>Vatsmaxed: /* top */updated template, replaced: Broad gauge → {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} broad gauge

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top: updated template, replaced: Broad gauge → {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} broad gauge

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{{short description|Railway Route in West Bengal, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = 28em
| name = Howrah–Kharagpur line
| color =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image = KHARAGPUR LOCAL HOWRAH KHARGPUR LINE.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = EMU train running on Howrah–Kharagpur line
| type =
| system =
| status = Operational
| locale = [[West Bengal]]
| start = [[Howrah railway station|Howrah]]
| end = [[Kharagpur railway station|Kharagpur]]
| stations =
| routes = [[Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line]] and [[Howrah–Chennai main line]], [[Kolkata Suburban Railway]]
| daily_ridership =
| open = 1900
| close =
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[South Eastern Railway zone|South Eastern Railway]]
| character =
| depot = [[Tikiapara railway station|Tikiapara]], [[Santragachi railway station|Santragachi]], [[Panskura railway station|Panskura]], [[Kharagpur railway station|Kharagpur]]
| stock =
| linelength =
| tracklength = Main line: {{convert|115|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Branch lines: Mecheda–Haldia: {{convert|81|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Tamluk–Digha: {{convert|94|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
| tracks = 3 (Howrah–Panskura), 3 (Panskura–Kharagpur), 2 (Panskura–Rajgoda)
| gauge = {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]]
| old_gauge =
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| electrification = Main line: 25 kV AC overhead system in 1967–69
| speed = Main line: up to 160 km/hr
| elevation =
| website =
| map = {{Howrah–Kharagpur line}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}

The '''Howrah–Kharagpur line''' is part of the [[Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line]], [[Howrah–Chennai main line]] and [[Kolkata Suburban Railway]].

==Geography==
The line runs through the plains of West Bengal. From Howrah, it is first the [[Gangetic Plains]] and then the basins of the [[Damodar River|Damodar]], [[Rupnarayan River|Rupnarayan]] and [[Kangsabati River|Kangsabati]], thereby traversing [[Howrah district|Howrah]], [[Purba Medinipur district|Purba Medinipur]] and [[Paschim Medinipur district|Paschim Medinipur]] districts.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/docs/history/howrah-district.html|title = Howrah District (1909)| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-7QNUqD7jMEC&q=Purba+Medinipur+Gazetteer&pg=PA28|title = Land, Law and the Left: The Saga of Disempowerment of the Peasantry in the Era of Colonisation|work= page 28| first=Abhijit|last=Guha|year = 2007| publisher= Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi|isbn = 9788180693984| access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref>

[[Kolaghat Thermal Power Station]], with its six tall chimneys, one for each of the 210 MW units, is a landmark on this line.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://wbpdcl.co.in/component/content/article/14-sample-data-articles/90-generatingunits-kolaghat-overview.html|title = Kolaghat Thermal Power Station| publisher= The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited| access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref>

[[Port of Kolkata#Haldia Dock Complex|Haldia dock complex]] handled 31.015 million tonnes of traffic in 2011–12.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kolkataporttrust.gov.in/cargostatistics.html |title=Cargo Statistics |publisher=Kolkata Port Trust |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905184451/http://kolkataporttrust.gov.in/cargostatistics.html |archive-date= 5 September 2013 }}</ref> Haldia Refinery, one of the eight operating refineries of [[Indian Oil Corporation]], was commissioned in 1975.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.iocl.com/AboutUs/HaldiaRefinery.aspx|title = Haldia Refinery (near Kolkata, West Bengal)| publisher= Indian Oil Corporation | access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sibabrata-choudhury.webs.com/industrieshaldia.htm |title=Haldia |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000854/http://sibabrata-choudhury.webs.com/industrieshaldia.htm |archive-date= 3 December 2013 }}</ref>

==History==
[[Bengal Nagpur Railway]] opened to traffic its main line from Nagpur to Asansol in 1891. Sini, on the Nagpur–Asansol line, was connected to Kharagpur and Kolaghat in 1898–99. The Kharagpur-Cuttack section was also opened the same year. The Kolaghat-Howrah track was completed in 1899–1900. Kharagpur was connected to Howrah with the opening of the Rupnarayan bridge on 19 April 1900.<ref name=ser>{{cite web|url=http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1 |title=Major events in formation of S.E.Railway |publisher=South Eastern Railway |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401151628/http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0%2C1 |archive-date=1 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The Panskura–Durgachak line was opened in 1968, at a time when [[Port of Kolkata#Haldia Dock Complex|Haldia Port]] was being constructed. It was subsequently extended to Haldia. Haldia Dock Complex, a part of Kolkata Port Trust, was commissioned in 1977.<ref name=ser/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/cris/uploads/files/1347084874753-PlacesOfInterest.pdf |title=Haldia |publisher=Indian Railways |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121040544/http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/cris/uploads/files/1347084874753-PlacesOfInterest.pdf |archive-date=21 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The Tamluk–Digha line was opened in 2004.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://irfca.org/apps/trip_reports/show/209 |title = Digha Trip Report| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref>

