2409:4060:2E15:AEE8:0:0:D9CA:2D02 at 16:55, 25 August 2021

2021-08-25T16:55:58Z

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{{short description|Railway station in West Bengal, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2011}}
{{Infobox station
| name = [[File:Indian_Railways_Suburban_Railway_Logo.svg|50px]]<br>{{font color|blue|Sealdah}}
| native_name =
| type = [[Express trains in India|Express train]],[[slow and fast passenger trains in India|passenger train]] and [[Intercity Railway]] [[terminal station]]<br/>[[Kolkata Suburban Railway]] station
| native_name_lang = শিয়ালদা
| style = Kolkata Suburban Railway
| image = Sealdah Railway Station - Kolkata 2011-10-03 030250.JPG
| image_caption = Sealdah railway station
| address = [[Sealdah]], [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]]
| country = India
| coordinates = {{Coord|22.5679661|88.3711047|region:IN_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}
| elevation = {{convert|9|m|ft}}
| line = 
| other = * {{rint|kolkata|ewm}} [[Sealdah metro station|Sealdah]]
* {{rint|kolkata|bus}} Sealdah, NRS, Jagat Cinema
| structure = Standard (on-ground station)
| platform = 21
| tracks = 28
| parking = Available
| bicycle = Available
| opened = {{start date and age|1862}}
| closed =
| rebuilt =
| electrified = {{start date and age|1960}}
| ADA = Yes {{access icon}}
| code = {{Indian railway code
| code = SDAH
| zone = [[Eastern Railway zone]]
| division = {{rwd|Sealdah}}
}}
| owned = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[Eastern Railway zone|Eastern Railway]]
| status = Functioning
| former = [[Eastern Bengal Railway]], [[Assam Bengal Railway]]
| passengers = over 1.2 million (per day)
| pass_year =
| pass_percent =
| pass_system =
| map_type = India Kolkata#India West Bengal#India
| map_size = 300
| map_caption = Location in Kolkata##Location in West Bengal##Location in India
| map_dot_label = Sealdah
| services = {{s-rail|title=Kolkata Suburban Railway}}
{{s-line|system=Kolkata Suburban Railway|previous=|next=Bidhannagar Road|line=Eastern|branch=[[Sealdah–Ranaghat line|Main line]]|type2= Ranaghat Junction|rows1=2}}
{{s-line|system=Kolkata Suburban Railway|previous=|next=Bidhannagar Road|line=Chord link|hide1=yes}}
{{s-line|system=Kolkata Suburban Railway|previous=Park Circus|next=|line=Sealdah South|branch=[[Sealdah South lines#Main line|Main line]]|type=Namkhana}}
|route_map = {{Chord link line (Kolkata Suburban Railway)}}{{Sealdah–Ranaghat line}}{{Sealdah–Hasnabad–Bangaon–Ranaghat line}}{{Sealdah South lines}}
|map_state = collapsed
}}

'''Sealdah''' (Station code:'''SDAH''') is one of India's major [[railway station|railway terminal]] serving the city of [[Kolkata]]. The other main railway stations in the Kolkata metropolitan region are {{stnlnk|Howrah}}, {{stnlnk|Shalimar}}, {{stnlnk|Kolkata}} and [[Santragachi Junction railway station|Santragachi]]. Sealdah is one of the busiest railway stations in India and also the second largest railway station in India after Howrah located in the same city of Kolkata<ref name="The Rainbows of Kolkata">{{cite book|title=The Rainbows of Kolkata|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K5b132yyWvgC&pg=PA51|access-date=1 October 2012|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-4092-3848-5|pages=51–}}{{self-published source|date=April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-08|title=Ten busiest railway stations of India|url=https://www.educationworld.in/ten-busiest-railway-stations-of-india/|access-date=2020-06-25|website=EducationWorld}}</ref> with a daily passenger footfall of over 1.2 million.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} It also acts as an important suburban rail terminal. After completion, [[Kolkata Metro Line 2]] will pass through Sealdah.

