Eastern line (Kolkata Suburban Railway) explained

Eastern line
System:	Kolkata Suburban Railway
Locale:	Kolkata metropolitan region, India Howrah district, Hooghly district, Purba Bardhaman district, Nadia district, North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad district
Start:	• • ____________
End:	•Barddhaman • •Goghat • ---- •Gede •Krishnanagar • • • • ---- • •
Stations:	266
Daily Ridership:	~17.5 lakh
Owner:	Indian Railways
Operator:	Eastern Railway
Character:	At-grade
Depot:	Howrah Bandel Narkeldanga Barasat Ranaghat
Tracks:	1\2\3\4
Gauge:	broad gauge
Electrification:	25,000 V AC 1500 V DC (until 1957)
Speed:	upto 110 km\h
Map State:	collapsible

The Eastern lines of Kolkata Suburban Railway comprises 14 Local train routes that are operated by the Eastern Railway zone, serving the Kolkata metropolitan region and its neighbouring areas in West Bengal, India. The Line consists of a total 266 stations and the entire line is at grade. It mainly consists of two sections according to its division area and the main two terminal stations of Kolkata metropolitan region: the Howrah section, centered around Howrah railway station and the Sealdah Section centered around Sealdah railway station.

The line consists of a total of '14 corridors': 6 Corridors in the Howrah section, 7 corridors in the Sealdah section and there's a separate corridor connecting the two sections. In the Howrah Section first two corridors are from Howrah to Barddhaman- one via the Mainline through Bandel and the other via the Chord line through Dankuni, the third corridor runs from Howrah to Goghat via Seoraphuli Jn, while the fourth corridor connects Howrah to Katwa via Bandel Jn, there is one small fifth corridor also available between and Belur Math via Liluah and the sixth corridor runs between Barddhaman and . ^[1] In the Sealdah section, among the 7 corridors the mainline runs from Sealdah to Gede, which is situated at the India-Bangladesh Border. The second corridor is from Sealdah to Krishnanagar City Jn via Ranaghat. The third corridor connects to via, The fourth one is from to via DumDum Jn, fifth one is connecting Hasnabad to via DumDum Jn and Barasat Jn, the sixth line connects to Kalyani Simanta via Kalyani railway station and the seventh corridor is a Single-track railway corridor between and . The other line is the important - line which serves as a crucial link between the two sections of the eastern line.^[2]

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

Stations with Routes

Routes

The Eastern lines consists of the following sections with routes:

• Howrah section

1. Howrah - Barddhaman (mainline via)
2. Howrah - Barddhaman (chord line via)
3. Howrah - Goghat (via Seoraphuli)
4. Howrah - (via)
5. Howrah - (via)
6. Barddhaman -

• Sealdah section

1. - (via)
2. - Krishnanagar City (via)
3. - (via)
4. - (via DumDum)
5. - (via DumDum)
6. - (via)
7. -
8. - (connects two divisions)

Stations

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

•Howrah Section

1. Howrah - Barddhaman main line

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

Howrah - Barddhaman 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.

2. Howrah - Bardhaman 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)

3. Howrah - Goghat line

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

Howrah - Goghat line
	Distance from Howrah Jn (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		HWH	.
2	4			Towards
3	6			None
4	8			None
5	9			None
6	11			None
7	13			None
8	16			None
9	19			None
10	21	^†	SHE	Main line (Eastern line)
11	27			None
12	29			None
13	33			None
14	35			Chord line (Eastern line)
15	39			None
16	43			None
17	44			None
18	47			None
19	50			None
20	54			None
21	56		TAK	None
22	61			None
23	66			None
24	72			None
25	81		AMBG	None
26	91		GOGT	None
† – Branch Line starts at Seoraphuli

4.Howrah - Katwa line

Howrah - Katwa line
	Distance from Howrah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		HWH	Chord line / Belur Math Branch line (Eastern line)
2	4		LLH	Chord line / Belur Math Branch line (Eastern line)
3	6		BEQ	Chord line (Eastern line)
4	8		BLY	Chord line (Eastern line)
5	9		UPA	None
6	11		HMZ	None
7	13		KOG	None
8	16		RIS	None
9	19		SRP	None
10	21		SHE	Tarakeswar and Goghat (Eastern line)
11	24		BBAE	None
12	28		BHR	None
13	30		MUU	None
14	32		CGR	None
15	35		CNS	None
16	37		HGY	None
17	39	^†	BDC	Main line (Eastern line)
18	43			None
19	45			None
20	47			None
21	50			None
22	54			None
23	56			None
24	61			None
25	64			None
26	67			None
27	72			None
28	74			None
29	81		ABKA	None
30	85			None
31	90			None
32	93			None
33	97			None
34	100			None
35	105		NDAE	None
36	106			None
37	110			None
38	112			None
39	115			None
40	118			None
41	121			None
42	126			None
43	131			None
44	134			None
45	137			None
46	144		KWAE	Barddhaman (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Bandel

5. Howrah - Belur Math Line

Howrah - Belur Math 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

6. Barddhaman - Katwa line

See main article: article.

