82.132.221.136: basic reworked intro as per guidelines additionally and added references per sources

2026-04-20T15:34:27Z

basic reworked intro as per guidelines additionally and added references per sources

>Pallav1995 at 13:26, 11 June 2021

2021-06-11T13:26:11Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name = [[File:Indian_Railways_Suburban_Railway_Logo.svg|50px]] {{font color|blue|Howrah}}
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| style = Kolkata Suburban Railway
| type = [[Regional rail]], [[Commuter rail]] & [[Inter-city rail]] station
| image = Howrah_Station.jpg
| image_caption = Howrah Station, view from [[Hooghly River]]
| address = Lower Foreshore Rd, [[Howrah]] – 711101 [[West Bengal]]
| country = India
| coordinates = {{coord|22.5828709|88.3428112|type:railwaystation_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| elevation = {{convert|12|m|ft}}
| owned = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[Eastern Railway (India)|Eastern Railway]] and [[South Eastern Railway zone|South Eastern Railway]]
| line = [[Howrah–Delhi main line]] [[Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line]] [[Howrah–Chennai main line]] [[Howrah]]–[[Nagpur]]–[[Ahmedabad]] line [[Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line]] [[Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line]] [[Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line]] [[Howrah–Bardhaman Main Line]] [[Howrah–Bardhaman chord]] [[Grand Chord]]
| platform = 23
| tracks = 23
| connections = {{rint|kolkata|bus}} Howrah Bus Depot {{rint|kolkata|ewm}} [[Howrah metro station]] {{rint|ferry}}Howrah Ferry Ghat
| structure = At grade
| parking = Available{{rint|park}}
| bicycle = Yes {{rint|bike}}
| ADA = Yes {{rint|wheelchair}}
| status = Functioning
| code = {{Indian railway code
| code = HWH
| zone = [[Eastern Railway zone|Eastern Railway (ER)]] and [[South Eastern Railway zone|South Eastern Railway (SER)]]
| division = {{rwd|Howrah}} (ER) and [[Kharagpur railway division|Kharagpur]] (SER){{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
}}
| opened = {{start date and age|1854}}
| rebuilt =
| electrified = {{start date and age|df=yes|1954}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-elec.html#three |title=[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Electric Traction – I |publisher=IRFCA |access-date=2012-06-13}}</ref>
| former = [[East Indian Railway Company]]
| passengers = 1 million/day (as of 2019)<ref name="2019-10-27-telegraph-riot" />
| pass_system =
| pass_year =
| pass_percent =
| services = {{s-rail|title=Kolkata Suburban Railway}}
{{s-line|system=Kolkata Suburban Railway|previous= |next= Liluah |line= Eastern |branch= [[Howrah–Bardhaman main line|Main line]] & [[Howrah–Bardhaman chord|Chord line]]|type2 = Bandel Junction}}
{{s-line|system=Kolkata Suburban Railway|previous= Tikiapara|next= |line= South Eastern |branch= [[Howrah–Kharagpur line|Main line]]|type= Kharagpur}}
| map_type = India Kolkata#India West Bengal#India
| map_caption = Location in Kolkata##Location in West Bengal##Location in India
| map_dot_label = Howrah
| map_size = 300
| route_map = {{Howrah–Kharagpur line}}{{Howrah–Bardhaman main line}}{{Howrah–Bardhaman chord}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}

