Howrah–Chennai main line - Misplaced Pages

The Howrah–Chennai main line is a railway line connecting Chennai and Kolkata cutting across Eastern Coastal Plains of India. It covers a distance of 1,661 kilometres (1,032 mi) across, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Sections

The 1,661 km (1,032 mi) long trunk line has been treated in more detail in its sections:

Howrah–Kharagapur section (approximately 115 km (71 mi)
Kharagpur–Khurda Road section (approximately 363.1 km (225.6 mi)
Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section (approximately 430 km (270 mi))
Nidadavole–Narsapuram section
Duvvada–Vijayawada section (approximately 350 km (220 mi)) (from Anakapalle south) South Coast Railway zone
Vijayawada–Gudur section (approximately 310 km (190 mi)) South Coast Railway zone
Gudur–Chennai section (approximately 140 km (87 mi)) (except Gudur Junction) Southern Railway zone

Geography

The Howrah–Chennai main line traverses the Eastern Coastal Plains crossing such major rivers as the Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna. The coastal plains lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal are fertile agricultural lands with high density of population.

History

The Howrah–Delhi main line was the first trunk route in India connecting two metropolises. It was opened in 1866. The second trunk route was Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai line, opened in 1870. The Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line was opened in 1900 as the third trunk route in the country. Close on its heels was the Howrah–Madras main line in 1901.

The first train service in southern India was operated from Royapuram/Vyasarpadi Jeeva in Chennai to Walajah Road, near Vellore, covering around 100 km (62 mi) long, and operated by Madras Railway Company, on 1 July 1856. Several other lines were also developed. During the period 1893 to 1896, 1,287 km (800 mi) of the East Coast State Railway, from Vijayawada Junction to Cuttack was built and opened to traffic, and construction of the Vijayawada–Madras link in 1899 enabled the through running of trains along the eastern coast of India.Bengal Nagpur Railway was working on both the Howrah–Kharagpur and Kharagpur–Cuttack lines, completed the bridge over the Rupnarayan in 1900 and the Mahanadi in 1901, thus completing the through connection between Chennai and Kolkata.

Railway reorganization

The southern part of the East Coast State Railway (from Waltair to Vijayawada) was taken over by Madras Railway in 1901. The 514 km (319 mi) long northern portion of the East Coast line to Cuttack, including the branch line to Puri, was taken over by Bengal Nagpur Railway in 1902.

In 1908 Madras Railway was merged with the Southern Mahratta Railway to form Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway.

In the early 1950s legislation was passed authorizing the central government to take over independent railway systems that were there. On 14 April 1951 the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company and Mysore State Railway were merged to form Southern Railway. Subsequently, Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was also merged into Southern Railway. On 2 October 1966, the Secunderabad, Solapur, Hubli and Vijayawada Divisions, covering the former territories of Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway and certain portions of Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway were separated from Southern Railway to form the South Central Railway. In 1977, Guntakal division of Southern Railway was transferred to South Central Railway and the Solapur division transferred to Central Railway. Amongst the seven new zones created in 2010 was South Western Railway, which was carved out of Southern Railway.

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway. In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier. Amongst the new zones started in April 2003 were East Coast Railway and South East Central Railway. Both these railways were carved out of South Eastern Railway. Amongst the new zone to be started in April 2020 is South Coast Railway this railway was carved out of South Central Railway and East Coast Railway.

The line was the site of one of India's worst rail disasters, the 2023 Odisha train collision.

Electrification

Howrah–Chennai Mail was the first train in South Eastern Railway to be hauled by a diesel engine (WDM-1) in 1965.

The Howrah–Chennai route was completely electrified by 2005.

Speed limits

The New Delhi –Chennai Central line of which the Vijayawada–Chennai section is a part, and Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line, of which the Howrah–Kharagpur section is a part, are planned to be upgraded as "Group A" lines which can take speeds up to 160 km/h. The Kharagpur-Vijayawada sector is classified as a Group B line which can take speeds up to 130 km/h.

Passenger movement

The main passenger train services along this line are the Howrah–Chennai Mail and the Coromandel Express. Howrah, Kharagpur, Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Nellore, Gudur and Chennai Central on this line are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.

Golden quadrilateral

The Howrah–Chennai main line is a part of the golden quadrilateral. The routes connecting the four major metropolises (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata), along with their diagonals, known as the golden quadrilateral, carry about half the freight and nearly half the passenger traffic, although they form only 16 per cent of the length.

