Eastern line (Kolkata Suburban Railway) explained

Eastern line
System:	Kolkata Suburban Railway
Status:	Operational
Locale:	Howrah, West Bengal Kolkata, West Bengal Hooghly, West Bengal Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal Nadia, West bengal North 24 Parganas, West Bengal Murshidabad, West Bengal
Start:	&
End:	Barddhaman, Katwa, Goghat, Bandel, Naihati, Gede, Krishnanagar, Lalgola, Kalyani, Bangaon & Hasnabad
Daily Ridership:	1.75 million
Owner:	Indian Railway
Operator:	Eastern Railway (ER)
Character:	At Grade
Depot:	Howrah, Bandel, Narkeldanga, Barasat & Ranaghat
Gauge:	broad gauge
Electrification:	25,000 V AC 1500 V DC (until 1957)
Map State:	collapsed

The Eastern line of Kolkata Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It consists of total 266 stations from Howrah Junction to Barddhaman & Sealdah to Gede. The entire line is at grade. It has two sections of quadruple tracks, First section is starting from Howrah Junction and ends at Barddhaman, Katwa, Goghat, Bandel and second section is starting from Sealdah and ends at Hasnabad, Bangaon, Gede, Krishnanagar, Lalgola, Ranaghat & Naihati stations in West Bengal.

The Eastern line consists of 14 corridors, 5 Corridors in the Howrah section, and 8 corridors in the Sealdah section and there's a separate corridor in this line for joining two sections. In Howrah Section first two corridors are from Howrah Jn to Barddhaman by Mainline and the Second corridor is also from Howrah to Barddhaman by the chord line, after that, there are three branch lines, the first branch line is from Seoraphuli Junction to Goghat. The second branch line is from Bandel Jn to Katwa and the third branch line is from Barddhaman Jn to Katwa.^[1] Also in the Sealdah section, the mainline is from Sealdah to Gede which it situates on the India-Bangladesh Border, First branch line is from Ranaghat Jn to Krishnanagar City Jn, Second branch line is from Kalinarayanpur Jn to Krishnanagar City Jn via Shantipur, Third Branch line is from Ranaghat to Bangaon, fourth branch line is from Dum Dum Jn to Bangaon, Fifth branch line is from Barasat to Hasnabad, the sixth branch line is from Kalyani to Kalyani Simanta. The Bandel Naihati branch line is an important linkage for two sections of the eastern line. There is an Extension of the second branch line which starts from Krishnanagar City Junction to Lalgola.^[2]

The Major Car Sheds on this line are at Howrah, Bandel, Narkeldanga, Barasat and Ranaghat on both of the sections.

Stations with Routes

Routes

The Eastern line consists of the following sections with routes:

• Howrah section

1) Howrah Junction – Barddhaman Junction (main)
2) Howrah Junction – Barddhaman Junction (chord line)
3) Seoraphuli Jn – Goghat
4) Bandel – Katwa
5) Barddhaman – Katwa
6) Howrah Jn – Belur Math

• Sealdah section

1) Sealdah – Gede
2) Ranaghat Junction – Krishnanagar City Junction
3) Kalinarayanpur Junction – Shantipur – Krishnanagar City Junction
4) Kalyani – Kalyani Simanta
5) Ranaghat Jn – Bangaon Junction
6) Dum Dum Jn – Bangaon Junction
7) Barasat – Hasnabad
8) Bandel – Naihati
9) Krishnanagar City Junction – Lalgola

Stations

Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop as well as important terminal.

Howrah Section

See main article: article and Howrah–Bardhaman main line.

Howrah section Main line
	Distance from Howrah Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		HWH	^†South Eastern line / Chord line / Belur Math Branch line (Eastern line)
2	5		LLH	Chord line / Belur Math Branch line (Eastern line)
3	6		BEQ	Chord line (Eastern line)
4	8		BLY	Chord line (Eastern line)
5	10		UPA	None
6	12		HMZ	None
7	13		KOG	None
8	16		RIS	None
9	20		SRP	None
10	22		SHE	Tarakeswar and Goghat (Eastern line)
11	24		BBAE	None
12	28		BHR	None
13	30		MUU	None
14	33		CGR	None
15	36		CNS	None
16	38		HGY	None
17	39		BDC	Katwa (Eastern line)
18	43		ADST	None
19	47		MUG	None
20	50		TLO	None
21	55		KHN	None
22	61		PDA	None
23	66		SLG	None
24	68		BCGM	None
25	70		BOI	None
26	75		DBP	None
27	79		BGF	None
28	82		MYM	None
29	85		NMF	None
30	88		RSLR	None
31	92		PLAE	None
32	95		SKG	Chord line (Eastern line)
33	100		GRP	Chord line (Eastern line)
34	107		BWN	Chord line / Katwa (Eastern line)

†Howrah Junction railway station is a terminus for South Eastern Railway and Eastern Railway.

