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{{Short description|Railway line in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = 28em
| name = Nagpur–Bhusawal section
| color =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image = Badnera Junction with 12105 Gondia Express.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = Vidarbha Express arriving at Badnera Junction, an important train on Nagpur–Bhusawal section
| type =
| system = Main line and some branch lines electrified. Some branch lines diesel.
| status = Operational
| locale = [[Maharashtra]] ([[Vidarbha]] and [[Khandesh]])
| start = [[Nagpur Railway Station|Nagpur]]
| end = [[Bhusawal railway station|Bhusawal]]
| stations =
| routes = [[Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line]]
| daily_ridership =
| open = 1867
| close =
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[Central Railway zone|Central Railway]]
| character =
| depot = [[Ajni railway station|Ajni]], [[Bhusawal railway station|Bhusawal]]
| stock =
| linelength =
| tracklength = Mainline: {{convert|389|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Branch lines: Shakuntala Railway: {{convert|189|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Pulgaon-Arvi {{convert|35|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Badnera–Narkhed: {{convert|138|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Butibori–Umrer branch line {{convert|34|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
| tracks = Main line: 2
| gauge = Main line: {{track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]]
| old_gauge =
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| electrification = Yes
| speed = Main line: up to 130 km/h
| elevation = {{convert|314|m|ft}} at Nagpur, {{convert|284|m|ft}} Akola and {{convert|208|m|ft}} at Bhusawal
| website =
| map = {{Nagpur–Bhusawal section}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}
The '''Nagpur–Bhusawal section''' (railway track) is part of the [[Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line]] (alternatively known as Mumbai–Kolkata line / Bombay–Calcutta line) and connects [[Nagpur railway station|Nagpur]] and [[Bhusawal railway station|Bhusawal]] both in the Indian state of [[Maharashtra]]. This section also has a number of branch lines. Part of one of the major trunk lines in the country, Nagpur–Bhusawal section passes through a section of the [[Deccan Plateau]]. The main line crosses [[Nagpur district|Nagpur]], [[Wardha district|Wardha]], [[Amravati district|Amravati]], [[Akola district|Akola]], and [[Buldhana district|Buldhana]] districts of [[Vidarbha]] region and [[Jalgaon district]] of [[Khandesh]] region.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/AKOLA/comm_railways.html |title =Communications – Railways | publisher= The Gazetteers Department, Maharashtra| access-date = 20 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://dcmsme.gov.in/dips/Nagpur%20dips%2012-13.pdf |title = Brief Industrial Profile of Nagpur District| publisher=MSME Development Institute | access-date = 20 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://wardha.nic.in/htmldocs/Trainmain.asp |title = Railway Network in Wardha| publisher= Wardha district administration| access-date = 20 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://amravati.nic.in/gazetteer/gazetteerb/commu_intro.html |title = Communications – Introduction| publisher=The Gazetteers Department, Maharashtra | access-date = 20 April 2013}}</ref>

==History==

The [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway]] extended the line from Bhusawal to Nagpur in 1867.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-hist.html | title = IR History: Early Days – I | last = Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1832–1865)| publisher= IFCA| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref>

The {{convert|189|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-long, {{track gauge|2ft6in}} gauge [[Achalpur]]–[[Murtajapur railway station|Murtajapur]]–[[Yavatmal]] line, known as the [[Shakuntala Railway]] was built by a British firm, Killik Nixon & Company, in 1903, to carry cotton from the interior of Vidarbha to the Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line at Murtajapur.<ref name="IRFCA"/><ref name=times>{{cite web| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/A-historic-train-faces-an-uncertain-future/articleshow/11721563.cms| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130426163100/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-02/nagpur/31016631_1_narrow-gauge-broad-gauge-shakuntala-express| url-status = live| archive-date = 26 April 2013|title =A historic train faces an uncertain future |last= More|first= Vaidehi|location=Nagpur|date=2 February 2012 | work = [[The Times of India]]| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref> The line, run by the Central Provinces Railways Company, is India's only operational private railway company listed on the [[Bombay Stock Exchange]].<ref name=bs>{{cite web| url =http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/a-curious-relic-from-another-era/article4469578.ece |title = A curious relic from another era| work=The Hindu Business Line|date=4 March 2013| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4041983.stm |title =A railway ride into history |date =26 November 2004 | publisher= BBC, 26 November 2004| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref> The line is under conversion to {{track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]].

