Howrah railway station

ActiveStation codeHWH^[2] Zone(s) Eastern Railway(ER) & South Eastern Railway (SER) Division(s) Howrah (ER) & Kharagpur (SER)HistoryOpened1854; 170 years ago (1854)Electrified1954; 70 years ago (1954)^[3]Previous namesEast Indian Railway CompanyPassengers1 million+ daily (as of 2019)^[4]

Services
Preceding station Kolkata Suburban Railway Following station Terminus Eastern Line Main line & Chord line Liluah towards Bandel Junction Tikiapara towards Midnapore South Eastern Line Main line Terminus

Route map

Legend km Asansol–Tatanagar– Kharagpur line Kharagpur–Puri line Kharagpur–Bankura– Adra line Kalaikunda Kharagpur–Bankura –Adra line Nimpura Nimpura Through Yard Nimpura Goods Yard Girimaidan Hijli Kharagpur-Puri line 0 Kharagpur NH 60 7 Jakpur 13 Madpur 19 Shyam Chak 24 Balichak 27 Duan 30 Radhamohanpur 35 Haur 39 Khirai km Kangsabati River 44 Panskura Raghunathbari 20 to Ghatal (planned) Rajgoda 28 48 Narayan Pakuria Murail Saheed Matangini 33 51 Bhogpur Tamluk 36 00 54 Nandaigajan Nandakumar 10 57 Mecheda Nandakumar-Balaipanda new line (planned) 43 Keshabpur Chak Simulia 49 Satish Samanta Halt Bargoda 51 Mahishadal Moyna 60 Barda Balaipanda 66 Basulya Sutahata NH 41 Haldia Energy Power Station Haldi River 71 Durgachak Lavan Satyagrah Smarak 21 HPCL Siding Deshapran 33 Indorama Checmicals Siding Deshapran-Kendamari new line (planned) Gholpukur 74 Durgachak Town New Krishnanagar 77 Silpaprabesh Hampigram Haldia Industrial Belt Nandigram Kendamari Henria 39 Haldia Dock Complex Nachinda 52 Kanthi 63 79 Bandar ICF Haldia Sitalpur 69 81 Haldia Sujalpur 71 Ashapurna Devi 76 Kolaghat Thermal Power Station Badalpur 78 60 Kolaghat Kanthi-Egra new line (planned) Rupnarayan River Raipur 64 Deulti Satmile 67 Ghoraghata Paschimbatya 70 Bagnan Balighai Bagnan–Amta line (planned) Egra Damodar River Bhatda 78 Kulgachia Dubda 79 Bir Shibpur Paniparul Road Pujali–Uluberia line (planned) Depal 83 Uluberia Champa River 85 Phuleswar Ramnagar (Bengal) 86 88 Chengel Egra-Digha new line (planned) Fort Gloster Jute Mill Tikra 88 91 Bauria Digha–Jaleswar line (planned) 95 Nalpur Digha 94 Ambuja Cement 97 Abada Sankrail Goods yard 99 Sankrail Delta Jute Mill 103 Andul 105 Mourigram Santragachi–Amta branch line Hindustan Industries and Engineering 108 Santragachi Padmapukur NH 12 (Kona Expressway) Guest Keen Williams 109 Ramrajatala 111 Dasnagar Shalimar │ Shalimar rail yard 112 Tikiapara Howrah–Bardhaman main line & Howrah–Bardhaman chord 115 Howrah km Sources:[5][6][7][8] v t e Howrah–Barddhaman main line Legend km km Barddhaman–Asansol section Barddhaman Down Yard B.B. loop line Barddhaman–Katwa line Barddhaman Junction 107 00 143 53 Katwa Junction 136 Dainhat Barddhaman Up Yard Barddhaman Diesel Loco shed Gangpur 100 Dainhat–Manteswar –Memari line (planned) Saktigarh 95 B.B. loop line Howrah–Barddhaman chord line Manteswar (planned) Palsit 91 87 Rasulpur Nimo 84 Dainhat–Manteswar –Memari line (planned) 81 Memari Bagila 78 74 Debipur Bainchi 70 67 Bainchigram Simlagarh 65 60 Pundooah Khanyan 55 50 Talandu Howrah–Barddhaman chord line B.B. loop line Dhaniakhali Halt 00 46 Magra (planned) Tarakeswar–Dhaniakhali –Magra line Saraswati river Howrah–Barddhaman chord line 43 Adisaptagram Bandel EMU car shed B.B. loop line Bandel goods yard