The line was a part of the old Calcutta–Jessore–Khulna line with trains such as the Barisal Express running through it. Today however it is primarily a suburban section with a total of 138 daily and 112 Sunday EMU services serving the Sealdah–Bangaon section.[3] A further 31 EMU services between Bangaon and Ranaghat junctions, and 2 EMU services, between Bangaon and Shantipur junctions, run via the Ranaghat–Bangaon branch line.[3] The Barasat–Hasnabad branch line is served by a total of 46 daily and 38 Sunday EMU services.[3] Majority of the services are provided by 9-car and 12-car EMU rakes from the Barasat EMU Carshed.[4] Few services in the Ranaghat–Bangaon line are provided by 12-car EMU rakes from the Ranaghat EMU Carshed as well.[4]
On 9 November 2017, a bi-weekly international service from Kolkata to Khulna called the Bandhan Express was started by the Indian and Bangladeshi governments.[9] The train initially had stoppages only at Kolkata, Petrapole, Benapole and Khulna with Petrapole and Benapole serving as border checkpoints. However, due to popular demand a new three minute stoppage was added at Jessore Junction railway station on 7 March 2019.[10]
It constructed the two broad gauge lines: one connecting Ranaghat and Bangaon (21 miles (34 km)) in 1882 and the other connecting Dum Dum with Khulna (now in Bangladesh), via Bangaon (108 miles (174 km)) which opened in stages and was completed in 1884. These lines were merged with Eastern Bengal Railway in 1904.[16]
Eastern Bengal Railway
With the takeover of BCR, the Calcutta–Bangaon–Jessore–Khulna line became the main line of the Central section of Eastern Bengal Railway (reporting mark:EBR).[17][18] The Patipukur Loop line from Dum Dum Cantonment to Patipukur was opened on 1904 as well.[17] In 1942, EBR was merged with the Assam Bengal Railway (reporting mark:ABR) to form the Bengal and Assam Railway (reporting mark:B&AR).[1]
Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway
See also:
Barasat-Basirhat light railway
The Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway (reporting mark:BBLR) was a 26 miles (42 km) long 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway that was constructed by the Martin's Light Railways company in 1905 between Barasat and Basirhat. It was further extended via Taki to Hasnabad (Chingrighata) in 1909. A 16.62 miles (26.75 km) long extension was built from Beliaghata Bridge on the Barasat–Basirhat line to Patipukur in 1910. This was further extended to Belgachia in 1914 and was known as the Shyambazar Branch.[18][19]
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.[21] Following the liberation of Bangladesh, freight services between the two countries were restored for a brief period of two years in 1972 but closed again due to a lack of goods.[22]India and Bangladesh signed an agreement in July 2000 to resume freight services and the first freight train ran across the link on 21 January 2001.[22] The Bandhan Express, a weekly service, was introduced on this line in November 2017. It traces the old route of the Barisal Express except for having its terminus in the Kolkata railway station instead of Sealdah railway station.[23]
The Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway (
broad gauge and was built in a new alignment between 1957 and 1962 becoming the Barasat–Hasnabad branch line. The Shyambazar branch of the BBLR was abandoned.[25][26]
The Dum Dum Cantonment–Biman Bandar branch line was built by the Eastern Railway and was inaugurated in July 2006. Due to losses and poor patronage owing to the location of the station and odd timings of the services, the services on the line were closed down in 2016. The line was further dismantled in 2020 to make way for the Line 4 of the Kolkata Metro.[27]
Tracks and Electrification
The Sealdah–Barasat–Bangaon section is a double line section whereas the Ranaghat–Bangaon–Petrapole–Benapole section is a single line section.[3] In the Barasat–Hasnabad branch line, the Barasat–Sondalia and Lebutala–Champapukur sections are double lined whereas the Champapukur–Hasnabad section is a single line section.[3] The doubling of the Sondalia–Lebutala section of the line is currently under progress.[28]
All the lines in the section are fully electrified with 25 kV AC overhead system. The Sealdah–Bangaon line was electrified in 1963–64, while the Barasat–Hasnabad branch line was electrified in 2002-03 [29]
EMU Car shed
The lines are primarily served by 9-car and 12-car EMU rakes from the Barasat EMU Carshed.[4] Few services in the Ranaghat–Bangaon line are provided by 12-car EMU rakes from the Ranaghat EMU Carshed as well.[4]
While the section was initially served by the Narkeldanga EMU carshed which opened on 1963, due to the increasing traffic requirements in the Sealdah–Bangaon section and the electrified Barasat–Hasnabad and Ranaghat–Bangaon sections led to the commissioning of the Barasat EMU Carshed in 1990.
railway minister. None of the projects however could be started because of non-availability of land and hence the work has been kept under abeyance by the Railway Board.[32][33][34]
^Minutes of preliminary proceedings, IOR/L/AG/46/4/1, Records of the Bengal Central Railway Company, India Office Records and Private Papers, 1881, British Library