Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line

The Asansol–Adra–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line is part of Howrah and eastern India's links with Mumbai and Chennai. It is also a major freight line for transporting iron ore, coal and steel products. This page includes the Adra–Bokaro Steel City branch line, the Adra-Gomoh branch line, the Adra-Dhanbad branch line and Tatanagar–Badampahar branch lines.

Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line (including Adra–Bokaro Steel City, Adra-Gomoh branch line, Adra-Dhanbad branch line, Purulia–Kotshila & Tatanagar–Badampahar branch lines)
A MEMU train travelling on the bridge across Damodar River
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand
Termini	Asansol Kharagpur
Service
Type	Rail line
Operator(s)	South Eastern Railway
History
Opened	1891 onwards
Technical
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	1961–63 with 25 kV AC overhead line
Route map Legend km km to Hatia Bokaro Steel City 78 Steel Authority of India Bokaro Steel Plant to Gomoh Ispat Nagar 62 Bardhaman–Asansol section Chas 54 0 Asansol Junction Bandidih 49 to Asansol–Patna section/ Asansol–Gaya section to Chandrapura │ to Gomoh 5 Burnpur Mahuda Junction 53 IISCO Burnpur sidings to Sudamdih Adra–Asansol line Damodar River to Kalipahari (freight line) 9 Damodar Talgaria 42 IISCO Damodar Steel yard & Radhanagar Colliery sidings Shewbabudih 36 Damodar River to Mahuda ACC Cement factory Siding Sudamdih 32 14 Madhukunda Damodar River 21 Muradi Bhojudih 30 Parbeliya Colliery Sidings Jharkhand West Bengal border over Damodar Chaurashi Goods Siding Bhojudih Coal Washery 26 Ramkanali 31 Bero STPS Siding Santaldih 23 RTPP sidings Damodar River Rukni 15 37 Joychandi Pahar Sanka 7 Gardhrubeswar 48 0│41 Adra Junction to Muri Kharagpur–Bankura –Adra line Kotshila Junction 36 to Gomoh 55 Anara Barbenda 32 61 Bagalia Garh Jaipur 29 69 Kustaur Chas Road 22 73 Charrah Gourinathdham 15 to Chhatna (planned) 0│81 Purulia Kangsabati River 88 Tamna 96 Kantadih 104 Urma 112 Barabhum 117 Biramdih West Bengal Jharkhand border 126 Nimdih Barkakana–Muri–Chandil line 135 Chandil 141 Manikui Bihar Sponge Iron Sidings Subarnarekha River 146 Kunki to Namkom (planned) Amalgam Power & Steel Sidings 149 Kandra Tatanagar–Bilaspur section Birbans 170 154 Birrajpur Tata Sponge Iron Siding 160 Gamharia Junction 166 Adityapur Kharkai River Tatanagar Junction 0│171 TISCO Steel Plant Haludpukur 22 Sidhirsai 34 3 Salgajhari Jharkhand Odisha border Jojobera Power Plant Bahalda Road 42 7 Govindpur Aonlajori Junction 55 14 Asanboni Gorumahisani 64 19 Rakha Mines Rairangpur 65 Subarnarekha River Kuldiha 73 26 Galudih Chhanua 80 36 Ghatsila Badampahar 89 42 Chirugoda 48 Dalbhumgarh 57 Kokpara 66 Chakulia Chakulia-Buramara new line (planned) Purnapani 72 Kanimahuli Borol Jharkhand West Bengal border Baharagora 80 Gidhni Jharkhand Odisha border 88 Khatkura Subarnarekha river 95 Jhargram Jamsola to Bhadutala (planned) Jharpokaria 104 Banstala Rupsa–Bangriposi line 111 Sardiha Buramara 119 Khemasuli 125 Kalaikunda Rupsa–Bangriposi line Kharagpur–Bankura –Adra line Nimpura 127 Nimpura Through Yard Nimpura Goods Yard 131 Girimaidan Hijli 133 Kharagpur–Puri line 134 Kharagpur Junction Howrah–Kharagpur line