The {{convert|35|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-long, {{track gauge|2ft6in|lk=on}} [[narrow-gauge railway]] was built from [[Pulgaon]] to [[Arvi, Wardha|Arvi]] by Central Provinces Railway in 1917.<ref>{{cite web| url =http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history3.html |title = IR History: Part III (1900-1947)| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="IRFCA">{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/docs/rinbad-ng.html |title = Indian Narrow Gauge Lines 2002-2003| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref> This line is also under conversion to {{track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]].

The {{convert|34|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-long, {{track gauge|1676mm|allk=on}} Butibori–Umrer branch line linking Umrer Coalfield to the main line was established in 1965.<ref>{{cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=v21-4YYgocUC&q=Muri-Chandrapura+line&pg=PA60 |title = Transport Geography of India: Commodity Flow and the Regional Structure of Indian Economy| page= 60|author= Moonis Raza & Yash Aggarwal|year = 1986|publisher= Concept Publishing Company | location=New Delhi | isbn = 81-7022-089-0|access-date = 20 April 2013}}</ref> The newly laid {{track gauge|1676mm|allk=on}} Narkhed–Amravati branch line was opened in 2012.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Green-signal-for-traffic-on-Narkhed-Amravati-rail-line/articleshow/15048671.cms | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130411033540/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-20/nagpur/32763645_1_extra-coaches-new-train-brijesh-dixit | url-status = live | archive-date = 11 April 2013 |title = Green signal for traffic on Narkhed Amaravati rail line |last=Pinjarkar |first= Vijay| work = [[The Times of India]] | access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref>

There was a {{convert|1469|km|mi}}-long {{track gauge|1000mm}}-wide [[metre-gauge]] line from [[Jaipur railway station|Jaipur]] to [[Secunderabad railway station|Secunderabad]] via [[Akola railway station|Akola]]. Most of the part of this line has been converted to {{track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=34694 |title = Gauge conversion of Ratlam-Khandwa-Mhow-Akola | publisher= Press Information Bureau| access-date = 8 March 2013}}</ref> The Great Indian Peninsula Railway was taken over by the state in 1925.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history3.html |title = IR History: Part III (1900-1947)|publisher=IRFCA | access-date = 2013-04-03 }}</ref> In 1951, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the [[Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway]], the Scindia State Railways and the Dholpur Railways were merged to form Central Railway.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-geog.html#newzone |title = Geography : Railway Zones|publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 24 March 2013 }}</ref>

The entire main line is electrified. Electrification of the railways in the region started in 1968–69 and continued up to Nandura in 1988–89. The Nandura-Badnera sector was electrified in 1989–90. The Badnera–Wardha sector was electrified in 1990–91. Badnera–Amaravati sector was electrified in 1993–94, Jalamb–Khamgaon and Butibori–Umrer in 1994–95.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://irfca.org/docs/electrification-history.html|title = History of Electrification| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 15 March 2013}}</ref>

In 1910, the District Gazetteer of Buldhana gave an account of the railway line and its importance from the point of view of trade:
{{cquote|The Nagpur Branch of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway runs a distance of about 47 miles through the District from west to east, and is connected with Khamgaon by a branch from Jalamb 8 miles in length. The railway stations in the District are Khamkhed, Malkapur, Biswa, Nandura, Jalamb, Khamgaon, Shegaon and Nagjhari. Of these the leading stations for exports and imports are Khamgaon, Shegaon and Malkapur. The first two stations despatch to Bombay mainly cotton and grain produced in the Khamgaon and Mehkar talukas and the greater portion of that produced in the Chikhli taluk; Malkapur sends away grain, linseed, cotton, gur and other articles which it receives from the Malkapur taluk and from the north-west portion of the Chikhli taluk. Nandura is the principal outlet of the Jalgaon taluk although it also exports certain produce from the Malkapur taluk.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/BULDHANA/bank_trade%20routes.html |title = Trade routes| publisher=The Gazetteers Department, Maharashtra | access-date = 18 March 2013}}</ref>}}

==Loco sheds==

There are electric locomotive sheds at Ajni and Bhusawal on this line and a narrow gauge diesel loco shed at Murtazapur. Ajni loco shed has WAG-7, [[Indian locomotive class WAG-9|WAG-9]], WAP-7 and WAG-9I locos. Bhusawal loco shed has [[Indian locomotive class WAM-4|WAM-4]], [[Indian locomotive class WAP-4|WAP-4]], WAG-5, WAG-7 and WCM-6 locos.<ref name=sheds>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html |title = Sheds and Workshops| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 19 April 2013}}</ref>

