Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line

Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line
Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line
	Route map of Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi
Termini	Howrah,Sealdah,Kolkata; New Delhi,Old Delhi,Anand Vihar Terminal;
Service
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway, East Central Railway, North Central Railway, Northern Railway
History
Opened	1906
Technical
Line length	1,452 km (902 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE during 1960–1966
Operating speed	up to 160 km/h
Highest elevation	Koderma 398 metres (1,306 ft)
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	Delhi
	Uttar Pradesh
	Grand Chord &
	Gaya–Mughalsarai section
	Uttar Pradesh
	Bihar
	Bihar
	Jharkhand
	Jharkhand
	West Bengal

The Howrah–Gaya–Delhi is a railway line connecting Howrah and Delhi cutting across Indo-Gangetic Plain and a comparatively small stretch of the line crossing over the Chota Nagpur Plateau. It covers a distance of 1,452 kilometres (902 mi) across, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The Grand Chord is a part of this line and as such is referred to by many as Howrah–Delhi line (via Grand Chord).

Sections

The 1,451 km (902 mi) long trunk line, amongst the long and busy trunk lines connecting the metros, has been treated in more detail in smaller sections:

History

Construction of a line from Howrah to Sahibganj, for the proposed Howrah–Delhi link, started in 1851. The first Howrah–Delhi line via what later became the Sahibganj loop was opened in 1866.^[1] With the completion of the Raniganj-Kiul section, the shorter Howrah–Delhi main line via Patna was in place in 1871.^[2] The Sitarampur–Gaya–Mughalsarai Grand Chord, which shortened the Howrah–Delhi distance even further, was completed in 1901 but was formally inaugurated by Lord Minto, then Viceroy and Governor General of India with a function on 6 December 1906.^[3]

Electrification

Howrah–Bardhaman chord was electrified in 1964–66. The Bardhaman–Mankar–Waria sector in 1964–66, the Waria–Asansol sector in 1960−61, the Asansol to Gaya sector in 1960–62, the Gaya–Mughalsarai sector in 1962, the Mughalsarai–Kanpur sector in 1964–69 and the Kanpur–New Delhi sector in 1966–1977.^[4]

The Howrah–Gaya–Delhi route was the first trunk route in India to be completely electrified (AC traction).^[5]

In 1965, Asansol–Bareilly Passenger was the first long-distance train on Eastern Railway to be hauled by an AC loco.^[6]

Speed limits

Most of the Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line is classified as ‘A’ class line where trains can run up to 160 km per hour but in certain sections speeds may be limited to 120–130 km per hour. The Howrah Rajdhani (between Howrah and New Delhi) travels at an average speed of 85.8 km per hour and the Sealdah Rajdhani (between Sealdah and New Delhi) travels at an average speed of 82.70 km per hour.^[7]^[8]

The Rajdhani Express ran for the first time in 1969 from New Delhi to Howrah. It took 17 hours 20 minutes to cover the distance of 1,445 km.^[9]

The first Duronto non-stop express was launched on 18 September 2009, between Sealdah and New Delhi. It was followed by several such trains between other stations.^[10]

The first double-decker superfast train commenced running between Howrah and Dhanbad on 1 October 1970.^[10]

Passenger movement

New Delhi, Kanpur Central, Allahabad, Mughalsarai, Gaya, Dhanbad, Asansol and Howrah, on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[11]

Railway reorganisation

In 1952, Eastern Railway, Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway were formed. Eastern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company, east of Mughalsarai and Bengal Nagpur Railway. Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughalsarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway. North Eastern Railway was formed with Oudh and Tirhut Railway, Assam Railway and a portion of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.^[12] East Central Railway was created in 1996–97.^[13] North Central Railway was formed in 2003.^[14]

Golden quadrilateral

The Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line is a part of the golden quadrilateral. The routes connecting the four major metropolises (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata), along with their diagonals, known as the golden quadrilateral, carry about half the freight and nearly half the passenger traffic, although they form only 16 per cent of the length.^[15]