History

The Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line, a joint effort of Great Indian Peninsula Railway and East Indian Railway Company came up in 1870.^[1] The Bengal Nagpur Railway was formed in 1887 for the purpose of upgrading the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway and then extending it via Bilaspur to Asansol, in order to develop a shorter Howrah–Mumbai route than the one via Allahabad.^[2] The Bengal Nagpur Railway main line from Nagpur to Asansol, on the Howrah–Delhi main line, was opened for goods traffic on 1 February 1891.^[3] However, it was only after Kharagpur was linked from the west and the south that it was connected to Howrah in 1900.^[4]

The closing years of the 19th century and the opening years of the 20th century were momentous for the area. 800 miles of East Coast Railway was built and opened for traffic between 1893 and 1896. The most vital sections of Bengal Nagpur Railway, Sini–Kharagpur–Kolaghat and Kharagpur–Cuttack, were opened to traffic in 1898–99. The Purulia–Ranchi branch was opened for traffic on 15 November 1907. BNR lines were extended to Gomoh, on EIR's main line, in 1907. The Mohuda–Chandrapura branch line was opened in 1913.^[3]

A 40-mile branch line from Tatanagar to Gorumahisani was opened to traffic in 1911 mainly for transportation of iron ore.^[3]

The Purulia–Ranchi line was opened as a narrow-gauge railway of BNR in 1907.^[5]

Railway reorganization

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.^[3]Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway.^[6] In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier.^[6][7]

Steel plants and freight traffic

India's first integrated steel plant, Tata Steel's plant at Jamshedpur, became operational in 1908.^[8]IISCO Steel Plant was established at Burnpur in 1918.^[9]Steel Authority of India's Durgapur Steel Plant was established in the late fifties,^[10] and Bokaro Steel Plant became operational in the seventies.^[11]

Although the Asansol–Gaya section of Grand Chord and Bardhaman–Asansol section of Howrah–Delhi main line serves as the principal links for Jharia Coalfield and Raniganj Coalfield, this line also links to both the coalfields. This railway line is also serving the upcoming Raghunathpur industrial area, situated near Adra in Purulia district. The new Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station (DVC) and ACC Cement Factory (Madhukunda) are a part of this.

With four steel plants served by these lines South Eastern Railway transports bulk of the raw materials like coal and iron ore used by the steel industry. It loaded 61.24 million tonnes during the period April to September 2012.^[12][13] Indian Railway handled 456 million tonnes of coal in 2011–12. It was the single largest item of freight traffic. It handled 104.71 million tonnes of iron ore in 2011–12.^[14]

Electrification

The Asansol–Purulia, Purulia–Chakradharpur, Kandra–Gamharria and Sini–Adityapur sectors were electrified in 1961–62. The Tatanagar–Kharagpur sector was electrified in 1962–63.^[15] The Tatanagar-Gorumahisani-Aunlajori sector of the Tatanagar-Gorumahisani-Aunlajori-Badampahar line was electrified in 2020-21.^[16]

Passenger movement

Asansol, Adra, Dhanbad, Tatanagar and Kharagpur, on this line, are the amongst the top 100 booking stations of Indian Railway.^[17]

References

1. "IR History: Early Days – II". Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1870–1899). Retrieved 27 October 2012.
2. "Number 1 Down Mail". Railways of the Raj. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
3. "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
4. R. P. Saxena. "Indian Railway History Time line". Irse.bravehost.com. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
5. "IR History: Part - III (1900 - 1947)". IRFCA. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
6. "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
7. "IR History: Part - IV (1947 - 1970)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
8. "A Century of Trust". Tata Steel. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
9. "IISCO Steel Plant". Steel Authority of India Limited. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
10. "Durgapur Steel Plant". Steel Authority of India Limited. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
11. "Bokaro Steel Plant". Steel Authority of India Limited. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
12. "South Eastern Railway reports 2.34% growth in freight loading in April-September 2012". The Economic Times. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
13. "Iron ore helps South Eastern Rly cross freight target". The Hindu Business Line, 19 August 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
14. Sanyal, Santanu. "Coal continues to top Railway's freight list". The Hindu Business Line, 9 May 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
15. "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
16. "Electrification work in full swing in Tatanagar-Badampahar Section".
17. "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.