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New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line

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New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line (including New Cooch Behar–Golakganj branch line)
New Alipurduar Junction an important railway station on New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerIndian Railways
LocaleWest Bengal
Termini
Stations24
Service
Operator(s)Northeast Frontier Railway
History
Opened1950
Technical
Line length182 km (113 mi)
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationYes
Route map

km
km
Up arrow
238
105
Fakiragram
New Jalpaiguri-New
Bongaigaon section
Down arrow
Up arrow
Up arrow
58
Golakganj
Gadadhar River
43
Agomoni
36
Bidyar Dabri
Assam
West Bengal
border
30
Boxirhat
New Jalpaiguri–New
Bongaigaon section
Up arrow
23
Tufanganj
Samuktala Road
174
213
12
Maradanga
203
New Alipurduar
192
New Baneswar
Right arrow
184
0
New Cooch Behar
LowerRight arrow
Down arrow
176
Baneswar
166
Alipurduar
Salsala Bari
169
164
Alipurduar Court
Alipurduar College
164
161
Alipurduar Junction
157
Damanpur
150
Rajabhatkhawa
Buxa Road
156
closed MG section
Jayanti
166
planned Rajabhatkhawa–Jayanti
new BG line
144
Garopara
138
Kalchini
135
Hamiltonganj
126
Hasimara
Airport interchange Air Force Base
Dalsingpara
120
closed MG section
116
Madarihat
107
Mujnai
101
Dalgaon
92
Binnaguri
85
Banarhat
77
Chengmari
74
Carron, West Bengal
69
Nagrakata
62
Chapramari
Naxal
71
planned Chalsa-Naxal
new BG line
Metelli
64
closed Chalsa-Metelli
MG section
55
Chalsa
Neora River
Gangtok
122
48
New Mal Junction
Singtam
90
UpperRight arrow
planned/approved ↑
under construction ↓
42
Damdim
Rangpo
68
37
Odlabari
Ghish River
Melli
51
33
Bagrakote
Tista Bazaar
46
Leesh River
26
Pillamshat
Gielkhola
44
Rilli
40
Riyang
37
Kalijhora
27
21
Sivok
18
Gulma Khola
Salugara
13
16
Gulma
11
Pashwashraya
Panchnai Junction
13
Left arrow
Panchai River
7
Siliguri Junction
Matigara
11
4
Siliguri Town
Right arrow
0
New Jalpaiguri
R.R. Halt
14
7
Rangapani
Bagdogra
17
Down arrow
0Down arrow
Sources:
  • Google Maps
  • Indian Railway – East Zone Time Table

55425 Alipurduar–Bamanhat Passenger

55426 Bamanhat–Alipuduar Passenger

The New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line is a railway line that connects New Jalpaiguri- Siliguri Junction with Alipurduar and Samuktala Road in the Indian state of West Bengal. This railway line passes through the beautiful Doars region, which includes Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Dooars-Terai tea gardens, Sevoke Railway Bridge, River Teesta, River Jaldhaka, River Torsha, Gorumara National Park, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilapata Forests, Tunnels, Hills, Valleys etc.

History

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Cooch Behar State Railway built the line between Geetaldaha, which connected to Lalmonirhat, and Jainti during 1893–1901.[1] The Eastern Bengal Railway constructed the Hasimara–Alipurduar section during the period 1900–1910. The Bengal Dooars Railway also constructed certain lines in the area. Their longest line was from Lalmonirhat to the western Dooars. Those were metre-gauge railways. The Eastern Bengal Railway and the Assam Bengal Railway were merged during World War II and came to be known as the Bengal Assam Railway. With the partition of India in 1947, the Indian part of Bengal Assam Railway became Assam Railway, which subsequently became part of North Eastern Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway.[2][3][4] The metre-gauge track was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.[5][6] The 182 kilometres (113 mi) long New Jalpaiguri/ Siliguri–Samuktala Road line was constructed as part of the Assam Rail Link project in 1948–50. After conversion to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in), it was re-opened on 20 November 2003.[4][7]

