Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line

Railway line in India

Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line

Raninagar Jalpaiguri Junction lies on
the Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line

Overview
Status| Operational
Owner| Indian Railways
Locale| North Bengal
Termini|

* Haldibari
* New Jalpaiguri

Stations| 11
Service
Operator(s)| Northeast Frontier Railway
History
Opened| 1878
Technical
Line length| 58 kilometres (36 mi)
Track gauge| 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Operating speed| 110 km/h (68 mph)

Route map

Legend

|  |  |

|
|
|
|

|  |

Katihar–New Jalpaiguri line

|  |

| New Jalpaiguri
|  |

| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

narrow gauge line

|  |

| New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–

Samuktala Road line

|  |

| Ambari Falakata
|  |

| Belakoba
|  |

| Raninagar Jalpaiguri
|  |

|  |

New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section

|  |

| Mohitnagar
|  |

| Jalpaiguri
|  |

| Kadabari Halt
|  |

| Mandalghat
|  |

| Nandanpur Kerarpara Halt
|  |

| Kashiabari Halt
|  |

| Haldibari
|  |

|  |  | India

Bangladesh
border
|  |

| Chilahati
|  |

| Chilahati–Parbatipur–

Santahar–Darshana line

|  |

|  |  |  |  |  |

The Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line connecting Haldibari in Cooch Behar district and New Jalpaiguri in Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal, was since 1878 a part of the Kolkata–Siliguri broad-gauge route. With the partition of India in 1947, while the main part of the route lay in East Pakistan, later Bangladesh, the two ends of the route lying in India were detached. (For more details see Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line). However, the route continued to be operational till the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Thereafter, the route had been closed till its reopening in 2020. The rest of the line had been in use in the respective countries.

## Gauge changes

[edit]

The Siliguri–Haldibari line has gone through two successive gauge changes. The line was initially built in 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge by the Eastern Bengal Railway. After partition of India since most of the other railway tracks in the area were metre gauge, the line was converted from 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge to metre gauge in 1949. Then in the 1960s, when broad gauge was introduced in the area, the line was converted back to broad gauge and connected to the new station at New Jalpaiguri.[1]

## Haldibari–Chilahati section

[edit]

There were regular services running through the Haldibari-Chilahati section until the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 following which the services were abandoned. Following the independence of Bangladesh there were plans to re-open the section. Bangladesh Railway had to construct 7.5 kilometres of new rail tracks from Chilahati to reach the border while the Indian authorities had to set up 4.5 kilometres of tracks from its border to Haldibari railway station.[2]

In the Joint Statement issued on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Bangladesh, on 7 September 2011, it was stated: " Bangladesh Prime Minister expressed her appreciation to the Indian Prime Minister for amendment of the MoU between the Bangladesh and Indian Railways allowing Rohanpur-Singabad as an additional route for both bulk and container cargo for Nepalese rail transit traffic. Bangladesh side also appreciated the assistance from India for the movement of fertilizers from Bangladesh to Nepal by rail route. They also agreed to re-establish rail connections between Chilahati–Haldibari and Kulaura–Mahishashan in the spirit of encouraging revival of old linkages and transport routes between the two countries."[3]

The Haldibari-Chilhati section was reopened on 17 December 2020. The railway link was inaugurated by the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, in a virtual bilateral summit.[4][5][6]

## Electrification

[edit]

The New Jalpaiguri–Raninagar Jalpaiguri section was completely electrified in 2021 as a part of the Katihar-Guwahati route electrification.[7] The Raninagar Jalpaiguri-Haldibari section's electrification was completed in 10 January 2024.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri". IRFCA. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
2. ^ "New rail transit route thru India gets govt nod". Priyo Internet Life. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
3. ^ "Joint Statement on the occasion of the visit of the PM of India to Bangladesh, 7 September 2011". Item No. 40. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
4. ^ "Number of rail links between India-Bangladesh rises to five: Haldibari-Chilahati railway line inaugurated". Financial Express. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
5. ^ "Chilahati-Haldibari rail route opens after 55 years". The Telegraph, 20 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
6. ^ "Haldibari-Chilahati Rail Link: India, Bangladesh Reopen Cross-border route after 55years". NDTV Profit, 18 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
7. ^ "Indian Railways completes electrification of track upto Guwahati in north-east India". 12 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
8. ^ "NFR: Electrification works in full swing". 10 March 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* All trains from New Jalpaiguri to Haldibari [1]
* All trains from Haldibari to New Jalpaiguri [2]

