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date format audit, minor formatting

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{{Multiple issues|{{more footnotes|date=October 2018}}{{lead too long|date=April 2019}}}}

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = 28em
| name = New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line
| color =
| logo = 
| logo_width = 100 px
| image =
| image_width =
| caption =
| type =
| system = Single Line Diesel
| status = Operational
| locale = [[West Bengal]], [[Assam]]
| start = [[New Mal Junction railway station|New Mal]]
| end = {{stnlnk|Changrabandha}}, [[New Cooch Behar Junction railway station|New Cooch Behar]]
| stations = 15
| routes =
| daily_ridership =
| open = 15 January 1893(MG) (Malbazar–Changrabandha section),
11 June 1893(MG) (Lataguri–Ramshai branch line),
20 January 2016 (BG) (Malbazar–Changrabandha section),
21 February 2016 (BG) (Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar section),
| close = 2002 (MG) (Malbazar–Changrabandha section),
Lataguri–Ramshai branch line is dismantled
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = * 1894–1941 [[Bengal Dooars Railway]];
* 1941–1942 [[Eastern Bengal Railway]];
* 1942–1947 Bengal and Assam Railway;
* 1947–1952 Assam Railway;
* 1952–1958 [[North Eastern Railway zone|North Eastern Railway]];
* 1958–present [[Northeast Frontier Railway zone|Northeast Frontier Railway]]
| character =
| depot =
| stock =
| linelength = {{convert|126.8|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
| tracklength =
| gauge = {{track gauge|1676mm}} [[broad Gauge]]
| old_gauge = {{track gauge|1000mm}} (Malbazar–Changrabandha section)
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| electrification =
| speed =
| elevation =
| website =
| map = {{New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar Line|collapse=no|inline=1|}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}
The '''New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line''' are a set of 2 lines which connect {{stnlnk|Changrabandha}}, a border transit point near Indo-Bangladesh border in [[Cooch Behar district]] with the stations of [[New Mal Junction railway station|New Mal]] in [[Jalpaiguri district]] and [[New Cooch Behar Junction railway station|New Cooch Behar]] in [[Cooch Behar district]] of [[West Bengal]]. It is under the jurisdiction of [[Northeast Frontier Railway zone|Northeast Frontier Railway]]. The [[Malbazar]]–{{stnlnk|Changrabandha}} section of the line was a metre-gauge line, before its gauge conversion began on 2002.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.telegraphindia.com/1040308/asp/siliguri/story_2955661.asp |title =Conversion derails hope train | newspaper= The Telegraph|location=Kolkata| date=8 March 2004 | access-date = 2 May 2013}}</ref> The Malbazar–Changrabandha section was re-opened to public on 20 January 2016 after gauge conversion.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://st2.indiarailinfo.com/kjfdsuiemjvcya0/0/8/5/4/1713854/0/index109298.jpg |language=bn|title = Changrabandha Siliguri passenger train starts Wednesday|publisher=India Rail Info | access-date = 28 August 2018}}</ref> The New Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar broad-gauge line was built as an extension as a part of the New Maynaguri–Jogighopa rail line to provide an alternate link from North Bengal to Assam and was opened to public on 21 February 2016.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://st2.indiarailinfo.com/kjfdsuiemjvcya5/0/6/3/8/1714638/9/screenshot20160220at1932361.jpg |title = Introduction of new passenger train between New Cooch Behar and Siliguri Jn via Changrabandha |publisher=India Rail Info | access-date = 28 August 2018}}</ref>

==History==

===[[Bengal Dooars Railway]]===
The [[Bengal Dooars Railway]] company built several metre-gauge lines in the area. It started its main line to open up the Western Dooars and for the development of the tea industry in the region. The main line extended from the then Barnes Ghat (near present-day Maynaguri Road station) in the eastern bank of the [[Teesta River]] to Dam Dim via Mal Junction and was opened for service on 15 January 1893.