==History==

Sealdah railway station was started in 1869.<ref name="Sealdah History">{{cite web|title=Sealdah History|url=http://www.irfca.org/~mrinal/sealdah.html|publisher=irfca.org/|access-date=22 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="Railway gazette international">{{cite book|title=Railway gazette international|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unw7AAAAMAAJ|access-date=1 October 2012|year=1957|publisher=Reed Business Pub.|page=182}}</ref> Before 1978, there was a tram terminus at Sealdah station. Trams departed from here towards Rajabazar, Howrah Station, Calcutta High Court, Dalhousie Square, Park Circus and [[Dharmatala]]. The first horse tram service of Kolkata was also started from Sealdah to Armenian Ghat, following the currently route 14 & 16 between Lebutala & Dalhousie Square. The Sealdah–Lebutala & Dalhousie Square–Armenian Ghat (later extended to High Court) stretch is now closed. That terminus was demolished in 1978 also with the Sealdah–Lebutala tram track stretched through Boubazar Street for construction of the Sealdah flyover. Now tram services between Rajabazar–Esplanade, Park Circus–Burrabazar and other services pass through Sealdah. Currently, a car parking exists in place of the old tram terminus.

==Operations==

* There are three station terminals at Sealdah: '''Sealdah North''', '''Sealdah Main''' and '''Sealdah South'''.
** The North section consists of Sealdah North and Sealdah Main buildings. It has 5 platforms in North and 9 platforms in main section, the platforms of North sections are 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
** Sealdah main consists of platform no 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14, one more platform is present beside platform no 14 which is used by only goods trains and high capacity parcel vans.
** The South section consists of Sealdah South terminal, with 7 platforms 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21.
The north and south sections have separate set of emerging tracks. The north and south section is connected by two links, one is Dumdum–Majherhat link (popularly circular rail) and other is Bidhannagar Road–Park Circus link (extension of circular rail). These two links were constructed to quickly travel between the two sections avoiding Sealdah.

For the financial department, there are DRM's Sr.DFM's and ADFM's to look over. Sealdah North acts as the suburban train terminal for main division . The main division of Sealdah north operates trains plying between Kolkata and [[Hasnabad]], [[Bandel]], {{stnlnk|Gede}}, [[Ranaghat]], [[Shantipur]], [[Krishnanagar, Nadia|Krishnanagar]], [[Berhampore, West Bengal|Berhampore]], [[Lalgola]], [[Dankuni]], [[Katwa]], [[Bardhaman]], [[Kanchrapara]], [[Barrackpore]], [[Kalyani, West Bengal|Kalyani, Kalyani Simanta]] and others. A narrow-gauge line earlier used to connect Shantipur and Krishnanagar but now it has been replaced with broad gauge. This narrow-gauge line further continued to [[Nabadwip Ghat]] and was served by DMU trains formerly<ref>{{cite web|title=Narrow Gauge in Nadia|url=https://www.irfca.org/gallery/Trips/east/shantipurNG/?g2_page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-08/kolkata/28141187_1_narrow-gauge-broad-gauge-railway-jobs | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120710144906/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-08/kolkata/28141187_1_narrow-gauge-broad-gauge-railway-jobs | url-status = dead | archive-date = 10 July 2012 |title = Mamata rolls out rly sops for Nadia |date=8 January 2010| work = [[The Times of India]] | access-date = 2012-02-10 }}</ref> (all other lines run EMU trains). Now the suburban train service is also extended from Krishnanagar to [[Lalgola]],<ref>{{cite web|title=EMU Service starts upto Lalgola|url=http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/er-introduces-additional-12-coach-emu-services-220315}}</ref> which part was previously served by electric loco-hauled trains only. Sealdah–Dankuni (via [[Vivekananda Setu]]) line connects Eastern Railway's [[Howrah–Bardhaman chord]] at Bally Halt (on a viaduct atop [[Bally railway station|Bally station]]) and Dankuni. Naihati–Bandel (via [[Sampreeti Bridge]]) line connects Eastern Railway's [[Howrah–Bardhaman main line]] at [[Bandel Junction railway station|Bandel Jn]].

Now the poorly-patronized branch line between {{stnlnk|Dum Dum Cantonment}} and Biman Bandar railway station ([[Dum Dum Airport]]) is closed and replaced by [[Kolkata Metro Line 4|Line 4]] (under construction) of the [[Kolkata Metro]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Services End on Kolkata's Circular Railway|url=https://themetrorailguy.com/2016/10/13/services-end-on-kolkatas-circular-railway-to-facilitate-metros-construction/}}</ref>

Sealdah Main is the mail/express terminal for long-distance trains to northern, north-western, north-eastern & eastern India, through Dankuni line and Bandel line. Krishnanagar line is also serving long distance intrastate trains.

The South section, consisting of Sealdah South terminal, acts as the terminal for local trains plying between Kolkata and [[Budge Budge]], [[Canning, South 24 Parganas|Canning]], [[Diamond Harbour]] and [[Namkhana]].