'''Howrah railway station''', also known as '''Howrah Junction''', is a railway station located in the city of [[Howrah]], [[West Bengal]], India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Howrah JN (HWH) railway station|url=https://www.ndtv.com/indian-railway/howrah-jn-hwh-station|url-status=live|access-date=4 August 2020|website=NDTV Rail Beeps}}</ref> It is the oldest and largest existing railway complex in India.<ref>{{Cite web|last=অযান্ত্রিক|date=2015-11-18|title=Howrah Railway Junction Station, Howrah, 1854 –|url=https://puronokolkata.com/2015/11/18/howrah-railway-junction-station-howrah-1854/|access-date=2020-10-20|website=puronokolkata}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-06-29|title=Third oldest railway station in country set to turn 156 {{!}} Deccan Chronicle|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629014508/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/third-oldest-railway-station-country-set-turn-156-518|access-date=2020-10-20|website=web.archive.org}}</ref> It is one of the busiest train stations in the world.<ref name="2019-04-04-mirror" /> About 600 passenger trains pass through the station each day, utilising its 23 platforms, and serving more than one million passengers per day.<ref name="2019-10-27-telegraph-riot" /> Howrah is one of five intercity train stations serving the [[Kolkata metropolitan area]] (including [[Howrah]] and its twin city of [[Kolkata]]), the others being {{stnlnk|Sealdah}}, {{stnlnk|Santragachi}}, {{stnlnk|Shalimar}} and [[Kolkata railway station]]s.

==Toponymy==
[[Eastern Railway (India)|Eastern Railway]], who operate the station, refer to the station as "Howrah". [[Indian Railways]] refers to the station as "Howrah Junction". The station is more colloquially referred to as "Howrah Station".

==History==
On 17 June 1851, [[George Turnbull (civil engineer)|George Turnbull]], the Chief Engineer of the [[East Indian Railway Company]] and his team of engineers submitted plans for a railway station at Howrah. In January 1852, the government authorities decided not to purchase the land and expensive water frontage needed for the project, not then realising the future importance of railways. Turnbull then developed other plans to cost an estimated 250,000 [[Indian rupee|rupees]]. In October 1852, four tenders for the building of the station were received: they varied from 190,000 to 274,526 rupees. The first locomotive left Howrah on 18 June 1853 for the 37.5 miles to [[Pandua, Hooghly|Pundoah]]. [[File:Plaque at Howrah station for first train in Eastern India on 15th August 1854 IMG 20190815 073929.jpg|thumb|Plaque at Howrah station for first train in Eastern India on 15 August 1854]] Great crowds celebrated the first public departure from Howrah for the 23.5 miles to [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]] on 15 August 1854.<ref>Diaries of [[George Turnbull (civil engineer)|George Turnbull]] (Chief Engineer, [[East Indian Railway Company]]) held at the [[Centre of South Asian Studies]] at [[Cambridge University]], England</ref><ref>'' George Turnbull, C. E .'' pages 110, 121, 122, 125 and 127 of the 437-page memoirs published privately 1893, scanned copy held in the British Library, London on compact disk since 2007</ref><ref name="IR-ER-Howrah" />

The increase of residents in the region around Howrah and Kolkata and the booming economy lead to an increasing demand for rail travel. Also, the rail network kept on growing continuously, e.g. was the Bridge over the [[Rupnarayan River]] at [[Kolaghat]] completed on 19 April 1900 and connected Howrah with Kharagpur.<ref>{{cite web |work= The Telegraph|location=Kolkota |url= https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/a-bridge-over-roopnarayan/cid/329775 |title= A bridge over Roopnarayan |publisher= The Telegraph India |access-date= 2020-04-16}}</ref> The Bengal-Nagpur Railway was extended to Howrah in 1900, thus making Howrah an important railway centre.<ref name="2005-12-19-indiatoday"/> So in 1901, a new station building was proposed. The British architect [[Halsey Ricardo]] designed the new station.<ref name="2005-12-19-indiatoday" /> It was opened to the public on 1 December 1905.<ref>{{cite web |work= Business Line |url= http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/12/02/stories/2005120202711900.htm |title= Howrah Station is veritably the heartbeat of Kolkata |date= 2005-12-02 |access-date= 2009-01-02}}</ref><ref name="2005-12-19-indiatoday">{{cite news |last1=Sen |first1=Swagata |title=Howrah station centenary celebrations: A tribute to the history it has witnessed|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/heritage/story/20051219-howrah-station-centenary-celebrations-a-tribute-to-the-history-it-has-witnessed-786354-2005-12-19 |access-date=3 April 2019 |work=India Today |date=19 December 2005 }}</ref> This is the current Howrah station building including 15 platform tracks.