The Lataguri–Ramshai branch line was opened to serve the Ramshai tea garden near the western bank of the Jaldhaka river on 11 June 1893.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n173/mode/2up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 165]; Retrieved 17 December 2015</ref>

The main line was further extended south, first from Barnes Junction to Baura (20 April 1900) and then from Baura to Bhotmari (21 October 1900) and finally from Bhotmari it was connected to [[Lalmonirhat railway station|Lalmonirhat junction]] of the [[Eastern Bengal Railway]] on 20 November 1900.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/BombayBarodaAndCentralIndiaRailwaySystem/Bombay_Baroda_And_Central_India_Railway_System#page/n175/mode/2up " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 167]; Retrieved 17 December 2015</ref>

On 1941 Bengal Dooars railway was amalgamated with [[Eastern Bengal Railway]] which was further merged with [[Assam Bengal Railway]] to form Bengal & Assam Railway on 1942. They remained the operators until partition of India in 1947.

===Post-Partition===

Following the partition of India in 1947, the link to [[Lalmonirhat railway station|Lalmonirhat junction]] was lost as the line ended at {{stnlnk|Changrabandha}} on the Indian side. The rest of the line from {{stnlnk|Burimari}} till Lalmonirhat junction fell on the [[East Pakistan]] side.

Metre-gauge services continued from [[Siliguri Junction railway station|Siliguri junction]] to {{stnlnk|Changrabandha}} till gauge conversion of the [[New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line]] isolated the Malbazar–Changrabandha section as the only MG line in the area.<ref name=elephant>{{cite web |url=http://himalnews.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/wildlife-elephant-blocks-trains-in-dooars/ |title=Elephant blocks trains in Dooars |publisher=News from Darjeeling, Dooars and Sikkim| date=18 August 2010 |access-date=2011-12-10 }}</ref><ref name=njp>{{cite web |url=http://www.irfca.org/docs/rinbad-siliguri.html |author=Alastair Boobyer |title=India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri |publisher=IRFCA| access-date = 2011-12-10 }}</ref>

===Gauge conversion===

The {{convert|62.7|km}} long Malbazar–Changrabandha railway section was converted to {{track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]], work for which began on 2002. The line was thrown open to public on 20 January 2016 and a new passenger train was started between Siliguri Jn and Changrabandha. The old MG branch line towards Ramshai was not converted and was dismantled.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://st2.indiarailinfo.com/kjfdsuiemjvcya0/0/8/5/4/1713854/0/index109298.jpg |language=bn|title = Changrabandha Siliguri passenger train starts Wednesday|publisher=India Rail Info | access-date = 28 August 2018}}</ref>

==New Assam link==

To provide a 3rd new link between North Bengal & Assam, the {{convert|324|km}} New Maynaguri–Jogighopa line project was included in the railway budget of 2000–01. The work on the line was divided into the following sections:<ref>{{cite web |url= https://nfrlyconstruction.org/Uploads/File/project-details/ProjectDetails_Current.pdf |title = NFR project as of October 31 2017|publisher= North East Frontier Railway| access-date=2018-08-29 }}</ref>

* {{convert|62.7|km}} long [[New Mal Junction railway station|New Mal]]–{{stnlnk|Changrabandha}} section (Gauge conversion completed and opened for service on 20 January 2016)
* {{stnlnk|New Maynaguri}}/{{stnlnk|New Domohani}}–Maynaguri Road–Jalpaiguri Road Y connection (Jalpaiguri Road–Maynaguri Road section is completed. Work is under progress on New Maynaguri/New Domohani–Maynaguri Road section as of August 2018)
* {{convert|64.1|km}} long New Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar new line (work completed & opened for service on 21 February 2016)
* {{convert|57.6|km}} long [[New Cooch Behar Junction railway station|New Cooch Behar]]–{{stnlnk|Golokganj}} new line (work completed & opened for service on 11 February 2012)
* {{convert|28.8|km}} long [[Fakiragram Junction railway station|Fakiragram]]–{{stnlnk|Dhubri}} branch line gauge conversion including the line between Golokganj & Gauripur (Opened for service on 13 September 2010)
* {{convert|99|km}} long Gauripur–Abhayapuri (Jogighopa) new line (Line from Gauripur till Alamganj is completed. Rest is work under progress as of August 2018).

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Railways in Eastern India}}
{{Railways in North-East India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Mal-Changrabandha-New Cooch Behar line}}
[[Category:5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India]]
[[Category:Rail transport in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Howrah railway division|*]]

New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line - Revision history

imported>Dawnseeker2000: date format audit, minor formatting