 1991, the construction work for the conversion from meter gauge to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) wide broad gauge of the Jodhpur–Bikaner line, along with the link to Phulera, were started,[3] and it was already functioning as broad gauge Jodhpur–Merta City–Bikaner–Bathinda line by 2008.[4]

Passenger movement

Jodhpur is the only railway station on this line which is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.[5]

Workshops

The former metre gauge workshop at Jodhpur now performs periodic overhauling of broad gauge passenger coaches. The former metre gauge workshop at Bikaner (Lalgarh) workshop carries out periodic overhauling of broad gauge coaches and wagons.[6]

References
  1. "Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway". fibis. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  2. "IR History: Part II (1870-1899)". IRFCA. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  3. "Written answers to Qustion asked in Parliament". Railway expansion programme in Rajasthan. Government of India. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  4. "Railway line along Indian border". Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India, 21 April 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  5. "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. "Sheds and workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
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