The HowrahâÂÂKharagpur line is part of the HowrahâÂÂNagpurâÂÂMumbai line, HowrahâÂÂChennai main line and Kolkata Suburban Railway.
The line runs through the plains of West Bengal. From Howrah, it is first the Gangetic Plains and then the basins of the Damodar, Rupnarayan and Kangsabati, Haldi thereby traversing Howrah, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur districts.
Kolaghat Thermal Power Station, with its six tall chimneys, one for each of the 210 MW units, is a landmark on this line.
Haldia dock complex handled 31.015 million tonnes of traffic in 2011âÂÂ12. Haldia Refinery, one of the eight operating refineries of Indian Oil Corporation, was commissioned in 1975. Haldia Petrochemicals, a modern naphtha based petrochemical complex and the second-largest project of its kind in India, has been a catalyst for the development of a large number of downstream industries.
Bengal Nagpur Railway opened to traffic its main line from Nagpur to Asansol in 1891. Sini, on the NagpurâÂÂAsansol line, was connected to Kharagpur and Kolaghat in 1898âÂÂ99. The Kharagpur-Cuttack section was also opened the same year. The Kolaghat-Howrah track was completed in 1899âÂÂ1900. Kharagpur was connected to Howrah with the opening of the Rupnarayan bridge on 19 April 1900.
The PanskuraâÂÂDurgachak line was opened in 1968, at a time when Haldia Port was being constructed. It was subsequently extended to Haldia. Haldia Dock Complex, a part of Kolkata Port Trust, was commissioned in 1977.
The TamlukâÂÂDigha line was opened in 2004.
The HowrahâÂÂKharagpur line was electrified in 1967âÂÂ69. The PanskuraâÂÂHaldia line was electrified in 1974âÂÂ76. SantragachiâÂÂBankaranayabaj sector was electrified in 1984âÂÂ85. All lines were electrified with 25 kV AC overhead system. EMU train services between Panskura and Haldia introduced in 1976 and direct EMU services between Howrah and Haldia in 1979.The TamlukâÂÂDigha line was sanctioned in 1984âÂÂ85 Railway Budget at an estimated cost of around Rs 74 crore. Finally this line was opened in 2004. This track was electrified in 2012âÂÂ13.
Indian Railways propose to lay a new line connecting Sealdah and Haldia, with the distance being shorter by 70 km than the HowrahâÂÂHaldia track.
There is a plan to connect Digha to Jaleswar on the KharagpurâÂÂPuri line.
The HowrahâÂÂKharagpur stretch has three lines. There is a plan to build a fourth line for the SantragachiâÂÂPanskuraâÂÂKharagpur stretch.Also there is a plan to construct third line in PanskuraâÂÂHaldia Section for better utilization of goods train from Haldia Port.
There are EMU car sheds at Tikiapara (for Howrah), Panskura and Kharagpur. Kharagpur has a diesel loco shed which houses WDM-2, WDM-3A and WDM-3B locos. Nimpura (for Kharagpur) has an electric loco shed. Santragachi has an electric loco shed and also an outstation trip shed. It houses WAP-4 and WAP-7 locos and can take in 50+ locos. Santragachi also has arrangements for rake maintenance. Kharagpur has workshops for loco, carriage and wagon overhaul.
The main line is classified as a "Group A" line which can take speeds up to 160 km/h. The PanskuraâÂÂHaldia line has a speed limit up to 130 km/h and TamlukâÂÂDigha line has a speed limit up to 110 km/h.
The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway. In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier. Amongst the new zones started in April 2003 were East Coast Railway and South East Central Railway. Both these railways were carved out of South Eastern Railway.
Howrah, Shalimar and Kharagpur on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.
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