Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line

The Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line (also known as Mumbai–Kolkata line) is a railway line in India con] and Mumbai via Nagpur. The 1,968-kilometre-long (1,223 mi) railway line was opened to traffic in 1900.

Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line
Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line map
Overview
Status	Functioning
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Indian states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra
Termini	Howrah Mumbai CST
Service
Services	Fast
Operator(s)	South Eastern Railway, South East Central Railway, Central Railway
History
Opened	1890; 134 years ago (1890)
Technical
Line length	1,968 km (1,223 mi)
Number of tracks	2/3/4
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	Yes
Operating speed	up to 130 km/h
Route map Minor stations omitted Legend km 0 Howrah 116 Kharagpur Howrah–Chennai main line to Adra Tatanagar–Kharagpur line West Bengal Jharkhand border 250 Tatanagar Asansol–Tatanagar line Tatanagar–Bilaspur section 312 Chakradharpur Jharkhand Odisha border 413 Rourkela 515 Jharsuguda Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line 528 Brajarajnagar Odisha Chhattisgarh border 588 Raigarh 637 Sakti to Korba 667 Champa 720 Bilaspur to Katni Junction Bilaspur–Nagpur section 767 Bhatapara Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line 830 Raipur 867 Durg 897 Rajnandgaon 928 Dongargarh Chhattisgarh Maharashtra border to Balaghat 1,001 Gondia Bilaspur–Nagpur section 1,051 Tumsar Road 1,069 Bhandara Road to Chhindwara 1,131 Nagpur to Itarsi 1,207 Sevagram Nagpur–Hyderabad line 1,210 Wardha 1,239 Pulgaon 1,259 Dhamangaon 1,305 Badnera 1,346 Murtajapur to Secunderabad 1,384 Akola Junction to Khandwa 1,421 Shegaon 1,434 Jalamb 1,446 Nandura 1,474 Malkapur Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line 1,524 Bhusawal 1,548 Jalgaon 1,641 Chalisgaon 1,708 Manmad 1,781 Nasik 1,787 Devlali 1,832 Igatpuri 1,915 Kalyan Central line Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Kurla 1,959 Dadar Central 1,968 Mumbai CST km Source: Indian Railway Time Table and Make my trip

Sections

The 1,968-kilometre-long (1,223 mi) trunk line has been treated in more detail in smaller sections:

1. Howrah–Kharagpur section
2. Kharagpur–Tatanagar section
3. Tatanagar–Bilaspur section
4. Bilaspur–Nagpur section
5. Nagpur–Bhusawal section
6. Bhusawal–Kalyan section
7. Kalyan–Mumbai CST section

Geography

The Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line cuts across the central parts of India in an east–west direction and traverses the plains of lower West Bengal, the southern part of Chota Nagpur Plateau, the Deccan Plateau, the Western Ghats and finally the Western Coastal Plains.^[1][2][3]

History

The first train in India travelled from Bori Bunder in Bombay to Tannah (current Thane) on 16 April 1853. By May 1854, Great Indian Peninsula Railway's Bombay–Tannah line was extended to Callian (current Kalyan). Bhusawal station was set up in 1860 and in 1867 the GIPR branch line was extended to Nagpur.^[4]

While the entire Mumbai–Nagpur line was 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge, the next part from Nagpur to Rajnandgaon was metre gauge. The Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway started construction of the 240 km (149 mi) Nagpur–Rajnandgaon section in 1878, after surveys were started in 1871. The Nagpur–Tumsar Road section was opened in April 1880 and the Tumsar Road–Rajnandgaon section in December 1880.^[5]

The GIPR and EIR, working jointly, completed the Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line thereby establishing a connection between Kolkata and Mumbai in 1870.^[6] The great famine of 1878 was an impetus for the fast completion of the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway track, but by then the idea of a route from Mumbai to Kolkata, shorter than the one via Allahabad, had set in.^[7]

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was formed in 1871. Amongst its major objectives were taking over of the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway and its conversion to broad gauge and extension of its system by a 772 km (480 mi) line to Asansol on EIR's main line. The entire task was completed by 1891 and Nagpur was connected to Asansol.^[5] However, the line via Asansol was never seriously used as a link to Howrah for passenger traffic.

The Sini–Kharagpur–Kolaghat line was opened in 1898–99. The Kolaghat–Howrah section was completed in 1899–1900. The entire line was opened with the completion of the bridge across the Rupnarayan River, near Kolaghat, on 19 April 1900.^[8]

Electrification

The entire line is electrified.^[9]

Speed limits

The entire Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line is planned to be upgraded as a "Group A" line which will enable it to take speeds up to 160 kmph. Its current speed is restricted at 130kmph. Rest are under 110 kmph.^[10]

Passenger movement

Howrah (Kolkata), Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Rourkela, Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg, Nagpur, Badnera, Akola, Bhusawal, Nasik Road, Manmad and Kalyan (Mumbai subarban) on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian railway.^[11]

Golden Quadrilateral

The Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral. The routes connecting the four major metropolises (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata), along with their diagonals, known as the Golden Quadrilateral, carry about half the freight and nearly half the passenger traffic, although they form only 16 per cent of the length.^[12]

References

1. "Chakradharpur Division". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
2. "Sundergarh District". Geography and Physical Features. Sundergarh district administration. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
3. Ranade, Prabha Shastri (1990). Population dynamics in India. APH. ISBN 9788170243076. Retrieved 20 March 2013. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
4. "IR History: Early Days – I : Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1832–1865)". Retrieved 20 November 2012.
5. "Nagpur Division" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
6. "IR History: Early Days – II". Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1870–1899). Retrieved 20 November 2012.
7. "Number 1 Down Mail". Railways of the Raj. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
8. "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
9. "Chakradharpur Division". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
10. "Chapter II – The Maintenance of Permanent Way". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
11. "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. IRFCA. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
12. "Geography – Railway Zones". Major routes. IRFCA. Retrieved 5 March 2013.

External links

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