Howrah Section Main line Branches

The Howrah Section main line of Eastern line, there is a bifurcation in three sections and one line bifurcates and elevates on it.

=Belur Math Branch line

=

Belur Math Branch line
	Distance from Howrah Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	†	HWH	^†South Eastern line/ Main line / Chord line (Eastern line)
2	5			Main line / Chord line (Eastern line)
3	7		BRMH	None
† – Branch Line starts at Howrah

=Chord line

=

See main article: article and Howrah–Bardhaman chord.

Chord line
	Distance from Howrah Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		HWH	South Eastern line / Main line / Belur Math Branch line (Eastern line)
2	5			Main line / Belur Math Branch line (Eastern line)
3	6			Main line (Eastern line)
4	8			Main line (Eastern line)
5	11			None
6	15		DKAE	Chord link line
7	17			None
8	20			None
9	22			None
10	26			None
11	29			None
12	31			None
13	33			Seoraphuli/ Tarakeswar/ Goghat (Eastern line)
14	36			None
15	40		CDAE	None
16	45			None
17	46			None
18	49			None
19	51			None
20	53			None
21	55			None
22	58			None
23	62			None
24	65			None
25	69			None
26	72		MSAE	None
27	75			None
28	78			None
29	83			Main line (Eastern line)
30	88			Main line (Eastern line)
31	95		BWN	Main line / Katwa (Eastern line)

=West Elevated Branch line

=

See main article: article and Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur branch line.

West Elevated Branch line
	Distance from Seoraphuli Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	SHE	Main line (Eastern line)
2	6			None
3	8			None
4	11			None
5	14			Chord line (Eastern line)
6	18			None
7	21			None
8	23			None
9	26			None
10	29			None
11	33			None
12	35		TAK	None
13	40			None
14	45			None
15	51			None
16	60		AMBG	None
17	69		GOGT	None
† – Branch Line starts at Seoraphuli

=North Branch line

=

North Branch line
	Distance from Bandel Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	BDC	Main line (Eastern line)
2	4			None
3	5			None
4	8			None
5	12			None
6	15			None
7	17			None
8	22			None
9	25			None
10	28			None
11	33			None
12	35			None
13	42		ABKA	None
14	46			None
15	51			None
16	54			None
17	58			None
18	61			None
19	66		NDAE	None
20	67			None
21	71			None
22	73			None
23	76			None
24	79			None
25	82			None
26	87			None
27	92			None
28	95			None
29	98			None
30	105		KWAE	Barddhaman (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Bandel

=North East Branch line

=

See main article: article and Bardhaman–Katwa line.

North East Branch line
	Distance from Barddhaman Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	BWN	Main/Chord line (Eastern line)
2	6			None
3	8			None
4	10			None
5	11			None
6	12			None
7	15			None
8	19			None
9	25		BGNA	None
10	30			None
11	32			None
12	36			None
13	41			None
14	45			None
15	46			None
16	53		KWAE	Bandel (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Barddhaman

Sealdah Section

See main article: article and Sealdah–Ranaghat line.

Sealdah Section Main line
	Distance from Sealdah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		SDAH	Chord link line / Sealdah South lines^[3]
2	4			Chord link line / Circular line
3	7		DDJ	Chord link line / Circular line/ Bangaon and Hasnabad (Eastern line)
4	11			None
5	14			None
6	16			None
7	19			None
8	20			None
9	23		BP	None
10	25			None
11	27			None
12	30			None
13	33			None
14	35			None
15	38		NH	Bandel (Eastern line)
16	42			None
17	44			None
18	45			None
19	48			Kalyani Simanta (Eastern line)
20	53			None
21	57			None
22	60			None
23	62			None
24	68			None
25	73		RHA	Bangaon, Krishnanagar & Shantipur (Eastern line)
26	78			None
27	80			None
28	82			None
29	87			None
30	89			None
31	91			None
32	93			None
33	97			None
34	100			None
35	105			None
36	111			None
37	114			None
38	117		GEDE	None

Sealdah Section Main line Branches

The main line branches in Sealdah Section is bifurcates into many lines:

=Northern Branch line

=

See main article: article and Lalgola and Gede branch lines.

