Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line

Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line (including Adra–Bokaro Steel City, Purulia–Kotshila & Tatanagar–Badampahar branch lines)
A MEMU train travelling on the bridge across Damodar River
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand
Termini	Asansol Kharagpur
Service
Type	Rail line
Operator(s)	South Eastern Railway
History
Opened	1891 onwards
Technical
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	1961–63 with 25 kV AC overhead line
Route map km km Steel Authority of India Bokaro Steel Plant Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line Bokaro Steel City 78 Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line Ispat Nagar 62 Bardhaman–Asansol section Chas 54 0 Asansol Junction Bandidih 49 to Asansol–Patna section/ Asansol–Gaya section to Chandrapura │ to Gomoh IISCO Steel Plant Mahuda 53 5 Burnpur to Sudamdih Colliery sidings Damodar River to Kalipahari (freight line) Talgaria 42 9 Damodar Shewbabudih 36 Damodar River to Sudamdih 13 Madhukunda Bhojudih 30 20 Muradi West Bengal Jharkhand border Parbeliya Colliery WBPDCL Santaldih Thermal Power Station 25 Ramkanali Santaldih 24 30 Bero Rukni 15 35 Joychandi Pahar Sanka 7 Gardhrubeswar 48 0│41 Adra to Muri Kharagpur–Bankura –Adra line Kotshila 36 to Gomoh 55 Anara Barbenda 32 Garh Jaipur 29 61 Bagalia Chas Road 22 69 Kustaur Gourinathdham 15 73 Charrah to Chhatna (planned) 81│0 Purulia Kangsabati River 88 Tamna 96 Kantadih 104 Urma 112 Barabhum 117 Biramdih West Bengal Jharkhand border 126 Nimdih Barkakana–Muri–Chandil line 135 Chandil 141 Manikui Subarnarekha River 146 Kunki to Namkom (planned) 149 Kandra Tatanagar–Bilaspur section Sini 163 154 Birrajpur Birbans 170 160 Gamharia 166 Adityapur Kharkai River Tatanagar 0│171 Tata Steel Jamshedpur Steel Plant Haludpukur 22 Jharkhand Odisha border Tata Motors Jamshedpur Plant Bahalda Road 42 3 Salgajhari Aonlajhari 55 7 Govindpur Gorumahisani 64 14 Asanboni Tata Steel Gorumahisani Iron Ore Mines 19 Rakha Mines Rairangpur 65 Subarnarekha River Kuldiha 73 26 Galudih Chhanua 80 36 Ghatshila Badampahar 89 42 Chirugoda Badampahar Iron Ore Mines 48 Dhalbhumgarh 57 Kokpara 66 Chakulia to Buramara (planned) 72 Kanimahuli Jharkhand West Bengal border 80 Gidhni 88 Khatkura 95 Jhargram to Bhadutala (planned) 104 Banstala 111 Sardiha 119 Khemasuli 125 Kalaikunda Kharagpur–Bankura –Adra line Nimpura 127 Nimpura Through Yard Nimpura Goods Yard 131 Girimaidan Hijli 133 Kharagpur–Puri line 134 Kharagpur Howrah–Kharagpur line

The Asansol–Adra–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line is part of Howrah and eastern India's links with Mumbai and Chennai. It is also a major freight line for transporting iron ore, coal and steel products. This page includes the Adra–Bokaro Steel City branch line and Tatanagar–Badampahar branch lines.

History

The Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line, a joint effort of Great Indian Peninsula Railway and East Indian Railway Company came up in 1870. The Bengal Nagpur Railway was formed in 1887 for the purpose of upgrading the Nagpur Chhattisgarh Railway and then extending it via Bilaspur to Asansol, in order to develop a shorter Howrah–Mumbai route than the one via Allahabad. The Bengal Nagpur Railway main line from Nagpur to Asansol, on the Howrah–Delhi main line, was opened for goods traffic on 1 February 1891. However, it was only after Kharagpur was linked from the west and the south that it was connected to Howrah in 1900.

The closing years of the 19th century and the opening years of the 20th century were momentous for the area. 800 miles of East Coast Railway was built and opened for traffic between 1893 and 1896. The most vital sections of Bengal Nagpur Railway, Sini–Kharagpur–Kolaghat and Kharagpur–Cuttack, were opened to traffic in 1898–99. The Purulia–Ranchi branch was opened for traffic on 15 November 1907. BNR lines were extended to Gomoh, on EIR's main line, in 1907. The Mohuda–Chandrapura branch line was opened in 1913.

A 40-mile branch line from Tatanagar to Gorumahisani was opened to traffic in 1911 mainly for transportation of iron ore.

The Purulia–Ranchi line was opened as a narrow-gauge railway of BNR in 1907.

Railway reorganization

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway. In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier.

Steel plants and freight traffic

India's first integrated steel plant, Tata Steel's plant at Jamshedpur, became operational in 1908.IISCO Steel Plant was established at Burnpur in 1918.Steel Authority of India's Durgapur Steel Plant was established in the late fifties, and Bokaro Steel Plant became operational in the seventies.

Although the Asansol–Gaya section of Grand Chord and Bardhaman–Asansol section of Howrah–Delhi main line serves as the principal links for Jharia Coalfield and Raniganj Coalfield, this line also links to both the coalfields. This railway line is also serving the upcoming Raghunathpur industrial area, situated near Adra in Purulia district. The new Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station (DVC) and ACC Cement Factory (Madhukunda) are a part of this.

With four steel plants served by these lines South Eastern Railway transports bulk of the raw materials like coal and iron ore used by the steel industry. It loaded 61.24 million tonnes during the period April to September 2012. Indian Railway handled 456 million tonnes of coal in 2011–12. It was the single largest item of freight traffic. It handled 104.71 million tonnes of iron ore in 2011–12.

Electrification

The Asansol–Purulia, Purulia–Chakradharpur, Kandra–Gamharria and Sini–Adityapur sectors were electrified in 1961–62. The Tatanagar–Kharagpur sector was electrified in 1962–63. The Tatanagar-Gorumahisani-Aunlajori sector of the Tatanagar-Gorumahisani-Aunlajori-Badampahar line was electrified in 2020-21.

Passenger movement

Asansol, Adra, Tatanagar and Kharagpur, on this line, are the main booking stations of Indian Railway.

References

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