Sealdah railway station
Sealdah শিয়ালদহ | ||||||||||||||||
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Indian Railway Station Central Station | ||||||||||||||||
Main Entrance of the Station | ||||||||||||||||
Location |
Kolkata, West Bengal India | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 22°34′03″N 88°22′15″E / 22.5674°N 88.3708°ECoordinates: 22°34′03″N 88°22′15″E / 22.5674°N 88.3708°E | |||||||||||||||
Elevation | 9.00 metres (29.53 ft) | |||||||||||||||
Line(s) |
Sealdah-Ranaghat-Krishnanagar-Berhampore-Lalgola line Sealdah-Ranaghat-Gede line Sealdah-Ranaghat-Shantipur line Sealdah-Barasat-Bangaon line Sealdah-Barasat-Hasnabad line Sealdah-Budgebudge line Sealdah-Canning line Sealdah-Diamond Harbour line Sealdah-Namkhana line | |||||||||||||||
Platforms | 20 | |||||||||||||||
Tracks | 20 | |||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||
Structure type | At-grade | |||||||||||||||
Parking | Available | |||||||||||||||
Disabled access | SDAH | |||||||||||||||
Other information | ||||||||||||||||
Status | Functioning | |||||||||||||||
Station code | SDAH | |||||||||||||||
Zone(s) | Eastern Railway | |||||||||||||||
Division(s) | Sealdah | |||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1862 | |||||||||||||||
Electrified | Yes | |||||||||||||||
Previous names | Eastern Bengal Railway, Bengal Assam Railway | |||||||||||||||
Services | ||||||||||||||||
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Sealdah railway station is one of the major railway stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station, Santragachi Junction and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest railway stations in India[1] and an important suburban rail terminal. After completion, Kolkata Metro Line 2 will pass through Sealdah.
History
Sealdah Railway station was started in 1869.[2][3] Before 1978, there was a tram terminus at Sealdah station. Trams departed from here towards Rajabazar, Howrah Station, High Court, Dalhousie Square, Park Circus and Dharmatala. The first horse tram service of Kolkata was also started from Sealdah to Armenian Ghat, following the currently route 13, 14 & 16 between Lebutala & Dalhousie Square. The Sealdah-Lebutala & Dalhousie Square-Armenian Ghat (later extended to High Court) stretch is now closed. That terminus was demolished in 1978 also with the Sealdah-Lebutala tram track stretched through Boubazar Street for construction of the Sealdah flyover. Now tram services between Rajabazar-Esplanade, Parkcircus-Burrabazar and other services pass through Sealdah. Currently, a car parking exists in place of the old tram terminus.
Operations
There are three station terminals at Sealdah: Sealdah North, Sealdah Main and Sealdah South. The North section consists of Sealdah North and Sealdah Main buildings. It has 13 platforms numbering 1 to 4, 4A (Sealdah North), and 5 to 9C, 9A & 9B (Sealdah Main). The South section consists of Sealdah South terminal, with 7 platforms (10A, 10-14,14A). The north and south sections have separate set of emerging tracks. The north and south section is connected by two links, one is Dumdum-Majherhat link (popularly circular rail), and other is Bidhannagar-Parkcircus link (extension of circular rail). These two links were constructed to quickly travel between the two sections avoiding Sealdah.
For the financial department,There are DRM's,Sr.DFM's and ADFM's to look over.Sealdah North acts as the suburban train terminal for 2 divisions: the main division and the Bongaon division. The main division of Sealdah north operates trains plying between Kolkata and Bandel, Gede, Ranaghat, Shantipur, Krishnanagar, Baharampur, Lalgola, Dankuni, Kalyani Simanta and others. A narrow gauge line earlier used to connect Shantipur and Krishnanagar but now it has been replaced with broad gauge. This line continues to Nabadwip Ghat. These narrow gauge lines are served by DMU trains (all other lines run EMU trains). There is a plan to extend the suburban train service from Krishnanagar to Plassey, which is currently served by electric loco hauled trains. Dankuni line connects Eastern Railway's Howrah line at Bali and Dankuni. Bandel line connects Eastern Railway's Howrah line at Bandel.
The Bongaon division handles trains for Kolkata Airport, Bangaon, Hasnabad and others. Bangaon and Ranaghat are also connected.
Sealdah Main is the mail/express terminal for long distance trains to northern, north-western, north-eastern & eastern India, through Dankuni line and Bandel line. Krishnanagar line is also serving long distance intrastate trains.
The South section, consisting of Sealdah South terminal, acts as the terminal for local trains plying between Kolkata and Diamond Harbour-Budgebudge, Canning, and Namkhana.
There is also an EMU carshed at Sealdah (Narkeldanga). Other EMU carsheds are at Barasat & Sonarpur. A diesel shunter loco shed is also situated at adjacent Beliaghata. A rail coach factory is set to come up at Kanchrapara.
Before partition in 1947 of India, Gede line and Bangaon line were continued to present day Bangladesh.
The main railway stations of Sealdah main line are:
Dum Dum Jn(Dum Dum), Barrackpore(Barrackpore),Naihati Jn(Naihati),Kalyani(Kalyani),Ranaghat Jn(Ranaghat),Krishnanagar City jn(Krishnanagar), Berhampore Court(Baharampur)
Some major trains originating from Sealdah Railway Station are
S No | Train Number | Destination | Train Name | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12329 / 12379 | Delhi / Amritsar | West Bengal Sampark Kranti Express | (leaves Sealdah for Amritsar on Fridays) |
2 | 12313 | New Delhi | Sealdah Rajdhani Express | |
3 | 13133 | Varanasi | Sealdah Varanasi Express | |
4 | 12317 | Amritsar | Akal Takht Express | |
5 | 15657 | Guwahati | Kanchenjunga Express | |
6 | 13141 | New Alipurduar | Teesta Torsha Express | |
7 | 13103 | Lalgola | Bhagirathi Express | |
8 | 12343 | New Jalpaiguri | Darjeeling Mail | |
9 | 13163 | Saharsa | Hate Bazare Express | |
10 | 13105 | Ballia | Sealdah Ballia Express | |
11 | 13153 | Malda Town | Gour Express | |
12 | 12316 | Ajmer/Udaipur City | Ananya Express | |
13 | 12987 | Ajmer | Ajmer Sealdah Superfast Express | |
14 | 13185 | Jaynagar | Ganga Sagar Express | |
15 | 13503 | Asansol | Intercity Express (Indian Railways) | |
16 | 12377 | New Jalpaiguri | Padatik Express | |
17 | 13149 | Alipurduar | Kanchan Kanya Express | |
18 | 13147 | New Cooch Behar | Uttar Banga Express | |
19 | 13187 | Rampurhat | Sealdah Rampurhat Express | |
20 | 12259 | New Delhi | Sealdah - New Delhi Duronto Express | |
21 | 22201 | Puri | Sealdah - Puri Duronto Express | |
Gallery
- Outside view of Sealdah station
- Platform of Sealdah station
- 12259 Sealdah - New Delhi Duronto Express - Departure from platform 9B
- On approach to Sealdah
See also
- Kolkata Station
- Kolkata Suburban Railway
- Kolkata Metro
- Kolkata tram
- List of Kolkata Suburban Railway Stations
References
- ↑ The Rainbows of Kolkata. Lulu.com. pp. 51–. ISBN 978-1-4092-3848-5. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ↑ "Sealdah History". irfca.org/. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ↑ Railway gazette international. Reed Business Pub. 1957. p. 182. Retrieved 1 October 2012.