Bandel Junction 39 Bandel Steam Loco shed Bandel–Naihati branch line Hooghly 37 35 Chuchura Chandannagar 32 30 Mankundu Victoria jute mill siding Bhadreshwar jute mill siding Braithwaite Angus Works siding Angus jute mill siding Bhadreshwar 28 Champdani coal depot siding 30 Bhadreshwar Ghat DVC Khal North Brook jute mill siding Dalhousie jute mill siding Champdani jute mill siding 24 Baidyabati Seoraphuli–Bishnupur branch line 22 Seoraphuli Junction (planned) Shrirampur 19 Shrirampur (planned) Howrah Maidan–Dankuni –Srirampur metro Standard Pharma siding FCI siding Rishra Glass factory siding Grasim Industries factory siding Wellington jute mill siding 16 Rishra Rishra cotton mill siding Berger Paints factory siding Hindustan Motors factory siding 13 Konnagar Titagarh Wagons siding 11 Hind Motor 9 Uttarpara Condemned Coach Dismantling & Cutting Yard Bone mill siding Bally Khal Howrah–Barddhaman chord line Bally jute mill siding 8 Bally Belghoria Expressway Calcutta Chord link line 6 Belur Math Belur Railway Scrap Yard Belur 5 Belur Store Yard 4 Liluah Howrah–Kharagpur line Liluah C & W Workshop Santragachi Locomotive Shed Santragachi Coaching Yard Hindustan Industries & Engineering siding Santragachi–Amta branch line (planned) Howrah–Santragachi –Dhulagarh metro Santragachi Junction 07 10 Santragachi (planned) (planned) Howrah–Santragachi –Dhulagarh metro Liluah Sorting Yard Kona Expressway Ramrajatala 06 Howrah Diesel Loco Shed Dasnagar 04 Tikiapara–Liluah line (Howrah bypass line) Howrah Electric Loco Shed Tikiapara 02 Tikiapara EMU Car Shed Padmapukur Coaching Yard Tikiapara Coaching Yard Padmapukur 08 (planned) Howrah–Santragachi –Dhulagarh metro Howrah EMU Car Shed Guest Keen Williams siding Shalimar 05 Shalimar (planned) Shalimar rail yard CCI siding Shalimar Goods Shed B & R siding Salt Golah Goods Yard (abandoned) (planned) Coal Depot Howrah Maidan–Dankuni –Srirampur metro (planned) (planned) Foreshore Road Jheel Siding Coaching Yard Howrah–Shalimar line (abandoned) Howrah Maidan Burn Standard Company siding  KM Line 2  (u/c) Howrah Goods Shed 0 Howrah Hooghly river East West Metro Tunnel  KM Line 2  (u/c) km km Key Indian Railways broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) standard gauge (1435 mm) in use   out of use, planned, or under construction (u/c)   tunnel Howrah–Bardhaman Chord Legend km Bardhaman–Asansol section Bardhaman–Katwa line 95 Bardhaman 88 Gangpur 83 Saktigarh Howrah–Bardhaman main line NH 19 78 Palla Road 75 Chanchai Bankura–Masagram line 72 Masagram SH 15 Memari–Tarakeswar Road 69 Nabagram 65 Jaugram 62 Jhapandanga 58 Gurap 56 Hajigarh 54 Cheragram Block Hut 52 Sibaichandi to Mogra (planned) to Tarakeswar (planned) 49 Dhaniakhali Halt 47 Belmuri 45 Porabazar 41 Chandanpur 36 Madhusudanpur SH 2 33 Kamarkundu Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur line 32 Balarambati 30 Mirzapur–Bankipur 27 Baruipara 23 Begampur to Furfura Sharif (planned) UltraTech Cement Siding 21 Janai Road Dankuni Coal Complex Siding Jangalpara 16 Gobra 15 0 Dankuni ELAAU CLW Siding FCI Siding NH 19 NH 16 Santragachi–Amta branch line 12 Belanagar 7 Bally Howrah–Bardhaman main line 4 Rajchandrapur 6 Bally Halt C.C. link line 7 Belur Belur Math 5 Liluah Howrah–Kharagpur line 0 Howrah km This diagram: view talk edit