==Workshops==
Central Railway has three workshops on this line. Nagpur has a workshop for upkeep of passenger coaches and Ajni has facilities for repair of goods wagons. Bhusawal has a workshop for repairs of locos and wagons.<ref name=sheds/>

==Economy==
This line passes through the cotton producing areas of Vidarbha.<ref>{{cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XhF2rr_4uhsC&q=Vidarbha+Calcutta-Bombay+line&pg=PA35 |title = Population dynamics in India|work= page 35 |last= Ranade|first=Prabha Shastri|year = 1990| publisher=APH |isbn = 9788170243076| access-date = 20 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=indiatoday>{{cite web| url = https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20111107-rahul-gandhi-kalawati-suicides-in-vidarbha-749469-2011-10-28|title = Rahul's Lost Widows |last= Damayanti Dutta and Kiran Tare| publisher= India Today, 7 November 2011| access-date = 8 March 2013 }}</ref> [[Mahagenco]] has two major power stations on this route – the 500 MW [[Paras Thermal Power Station]] and the 920 MW [[Bhusawal Thermal Power Station]].<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.mahagenco.in/index.php/about-us | title =Installed capacity of Mahagenco | publisher =Mahagenco | access-date =2013-03-08 | archive-date =21 September 2014 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140921080018/http://www.mahagenco.in/index.php/about-us | url-status =dead }}</ref> [[Reliance Power]] has a 600 mW thermal power station at Butibori.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-03/india-business/36129960_1_butibori-mw-unit-largest-captive-coal-reserves| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130421221619/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-03/india-business/36129960_1_butibori-mw-unit-largest-captive-coal-reserves| url-status = dead| archive-date = 2013-04-21| work = [[The Times of India]]|title = Reliance-Power starts up second unit of Butibori plant | access-date = 2013-03-08 }}</ref>

Coal-based thermal power stations consume large quantities of coal.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.citizenscoalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TypicalCoalFiredPowerPlant.pdf | title = Diagram of a typical coal-fired thermal power station | access-date = 21 April 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140211074958/http://www.citizenscoalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TypicalCoalFiredPowerPlant.pdf | archive-date = 11 February 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref> For example, the Bhusawal Thermal Power Station consumed 2,400,000 tonnes of coal in 2006–07, and the Paras Thermal Power Station consumed 351,000 tonnes of coal in the same year.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cea.nic.in/reports/yearly/thermal_perfm_review_rep/0607/Section-9.pdf | title = Coal supply to various power stations | access-date = 21 April 2013 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140531090331/http://www.cea.nic.in/reports/yearly/thermal_perfm_review_rep/0607/Section-9.pdf | archive-date = 31 May 2014 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Around 80 per cent of the domestic coal supplies in India are meant for coal based thermal power plants and coal transportation forms 42 per cent of the total freight earnings of Indian railways.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.miningweekly.com/article/indian-railways-cil-to-collaborate-for-additional-coal-transport-capacity-2013-02-14 |title = Indian Railways, CIL to collaborate for additional coal transport capacity| publisher= Mining weekly.com, 14 February 2013| access-date = 21 April 2013}}</ref> There are over 200 coal loading points across India. Coal is transported by rail to around 60 thermal power stations, 12 steel plants and 55 cement factories forming the major customers of coal.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://saiindia.gov.in/english/home/Our_Products/Audit_report/Government_Wise/union_audit/recent_reports/union_compliance/2004/Railways/2004_9/chapter3.htm | title = Chapter 3: Coal movement on Indian Railways | access-date = 21 April 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Speed and passenger movement==
The entire Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line is classified as a "Group A" line which can take speeds up to {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}}.<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 = 14 March 2013}}</ref>

[[Nagpur railway station|Nagpur]], [[Akola railway station|Akola]] and [[Bhusawal railway station|Bhusawal]], 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=14 March 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 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/nagpur-junction-ngp/18 Trains at Nagpur]
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/akola-junction-ak/203 Trains at Akola]
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/bhusaval-junction-bsl/208 Trains at Bhusawal]

{{Central Railway}}
{{Railways in Central India}}
{{Railways in Western India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagpur - Bhusawal section}}
[[Category:5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Nagpur CR railway division|*]]
[[Category:Bhusawal railway division|*]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1867]]
[[Category:Transport in Bhusawal]]
[[Category:Transport in Nagpur]]

Nagpur–Bhusawal section - Revision history

Nina: New the article w/ refs - done