Barddhaman - Katwa 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	14			None
8	19			None
9	25		BGNA	None
10	29			None
11	31			None
12	35			None
13	40			None
14	44			None
15	45			None
16	52		KWAE	Bandel (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Barddhaman

•Sealdah Section

1. Sealdah - Gede Main Line

See main article: article and Sealdah–Ranaghat line.

Sealdah - Gede Main line
	Distance from Sealdah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		SDAH	Chord link line / Sealdah South lines
2	3		BNXR	Chord link line / Circular line
3	6		DDJ	Chord link line / Circular line/ Bangaon and Hasnabad (Eastern line)
4	11			None
5	13			None
6	15			None
7	18			None
8	20			None
9	22		BP	None
10	24			None
11	27			None
12	30			None
13	33			None
14	35			None
15	37		NH	Bandel (Eastern line)
16	42			None
17	43			None
18	45			None
19	48		KYI	Kalyani Simanta (Eastern line)
20	52			None
21	57			None
22	59			None
23	61			None
24	67			None
25	73		RHA	Bangaon, Krishnanagar & Shantipur (Eastern line)
26	77			None
27	79			None
28	82			None
29	86			None
30	88			None
31	90			None
32	93			None
33	96			None
34	99			None
35	105			None
36	111			None
37	113			None
38	116		GEDE	None

2. Sealdah - Krishnanagar City line

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

Sealdah - Krishnanagar City line
	Distance from Sealdah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		SDAH	Chord link line / Sealdah South lines
2	3		BNXR	Chord link line / Circular line
3	6		DDJ	Chord link line / Circular line/ Bangaon and Hasnabad (Eastern line)
4	11			None
5	13			None
6	15			None
7	18			None
8	20			None
9	22		BP	None
10	24			None
11	27			None
12	30			None
13	33			None
14	35			None
15	37		NH	Bandel (Eastern line)
16	42			None
17	43			None
18	45			None
19	48		KYI	Kalyani Simanta (Eastern line)
20	52			None
21	57			None
22	59			None
23	61			None
24	67			None
25	73	^†	RHA	Main (Eastern line)
26	77			Shantipur (Eastern line)
27	81			None
28	84			None
29	89			None
30	94			None
31	99		KNJ	Shantipur (Eastern line)
† – Sealdah - Gede main line till Ranaghat

3. Sealdah -Shantipur Line

Sealdah - Shantipur line
	Distance from Kalinarayanpur (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		SDAH	Chord link line / Sealdah South lines
2	3		BNXR	Chord link line / Circular line
3	6		DDJ	Chord link line / Circular line/ Bangaon and Hasnabad (Eastern line)
4	11			None
5	13			None
6	15			None
7	18			None
8	20			None
9	22		BP	None
10	24			None
11	27			None
12	30			None
13	33			None
14	35			None
15	37		NH	Bandel (Eastern line)
16	42			None
17	43			None
18	45			None
19	48		KYI	Kalyani Simanta (Eastern line)
20	52			None
21	57			None
22	59			None
23	61			None
24	67			None
25	73	^†	RHA	Main (Eastern line)
26	77	^†		Ranaghat and Krishnanagar (Eastern line)
27	81			None
28	86		FLU	None
29	89			None
30	93		STB	None
† – Branch Line starts at Kalinarayanpur

4. Sealdah - Bangaon Line

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

Sealdah - Bangaon line
	Distance from Sealdah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		SDAH	Chord link line / Sealdah South lines
2	3		BNXR	Chord link line / Circular line
3	6	^†	DDJ	Chord link line/Circular line/Main (Eastern line)
4	9		DDC	None
5	11			None
6	13		BBT	None
7	14			None
8	16			None
9	17			None
10	20			None
11	22		BT	Hasnabad (Eastern line)
12	25			None
13	29		DTK	None
14	33			None
15	37			None
16	40			None
17	44		HB	None
18	49			None
19	53			None
20	57		GBG	None
21	62		TKNR	None
22	66			None
23	71			None
24	76		BNJ	Ranaghat (Eastern line)
† – Sealdah - Gede Main Line till Dum Dum Junction

5. Sealdah - Hasnabad Line

Sealdah - Hasnabad 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

6. Sealdah - Kalyani Simanta line

Sealdah - Kalyani Simanta line
	Distance from Sealdah (km)	Station Name	Station Code	Connections
1	0		SDAH	Chord link line / Sealdah South lines
2	3		BNXR	Chord link line / Circular line
3	6		DDJ	Chord link line / Circular line/ Bangaon and Hasnabad (Eastern line)
4	11			None
5	13			None
6	15			None
7	18			None
8	20			None
9	22		BP	None
10	24			None
11	27			None
12	30			None
13	33			None
14	35			None
15	37		NH	Bandel (Eastern line)
16	42			None
17	43			None
18	45			None
19	48	^†	KYI	Main (Eastern line)
20	49			None
21	51			None
22	52		KLYM	None
† – Sealdah -Gede Main Line till Kalyani

7. Ranaghat - Bangaon Line

Ranaghat - Bangaon 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	9			None
5	14			None
6	18			None
7	22			None
8	28			None
9	32		BNJ	Dum Dum (Eastern line)
† – Branch Line starts at Ranaghat

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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. 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 .
4. http://www.er.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1527247597560-CHG.%20FEATURES.pdf ER Features