Location

Howrah railway station (also known as Howrah Junction, or informally Howrah Station) (Bengali: হাওড়া জংশন) is a railway station located in the city of Howrah, West Bengal, India.^[9] It is the largest and busiest railway complex in India^{[10][11][12][13]} as well as one of the busiest and largest train stations in the world.^[14][15] It is also the oldest surviving railway station complex in India. Howrah is one of six intercity train stations serving the Kolkata metropolitan area (including Howrah and its twin city of Kolkata), the others being Sealdah, Dankuni, Santragachi, Shalimar and Kolkata railway station.

The first public train from the station was on 15 August 1854, on what is now the Howrah – Hooghly Main Line.^[16] At present^[when?], about 600 passenger trains pass through the station, serving more than one million passengers a day.^[4][17][16] Utilising its 23 platforms, the station handles a total of 252 Mail/Express trains and 500 suburban EMUs daily;^[18] ten of the platforms are long enough to cater to trains with more than 24 coaches.^[19] Goods and parcel trains also originate and terminate here.^[19] The Howrah–Barddhaman main line is the busiest line that connects this station.^[20]

History

In 1849, a contract was signed between the East Indian Railway Company and East India Company and an initial amount allocated for the first section between Howrah and Raneegunge (Raniganj) via Pandooah (Pandua, Hooghly) and Burdwan (Bardhaman).^[21] Frederick Walter Simms, the consulting engineer to Government of India, initially envisaged a station on the right side of Hooghly in 1846. However following the fund sanctioning, Howrah was chosen as the location of the terminus for the new line.^[22] A bridge across the Hooghly River, a span of 1,700 feet (520 m) at the concerned stretch, was unfeasible at that time.^[23] In the coming years, the question of connecting the rail line to Calcutta was discussed frequently.^[23]

On 17 June 1851, George Turnbull, the Chief Engineer of the East Indian Railway Company and his team of engineers submitted plans for a railway station at Howrah. Not realizing the future importance of railways in the country, the government authorities decided not to purchase the land and expensive water front needed for the project in January, 1852. Turnbull then developed alternative development plans that estimated the cost at 250,000 rupees. In October 1852, four tenders for the building of the station were received: they varied from 190,000 to 274,526 rupees.^[24][25] The size of the construction project - of whether Howrah should be a large station or Howrah be a smaller station in favour of a larger station being developed at another time - was debated from time to time during this process.^[26] Eventually land was bought.^[26]

The first experimental locomotive left Howrah on 18 June 1853^{[citation needed]} for the 37.5 miles to Pandoah.^[24][25] There was a gap between laying the line and opening it up since the ship carrying the carriages sank while the locomotive ended up in Australia. Eventually the carriages were built locally and the locomotive was directed to Calcutta.^[27] The first public departure from Howrah for the 23.5 miles to Hooghly was on 15 August 1854.^[28] During this period, the station was located at what is now the office of the divisional railway manager of Howrah.^[29] It consisted of one line and platform, a ticket window and a supporting building.^[16] Two weeks later the line to Pundoah was opened.^[28] In the first 4 months, over 109,000 passengers used the service.^[28] The locomotive was of the same type as the Fairy Queen.^[30]