* v
* t
* e

Railways in Eastern India

National network/
trunk lines|

* Barauni–Guwahati line
* Grand Chord
* Howrah–Chennai main line
* Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line
* Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line
* Howrah–New Delhi main line
* Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line
* Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai line
* Sahibganj loop

Other lines/sections|

| Interstate|

* Asansol–Gaya section
* Asansol–Patna section
* Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line
* Barauni–Gorakhpur, Raxaul and Jainagar lines
* Barkakana–Son Nagar line
* Barsoi–New Farakka section
* Barsoi–Radhikapur branch line
* Dumka–Bhagalpur line
* Gaya–Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction section
* Hatia–Rourkela line
* Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line
* Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line
* Katihar–Siliguri line
* Kharagpur–Puri line
* Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section
* Kothavalasa–Kirandul line
* New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line
* New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
* Tatanagar–Bilaspur section

|

Bihar|

* Bakhtiyarpur–Tilaiya line
* Barauni–Katihar section
* Barauni–Samastipur section
* Fatuha–Tilaiya line
* Gaya–Kiul line
* Mokama–Barauni section
* Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur line (via Hajipur, Raxaul and Sitamarhi)
* Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur main line
* Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi section
* Muzaffarpur–Hajipur section
* Narkatiaganj–Bhikhna Thori branch line
* Neora–Daniyawan–Bihar Sharif–Sheikhpura line
* Patna–Gaya line
* Patna–Mughalsarai section
* Patna–Sonepur–Hajipur section
* Raxaul–Sagauli line
* Samastipur–Muzaffarpur section

Jharkhand|

* Barkakana–Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh line
* Barkakana–Muri–Chandil line
* Dhanbad–Chandrapura line
* Railways in Jharia Coalfield
* Koderma–Hazaribagh–Barkakana–Ranchi line
* Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line
* Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line

Odisha|

* Khurda Road–Bolangir line
* Cuttack–Sambalpur line

West Bengal|

* Ahmadpur–Katwa line
* Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line
* Andal–Sainthia branch line
* Andal–Sitarampur loop line
* Bandel–Katwa line
* Bankura–Masagram line
* Bardhaman–Asansol section
* Bardhaman–Katwa line
* Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop
* Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
* Eklakhi–Balurghat branch line
* Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line
* Howrah–Barddhaman main line
* Howrah–Bardhaman chord
* Howrah–Kharagpur line
* Kharagpur–Bankura–Adra line
* New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line
* Santragachi–Amta branch line
* Sealdah Main and North section
* Calcutta Chord link line
* Kolkata Circular Railway
* Sealdah–Bangaon line
* Sealdah–Ranaghat–Gede line
* Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City–Lalgola line
* Sealdah South section
* Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur branch line

Suburban
rail transport|

* Kolkata Metro
* Kolkata Suburban Railway
* Kolkata Circular Railway

Monorail|

* Kolkata Monorail
* Patna Monorail

Defunct lines|

| Revived/
Under revival|

* Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway
* Bankura–Damodar Railway
* Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway
* Burdwan–Katwa Railway
* Bakhtiarpur–Bihar Light Railway
* Futwah–Islampur Light Railway

|

Inactive|

* Bengal Provincial Railway
* East Coast State Railway
* Kalighat Falta Railway
* Mayurbhanj State Railway
* Dehri Rohtas Light Railway
* Patna–Digha Ghat line
* Parlakimedi Light Railway

Zones & Divisions|

| Eastern|

* Asansol
* Howrah
* Malda
* Sealdah

|

East Central|

* Danapur
* Dhanbad
* Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya
* Samastipur
* Sonpur

East Coast|

* Sambalpur
* Khurda Road
* Waltair

North Eastern|

* Varanasi

Northeast Frontier|

* Katihar
* Alipurduar

South Eastern|

* Adra
* Chakradharpur
* Kharagpur
* Ranchi

Production units/
workshops|

* Chittaranjan Locomotive Works
* Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam
* Braithwaite & Co.
* Burn Standard Company Limited
* Bharat Wagon and Engineering
* Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction Company
* Carriage Repair Workshop, Harnaut