References

"Coastal Plains of India". Country facts – the world at your finger tips. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
"The Coastal Plains of India". Zahie.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
^ "IR History: Early Days – I". Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1832–1865). Retrieved 27 October 2012.
^ "IR History: Early Days – II". Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1870–1899). Retrieved 27 October 2012.
^ "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
^ "History of Waltair Division". Mannanna.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
^ "IR History: Part III (1900-1947)". IRFCA. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
"History". East Coast Railway. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
Railways. Vol. 2. Orient Longmans Private Limited. 2005. p. 755. ISBN 9788125027317. Retrieved 13 February 2013. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
"Third oldest railway station in country set to turn 156". Indian Railways Turn Around News. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
"Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
^ "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
^ "IR History: Part - IV (1947 - 1970)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
"IR History Part VII (2000-present)". IRFCA. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
"Chapter II – The Maintenance of Permanent Way". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
"Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. IRFCA. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
"Geography – Railway Zones". Major routes. IRFCA. Retrieved 5 March 2013.

Indian Railways

Authority

Related
organisations

Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW)
Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE)
Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)
Container Corporation of India (CCI)
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL)
High Speed Rail Corporation of India Limited (HSRI)
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC)
Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC)
Ircon International (IRCON)
Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC)
Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)
National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL)
Passenger Amenities Committee (PAC)
Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES)
Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA)
Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL)
RailTel
Railway Protection Force (RPF)
Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB)
Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB)
Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO)

Zones

Rolling stock

Coaching Stock	ICF coach LHB coach Tejas coach
Trainsets	Amrit Bharat Multiple units Shinkansen Vande Bharat Vande Bharat Sleeper
Locomotives Wagon Numbering

DEMU/DMU	Bangalore Budgam Gondia Jalandhar Jamalpur Motibagh Maula Ali Shakurbasti Vijayawada
EMU	Avadi Bandel Barasat Ghaziabad Howrah Kalwa Kandivali Kharagpur Kurla Maula Ali Mumbai Central Narkeldanga Panskura Ranaghat Saharanpur Sanpada Sonarpur Tambaram Tikiapara Velachery Virar
MEMU	Asansol Bhilai Kanpur Kollam Palakkad Rajahmundry Vadodara
Kolkata Metro	Noapara Tollygunge New Garia Central Park Joka

Lines

Main	Chennai–Bangalore Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai Howrah–Chennai Howrah–Delhi Howrah–Gaya–Delhi Mumbai–Chennai New Delhi–Chennai New Delhi–Mumbai
High-speed	Mumbai–Ahmedabad (Under construction)
Suburban	Chennai MRTS Chennai Suburban Delhi Suburban Pune Suburban Hyderabad MMTS Kolkata Suburban Mumbai Suburban
Mountain	Darjeeling Kalka-Shimla Nilgiri

Passenger
trains

Semi-High speed	Amrit Bharat Express Duronto Express Gatimaan Express Tejas Express Rajdhani Express Shatabdi Express Vande Bharat Express
Premium	AC Express AC Double Decker Express Humsafar Express Uday Express
Express	Antyodaya Express Garib Rath Express Intercity Express Jan Sadharan Express Jan Shatabdi Express Mahamana Express Sampark Kranti Express Suvidha Express Rajya Rani Express Vivek Express Yuva Express
Luxury	Deccan Odyssey Fairy Queen Golden Chariot Mahaparinirvan Express Maharajas' Express Palace on Wheels Ramayana Express Royal Orient Royal Rajasthan on Wheels Village on Wheels
Special	Lifeline Express Red Ribbon Express Science Express
Others	Passenger trains Namo Bharat Rapid Rail

Stations

Major

Chennai	Chennai Central Chennai Egmore Tambaram
Delhi	Delhi Jn. Hazrat Nizamuddin New Delhi
Kolkata	Howrah Howrah South Sealdah
Mumbai	Dadar Kalyan Jn. Mumbai Central Mumbai CSMT Mumbai LTT Panvel
Others	Ahmedabad Jn. Gorakhpur Jn. KSR Bengaluru Patna Jn. Pune Jn. Secunderabad Jn. Surat Thane Vijayawada Jn. Visakhapatnam Jn.

Others

Training
institutes

Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering (IRICEN)
Indian Railways Institute of Electrical Engineering (IRICEE)
Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE)
Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET)
Indian Railways Track Machine Training Centre (IRTMTC)
National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR)
National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI)
Jagjivan Ram Railway Protection Force Academy (JRRPFA)

Trade unions

All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF)
All India Station Masters' Association (AISMA)
Konkan Railway Corporation Employees Union (KRCEU)

Category

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–Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction 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–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 Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya 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 New Gitaldaha–Mogalhat

Indian railheads
near India–Nepal border

Railway companies