On 3 March 1969, the first [[Rajdhani Express]] left Howrah for [[New Delhi]].<ref name="2019-03-04-UNI">{{cite news |title=Howrah–New Delhi Rajdhani Express Service completes glorious 50 yrs in passenger service |url=http://www.uniindia.com/howrah-new-delhi-rajdhani-express-completes-glorious-50-yrs-in-passenger-service/india/news/1517981.html |access-date=3 April 2019 |publisher=United News of India |date=4 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="IR-ER-Howrah" />

In the 1980s, the station was expanded to include 8 new platforms on the south side of the station. At the same time, a new ''Yatri Niwas'' (transit passenger facility) was built south of the original station frontage.

Until 1992 there was a tram terminus at Howrah Station. Trams departed for [[Sealdah Station]], [[Rajabazar, Kolkata|Rajabazar]], [[Shyambazar]], [[Calcutta High Court|High Court]], [[Dalhousie Square]], [[Park Circus]], [[Ballygunge]], [[Tollygunge]] etc. Trams also departed for Bandhaghat and [[Shibpur]]. The tram terminus was partially closed in 1971 while the Bandhaghat and Shibpur lines were closed. Many unauthorized vehicles and pedestrians began to traverse the tram tracks and so the routes were not continued. The terminus station was converted to underpasses and a bus terminus. The part of the tram terminus for other routes continued to function until 1992, when the Rabindra Setu ([[Howrah Bridge]]) was declared unfit to carry trams because it was a cantilever bridge.

The new terminal complex was finished in 1992, creating a total of 19 platforms.<ref name="IR-ER-Howrah" /> This was extended by a further 4 platforms in 2009.<ref name="IR-ER-Howrah" />

In October 2011, India's first double-decker train left Howrah for [[Dhanbad]].

The first service of the Antyodaya Express started on 4 March 2017 between Ernakulam Junction and Howrah.

===Heritage museum===
The nearby [[Rail Museum, Howrah]] opened in 2006 contains a section dedicated to the heritage and history of Howrah railway station.<ref name="OneIndia20181124">{{Cite news|last=Gangopadhyay|first=Uttara|date=24 November 2018|title=Go Railfanning at This Little Known Museum in Howrah|newspaper=[[Outlook India]]|access-date=16 June 2020|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/69220/rail-museum-run-by-the-eastern-railway-in-howrah-will-give-you-nostalgia}}</ref>

==Rail services==
{{see also|:Category:Trains from Howrah Junction railway station}}
The [[Eastern Railway zone|Eastern Railway]] runs local trains to [[Belur Math]], [[Tarakeswar]], [[Arambagh]], [[Goghat]], [[Katwa]], [[Bandel]], [[Sheoraphuli]], [[Bardhaman]], [[Serampore]] and numerous intermediate stations (see [[Howrah–Bardhaman main line]], [[Howrah–Bardhaman chord]] and [[Sheoraphuli–Tarakeswar branch line|Tarakeswar branch line]]). There are also mail and express trains to Central, North and North-East India. A [[narrow-gauge]] line formerly used to connect Bardhaman and Katwa, served by [[diesel multiple unit|DMU]] trains; but now this line is also converted to [[broad gauge]] and used by [[electric multiple unit|EMU]] trains like all the other lines.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.anandabazar.com/district/bardhaman/katwa-burdwan-broad-gauge-trains-started-at-last-1.739229 |title = Baro rail Katwae, jamlo bhidr (Big railway in Katwa, crowd gathers) | language= Bengali |work= Ananda Bazar Patrika|date=13 January 2018 | access-date = 13 January 2018}}</ref>

The [[South Eastern Railway zone|South Eastern Railway]], operates local trains to [[Amta]], [[Mecheda]], [[Panskura]], [[Haldia]], [[Tamluk]], [[Medinipur]] and [[Kharagpur]] and mail and express trains to Central, West and South India. South Eastern Railway, connects with the [[Great Indian Peninsular Railway]] (GIPR) route to [[Mumbai]] and [[Chennai]].

The Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway sections are connected by two links. One is the Lilua{{ndash}}Tikiapara link and the other is the Rajchandrapur{{ndash}}Dankuni-Mourigram link. They are used by goods trains and the [[Sealdah–Puri Duronto Express]] avoiding Howrah.

Four major rail routes end at Howrah. They are the Howrah–Delhi, Howrah–Mumbai, Howrah–Chennai and Howrah–[[Guwahati]] routes.

After completion [[Kolkata Metro Line 2]] will pass through Howrah Station.<ref name="2018-08-04-toi" />

==Station facilities==
The station is the divisional headquarters for the Eastern Railway.

The station has 23 platforms. Platforms 1 to 16 are located in the old complex, referred to as "Terminal 1". It serves the local and long-distance trains of Eastern Railway and local trains of South Eastern Railway. Platforms 17 to 23 are in the new complex, referred to as "Terminal 2". It serves the long-distance trains of South Eastern Railway.

There is a large covered waiting area between the main complex and the platforms and other areas for passengers awaiting connecting trains. [[Google]] provides RailWire Free high-speed WiFi. In addition, there is a transit passenger facility with dormitory, single-room and double-room accommodation. First-class passengers wait in an air-conditioned area with balcony views of the Kolkata Skyline and the Howrah Bridge.

The station platforms have carriageways for motor vehicles within the complex including two carriageways to platforms 8 and 9 for Eastern Railway and to platforms 21 and 22 for South Eastern Railway. Flyovers at the ends of the platforms allow motor vehicles to exit the complex quickly.

Sampath Rail Yatri Niwas and Regional Rail Museum are a part of "Terminal 2" Howrah station complex.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.railnews.in/new-visiting-time-for-howrah-rail-museum/|title=New visiting time for Howrah Rail Museum – RailNews Media India Ltd|website=railnews.in|access-date=2018-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irfca.org/gallery/Heritage/museum-hwh/|title=IRFCA – The Indian Railways Fan Club Photo Gallery – Howrah Railway Museum|publisher=IRFCA|access-date=2018-03-02}}</ref>

The railway museum, located south of the station, displays artefacts of historical importance related to the development of Eastern Railway. For many years the ''[[Fairy Queen (locomotive)|Fairy Queen]]'', the world's oldest operational steam locomotive, was displayed on a plinth inside the station.<ref name="Ahrons, Faerie Queen" >{{cite book |title=The British Steam Railway Locomotive |last=Ahrons |first=E. L. |author-link=E. L. Ahrons |volume=I, to 1925 |publisher=Ian Allan |year=1966 |ref=Ahrons, British Steam Railway Locomotive |pages=142 }}</ref>

==Services for rolling stock==
{{Main|Electric Loco Shed, Howrah}}
The station has a diesel-locomotive shed with room for 84 locomotives. The electric-locomotive shed has room for 96 locomotives. There is also an electric-trip shed with the capacity to hold up to 20 locomotives. The sheds accommodate 150+ [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]], [[WAP-5]], and [[WAP-7]] locomotives. The [[Electric Multiple Unit|EMU]] car shed has over 15 parking slots. The station has a coach maintenance complex.

