Asansol–Gaya section

External videos
External videos
	Gurpa Gajhandi Ghat Section (Part I)
	Gurpa Gajhandi Ghat Section (Part II)

Asansol–Gaya section
Asansol–Gaya section
	Dhanbad Junction, an important railway station on Asansol–Gaya section
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar
Termini	Asansol; Gaya;
Stations	38
Service
System	Electrified
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway, East Central Railway
History
Opened	1907
Technical
Line length	267 km (166 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	Yes
Operating speed	130 km/h
Route map
	Gaya–Mughalsarai section of
	Grand Chord, Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line
	and Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line
	Jharkhand
	Bihar
	1350 m
	1476 yd
	NH 19
	Grand Trunk Road
	Netaji Subhas Chandra
	Bose Gomoh
to Bokaro & Barkakana
	Bokaro Thermal Power Station B
	(Damodar Valley Corporation)
	Bokaro Steel Plant
	(Steel Authority of India Limited)
	Chandrapura TPS
	(Damodar Valley Corporation)
	16
	12
	Netaji Subhas Chandra
	Bose Gomoh
	Jharia Coalfield
	rail network
	Jharia Coalfield
	rail network
	Jharia Coalfield
	rail network
	Jharia Coalfield
	rail network
	Jharkhand
	West Bengal
	to Mughalsarai Junction
	via Howrah–Delhi main line
	Sources: Google maps; Indian Railway Time Table (Indiarailinfo) Hatia-Bardhaman Passenger 53062; Gomoh-Barkakana Passenger 461EC; ;

The Asansol–Gaya section is a railway line connecting Asansol and Gaya in India. This 267-kilometre long (166 mi) track is part of the Grand Chord, Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line and Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line. This section includes the NSC Bose Gomoh–Barkakana line. It is under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway and East Central Railway. The section links to South Eastern Railway through Bokaro Steel City and Adra.

History

Main line

The Bardhaman–Asansol line was first extended to Barakar in 1858 and then in 1894 East Indian Railway Company extended the line to Jharia and Katras, opening up the Jharia Coalfield. Dhanbad emerged as a premier coal loading area.^[1] One railway-related source says that the line from Sitarampur to Dhanbad was built in 1880.^[2]

Gurpa-Gujhandi

Once the rail link from Howrah to Delhi was completed in 1866, the East Indian Railway was making constant endeavour to reduce the distance of the Howrah–Delhi main line. After several surveys, one in 1888–89 and two more subsequently, a route was determined from Dhanbad to Mughal Sarai via Koderma and Gaya. The major works in this section were a bridge across the Son River at Dehri, and tunnelling and ghat line construction between Gurpa and Gujhandi.^[2]

The 22-kilometre (14 mi) Gujhandi (altitude 370 m)–Gurpa (altitude 193 m) section, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Koderma, is a ghat (mountain/hill slope), with the Koderma Plateau sloping down to the Gaya plain.^[3]

The Grand Chord was opened on 6 December 1906 by Lord Minto, then Viceroy and Governor General of India with a function at Gujahandi. The Viceroy and Lady Minto travelled to Gaya, from where they travelled in a special observation car to Gujhandi. Two special trains, running from Howrah, carried the invitees. The Viceroy screwed on a silver bolt with a silver spanner to formally complete the line.^[2]

A repeat of the historic event was organized by East Central Railway on 6 December 2006, with a special heritage train "Grand Chord ki Rani", pulled by a 1965 steam engine, carrying the guests from Gaya to Gujhandi.^[4]

Branch lines

Several years before the Grand Chord was built, a connection from the Howrah–Delhi main line to Gaya was developed in 1900 (presumably the Patna–Gaya line) and the South Bihar Railway Company (operated by EIR) had laid a line from Lakhisarai to Gaya in 1879.^[1] Track doubling of the 130-kilometre long (81 mi) Kiul–Gaya section was announced in the Railway Budget for 2010–2011.^[5]

The Bengal Nagpur Railway system was connected to the East Indian Railway Company lines in 1889, thus connecting Asansol to Adra. In 1907 Adra was connected to the Grand Chord at Gomoh.^[1]

The construction of the 143-kilometre long (89 mi) Chandrapura–Muri–Ranchi–Hatia line started in 1957 and was completed in 1961.^[6]

In 1902, a branch line of EIR was opened from Sone East Bank (later renamed Son Nagar) to Daltonganj. With the development of South Karanpura Coalfield, the Central India Coalfields Railway opened a line from Gomoh to Barkakana in 1927 and from Barkakana to Daltonganj in 1929. These lines were subsequently taken over by EIR.^[1]

Electrification

Electrification of the stretch of mainline of this section from Asansol to Netaji SC Bose Gomoh was completed in 1960–61. Electrification of the stretch from Netaji SC Bose Gomoh to Gaya was completed in 1961–62.^[7]

