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{{ | {{Short description|Railway line connecting Barharwa and Katwa, West Bengal}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}} | {{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}} | ||
{{Infobox rail line | {{Infobox rail line | ||
| box_width = 28em | | box_width = 28em | ||
| name = Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop | | name = Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop <br> {{small|(incl. Nalhati–Azimganj branch line)}} | ||
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The '''Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop''' is a railway line connecting [[Barharwa Junction railway station|Barharwa]] on the [[Sahibganj loop]] and [[Katwa railway station|Katwa]], which | The '''Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop''' is a railway line connecting [[Barharwa Junction railway station|Barharwa]] on the [[Sahibganj loop]] and [[Katwa railway station|Katwa]]. Together with the [[Bandel–Katwa line]], which connects this line to [[Bandel Junction railway station|Bandel junction]] on the [[Howrah–Bardhaman main line]], it is also known as the '''B.B Loop Line'''. This {{convert|170|km}} line is under the jurisdiction of [[Eastern Railway zone|Eastern Railway]]. The majority of this line passes through the [[Purba Bardhaman district|Purba Bardhaman]] and [[Murshidabad district|Murshidabad districts]], in the Indian state of [[West Bengal]], and lies on the west bank of the [[Hooghly River|Bhagirathi]] river. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
In 1913, the Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa Railway constructed the Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop line.<ref name=timeline>{{cite web|first=R. P.| last=Saxena|title=Indian Railway History Time line|url=http://irse.bravehost.com/IRHTML.htm|work=Irse.bravehost.com|access-date=15 March 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229092028/http://irse.bravehost.com/IRHTML.htm| archive-date=29 February 2012}}</ref> In 1863, the [[Indian Branch Railway Company]], a private company | In 1913, the Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa Railway constructed the Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop line.<ref name=timeline>{{cite web|first=R. P.| last=Saxena|title=Indian Railway History Time line|url=http://irse.bravehost.com/IRHTML.htm|work=Irse.bravehost.com|access-date=15 March 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229092028/http://irse.bravehost.com/IRHTML.htm| archive-date=29 February 2012}}</ref> This line connected [[Barharwa Junction railway station|Barharwa Junction]] one the [[Sahibganj loop]] with the [[Katwa Junction railway station|Katwa Junction]] in what was then the Hooghly–Katwa Railway.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hooghly-Katwa Railway|url=https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Hooghly-Katwa_Railway|url-status=live|access-date=11 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028164534/https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Hooghly-Katwa_Railway |archive-date=28 October 2021 }}</ref> | ||
=== Nalhati–Azimganj branch line === | |||
In 1863, the [[Indian Branch Railway Company]], a private company constructed the Nalhati-Azimganj branch line. The line was {{Convert|27|mi|km}} long and was constructed with a [[Narrow-gauge railway#4 ft (1,219 mm)|unique rail gauge]] of {{Track gauge|4ft}}. The Indian Branch Railway Company was purchased by the Government of India in 1872 and the line was renamed as the Nalhati State Railway and was converted into {{Track gauge|5ft6in}} broad gauge. It became a part of the [[East Indian Railway Company]] in 1892.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldmartiniansassociation.co.uk/documents/OudhandRohilkandRly.pdf |title=The Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway |access-date=2011-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621225555/http://www.oldmartiniansassociation.co.uk/documents/OudhandRohilkandRly.pdf |archive-date=21 June 2013 }}</ref> | |||
=== Connection with North Bengal === | |||
With the [[partition of India]] in 1947, the connection to North Bengal was lost since a major portion of the Calcutta-Siliguri line ran through [[East Pakistan]], now [[Bangladesh]]. To establish connectivity with North Bengal, a {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} new line was built from Tildanga station in the B.B loop line to Farakka Ghat on the south bank of Ganges by 1958. A {{convert|37|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long {{track gauge|1676mm}} wide {{RailGauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] new line was constructed from Khejuria Ghat (near present-day Chamagram station), on the north bank of the [[Ganges|Ganga]] to [[Malda Town railway station|Malda Town]] by 1959 and was further extended to meet [[Barsoi Junction railway station|Barsoi junction]] by 1962. Steamer services connected the north and south banks of the river thereby linking North & South Bengal.<ref>{{cite book|last=Moonis Raza & Yash Aggarwal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v21-4YYgocUC&pg=PA60|title=Transport Geography of India: Commodity Flow and the Regional Structure of Indian Economy|work=page 60|publisher=Concept Publishing Company, A-15/16 Commercial Block, Mohan Garden, New Delhi – 110059|year=1986|isbn=81-7022-089-0|access-date=2 May 2013}}</ref> | |||
The {{convert|2240|m|abbr=on}} long [[Farakka Barrage]], which carries a rail-cum-road bridge across the [[Ganges]] was opened in 1971 thereby directly linking the B.B loop line to [[Malda Town railway station|Malda Town]], New Jalpaiguri and [[Barsoi–New Farakka section|other railway stations]] in North Bengal.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Salman|first1=Salman M. A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8GEr4fyDbqgC&pg=PA135|title=Conflict and cooperation on South Asia's international rivers: a legal perspective|last2=Uprety|first2=Kishor|publisher=World Bank Publications|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8213-5352-3|pages=135–136|access-date=2011-07-05}}</ref> | |||
=== Connection with Murshidabad === | |||
While most of the line runs along the West bank of the [[Hooghly River|Bhagirathi River]], the district headquarters of [[Murshidabad]] and the major towns of [[Berhampore]] and [[Jiaganj Azimganj|Jiaganj]] are located on the East bank of the Bhagirathi river on the [[Lalgola and Gede branch lines|Seladah-Lalgola line]]. A railway bridge was constructed as a part of a line from Nashipur Road to Azimganj for stone traffic in 1928 which connected both the banks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Archive .org pdf download of ‘History Of Indian Railways, constructed and in progress’, 31 March 1937 by ‘The Government of India - Railway Department’ page 70 pdf 95|url=https://ia801605.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/2015.36650.India-Railway-Board-History-Of-Indian-Railways-Constructed-And-In-Progress.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=28 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031013137/https://ia801605.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.36650/2015.36650.India-Railway-Board-History-Of-Indian-Railways-Constructed-And-In-Progress.pdf |archive-date=31 October 2020 }}</ref> This bridge however was destroyed in the [[Second World War]]. This has led to connectivity problems and as a result the [[Nashipur Rail Bridge]] was constructed. However since approach roads couldn't be built due to land acquisition problems and local protests, the tracks leading to the bridge couldn't be constructed because of which the connection to [[Murshidabad railway station|Murshidabad]] still lies incomplete.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Nashipur syndrome|url=https://www.theweek.in/columns/bibek-debroy/2019/10/05/the-nashipur-syndrome.html|url-status=live|access-date=11 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005235234/https://www.theweek.in/columns/bibek-debroy/2019/10/05/the-nashipur-syndrome.html |archive-date=5 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Passengers association call for hunger strike for railway bridge|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/passengers-association-call-for-hunger-strike-for-railway-bridge/articleshow/31242582.cms|url-status=live|access-date=11 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302044837/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Passengers-association-call-for-hunger-strike-for-railway-bridge/articleshow/31242582.cms |archive-date=2 March 2014 }}</ref> Once completed [[Indian Railways]] plans to use it for the North bound trains from [[Sealdah railway station|Sealdah]] like [[Darjeeling Mail]] as it provides a shorter route leading to significant savings in cost and time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Darjeeling Mail gears up for short route, cheaper fare|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/darjeeling-mail-gears-up-for-short-route-cheaper-fare/596579/|url-status=live|access-date=11 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324011505/http://www.financialexpress.com:80/india-news/darjeeling-mail-gears-up-for-short-route-cheaper-fare/596579/ |archive-date=24 March 2017 }}</ref> | |||
== Electrification == | |||
The electrification of the stretch from Katwa to Nimtita and from Nalhati to Azimganj was completed on 04 February 2021. Its completion marked the 100% electrification of the entire [[Eastern Railway zone]] of the [[Indian Railways]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Eastern Railway achieves 100% electrification over its jurisdiction|url=https://news.railanalysis.com/eastern-railway-achieves-100-electrification-over-its-jurisdiction/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411193830/https://news.railanalysis.com/eastern-railway-achieves-100-electrification-over-its-jurisdiction/ |archive-date=11 April 2021 }}</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||