==Metro station==
{{Further|Howrah metro station}}
Howrah Station will also get an [[Howrah metro station|underground station]] as part of [[Kolkata Metro Line 2|Line 2]] of the [[Kolkata Metro]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/a-stn-comes-up-30m-below-howrah-stn/articleshow/70650925.cms|title=India's deepest Metro station comes up 30m below Howrah railway station}}</ref> It will be the deepest station on the [[Kolkata Metro Line 2|East-West Metro line]] of the Kolkata Metro<ref name="2018-08-04-toi" /><ref name="metrocalendar" /> and further the deepest in the country.<ref name="2019-08-19-FE-metro" /> The connecting metro stations will be [[Howrah Maidan metro station|Howrah Maidan]] to the west and [[Mahakaran metro station|Mahakaran]] to the east. The station is expected to open in 2021.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Local train.png|EMU train bound for Howrah
File:Howrah Bus Terminus - Howrah Railway Station Area - Howrah 2012-06-04 01303.jpg|Howrah station bus terminal
File:Howrah Station Terminal in 2011.jpg|Howrah station
File:First locomotive india1854 photo1894.jpg|The first locomotive, shown on the right and christened "[[List of Latin phrases (M-O)|multum in parvo]]" (barely visible on the wheel casing), which was used by the [[East Indian Railway Company]] in 1854 on its 23-mile line from [[Howrah]] to [[Pandua, Hooghly|Pandua]].
File:Howrah YN.jpg|Yatri Nivas (Travellers' Lodge) at Howrah station
File:Indian Rail Double Decker.JPG|Double decker train arrives at Howrah station after a trial run
File:Howrah Railway Station Area - Howrah 2012-06-04 01286.jpg|Howrah railway station area
File:Old steam loco outside Howrah Junction.jpg|Old steam locomotive at Howrah
File:Old steam loco details.jpg|Old steam locomotive details
File:Howrah Junction - Welcome.jpg|Howrah entrance
File:Howrah Junction - Platformboard.jpg|Howrah platform
</gallery>
[[File:Howrah Railway Station(HWH) India.jpg|thumb|centre|600px|Howrah station night view]]

==See also==
* [[Kolkata Metro]]
* [[Kolkata railway station]]
* [[Kolkata suburban railway]]
* [[List of Kolkata Metro stations]]
* [[Santragachi railway station]]
* [[Sealdah railway station]]
* [[Shalimar railway station]]
* [[Trams in Kolkata]]

==References==
{{reflist
|refs=
<ref name="2019-04-04-mirror">{{cite news |last1=Pritchard |first1=Tim |title=The daily commute at Howrah Station is on a biblical scale as half a million passengers pour off trains |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/worlds-four-busiest-train-stations-14235935 |access-date=5 April 2019 |work=The Mirror|date=4 April 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="2018-08-04-toi">{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Jayanta |title=Kolkata: Another station comes up below Howrah station |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/kolkata-another-station-comes-up-below-howrah-station/articleshow/65267140.cms |access-date=5 April 2019 |work=The Times of India |date=4 August 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="metrocalendar">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/metro-prepares-completion-calendar-for-city-projects/articleshow/59463303.cms|title=Metro prepares completion calendar for city projects|work=The Times of India|access-date=7 February 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="IR-ER-Howrah">{{cite web |title=Howrah Station |url=https://er.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,6,441,1689 |website=er.indianrailways.gov.in |publisher=Eastern Railway |access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="2019-08-19-FE-metro">{{cite news |title=Kolkata Metro's Howrah station by Indian Railways is India's deepest subway station! Check first look |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/kolkata-metros-howrah-station-by-indian-railways-is-indias-deepest-subway-station-check-first-look/1679259/ |access-date=8 December 2019 |work=The Financial Express |date=19 August 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="2019-10-27-telegraph-riot">{{cite news |title=Passengers run riot in Howrah |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/passengers-run-riot-in-howrah/cid/1714510 |access-date=4 January 2020 |publisher=The Telegraph India |date=27 October 2019}}</ref>
}}

{{commons category}}

{{Howrah}}
{{Kolkata topics}}
{{Top 100 booking stations of Indian Railways}}
{{Railway stations in West Bengal}}
{{Kolkata Suburban Railway, Eastern}}
{{Kolkata Suburban Railway, South Eastern}}
{{Kolkata Metro}}
{{Rapid transit in India}}
{{Rapid transit in Asia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howrah railway station}}
[[Category:Howrah railway division]]
[[Category:Kolkata Metro stations]]
[[Category:Kolkata Suburban Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations opened in 1854]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Howrah district]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Howrah]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Howrah]]
[[Category:Railway terminus in India]]
[[Category:Indian Railway A1 Category Stations]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in India]]

Howrah railway station - Revision history

82.132.221.136: basic reworked intro as per guidelines additionally and added references per sources

>Pallav1995 at 13:26, 11 June 2021