Locale

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Sevoke Railway Bridge across the Teesta, to the south of the Coronation Bridge

The Dooars or the Himalayan foothills cover a stretch of about 140 km in the northern part of Jalpaiguri district between the Teesta and Sankosh rivers with fields, forests and tea gardens in the backdrop of low hills. Numerous mountain streams criss-cross the region. The Dooars are particularly notable for its forests and wild life sanctuaries – Gorumara National Park, Jaldapara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilapata Forests, and Buxa Tiger Reserve. The New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line runs through the area.[8] It also runs through another sanctuary outside the Dooars – Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

Elephants

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The line running through deep forests has taken a toll on elephant herds. A large number of elephants have been killed by speeding trains. Following protests by the local population, restrictions have been placed on the speed of trains, particularly at night.[5][9]

Sikkim connection

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The construction of a new 44.4-kilometre (27.6 mi) long Sevoke-Rangpo Railway Line from Sivok railway station in Sevoke on the New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line in West Bengal to Rangpo railway station in Rangpo, Sikkim commenced in 2010.[10][11] The railway line up to Rangpo is expected to be completed in December 2023.[12] In the second phase the line will be extended up to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.[13]

Branch lines

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The broad gauge branch line i.e New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line from Malbazar in Jalpaiguri district to Changrabandha in Cooch Behar district exists with connecting line to New Cooch Behar. Old metre gauge extension of this line on the Bangladesh side from Burimari to Lalmonirhat is still functional.[14][15]

The Alipuduar–Bamanhat branch line ends near the India–Bangladesh border across the Dharla River. In pre-independence days, it used to connect to Mogalhat, now in Bangladesh, across the Dharla. The bridge is broken. The line from Golokganj meets the branch line. Before the Dharla bridge was broken the rail link from Parbatipur to Fakiragram used to pass through Geetaldaha, now a border village in Cooch Behar district, and Bamanhat.[15][16] The Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) in 2007.[17] Dhubri-New Jalpaiguri Inter-city Express via Cooch Behar was introduced in February 2012.[18]

Rajabhatkawa-Jainti line is a new project sanctioned in 2012–13.[19]

Important Railway Stations

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Important railway stations in this line are as follows:

References

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  1. ^ "The Cooch Behar State Railways (1903)". "The Cooch Behar state and its land revenue settlements" by H. N. Chaudhuri, Cooch Behar State Press, 1903 – Review by R Sivaramakrishnan. IRFCA. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  2. ^ "History". Northeast Frontier Railway. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Bengal Dooars Railway". Fibis. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b R.P. Saxena. "Indian Railway History timeline". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Elephant blocks trains in Dooars". News from Darjeeling, Dooars and Sikkim. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  6. ^ Alastair Boobyer. "India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Focus on safety and security of trains". The Hindu. Chennai. 27 February 2003. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Dooars". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  9. ^ "Dooars protests train speed control". The Telegraph. Calcutta. 27 November 2010. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Work commences on new railway line connecting Sikkim". Business Standard. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  11. ^ Jayanta Gupta (29 October 2009). "Finally, Sikkim railway project on track". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  12. ^ Financial Express. Indian Railways new Sivok-Rangpo rail project: Travel from West Bengal to Sikkim in just 2 hours. (30 August 2019).
  13. ^ Times of India. Very soon, travelling to Sikkim by train will be a possibility. (17 September 2019).
  14. ^ Mohan Bhuyan. "International Links from India". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  15. ^ a b "Geography – International". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  16. ^ "Official pledges rail project by March". The Telegraph. Calcutta. 12 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  17. ^ Srivastava, V. P. "Role of Engineering Deptt in Meeting Corporate Objectives of Indian Railways" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Two new trains flagged off". The Telegraph. 12 February 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  19. ^ "What is new in Railway Budget 2012-13". The Times of India. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
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External videos
video icon Video shots of the Dooars from a train

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