Marwar Junction–Munabao line

Overview

Status

Operational

Owner

Thar desert, Rajasthan

Termini

Service

Operator(s)

North Western Railway zone

History

Opened

1902; 122 years ago

Technical

Track length

Marwar Junction–Munabao: 370 km (230 mi)
Luni–Jodhpur: 30 km (19 mi)

Track gauge

1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)

Electrification

Yes

Operating speed

100 Km/HR

Highest elevation

Marwar Junction 267 m (876 ft)

Route map

Legend

				km
					to Karachi via Hyderabad
					Zero Point
					India–Pakistan border
				370	Munabao
				361	Jaisinder
				342	Gadra Road
				324	Gagariya
				306	Ramsar
				293	Bhachhbar
				280	Jasai
				206	Barmer
					NH 25
					NH 68
				242	Uttarlai
					NH 25
				229	Kawas
				218	Baniya Sanda Dhora
					State Highway 40
				205	Baytu
				194	Bhimarlal
				182	Gole
				173	Tilwara
				170	Khed Temple (Halt)
					Pachpadra
					NH 25
				155	Balotra
				146	Janiyana
				136	Parlu
					to Bhildi
					on Gandhidham–Palanpur section
				122	Samdari
				111	Ajit
				106	Miyonka Bara
				99	Dundara
				87	Dudia
				81	Sutlana

				73	Luni
				78	Hanwant
				87	Salawas
					Jojari River
				97	Basni
				100	Bhagat Ki Kothi
				103	Jodhpur
					to Jodhpur–Bathinda line
					Luni River
				60	Rohat
					State Highway 64
				52	Pirudelsha (Halt)
				46	Kirala
					NH 62
				31	Pali Marwar
					NH 62
				20	Bomadra
				11	Rajkiawas
					State Highway 61
				0	Marwar Junction
					on Jaipur–Ahmedabad line

The Marwar Junction–Munabao line connects

Jodhpur. This line operates under the jurisdiction of North Western Railway zone

History

A 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)-wide

metre-gauge line from Marwar Junction to Pali was built by the Rajputana Railway in 1882. It was extended to Luni in 1884 and Jodhpur in 1885. It formed the first Jodhpur Railway. It later became part of Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway.^[1]^[2]

A metre-gauge line from Luni to Shadipalli, in Sind, was built across the

Thar desert in 1902 by Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway and the line from Shadipalli to Hyderabad (now in Pakistan) was regauged from 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge to 1,000 mm (3 ft 33⁄8 in) meter gauge in 1901.^[3]

The Luni–Barmer–Munabao section was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)-wide

broad gauge in 2004.^[4] The Jodhpur–Luni–Marwar Junction section was converted to broad gauge in early 2000s.^[5]

Border crossing

According to a 1929 issue of the Railway Gazette, the Sind Mail used to run on this route between Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, Sind. The route was in use with through services between Jodhpur and Karachi till around 1965. On the Pakistan side,

Khokhrapar was the terminus of a branch line from Hyderabad, Sind via Mirpur Khas, 135 km from the border.^[4]

The rail link across Munabao-Khokhrapar border was restored in 2006. It reduced considerably the travel distance and time for people travelling to and from southern parts of Pakistan, particularly

Zero Point^[7]^[8]

Passenger movement

Jodhpur is the only railway station on this line which is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[9]

Sheds and workshops

The former metre-gauge workshop at Jodhpur now performs periodic overhauling of broad-gauge passenger coaches. The former metre-gauge diesel shed at Bhagat ki Kothi was converted to broad-gauge shed in the 1990s. It houses 133+ electro-motive diesel locos. It is home to

WDP-4, WDM-2. WDM-3A and WDG-3A locomotives.^[10]

References

^ "Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway". fibis. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "IR History: Part II (1870–1899)". IRFCA. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "IR History: Part III (1900–1947)". IRFCA. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Geography:International". IRFCA. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "Overview of Jodhpur Division: Historical Perspective" (PDF). North Western Railway. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ Iqbal, Mohammed (5 December 2010). "Thar Express survives 'terror attack'". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "IR History: Part VII (2000-present)". IRFCA. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "Khokhrapar station to be operational soon". The News, 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
^ "Sheds and workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 30 April 2014.

External links

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