On the Gomoh–Barkakana branch line electrification was done from both ends: Gomoh to Phusro in 1986–87, Barkakana to Danea in 1996–97, Danea to Gomia and Gomia to Jarandih in 1997–98.^[7]

In 1965, Asansol–Bareilly Passenger was the first long-distance train on Eastern Railway to be hauled by an AC loco.^[8]

The Gaya–Jahanabad sector was electrified in 2002–2003.^[7] Completion of electrification of the 97-kilometre long (60 mi) Patna–Gaya rail route before the end of 2003 was announced by the railway minister Nitish Kumar.^[9]

Loco sheds

Asansol is home to the oldest electric loco shed of Indian Railways. It houses WAG-5 and WAM-4 electric locomotives.^[10]

Netaji SC Bose Gomoh has an electric loco shed with capacity to hold 125+ locos. Locos housed at the shed include WAG-7, WAG-9, WAG-9I, WAP-7. WAP-7 locos serve the prestigious Howrah Rajdhani Express.^[10]

Bokaro Steel City has a diesel loco shed with WDM-2 and WDM-3A locos. It has a large yard for Bokaro Steel Plant.^[10]

Speed limits

Most of the Asansol–Gaya section is classified as ‘A’ class line where trains can run up to 160 km per hour but in certain sections speeds may be limited to 120–130 km per hour. The Howrah Rajdhani (between Howrah and New Delhi) travels at an average speed of 85.8 km per hour and the Sealdah Rajdhani (between Sealdah and New Delhi) travels at an average speed of 84.70 km per hour.^[11]^[12]

Railway reorganisation

In 1952, Eastern Railway, Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway were formed. Eastern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company, east of Mughalsarai and Bengal Nagpur Railway. Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughalsarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway. North Eastern Railway was formed with Oudh and Tirhut Railway, Assam Railway and a portion of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.^[13] East Central Railway was created in 1996–97.^[14]

References

1 2 3 4 Saxena, R. P. "Indian Railway History Time line". Irse.bravehost.com. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
1 2 3 "As the traffic continued to grow even beyond the capacity of the". Tripod. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
↑ "Satellite Map of Koderma railway station". India Rail Info. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
↑ Mukherjee, Resham (7 December 2006). "Grand rerun of Raj rail route – Railways enact Lord Minto's flag-off at Gujhandi to celebrate 100 years of Dhanbad-Gaya chord line". The Telegraph. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013.
↑ "Rain Budget 2010-2011: Bihar's gain". Jai Bihar. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
↑ Raza, Moonis; Aggarwal, Yash (1999) [1986]. Transport Geography of India: Commodity Flow and the Regional Structure of Indian Economy. Concept Publishing Company. p. 60. ISBN 81-7022-089-0. Retrieved 20 April 2013 – via Google Books.
1 2 3 "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
↑ "IR History Part IV (1947–1970)". IRFCA (Indian Railways Fan Club). Retrieved 12 November 2011.
↑ "Patna–Gaya rail electrification by end of 2003". The Times of India. 15 February 2002. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
1 2 3 "Sheds and Workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
↑ "Track Classifications: Permanent Way". IRFCA. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
↑ "Trivia: Highest speed sections of track". IRFCA. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
↑ "Geography: Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
↑ "East Central Railway". ECR. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

External links

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[timeline-1] 1 2 3 4 Saxena, R. P. "Indian Railway History Time line". Irse.bravehost.com. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2014.

[grandchord-2] 1 2 3 "As the traffic continued to grow even beyond the capacity of the". Tripod. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[3] "Satellite Map of Koderma railway station". India Rail Info. Retrieved 18 November 2011.

[4] Mukherjee, Resham (7 December 2006). "Grand rerun of Raj rail route – Railways enact Lord Minto's flag-off at Gujhandi to celebrate 100 years of Dhanbad-Gaya chord line". The Telegraph. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013.

[5] "Rain Budget 2010-2011: Bihar's gain". Jai Bihar. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[6] Raza, Moonis; Aggarwal, Yash (1999) [1986]. Transport Geography of India: Commodity Flow and the Regional Structure of Indian Economy. Concept Publishing Company. p. 60. ISBN 81-7022-089-0. Retrieved 20 April 2013 – via Google Books.

[electric-7] 1 2 3 "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 24 April 2013.

[8] "IR History Part IV (1947–1970)". IRFCA (Indian Railways Fan Club). Retrieved 12 November 2011.

[9] "Patna–Gaya rail electrification by end of 2003". The Times of India. 15 February 2002. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.

[shed-10] 1 2 3 "Sheds and Workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 April 2013.

[11] "Track Classifications: Permanent Way". IRFCA. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

[12] "Trivia: Highest speed sections of track". IRFCA. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

[13] "Geography: Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

[14] "East Central Railway". ECR. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

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