Northern Branch line-1
	Distance from Ranaghat (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	RHA	Main (Eastern line)
2	4			Shantipur (Eastern line)
3	8			None
4	11			None
5	16			None
6	21			None
7	26		KNJ	Shantipur (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Ranaghat

Northern Branch line-2
	Distance from Kalinarayanpur (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†		Ranaghat and Krishnanagar (Eastern line)
2	4			None
3	8		FLU	None
4	12			None
5	16		STB	None
6	22			None
7	31		KNJ	Ranaghat (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Kalinarayanpur

=Mid East Branch line

=

Mid East Branch line
	Distance from Ranaghat (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	RHA	Main/ Krishnanagar/Shantipur (Eastern line)
2	3			None
3	5			None
4	10			None
5	15			None
6	18			None
7	23			None
8	28			None
9	33		BNJ	Dum Dum (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Ranaghat

=Kalyani Branch line

=

Kalyani Branch line
	Distance from Kalyani (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†		Main (Eastern line)
2	2			None
3	4			None
4	5		KLYM	None
† – Branch Line starts at Kalyani

=Mid North East Branch line

=

See main article: article and Sealdah–Hasnabad–Bangaon–Ranaghat line.

Mid North East Branch line
	Distance from Dum Dum Junction (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	DDJ	Chord link line/Circular line/Main (Eastern line)
2	3			None
3	5			None
4	6			None
5	8			None
6	10			None
7	11			None
8	13			None
9	15		BT	Hasnabad (Eastern line)
10	19			None
11	23		DTK	None
12	27			None
13	30			None
14	34			None
15	37		HB	None
16	42			None
17	47			None
18	50		GBG	None
19	56		TKNR	None
20	60			None
21	65			None
22	70		BNJ	Ranaghat (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Dum Dum Junction

=East Branch line

=

East Branch line
	Distance from Barasat (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	BT	Dum Dum and Bangaon (Eastern line)
2	3			None
3	6			None
4	10			None
5	12			None
6	15			None
7	18			None
8	20			None
9	24			None
10	27			None
11	31			None
12	33			None
13	36			None
14	41			None
15	42			None
16	45			None
17	47			None
18	48			None
19	51			None
20	53		HNB	None
† – Branch Line starts at Barasat Junction

=Hooghly Branch line

=

Hooghly Branch line
	Distance from Naihati (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0	^†	NH	Sealdah Main (Eastern line)
2	3			None
3	5			None
4	8	^†	BDC	Howrah Main (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Naihati and Ends at Bandel

=Far North Branch line

=

Far North Branch line
	Distance from Krishnanagar City Junction (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		KNJ	Ranaghat (Eastern line)
2	7			None
3	12			None
4	18			None
5	28			None
6	32			None
7	40			None
8	44			None
9	50			None
10	55			None
11	59			None
12	68			None
13	74			None
14	77			None
15	80			None
16	85			None
17	89			None
18	96			None
19	100			None
20	103			None
21	108			None
22	115			None
23	119			None
24	125			None
25	127			None
† – Branch Line starts at Krishnanagar City Junction

Electrification

From 1957, The Eastern Railway Started Electrification at Howrah - Tarakeswar Route with 1500 V DC later it was converted to 25000 V AC 50 Hz in 1967-68, after that the work goes also on the chord line, Barddhaman & Bandel To Katwa line of Howrah Division, which is now fully electrified.

And on the Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway, the electrification process was started in 1963 from Sealdah to Ranaghat line, Dum Dum To Bangaon and the other lines in this division with the different phases and completed up to 1965 from that time the whole division is also fully electrified.^[4]

Services

Currently in 2017-18 all services of the Eastern line running on 9 and 12 Cars. Sealdah section has 461 Services of 9 rakes EMU and 452 Services of 12 Rakes EMU and also on Howrah Section has 398 Services of 12 Rakes EMU. Which It Handles the 100% Suburban Network of Eastern Railways.^[5]

See also

• Kolkata Suburban Railway
• List of Kolkata Suburban Railway stations
• Eastern Railway zone

Notes and References

1. http://www.er.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,6,441,737 Brief Details of Howrah Division
2. http://www.er.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,6,442,452 Brief Detail of Sealdah Division
3. News: Accident averted as trains come on same line in sealdah . 12 September 2016 . India today . https://web.archive.org/web/20170912174639/http://m.indiatoday.in/story/accident-averted-as-trains-come-on-same-line-in-sealdah/1/330825.html . 12 September 2017 . live . dmy-all .
4. Web site: History of Electrification . IRFCA . 4 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131019225702/http://irfca.org/docs/electrification-history.html . 19 October 2013 . live . dmy-all .
5. http://www.er.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1527247597560-CHG.%20FEATURES.pdf ER Features