There is also an EMU carshed at Sealdah ([[Narkeldanga]]). Other EMU carsheds are at [[Barasat]] and [[Sonarpur]]. A diesel shunter loco shed is also situated at adjacent Beliaghata. A rail coach factory is set to come up at Halishahar-Kanchrapara (Bijpur) region in North 24 Parganas.

Before partition in 1947 of India, trains used to run up to present day [[Bangladesh]] along Gede line and Bangaon line. Now Gede line is used by [[Maitree Express]] up to [[Dhaka]] and Bangaon line is used by [[Bandhan Express]] up to [[Khulna]].

== Lines ==
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Baranagar–Dakshineswar–Rajchandrapur–Baltikuri–Andul–Kharagpur
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Baranagar–Dakshineswar–Dankuni–Barddhaman
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Kalyani Simanta
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Krishnanagar–Berhampore–Lalgola
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Kalinarayanpur–Krishnanagar
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Kalinarayanpur–Shantipur
* Krishnanagar–Dignagar–Shantipur
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Gede
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Bandel–Barddhaman
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Bandel–Nabadwip Dham–Katwa
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Barasat–Bongaon
* Sealdah–Dum Dum–Barasat–Basirhat–Hasnabad
* Ranaghat–Majhergram–Bongaon
* Sealdah–Ballygunge–Majherhat–BBD Bag–Kolkata
* Sealdah–Ballygunge–Majherhat–Budge Budge–Pujali
* Sealdah–Ballygunge–Sonarpur–Canning
* Sealdah–Ballygunge–Sonarpur–Baruipur–Diamond Harbour
* Sealdah–Ballygunge–Sonarpur–Baruipur–Laxmikantapur–Namkhana

==Station facilities==
===Executive lounge===
[[IRCTC]] opened the first Executive Lounge at this station, which is the first in any of the main stations in the state of West Bengal. In 2019, on the occasion of [[Pahela Baishakh|Bengali New Year]], the lounge was opened at the station. It is built on the first floor of the station, covering around 2,500 sq ft area, having free [[Wi-Fi]], showers, foods, newspapers, TV, cloak room facilities available. Though on the first floor, it is next to the elevator to make it accessible to wheelchair-bound passengers.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/sealdah-stn-gets-states-first-executive-lounge/articleshow/68896962.cms| title=Sealdah station gets West Bengal's first Executive Lounge|work=The Times of India|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/kolkata/irctc-executive-lounge-at-sealdah-station-from-poila-baishakh-1502741642.html| title=IRCTC executive lounge for passengers at Sealdah station from Poila Baishakh|work=The Statesman|author=Nishat Nizami|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>

* The station also have a first class air conditioning waiting room and also resting area with bedding facilities.
* Google provides RailWire free high-speed Wi-Fi.
* The station also have many IRCTC food court and restaurants like Haldiram, Jan-Ahaar, mio amore, wow momos and many others.
* Recently Amazon India launched an Amazon kiosk in the non-ticketing zone, from where passengers can pick up their parcels.
* The station also has a large reservation ticketing zone where passengers can book their tickets in advance.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:SEALDAH STATION.jpg|Sealdah station
Image:Sealdah_Station_Outside.jpg|Outside view of Sealdah station
Image:Sealdah Platform.JPG|Platform of Sealdah station
Image:12259 Sealdah Duronto Express - Departure from platform 9B.jpg|12259 [[Sealdah–New Delhi Duronto Express]] – Departure from platform 9B
Image:On approach to Sealdah.jpg|On approach to Sealdah
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Kolkata Metro]]
* {{stnlnk|Kolkata}}
* [[Kolkata Suburban Railway]]
* [[List of Kolkata Suburban Railway stations]]
* [[Trams in Kolkata]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IndiaRailInfo|325}}
* [http://www.easternrailwaysealdah.gov.in/WebForm/ERSHome.aspx Eastern Railways website]

{{commons category|Sealdah railway station}}

{{Railway stations in West Bengal}}
{{Kolkata Suburban Railway, Eastern}}
{{Kolkata Suburban Railway, Chord link}}
{{Kolkata Suburban Railway, Sealdah South}}

[[Category:1869 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Indian Railway A1 Category Stations]]
[[Category:Kolkata Suburban Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway junction stations in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Railway stations opened in 1869]]
[[Category:Sealdah railway division]]

Sealdah railway station - Revision history

2409:4060:2E15:AEE8:0:0:D9CA:2D02 at 16:55, 25 August 2021