References

^ "IR History: Early days I (1832–1869)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "IR History: Early days II (1870–1899)". Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "IR History: Part III (1900–1947)". Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "IR History:Part V (1970-95)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "IR History Part IV (1947–1970)". IRFCA (Indian Railways Fan Club). Retrieved 23 March 2014.
^ "Permanent Way". Track Classifications. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
^ "Trivia". Highest speed sections of track. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express Trains". Make My Trip. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ ^a ^b "IR History: Part VII (2000-present". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "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 21 March 2014.
^ "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "East Central Railway". ECR. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
^ "North Central Railway". NCR. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "Geography – Railway Zones". Major routes. IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

External links

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[1] "IR History: Early days I (1832–1869)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[2] "IR History: Early days II (1870–1899)". Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[irfcaiii-3] "IR History: Part III (1900–1947)". Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[4] "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[5] "IR History:Part V (1970-95)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[6] "IR History Part IV (1947–1970)". IRFCA (Indian Railways Fan Club). Retrieved 23 March 2014.

[7] "Permanent Way". Track Classifications. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

[8] "Trivia". Highest speed sections of track. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[9] "Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express Trains". Make My Trip. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[irfcavii-10] "IR History: Part VII (2000-present". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[11] "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 21 March 2014.

[12] "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[13] "East Central Railway". ECR. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2014.

[14] "North Central Railway". NCR. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

[15] "Geography – Railway Zones". Major routes. IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

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v t e Railways in Northern India
National network/ trunk lines	Howrah–Delhi main line New Delhi–Chennai main line New Delhi–Mumbai main line Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line Delhi–Jaipur line Jaipur–Ahmedabad line
Branch lines/ sections	Agra–Bhopal section Ahmedabad–Udaipur line Allahabad–Mau–Gorakhpur main line Ambala–Attari line Amritsar–Khem Karan line Amritsar–Pathankot line Aunrihar–Jaunpur line Barauni–Gorakhpur, Raxaul and Jainagar lines Bathinda–Rewari line Bathinda–Rajpura line Bikaner–Rewari line Bhanupli–Leh line Chandigarh–Sahnewal line Delhi–Fazilka line Delhi–Kalka line Delhi–Meerut–Saharanpur line Delhi–Moradabad line Jalandhar–Firozpur line Jalandhar–Jammu line Jammu–Baramulla line Jodhpur–Bathinda line Jodhpur–Jaisalmer line Kanpur–Delhi section Laksar–Dehradun line Lucknow–Gorakhpur line Lucknow–Moradabad line Ludhiana–Fazilka line Ludhiana–Jakhal line Marwar Junction–Munabao line Mathura–Vadodara section Mau–Ghazipur–Dildarnagar main line Merta Road–Rewari line Moradabad–Ambala line Mughalsarai–Kanpur section Rewari–Rohtak line Shri Ganganagar–Sadulpur line Suratgarh–Bathinda line Varanasi–Chhapra line Varanasi–Lucknow main line Varanasi–Rae Bareli–Lucknow line Varanasi–Sultanpur–Lucknow line
Urban and suburban rail transport	Delhi Suburban Railway Delhi Metro (Blue Green Grey Magenta Orange Pink Red Violet Yellow) Rapid Metro Gurgaon Lucknow–Kanpur Suburban Railway Barabanki–Lucknow Suburban Railway Delhi–Meerut RRTS
Heritage railways	Kalka–Shimla Railway
Monorails	Patiala State Monorail Trainways
Defunct lines	Jammu–Sialkot line
Manufacturing units and workshops	Banaras Locomotive Works Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli
Railway companies	Northern Railway North Eastern Railway North Central Railway North Western Railway East Indian Railway Company Kangra Valley Railway Rajputana–Malwa Railway Tirhut Railway Oudh and Tirhut Railway Indian Branch Railway Company Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Cawnpore–Burhwal Railway Cawnpore–Barabanki Railway Lucknow–Bareilly Railway Bengal and North Western Railway Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway Mashrak–Thawe Extension Railway Lucknow–Sitapur–Seramow Provincial State Railway Bareilly–Pilibheet Provincial State Railway Segowlie–Raxaul Railway Delhi Metro Rail Corporation National Capital Region Transport Corporation
See also	Indian Railways Bholu (mascot) 1974 railway strike in India Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor