Barsoi–Radhikapur branch line

The Barsoi–Radhikapur branch line links Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line on Barsoi Junction railway station from Radhikapur railway station on the Bangladesh–India border.

Barsoi–Radhikapur Branch line
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerIndian Railways
Locale
Termini
Stations10
Service
SystemIndian Railways
Operator(s)Northeast Frontier Railway
History
Opened
Technical
Line length53.44 km (33 mi)
CharacterSingle-track railway
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
ElectrificationYes
Route map

km
Up arrow
0
Barsoi
Down arrow
4
Dhachna
11
Kachna
15
Jhitkia
Up arrow
43
Dalkhola
Down arrow
36
Domohona
31
Karandighi
23
Tunidighi
19
Altapur
14
Bilashpur Hat
Nagri River
Kulik River
Raiganj–Dalkhola line
(planned)
21
0
Raiganj
Left arrow
28
Bamangram
32
Bangalbaree
41
Kaliyaganj
Left arrow
47
Dalimgaon
53
Radhikapur
India
Bangladesh
border
63
Biral
Right arrow
69
Kanchan
Down arrow
km
Source: India Rail Info[1]

History

edit

Assam Behar State Railway extended the metre-gauge railway from Parbatipur, now in Bangladesh, to Katihar in 1889.[2] With the partition of India in 1947, the Katihar–Radhikapur section remained in India and the Biral–Parbatipur section was placed in Pakistan (later Bangladesh).

The railway line

edit

When the broad-gauge railway line, instead of being placed at Dalkhola–Malda via Raiganj, was moved to Dalkhola–Barsoi–Malda this section, became only a branch line.[3] This branch line starts at Barsoi railway station and ends at Radhikapur railway station where the Indo-Bangladesh border lies. The Barsoi–Radhikapur sector was converted to broad gauge in 2006.[4] The corresponding station on the Bangladesh side is Biral in Dinajpur District.[5][6] The transit facility in the Radhikapur–Birol sector has remained suspended since 1 April 2005.But now it has been converted to broad gauge and large goods train are travelling with stone boulders from Nepal to Bangladesh through India from March 2017 and it was officially operationalised and announced open in April 2017.[7] The railway track on the Indian side has been converted to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge while that on the Bangladesh side has been made into Dual gauge.[8][9]

There are 10 railway stations in this branch line. 7 of them are in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal and the rest are in Katihar district of Bihar.[10]

Stations

edit
Station code Station name Distance (km)
RDP Radhikapur 0.0
DLX Dalimgaon 6.2
KAJ Kaliyaganj 12.1
BJY Bangalbaree 21.9
BMGR Bamangram 25.1
RGJ Raiganj 32.2
JTK Jhitkia 38.8
KAU Kachna 42.8
DHNA Dhachna 49.1
BOE Barsoi Junction 53.4

[11][12][13]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Old Malda Singhabad Passenger 55710". India Rail Info.
  2. ^ "IR History: Early days II: 1870–1899". IRFCA. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Jogbani – Katihar – Barsoi – Radhikapur and Katihar – Teznarayanpur section (234 K)" (PDF). Nfrlyconstruction.org. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  4. ^ Srivastava, V.P. "Role of Engineering Deptt in Meeting Corporate Objectives of Indian Railways" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Collision kills woman on Vellore trip". The Telegraph. Calcutta. 23 August 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  6. ^ "Govt weighs rail links with Nepal, Bhutan". The Telegraph. Calcutta. 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  7. ^ Tiral run flagged off by Modi and hasina, Economic Times, 6 April 2017
  8. ^ "Rail Link with Bangladesh". Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 7 September 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). pib.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "13146/Radhikapur – Kolkata Express (PT) – Radhikapur/RDP to Kolkata/KOAA ER/Eastern Zone – Railway Enquiry". India Rail Info. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  11. ^ "13146/Radhikapur – Kolkata Express (PT) – Radhikapur/RDP to Kolkata/KOAA ER/Eastern Zone – Railway Enquiry". India Rail Info. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  12. ^ "75708 SGUJ - RDP DEMU Running Status, Route Time Table | SILIGURI JN RADHIKAPUR DMU". www.trainspnrstatus.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Report on inspection prior to opening of Barsoi–Radhikapur section" (PDF). Indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 18 December 2016.