Katihar–Siliguri line

Railway line in India

Katihar–Siliguri line

Kishanganj Junction an Important railway station on Katihar–Siliguri line

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

* Katihar
* Siliguri Junction

Stations| 35
Service
Operator(s)| Northeast Frontier Railway
History
Opened| 1958
Technical
Line length| 203.7 kilometres (126.6 mi)
Track gauge| 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge

Route map

Legend

|  |

|
|
|
|

to Teznarayanpur

to Barauni

|  |

|  |

| Katihar Junction
|  |

Katihar-Jogbani line

|  |

|  |
Maniyan  |

| Nayatola
Kuretha  |

| Dandkhora
Sahja Halt  |

| Gorphar
Pranpur Road  |

|  |
Labha  |

| Sonaili
Dilli Dewan Ganj  |

| Bishanpur Halt

Barsoi–New Farakka section

| Jhaua
Babhangaon Halt |

| Meenapur
Khurial |

|  |
Kamalpur Halt |

|  |
Azamnagar Road |

| Salmari
Bhawanipur Bihar Halt |

|  |
|  |

|  |
|  |

| 34

Mukuria
|  |

| Barsoi

Barsoi–Radhikapur line

|  |
|  |

| Khempur
|  |

| Sanjay Gram
|  |

| Sudhani
|  |

| Ajhrail
|  |

| Telta

| Bihar

West Bengal
border

|  |

| Raiganj-Dalkhola line

(planned)

|  |
|  |

| Dalkhola
|  |

|  |

NH 34

|  |

| Surja Kamal
|  |

| Kanki
|  |

| Hatwar

| West Bengal

Bihar
border

|  |
|  |

| Tauheed Halt
|  |

| 96

Kishanganj
|  |

|  |

planned connection

Kishanganj City  |

| Mahangaon

| Bihar

West Bengal
border

| Kuttihat
Panjipara |

104

| Majgaon
Ikarchala |

108

| Majhok Halt
Gaisal |

113

| Routa
Dhantola  |

115

| Taslim Nagar
Gunjaria |

118

| Pora Halt
Aluabari Road Junction |

126

| Khata Halt
|  |

Katihar-Jogbani line

| West Bengal

Bihar
border

| Jalalgarh
Pothia  |

131

Katihar-Jogbani line

Taiabpur  |

139

|  |

Mahananda River

|  |

|  |
Thakurganj |

| 146

|  |

| West Bengal

Bihar
border

|  |

planned connection

Dhulabari |

131

| Bhogoabar
Mangurjan |

137

| Kooagaon Halt

NH 31

|  |

| Pawakhali

| Bihar

West Bengal
border

| Tulsia
Tin Mile Hat |

143

| Bibiganj
Dumdangi |

152

| Taragach Halt

Mahananda River

|  |

| Kaliaganj
Chattarhat |

161

| Bardha Halt
|  |

| Lakshmipur
Piprithan  |

152

| Khawaspur Halt
Galgalia  |

158

| Bansbari

| Bihar

West Bengal
border

| Rahamatpur
Adhikari |

167

Katihar-Jogbani line

Batasi |

170

100

| Arariya
Naksalbari  |

179

Katihar-Jogbani line

Hatighisa  |

183

|  |
Bagdogra |

192

|  |
Nijbari |

168

|  |
|  |

|  |
Rangapani |

175

|  |

Mahananda River

|  |

196

| Raja Rammohanpur Halt
New Jalpaiguri Junction |

182

|  |

Balason River

| New Jalpaiguri–New

Bongaigaon section

|  |
Siliguri Town |

186

198

| Matigara
Siliguri Junction |

| 189

202

|  |

Panchai River

|  |

|  Siliguri-Kishanganj

closed NG section

Panchnai Junction  |

204

| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

NG line to Darjeeling

| New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–

Samuktala Road Line

|  Siliguri-Gielkhola

closed NG section

|  |  |  |  |  |

The Katihar–Siliguri line is a railway line connecting Katihar in the Indian state of Bihar with Siliguri Junction in West Bengal, via Barsoi, Dalkhola, Kishanganj, Aluabari Road Junction, Thakurganj, Adhikari, Naxalbari, Bagdogra and Matigara. It was a metre-gauge track that was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge in 2011.

