Ahmadpur–Katwa line

Railway line in India

Ahmadpur
Katwa

Stations16ServiceSystemElectrifiedOperator(s)1917-1966 McLeod's Light Railways 1966-present Eastern RailwayHistoryOpened29 September 1917 (NG) 24 May 2018 (BG)Closed14 January 2013 (NG)TechnicalLine length52 km (32 mi)Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gaugeOld gauge2 ft 6 in (762 mm)

Route map

Legend

Sahibganj loop

Ahmadpur Junction

Chowhatta

Gopalpurgram

Labpur

Bakreshwar River

Mahespur

Kirnahar

Daskalgram

Kurmadanga

Jnandas Kandra

Komarpur

Nirol

Nirolgram Halt

Pachandi

Kandor River

Ambalgram

Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop

Nabagram Kankurhati

Ajay River

Bardhaman–Katwa line

Katwa Junction

Bandel–Katwa line

Sources: ^[1]

The Ahmadpur–Katwa line is a railway branch line connecting Ahmadpur Junction railway station in Birbhum district and Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Railway.^[2]

History

McLeod's Light Railways

McLeod's Light Railways (MLR) consisted of four 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge lines in West Bengal. The railways were built and owned by McLeod & Company, a subsidiary of a London company of managing agents, McLeod Russell & Co. Ltd.^[3]

Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway connecting Ahmadpur (now Birbhum district) and Katwa (now Purba Bardhaman district), West Bengal opened on 29 September 1917. The railway was built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and total length was 52 kilometres (32 mi).^[4]

The engines chugged along at a maximum speed of 30 km per hour.^[5]^[6]

In 1966, ownership of the AKR, together with its sister line, the Burdwan–Katwa Railway, was transferred to the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways.^[7]

Gauge conversion

This 52 km-long railway section was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, work for which began on 14 January 2013. The line was opened to the public on 24 May 2018.^[8]^[9]

References

^ "Howrah Division System Map". ER Railway.
^ Chakraborty, Snehamoy (14 January 2013). "Emotions pasted – One last run". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
^ "McLeod's Light Railways". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
^ "Ahmedpur-Katwa Railway". Retrieved 22 August 2009.
^ "Narrow gauge gets a new lease of life". The Statesman, 14 October 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2009. ^{[dead link]}
^ Manning, Ian. "The Katwa Railways". From Bengal Towards Nagpur. Indian Railway Fan Club. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
^ "Ahmadpur-Katwa Railway". FIBIS Wiki. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
^ "First train starts running on newly constructed Ahmedpur Katwa broadgauge line" (in Bengali). Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ "Passenger train to start on newly constructed Ahmedpur Katwa broadgauge line". Indian Railways. Retrieved 25 August 2018.

Railways in Eastern India

National network/
trunk lines

Other lines/sections

Interstate	Asansol–Gaya section Asansol–Patna section Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line Barauni–Gorakhpur, Raxaul and Jainagar lines Barkakana–Son Nagar line Barsoi–New Farakka section Barsoi–Radhikapur branch line Dumka–Bhagalpur line Gaya–Mughalsarai section Hatia–Rourkela line Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line Katihar–Siliguri line Kharagpur–Puri line Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section Kothavalasa–Kirandul line New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section Tatanagar–Bilaspur section
Bihar	Bakhtiyarpur–Tilaiya line Barauni–Katihar section Barauni–Samastipur section Fatuha–Tilaiya line Gaya–Kiul line Mokama–Barauni section Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur line (via Hajipur, Raxaul and Sitamarhi) Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur main line Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi section Muzaffarpur–Hajipur section Narkatiaganj–Bhikhna Thori branch line Neora–Jatdumari–Daniyawan–Bihar Sharif–Sheikhpura line Patna–Gaya line Patna–Mughalsarai section Patna–Sonepur–Hajipur section Raxaul–Sagauli line Samastipur–Muzaffarpur section
Jharkhand	Barkakana–Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh line Barkakana–Muri–Chandil line Dhanbad–Chandrapura line Railways in Jharia Coalfield Koderma–Hazaribagh–Barkakana–Ranchi line Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line
Odisha	Khurda Road–Bolangir line Cuttack–Sambalpur line
West Bengal	Ahmadpur–Katwa line Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line Andal–Sainthia branch line Andal–Sitarampur loop line Bandel–Katwa line Bankura–Masagram line Bardhaman–Asansol section Bardhaman–Katwa line Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Eklakhi–Balurghat branch line Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line Howrah–Barddhaman main line Howrah–Bardhaman chord Howrah–Kharagpur line Kharagpur–Bankura–Adra line New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line Santragachi–Amta branch line Sealdah Main and North section Calcutta Chord link line Kolkata Circular Railway Sealdah–Bangaon line Sealdah–Ranaghat–Gede line Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City–Lalgola line Sealdah South section Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur branch line

Suburban
rail transport

Monorail

Defunct lines

Revived/ Under revival	Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway Bankura–Damodar Railway Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway Burdwan–Katwa Railway Bakhtiarpur–Bihar Light Railway Futwah–Islampur Light Railway
Inactive	Bengal Provincial Railway East Coast State Railway Kalighat Falta Railway Mayurbhanj State Railway Dehri Rohtas Light Railway Patna–Digha Ghat line Parlakimedi Light Railway

Zones & Divisions

Eastern	Asansol Howrah Malda Sealdah
East Central	Danapur Dhanbad Mughalsarai Samastipur Sonpur
East Coast	Sambalpur Khurda Road Waltair
North Eastern	Varanasi
Northeast Frontier	Katihar Alipurduar
South Eastern	Adra Chakradharpur Kharagpur Ranchi

Production units/
workshops

Transit points
with Bangladesh

Active	Haldibari–Chilahati Singhabad–Rohanpur Radhikapur–Biral Gede–Darshana Petrapole–Benapole
Defunct	Mahisasan–Shahbajpur Changrabandha–Burimari Gitaldaha–Mogalhat