Asansol–Patna section

The Asansol–Patna section is a railway line connecting Asansol in the Indian state of West Bengal and Patna in Bihar. The 331 km (206 mi) line passes through the fringe areas of West Bengal, a portion of Santhal Parganas in Jharkhand and the Gangetic Plain in Bihar.

Asansol–Patna section
Kiul Junction is an important railway station at Asansol–Patna section
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar
Termini	Asansol Patna
Service
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway, East Central Railway
History
Opened	1871
Technical
Line length	331 km (206 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE in 1960–61 and during 1994–95 and 2000–01
Operating speed	up to 130 km/h
Route map v t e Asansol–Patna section Legend km to Patna–Mughalsarai section of Howrah–Delhi main line to Patna–Gaya line 331 Patna Junction Patna-Parsa-Siwan Road Rajendra Nagar overbridge 329 Rajendra Nagar Terminal NH 22 325 Gulzarbagh Guru Govind Singh Path 322 Patna Sahib Patna Ghat 319 Deedarganj Patna-Bakhtiyarpur Road Amas–Darbhanga Expressway (Under construction) 315 Banka Ghat Punpun River SH 4 309 Fatuha Junction to Fatuha–Tilaiya line 307 Buddhdevchak Yadav Nagar 306 Harasbigha 301 Khusropur 297 Manjhauligram (Halt) 295 Salimpur 293 Karauta 291 Teka Bigha (Halt) 286 Bakhtiyarpur Junction NH 31 (Patna-Bhagalpur Road) to Bakhtiyarpur–Tilaiya line 280 Jai Prakash Mahuli 277 Athmal Gola 274 Achuara 268 Barh 266 Sabari (Halt) Barh Super Thermal Power Station (NTPC Limited) 262 Railey (Halt) 260 Lemuabad 258 Punarakh 255 Memrakhabad 253 Kanhaipur 249 Mor 247 Barhapur (Halt) NH 31 (Patna-Bhagalpur Road) 244 Shivnar (Halt) Bharat Wagon and Engineering 242 Mokama Junction 238 Auta (Halt) 237 Tall NH 31 (Patna-Bhagalpur Road) to Mokama–Barauni section 234 Hathidah Junction NH 31 to New Rajendra Setu Road Bridge (Mohanpur-Barachhati Road). 230 Rampur Dumra 224 Barhiya 222 Ganga Sahay 220 Dumri (Halt) 217 Dhurani Jwas (Halt) Harohar River 215 Mankatha Lakhisarai Bypass Road to Gaya–Kiul line 209 Lakhisarai Junction Kiul River 208 Kiul Junction to Sahibganj loop 206 Mahesh Leta (Halt) 205 Lakhochak (Halt) 204 Bansipur 203 Balaharpur (Halt) 201 Manakpur 198 Bhalui 191 Kunder (Halt) SH 72 181 Jamui NH 333 178 Chaura 166 Gidhaur 162 Dadpur Nagi River Dhapri Road to New Giridih (Planned) Laxmipur & Karhara Road Jhajha MEMU Car Shed 155 Jhajha Jhajha-Chilko Road 151 Rajla 147 Narganjo (Halt) NH 333A 142 Ghorparan 136 Simultala 133 Telwa Bazar Basukitand-Telwa Road Telwa River Bihar Jharkhand border 126 Lahabon 118 Tulsitanr Dahwa River NH 333 (Jamua-Deoghar Road) 111 Jasidih Junction to Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line to Jasidih-Baydnathdham Deoghar line Mayurakshi River RN Bose Road 12 Satsang Nagar (Halt) Baydnathdham Deoghar 104 Kumrabad Rohini Ajay River 99 Sankarpur 93 Mathurapur 87 Nawapatra Pathrol River to Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line 82 Madhupur Junction Madhupur-Margomunda Road 72 Joramow Jayanti River 66 Madankata 57 Vidyasagar Mihijam–Madhupur Road 48 Kaseetar Mihijam–Madhupur Road 39 Jamtara Mihijam–Madhupur Road Mihijam–Madhupur Road 30 Bodma 25 Chittaranjan Jharkhand West Bengal border Asansol–Chittaranjan Road Chittaranjan Locomotive Works 21 Rupnarayanpur Damgoria Colliery 13 Salanpur Bonjemahari Colliery NH 2 to Asansol–Gaya section of Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line 9 Sitarampur 5 Barachak to Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line 0 Asansol Junction Bardhaman–Asansol section

History

The first rail track between Howrah and Delhi was via what was later named as Sahibganj loop and the first through train on the route was run in 1864. The Kiul–Patna sector was ready around 1862. A "shorter main line" connecting Raniganj and Kiul Junction was in position in 1871 and the opening of the Grand Chord in 1907 shortened the distance from Howrah to Delhi even further.^[1][2][3]

Electrification

The Asansol–Sitarampur sector was electrified in 1960–61 and the rest of the Asansol–Patna section was electrified during the period 1994–95 to 2000–2001. Sector-wise progress was as follows: Sitarampur–Chittaranjan 1994–95, Chittaranjan–Jamtara 1995–96, Jamtara–Jasidih 1996–97, Jasidih–Narganjo 1997–98, Narganjo–Jhajha 1998–99, Jhajha–Kiul in 1997–98, Kiul–Mankatha 1999–2000, Mankatha–Barhaiya 2000–01, Barhaiya–Mokama 1999–2000 Mokama–Fatuha 1998–99, Fatuha–Danapur 1999–2000.^[4]

Speed limit

The entire Sitarampur–Patna–Mughalsarai line is classified as "B Class" line, where trains can run at speeds up to 130 km/h.^[5]

Passenger movement

Patna and Asansol, on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[6]

Sheds and workshops

Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, one of the largest electric locomotive manufacturers in the world, is located on this line. Initially started for manufacturing steam locomotives, it went into production on 26 January 1950, the day when India became a republic. It now produces AC and DC locomotives and accessories.^[7]

Asansol is home to the oldest electric loco shed of Indian Railways. It houses WAG-5 and WAM-4 electric locomotives.^[8]

Railway reorganisation

In 1952, Eastern Railway, Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway were formed. Eastern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company, east of Mughalsarai and Bengal Nagpur Railway. Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughalsarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway. North Eastern Railway was formed with Oudh and Tirhut Railway, Assam Railway and a portion of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.^[9] East Central Railway was created in 1996–97.^[10]

Trains

The Following trains are famously serving this route.

• South Bihar Express
• Kolkata Shalimar–Patna AC Duronto Express
• Baidyanathdham Express
• Himgiri Superfast Express
• Bilaspur-Patna Weekly Superfast Express
• Gurumukhi Superfast Express
• Poorva Express (via Patna)
• Akal Takht Express
• Howrah-New Delhi Duronto Express
• Pratham Swatrantata Sangram Express
• Tatanagar-Buxar Express
• Kumbh Express
• Upasana Express
• Ananya Express
• Howrah-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express
• Howrah-Patna Vande Bharat Express
• Asansol-Mumbai CSMT Superfast Express
• Asansol-Ahmedabad Weekly Express
• Howrah-Amritsar Mail
• Vibhuti Express
• Kolkata-Ghazipur City Weekly Express
• Kolkata-Patna Garib Rath Express
• Howrah–Rajendra Nagar Express

While There are also a lot of Passenger and Express trains that serves this section.

See also

• Patna–Digha Ghat line