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New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section

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New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section (including Dudhnoi-Mendipathar branch line)
Rangiya Junction an important railway station on New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerIndian Railways
LocaleAssam
Termini
Stations24
Service
Operator(s)Northeast Frontier Railway
History
Opened1962
Technical
Line length170 km (106 mi)
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
ElectrificationYes
Operating speed100 Km/Hr
Route map

Legend
Guwahati–Lumding section
km
km
0
 Guwahati
Pandu
009
7
 Kamakhya Junction
Jalukbari
008
Pandu (Pragjyotishpur)
010
20
 Azara
Saraighat Bridge on
Brahmaputra River
Amingaon
015
31
 Mirza
Agthori
013
38
 Kukurmara
Changsari
021
44
 Chhaygaon
Baihata
031
56
 Bamunigaon
Putimari
036
63
 Boko
Kendukona
037
71
 Singra
Rangia–Murkongselek
section
0Left arrow
81
 Dhupdhara
Rangiya
047
90
 Rangjuli
Ghograpar
055
NH62-IN.svg NH 62
100
 Amjonga
Pagladiya River
Assam
Meghalaya
border
Nalbari
064
110
 Dudhnoi
Kaithalkuchi
074
120
 Nolbari
Tihu
081
129
 Mendipathar
Nizsariha
086
122
 Krishnai
Pathsala
91
131
 Goalpara Town
Sarupeta
101
Naranarayan Setu
across Brahmaputra River
Guagachha
107
139
 Pancharatna
Barpeta Road
112
149
 Jogighopa
Beki River
NH31B-IN.svg NH 31B
Sorbhog
120
158
 Kerkhabari
Patiladaha
129
164
 Abhayapuri
Bijni
139
Right arrow
to Golakganj
(under construction)
Manas River
Chaprakata
148
NH31-IN.svg NH 31
Bongaigaon
154
173
 Majgaon
to Kamakhya
via Rangiya
to Kamakhya
via Goalpara Town
156
181
 New Bongaigaon
km
km
New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section
Source: Indian Railways Time Table, Eastern Zone

The New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section of the Barauni–Guwahati line connects New Bongaigaon and Guwahati in the Indian state of Assam.

History

Early developments within Assam

The Assam Railway and Trading Company played a pioneering role in laying railway tracks in Assam. The first railway line in Assam, 15 miles long, was laid in 1882 between Amolapatty, Dibrugarh and Dinjam Stream for transportation of tea. It was extended up to Makum collieries at Margherita in 1884. The company also established the first passenger railway – Dibru Sadiya Railway.[1]

During British rule, rail links from Assam to the rest of India were through the eastern part of Bengal. In pre-independence days, there were basically two linkages. On the western side, a metre gauge line running via Radhikapur, Biral, Parbatipur, Tista, Gitaldaha and Golokganj connected Fakiragram in Assam with Katihar in Bihar.[2] On the eastern side, Assam was linked to Chittagong through the Akhaura–Kulaura–Chhatak line and Akhaura–Laksam–Chittagong line. Assam was linked to numerous other towns in the eastern part of Bengal through what is now the Mahisasan-Shahbajpur defunct transit point. The eastern line had been constructed in response to the demand of the Assam tea planters for a railway link to Chittagong port. Assam Bengal Railway started construction of a railway track on the eastern side of Bengal in 1891. A 150 kilometres (93 mi) track between Chittagong and Comilla was opened to traffic in 1895. The Comilla-Akhaura-Kulaura-Badarpur section was opened in 1896-1898 and finally extended to Lumding in 1903.[3][4][5] The Assam Bengal Railway constructed a branch line to Guwahati, connecting the city to the eastern line in 1900. During the 1900-1910 period, the Eastern Bengal Railway built the Golakganj-Amingaon branch line, thus connecting the western bank of the Brahmaputra to the western line.

Apart from the eastern and western lines, there was another link. In 1908, Eastern Bengal Railway extended the Kaunia–Dharlla line to Amingaon.

With the partition of India in 1947, all the three links were lost and for a short period the railway system in Assam was delinked from the rest of India. Indian Railways took up the Assam Link Project in 1948 to build a rail link between Fakiragram and Kishanganj. Fakiragram was connected to the Indian railway system in 1950 through the Indian portion of North Bengal with a metre-gauge track.[6] The New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section was converted to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge. Broad gauge reached Guwahati in 1984.[7][8]

Saraighat Bridge

The construction of the 1.49 km long Saraighat Bridge, the first rail-cum-road bridge across the Brahmaputra, was an event of great excitement. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister formally laid the foundation stone on 10 January 1960 and it was completed in 1962, connecting the two parts of the metre gauge railways in Assam.[9]

Siliguri-Jogihopa-Kamakhya line

The 265 km (165 mi) long 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge Siliguri-Jogihopa line was constructed between 1963 and 1965.[10] The Naranarayan Setu was constructed in 1998, thereby paving the way for linking Jogihopa with Kamakhya.[11]

Dudhnoi-Mendipathar branch line

The line between Dudhnoi in Assam and Deepa in Meghalaya was proposed in the Rail budget of 1992–93. Later the alignment was changed to Dudhnoi-Mendipathar in 2007 due to opposition of local people. Due to late handover of land to railways in Assam and Meghalaya, the progress of work was slow up to 2013. Acquisition of land was completed by March 2013.

This rail line is the first foray of Indian Railways into Meghalaya. Mendipathar railway station was inaugurated by the Prime minister of India, Narendra Modi on 30 November 2014, through a video feed to the ceremony gathering at Mendipathar.[12]

Electrification

Electrification of the entire Katihar–Guwahati route is planned to be executed by 2014.[13]

View of the Brahmaputra valley from the Sarania Hills. The Saraighat Bridge can be seen near the horizon, the peaked Kamakhya Hills are to the left, and while Guwahati is on the left bank, on the right bank is North Guwahati. The Nehru stadium and the railway station are faintly visible, right bottom.

References

  1. ^ "Northeast Frontier Railway". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  2. ^ "Geography - International". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  3. ^ Fida, Quazi Abul (2012). "Railway". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. ^ "Report on the administration of North East India (1921-22)". p. 46. 1984. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  5. ^ S.N.Singh, Amarendra Narain, Purnendu Kumar (January 2006). Socio Economic and Political Problems of Tea Garden Workers: A Study of Assam, Published 2006, ISBN 81-8324-098-4. Mittal Publications, New Delhi. ISBN 9788183240987. Retrieved 16 December 2011. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Indian Railways History". Northeast Frontier Railway. IRSE. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Gauge conversion project in Assam". The Hindu Business Line. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Some Milestones of NF Railway". Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Bridges: The Spectacular Feat of Indian Railways" (PDF). National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  10. ^ Moonis Raza & Yash Aggarwal (1986). Transport Geography of India: Commodity Flow and the Regional Structure of Indian Economy. Concept Publishing Company, A-15/16 Commercial Block, Mohan Garden, New Delhi - 110059. ISBN 81-7022-089-0. Retrieved 2 May 2013. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  11. ^ "Model project on Construction of Naranarayana Setu over river Brahmaputra at Jogihopa" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  12. ^ "Statement showing Category-wise No. of stations in IR based on Pass. earning of 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Railway electrification project to touch North East soon". Business Standard. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
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