Kolkata railway station

Route map
Kolkata Circular Railway
	Legend
	Calcutta Chord
	link line
	Patipukur loop
	line (dismantled)
	Cossipore Gun and
	Shell factory siding
	Narkeldanga
	EMU Carshed
	Kankurgachi
	Chord line
	Hindusthan Engineering
	& Industrial Ltd. siding
	Sealdah–Budge Budge
	line
	Kalighat–Falta Railway
	(NG) (dismantled)
Key
	out of use, planned, or
	under construction (u/c);
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

Kolkata
; Kolkata
Indian Railways and Kolkata Suburban Railway station
	Kolkata railway station
General information
Location	Belgachia, Kolkata, West Bengal 700037; India
Coordinates	22.6012775°N 88.3841474°E
Elevation	9 metres (30 ft)
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Eastern Railway
Line(s)	Kolkata Circular line
Platforms	6
Tracks	8
Connections	Belgachia; Kolkata station; RG Kar Hospital; Taxi Stand;
Construction
Structure type	Standard (on-ground station)
Parking	Available
Bicycle facilities	Available
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Active
Station code	KOAA
Zone(s)	Eastern Railway zone
Division(s)	Sealdah
History
Opened	2006; 18 years ago
Rebuilt	2014
Electrified	Yes
Previous names	Chitpur Central
Passengers
	600,000 daily
Services
Route map
Route map
Kolkata Circular Railway
	Legend
	Calcutta Chord
	link line
	Patipukur loop
	line (dismantled)
	Cossipore Gun and
	Shell factory siding
	Narkeldanga
	EMU Carshed
	Kankurgachi
	Chord line
	Hindusthan Engineering
	& Industrial Ltd. siding
	Sealdah–Budge Budge
	line
	Kalighat–Falta Railway
	(NG) (dismantled)
Key
	out of use, planned, or
	under construction (u/c);
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;
Location
Location

Kolkata railway station (KOAA), formerly known as Chitpur railway station, is the newest of the five large railway stations serving Kolkata metropolitan region, West Bengal, India. The others are Sealdah, Howrah, Shalimar and Santragachi Junction. Kolkata station is situated in the Chitpur locality of North Kolkata.^[1]

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History

The place where the station is situated was formerly a large goods yard. The present car and bus parking areas, as well as the path to the station, formed part of a coal loading yard.^[2] The present-day platforms were once used as goods lines and formed part of the large Chitpur Rail Yard.^[3]

Plan & location

In 2000, the first plans were made to use this area as a railway station, since the rapid growth of long-distance passengers was overcrowding the Sealdah station. Due to limitations of space, new platform construction is restricted at Sealdah. Two new platforms (9A & 9B) constructed between 2004 and 2005 proved insufficient. Due to its central position in Kolkata, the Sealdah station is too busy for suburban train traffic. To overcome this problem, Eastern Railways suggested constructing another large railway station in Kolkata, to cater mostly to long-distance trains. The decision to build a terminal at Chitpur came after a lot of deliberation and a process of elimination. Different locations were suggested for the station site. Three years ago^[when?], Majerhat was suggested as a possible location. The idea was shelved owing to technical difficulties involving the construction of a bridge over the Hooghly river from Bauria to Budge Budge. Then there was Shalimar, in Howrah district, which was already a goods terminal operating under the South Eastern Railway. In fact, a passenger service on a trial basis was also started from there through two pairs of trains. But the project could not take off owing to certain problems relating to infrastructure and the considerable distance of the terminal from Kolkata proper. Chitpur was decided upon finally and approved by the Railway Ministry in 2003–04. Certain inherent advantages helped in the selection of this place. Other than being located in the heart of Kolkata, Chitpur has already functioned as an important rail yard for around a century. Moreover, unlike in the case of Majerhat and Shalimar, the huge property in and around the place belongs to the Railways. The proposal has been accepted by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), and on 15 May 2003, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone for the project.

Construction history

Construction started in 2004. The tracks from the coal-yard were closed first, and then a large portion of electrified goods tracks were shut down. Those tracks, masts and wires were demolished. Next, the Dumdum–Majherhat link rail line's (Kolkata Circular Railway) track was temporarily re-aligned. This action permitted the construction of platforms, station buildings and a parking area to begin. After construction was completed, the circular rail tracks were aligned as before, now via the new station. Other tracks were re-aligned, and completely electrified for passenger coaches shunting (up to side of Tala station). Tracks in the opposite direction, which were not electrified and underutilized, were re-laid, re-aligned and fully electrified for goods trains (with wagon to lorry transfer facility). Part of the former electrified goods lines, which were closed, now entered use as a coach siding.

After these, the official inauguration occurred in January 2006.

Station layout

G	Street level	Exit/Entrance & ticket counter
P1	FOB, Side platform, No-1 doors will open on the left/right
	Track 1
	Track 2	→
	FOB, Island platform, No- 2 doors will open on the left/right
	Island platform, No- 3 doors will open on the left/right
	Track 3
Track 4	→

	FOB, Island platform, No- 4 doors will open on the left/right
	Island platform, No- 5 doors will open on the left/right
	Track 5

Services

The station is linked to the Sealdah–Ranaghat–Krishnanagar–Berhampore–Lalgola line and is served by the Eastern Railway for trains to Naihati, Bandel, Kalyani Simanta, Gede, Shantipur, Krishnanagar, Berhampore, Lalgola, Dankuni, Barddhaman, Katwa, Bongaon, Hasnabad and others. The number of suburban trains is lower than long-distance trains. This station runs many long-distance express trains including two pairs of Garib Rath Express, Khwaja Garib Nawaz Madar–Kolkata Express etc. and one long-distance passenger train – Lalgola Passenger. There are five platforms, among them Platform 1 & 2 is used by only suburban trains and Platform 3,4 & 5 are used by long-distance trains. The station is operated by the Eastern Railway. The international trains of eastern India Maitree Express and Bandhan Express which runs towards Bangladesh, also departed from here.^[4]

The Maharajas' Express departed from this station for the first time at 20 March 2010. Nearest Metro Stations are Shyambazar metro station and Belgachia metro station.