Another railway line with a slightly different route with shorter distance exists between Siliguri Junction and Aluabari Road Junction (Islampur) and its details are available in Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line article.

## History

[edit]

### Early developments

[edit]

Railway developments in the area started in the 1880s. East Indian Railway Company opened the Manihari–Katihar–Kasba section in 1888 and the North Bengal Railway opened the Katihar–Raiganj section the same year. The Barsoi–Kishanganj section opened in 1889. All these lines were metre-gauge lines. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, operating narrow-gauge lines, extended their operations from Siliguri to Kishenganj in 1915.

Siliguri was connected to Calcutta (now spelt as Kolkata) via the eastern part of Bengal since 1878 (for details see Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line). However, with the partition of India in 1947, railway services in the region were completely disrupted. In 1949, the 108 kilometres (67 mi) narrow gauge Siliguri–Kishanganj section was upgraded to metre gauge. Thus there was a direct metre-gauge connection from Manihari to Siliguri via Katihar.[1] A generally acceptable route to Siliguri was via Sahibganj loop to Sakrigali ghat. Across the Ganges by ferry to Manihari Ghat. Then metre gauge via Katihar and Barsoi to Kishanganj and finally narrow gauge to Sliguri,[2] before Kishanganj–Siliguri was converted to metre gauge. This, therefore, remains a historic route, even though for a short period.[1]

### Surviving as a metre-gauge line in the broad-gauge era

[edit]

In the sixties, new 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge lines were laid in the area and in 1971 with the rail bridge over Farakka Barrage, Siliguri was once again directly connected with Calcutta (now spelt as Kolkata) by 576 kilometres (358 mi) long broad-gauge track. A section of the broad-gauge line from Mukuria to Aluabari Road ran alongside the metre-gauge line. The metre-gauge line survived for many years until 2011.[1]

An Indian Railways Fan Club enthusiast reported (in June 2005): "Near Siliguri, a MG line emerges to the right, on a somewhat high embankment and continues to run parallel to the road. This is the Siliguri–Kishanganj–Katihar MG line which still exists. Bagdogra is a station on this line, in fact the airport's runway almost ends within station limits! Both road and rail curve northwards but then diverge with the road crossing over the railway tracks. This overpass is above the Siliguri–New Mal Junction–Alipurduar Junction–Samuktala Road line and the DHR. The former was MG in 2000 and is BG now."

### Gauge conversion

[edit]

The Siliguri–Katihar line was the last surviving metre-gauge line in the area. The Aluabari Road–Katihar section already had a broad-gauge line running alongside the metre-gauge line. The 76 kilometres (47 mi) long Aluabari Road–Siliguri section needed to be converted. Conversion work was taken up in 2008, train services in the section was suspended and conversion work completed early in 2011.[3][4][5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri". IRFCA. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
2. ^ "my school i wish". Madhyamgram Re-visited after 15 years. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
3. ^ "Delayed but new route helps trains". The Telegraph. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
4. ^ "Railways to partially restore Siliguri–Bagdogra service". The Times of India. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
5. ^ "IRFCA photo gallery". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.

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Railways in Eastern India

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|

Bihar|

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rail transport|

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Defunct lines|

| Revived/
Under revival|

* Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway
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|

Inactive|

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|

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East Coast|

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North Eastern|

* Varanasi

Northeast Frontier|

* Katihar
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South Eastern|

* Adra
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Production units/
workshops|

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with Bangladesh|

| Active|

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|

Defunct|

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See also|

* Bholu (mascot)
* Suburban rail in India

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Railways in North-East India

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trunk lines|

* Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line
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with Bangladesh|

| Active|

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|

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See also|

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Railway stations|

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|

Kishanganj|

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Katihar|

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Former Vidhan Sabha constituencies|

* Barsoi

See also|

* Cities and towns in Purnia Division
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Economy and Transport|

* Darjeeling tea
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Community development
blocks|

| Darjeeling Sadar subdivision|

* Darjeeling Pulbazar
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|

Kurseong subdivision|

* Mirik
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Siliguri subdivision|

* Matigara
* Naxalbari
* Phansidewa
* Kharibari

Vidhan Sabha constituencies|

* Kalimpong
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Template|

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