===Electrification===
The Howrah–Kharagpur line was electrified in 1967–69. The Panskura–Haldia line was electrified in 1974–76. Santragachi–Bankaranayabaj sector was electrified in 1984–85. All lines were electrified with 25 kV AC overhead system.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://irfca.org/docs/electrification-history.html |title = History of Electrification | publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 10 February 2013}}</ref> EMU train services between Panskura and Haldia introduced in 1976 and direct EMU services between Howrah and Haldia in 1979.<ref name=ser/>

==New lines==
Indian Railways propose to lay a new line connecting [[Sealdah railway station|Sealdah]] and Haldia, with the distance being shorter by 70  km than the Howrah–Haldia track.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110628/jsp/calcutta/story_14160380.jsp|title = Rail survey on new port route| work= The Telegraph|date=28 June 2011 | access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref>

There is a plan to connect Digha to Jaleswar on the Kharagpur–Puri line.<ref name=serprojects>{{cite web|url=http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,2,412,753,764 |title=Upcoming projects in South Eastern Railway |publisher=South Eastern Railway |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401094258/http://www.ser.indianrailways.gov.in//view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0%2C2%2C412%2C753%2C764 |archive-date=1 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The Howrah–Kharagpur stretch has three lines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.indiarailinfo.com/blog/post/395400 |title=Howrah–Pune AC Duronto Express |publisher=India Rail Info |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118224023/http://m.indiarailinfo.com/blog/post/395400 |archive-date=18 November 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> There is a plan to build a fourth line for the Santragachi–Panskura–Kharagpur stretch.<ref name=serprojects/>

==Car and loco sheds==
There are [[Electric multiple unit|EMU]] car sheds at [[Tikiapara railway station|Tikiapara]] (for Howrah), [[Panskura railway station|Panskura]] and [[Kharagpur railway station|Kharagpur]]. Kharagpur has a diesel loco shed which houses [[Indian locomotive class WDM-2|WDM-2]], WDM-3A and WDM-3B locos. Nimpura (for Kharagpur) has an electric loco shed. [[Santragachi railway station|Santragachi]] has an electric loco shed and also an outstation trip shed. It houses [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|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.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html |title = Sheds and Workshops| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 10 April 2013}}</ref>

==Speed limits==
The main line is classified as a "Group A" line which can take speeds up to 160 km/hr. The branch lines have speed limits within 100 km/hr.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRPWM/PermanentWayManualCh2_data.htm |title=Chapter II – The Maintenance of Permanent Way |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203030524/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRPWM/PermanentWayManualCh2_data.htm |archive-date=3 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Railway reorganization==
The [[Bengal Nagpur Railway]] was nationalized in 1944.<ref name=ser/>[[Eastern Railway zone|Eastern Railway]] was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of [[East Indian Railway Company]] east of [[Mughalsarai]] and the Bengal Nagpur Railway.<ref name=zones>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-geog.html#newzone |title = Geography – Railway Zones| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 10 April 2013 }}</ref> In 1955, [[South Eastern Railway zone|South Eastern Railway]] was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier.<ref name=zones/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history4.html |title = IR History: Part - IV (1947 - 1970)| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 10 April 2013 }}</ref> Amongst the new zones started in April 2003 were [[East Coast Railway zone|East Coast Railway]] and [[South East Central Railway zone|South East Central Railway]]. Both these railways were carved out of South Eastern Railway.<ref name=zones/>

==Passenger movement==
[[Howrah railway station|Howrah]] and [[Kharagpur railway station|Kharagpur]] on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianrail.gov.in/7days_Avl.html |title=Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry |work=Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways |publisher=IRFCA |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510115649/http://www.indianrail.gov.in/7days_Avl.html |archive-date=10 May 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/departures/kolkata-howrah-junction-hwh/1 Trains at Howrah]
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/search/panskura-pku-to-kolkata-howrah-hwh/166/0/1 Trains at Panskura]
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/kharagpur-junction-kgp/167 Trains at Kharagpur]

|{{Railways in Eastern India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howrah - Kharagpur line}}
[[Category:5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India]]
[[Category:Rail transport in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Kharagpur railway division|*]]
[[Category:Transport in Kharagpur]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Howrah]]

Howrah–Kharagpur line - Revision history

>Vatsmaxed: /* top */updated template, replaced: Broad gauge → {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} broad gauge