The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.
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Transcript of The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.
![Page 1: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50
And what happened to it later
![Page 2: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Before 1947
• All trains from Calcutta to North Bengal and the Northeast passed through areas which were to become part of East Pakistan. See the following maps:
![Page 3: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
![Page 4: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
A closer look at the lines in northern Bengal
![Page 5: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Some trains of the 1943 Bradshaw
• The Darjeeling Mail: Sealdah to Siliguri via Ranaghat, Hardinge bridge and Parbatipur
• The Assam Mail: BG from Sealdah to Parbatipur, then by MG to Amingaon via Lalmanirhat, Gitaldaha and Golakganj
• The Surma Mail: BG from Sealdah to Santahar, then by MG to ferry crossing, finally by MG to Mymensingh, Akhaura and Silchar
![Page 6: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
More about the 1943 trains
There were no express trains from North India to the North East, although there appears to have been a Prayag-Amingaon passenger via Katihar, Parbatipur and thence by the Assam Mail route.
One can also mention the Dacca Mail and Chittagong Express which involved long boat trips from Goalundo.
![Page 7: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Effect of partition on rail lines
• See the map with the border cutting the lines at numerous places:
![Page 8: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
How the border cut the tracks
![Page 9: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The missing links
• 1) Kishanganj-Siliguri NG line was to be converted to MG
• 2) Siliguri-Bagrakot including Tista bridge-could use existing NG line up to Sivok
• 3) Madarihat-Hashimara including Torsa bridge
• 4) Alipur Duar to Fakiragram
![Page 10: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Further improvements
• 1) A new station Siliguri Jn was set up north of the existing BG terminus-which is now Siliguri Town
• 2) Siliguri to Sivok became a dual gauge NG-MG line, while the NG continued up the Tista valley to Gielle Khola
• 3) A new station Alipur Duar Jn was set up north of the existing Alipur Duar station
![Page 11: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Improvements (contd)
• 4) New stations at Bagrakot, New Mal and elsewhere
• 5) New Gitaldaha Jn station set up north of existing junction-probably as it was too close to the border.
![Page 12: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
In the interim
• Trains such as the Darjeeling Mail continued to run through East Pakistan as there was no alternative
• A new zone called the Assam Railway was created
• The chief Engineer of the Assam Rail Link Project was Karnail Singh, later to become Chairman of the Railway Board
![Page 13: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Also note
• The NG line from Kishanganj to Siliguri had an unsuitable alignment for MG, so most of the line had a new alignment.
• Instead of joining the Darjeeling line at Panchanai, the new MG line directly entered the new Siliguri Jn
• Then the eastbound trains reversed and followed the NG/MG line up to Sivok
![Page 14: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Sidelights
• The Siliguri-Haldibari BG section was operated by Pakistan until the link was completed. Then it was converted to MG (and later to BG in the early 60s)-it had gone from MG to BG to MG and finally BG
• A stretch between Bamanhat and Golakganj became an isolated line with no connection to the rest of Pakistan
![Page 15: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
More on part 1 and 2
• The Tista bridge was just after Sivok. The new line continued to join the existing line near Bagrakot, where a new station was built
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The changes around Siliguri
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Part 3 and 4
• Madarihat to Hashimara was a relatively short stretch, but the Torsa bridge (like the Tista bridge) was a major obstacle.
• The line from Hashimara to Dalsinghpara was closed
• The line from Alipur Duar Jn (new station) to Fakiragram was not so problematic
![Page 18: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Opening dates
• Kishanganj-Siliguri Jn: 106 km: 9 Dec 1949 (partly opened in Jul 1948)
• Siliguri Jn to Bagrakot: 32 km: 26 Jan 1950• Madarihat to Hashimara: 10 km: 25 Dec 1949• Alipur Duar Jn to Fakiragram: 72 km: 26 Jan
1950• Siliguri Jn to Siliguri Town: 2 km: 9 Dec 1949
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A Republic Day gift
• Thus we can see that the entire Assam Rail Link was opened on the same day when the Republic of India was proclaimed
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Later developments-1
• Later in 1950 the Tista Valley line up to Gielle Khola was badly damaged by floods and was abandoned. So the Siliguri-Sivok section became a pure MG line
• BG trains from Calcutta used to run up to Sakrigali Ghat near Sahibganj. A ferry crossing led to Manihari Ghat near Katihar, from where trains ran up to Amingaon (e.g. North Bank Express)
![Page 21: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Later developments-2
• Ferry crossings were still a major bottleneck. The Mokameh bridge opened in 1959 and the Gauhati bridge in 1962-just in time for the war with China
• A ferry crossing at Farakka/ Khejuria Ghat with connecting lines to New Jalpaiguri was started in the mid-60s. This enabled the Darjeeling Mail to be resumed-although the Farakka bridge was opened only in 1971 (just in time for the Bangladesh war)
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The completed link
• This is from the 1957 map:
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Map of 1964
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The ARLP today
• BG lines began to move into Assam in the mid-60s, though they reached Gauhati only by the 1980s
• Today most of the MG lines linking the Northeast with the rest of the country have been converted to BG
![Page 26: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
The 1971 map
• This is what the area looked like in 1971-note the BG inroads up to New Bongaigaon and Jogighopa
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The 1971 map
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The link in the 1975 time table:
• Katihar• Barsoi• Kishanganj• Naksalbari• Siliguri Jn• Sivok• Bagrakot• New Mal• Chalsa
• Binnaguri• Madarihat• Hashimara• Rajabhat Khawa• Alipur Duar Jn• Samuktala Road• Fakiragram• New Bongaigaon
![Page 29: The Story of the Assam Rail Link construction project in 1947-50 And what happened to it later.](https://reader030.fdocuments.in/reader030/viewer/2022032523/56649d775503460f94a585f7/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
The trains using the link in 1975
• Long distance trains were;
• 3,4 Assam Mail (BJU to DBRT)
• 1,2 Avadh Tirhut Mail
• 15,16 Lucknow Gauhati Express
• (both between LJN and GHY)
• Also the 17,18 Vaishali Express between AF and SGUJ
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References
• Indian railways: the final frontier by A.K. Dutta
• History of Indian Railways-1964 edition• Survey of India maps of 1944,1957 and
1971• All India Time Table, 1975• Various issues of “Railway Gazette” in
1948-50• Article by RINBAD in irfca.org
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THE END