Indians on their way to European colonies in the early 1800s came through the Howrah Station.^[31]

The increase of residents in the region around Howrah and Kolkata and the booming economy lead to an increasing demand for rail travel. Also, the rail network kept on growing continuously, e.g. was the bridge over the Rupnarayan River at Kolaghat completed on 19 April 1900 and connected Howrah with Kharagpur.^[32] The Bengal-Nagpur Railway was extended to Howrah in 1900, thus making Howrah an important railway centre.^[33] So in 1901, a new station building was proposed. The British architect Halsey Ricardo designed the new station.^[33] It was opened to the public on 1 December 1905,^[33][34] and completed by 1911.^[29]

In the 1980s, the station was expanded to 15 platforms.^[35] At the same time, a new Yatri Niwas (transit passenger facility) was built south of the original station frontage.

The new terminal complex was finished in 1992, creating a total of 19 platforms.^[35] This was extended by a further four platforms in 2009.^[35]

On 3 March 1969, the inaugural Rajdhani Express departed Howrah for New Delhi.^[36][35] In October 2011, India's first double-decker train, Howrah–Dhanbad Double Decker Express, left Howrah for Dhanbad.^[37] The first service of the Antyodaya Express, the Howrah–Ernakulam Antyodaya Express, was inaugurated in February 2017.^[38]

As per Indian Green Building Council^[when?], it was awarded CII-IGBC Silver Rating becoming the first green railway station among metropolitan cities in India.^[39][40][41]

The book Vibrant Edifice: The Saga of Howrah Station by Eastern Railways was released in 2005.^[42] This was written to celebrate the centenary of the building.

Tram terminus, Howrah

Until 1992, there was a tram terminus at Howrah Station. Trams departed for Sealdah Station, Rajabazar, Shyambazar, High Court, Dalhousie Square, Park Circus, Ballygunge, Tollygunge etc. Trams also departed for Bandhaghat and Shibpur. The tram terminus was partially closed in 1971 while the Bandhaghat and Shibpur lines were closed. Many unauthorized vehicles and pedestrians began to traverse the tram tracks and so the routes were not continued. The terminus station was converted to underpasses and a bus terminus. The part of the tram terminus for other routes continued to function until 1992, when the Rabindra Setu (Howrah Bridge) was declared unfit to carry trams because it was a cantilever bridge.

Heritage museum

The nearby Rail Museum, Howrah was opened in 2006, and contains a section dedicated to the heritage and history of Howrah railway station.^[43] The railway museum, located south of the station, displays artefacts of historical importance related to the development of Eastern Railway. From 1909 to 1943 the Fairy Queen, the world's oldest operational steam locomotive, was displayed on a plinth inside the station.^[44][30]

Rail services

The Eastern Railway runs local trains to Belur Math, Tarakeswar, Arambagh, Goghat, Katwa, Bandel, Sheoraphuli, Bardhaman, Serampore and numerous intermediate stations (see Howrah–Bardhaman main line, Howrah–Bardhaman chord and Tarakeswar branch line). There are also mail and express trains to Central, North and North-East India. A narrow-gauge line formerly used to connect Bardhaman and Katwa, served by DMU trains; but now this line is also converted to broad gauge and used by EMU trains like all the other lines.^[45]

The South Eastern Railway, operates local trains to Amta, Mecheda, Panskura, Haldia, Tamluk, Medinipur and Kharagpur and mail and express trains to Central, West and South India. South Eastern Railway, connects with the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) route to Mumbai and Chennai.

The Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway sections are connected by two links. One is the Lilua–Tikiapara link and the other is the Rajchandrapur–Dankuni–Mourigram link. They are used by goods trains and the Sealdah–Puri Duronto Express avoiding Howrah.