Transit points
with Bangladesh|

| Active|

* Haldibari–Chilahati
* Singhabad–Rohanpur
* Radhikapur–Biral
* Gede–Darshana
* Petrapole–Benapole

|

Defunct|

* Mahisasan–Shahbajpur
* Changrabandha–Burimari
* New Gitaldaha–Mogalhat

Indian railheads
near India–Nepal border|

* Raxaul Junction
* Bairgania
* Jaynagar
* Jogbani
* Laukaha Bazar
* Thakurganj

Railway companies|

* East Indian Railway Company
* Bengal Nagpur Railway
* Indian Branch Railway Company
* Indian Railways
* Martin's Light Railways

See also|

* Bholu (mascot)
* Suburban rail in India

* v
* t
* e

Railways in North-East India

National network/
trunk lines|

* Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line
* Barauni–Guwahati line

Branch lines/ sections|

* Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line
* Bairabi–Sairang line
* Barauni–Katihar section
* Guwahati–Lumding section
* Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line
* Katihar–Siliguri line
* Lumding–Sabroom section
* Lumding–Dibrugarh section
* New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section
* New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
* New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line
* New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line
* Rangiya–Murkongselek section

Monorail|

* Aizawl Monorail

Defunct lines|

* Cherra Companyganj State Railways

Transit points
with Bangladesh|

| Active|

* Haldibari–Chilahati

|

Defunct|

* Mahisasan–Shahbajpur
* Changrabandha–Burimari
* Gitaldaha–Mogalhat

Railway companies|

* Eastern Bengal Railway
* Assam Bengal Railway
* Bengal Dooars Railway
* Cooch Behar State Railway
* Dibru–Sadiya Railway
* Jorehaut Provincial Railway
* Northeast Frontier Railway

See also|

* Indian Railways
* Bholu (mascot)
* North-east Indian railways during World War II

* v
* t
* e

Jalpaiguri district topics

General|

* Baikunthapur Forest
* Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary
* Dooars
* Dooars-Terai tea gardens
* Gorumara National Park
* India–Bangladesh enclaves
* Jalpaiguri
* Jalpaiguri district
* Jalpaiguri division
* Jalpaiguri Palace
* Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority
* New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station
* North Bengal
* North Bengal Tea Industry
* Raikat
* Raninagar Industrial Growth Centre
* Terai
* Western Duars
* University of North Bengal
* 2013 Jalpaiguri bombing

Municipal corporations|

* Jalpaiguri
* New Jalpaiguri (Siliguri)

Municipalities|

* Dhupguri
* Malbazar
* Mainaguri
* Phulbari (proposed)

Community development
blocks|

| Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision|

* Jalpaiguri
* Maynaguri
* Rajganj

|

Dhupguri subdivision|

* Dhupguri
* Banarhat

Malbazar subdivision|

* Mal
* Matiali
* Nagrakata
* Kranti

Rivers|

* Dharla
* Jaldhaka
* Karala
* Teesta
* Torsha

Transport|

* NH 17
* NH 31A
* NH 317
* NH 27
* New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line
* New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
* Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line
* Katihar–Siliguri line

Railway stations|

* Ambari Falakata
* Belakoba
* Dhupguri
* Jalpaiguri
* Jalpaiguri Road
* Mohitnagar
* New Domohani
* New Jalpaiguri
* New Mainaguri
* Raninagar Jalpaiguri Junction

Institutes of higher learning|

* Ananda Chandra College
* Institute of Pharmacy, Jalpaiguri
* Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College
* Jalpaiguri Government Medical College and Hospital
* North Bengal St. Xavier's College
* P.D. Women's College
* Sukanta Mahavidyalaya
* University of North Bengal

Lok Sabha constituencies|

* Jalpaiguri

Vidhan Sabha constituencies|

* Dabgram-Phulbari
* Dhupguri
* Jalpaiguri
* Mal
* Maynaguri
* Nagrakata
* Rajganj

Former
Vidhan Sabha constituencies|

* Kranti

See also|

* Cities, towns and locations in Jalpaiguri district
* People from Jalpaiguri district
* Villages in Jalpaiguri district

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