Four major rail routes end at Howrah. They are the Howrah–Delhi, Howrah–Mumbai, Howrah–Chennai and Howrah–Guwahati routes.

After completion Kolkata Metro Line 2 will pass through Howrah Station.^[46]

Station facilities

The station is the divisional headquarters for the Eastern Railway.

The station has 23 platforms. Platforms 1 to 16 are located in the old complex, referred to as "Terminal 1". It serves the local and long-distance trains of Eastern Railway and local trains of South Eastern Railway. Platforms 17 to 23 are in the new complex, referred to as "Terminal 2". It serves the long-distance trains of South Eastern Railway. Currently Platform No. 8 in "Terminal 1" is the longest in Howrah Station at 961 metres (3,153 ft), followed by Platform No. 21 in "Terminal 2" which is 930.25 metres (3,052.0 ft) long & Current Platform No. 1 "Terminal 1" in which is 916 metres (3,005 ft) long. Work is going on at Platform No. 1 far end to link the 380 metres (1,250 ft) long Goods Train Platform under Bankim Setu, which is slated to be completed by October 2023. Once completed Platform No. 1 of Howrah Station "Terminal 1" will measure a staggering 1,296 metres (4,252 ft) in length & become the 3rd Longest railway Platform in India & in the World.

There is a large covered waiting area between the main complex and the platforms and other areas for passengers awaiting connecting trains. Free wifi is present at the station.^[47][48] In addition, there is a transit passenger facility with dormitory, single-room and double-room accommodation. First-class passengers wait in an air-conditioned area with balcony views of the Kolkata Skyline and the Howrah Bridge.

The station platforms have carriageways for motor vehicles within the complex including two carriageways to platforms 8 and 9 for Eastern Railway and to platforms 21 and 22 for South Eastern Railway. Flyovers at the ends of the platforms allow motor vehicles to exit the complex quickly.

Sampath Rail Yatri Niwas and Regional Rail Museum are a part of "Terminal 2" Howrah station complex.^[49][50]

Services for rolling stock

The station has a diesel-locomotive shed with room for 84 locomotives. The electric-locomotive shed has room for 96 locomotives. There is also an electric-trip shed with the capacity to hold up to 20 locomotives. The sheds accommodate 175+ WAP-4, WAP-5, and WAP-7 locomotives. The EMU car shed has over 15 parking slots. The station has a coach maintenance complex.

Connectivity

Metro station

Howrah station has an underground station, which in turn, is a part of Line 2 of the Kolkata Metro serves the area.^[51] It will be the deepest station on the East-West Metro line of the Kolkata Metro^[46][52] and also the deepest in the country.^[53][54] To the east, the station connects to Mahakaran station in Kolkata through India's biggest under-river metro tunnel beneath the Hooghly river;^[55][56] whilst to the west the adjacent station is Howrah Maidan. The station was opened to the public on 15th March 2024.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

• 
  Howrah station bus terminal
• 
  Howrah station
• 
  Public buses near Howrah railway station entrance
• 
  Waiting Travelers at Howrah Railway Station
• 
  Howrah metro station
• 
  Evening View

See also

• Kolkata Metro
• Kolkata railway station
• Kolkata suburban railway
• List of Kolkata Metro stations
• Santragachi railway station
• Sealdah railway station
• Shalimar railway station
• Trams in Kolkata

References

Works cited

• Khosla, GS (1988). A History of the Indian Railways. New Delhi: Ministry of Railways (Railways Board) and Y. P. Chopra of A H Wheeler & Co. – via Internet Archive.

Further reading

• Vibrant Edifice: The Saga of Howrah Station. Eastern Railway. 2005.

External links

• Media related to হাওড়া রেলওয়ে স্টেশন at Wikimedia Commons
• Howrah Junction railway station travel guide from Wikivoyage