Guwahati–Lumding section

The Guwahati–Lumding section is a broad-gauge railway line connecting Guwahati and Lumding Junction. The 179-kilometre (111 mi) long railway line operates in the Indian state of Assam. It is under the jurisdiction of Northeast Frontier Railway zone.

Guwahati–Lumding section (including Chaparmukh-Silghat Town & Chaparmukh-Mairabari branch lines)
Chaparmukh Junction an important railway station on Guwahati–Lumding section
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Assam
Termini	Guwahati Lumding
Service
Operator(s)	Northeast Frontier Railway zone
History
Opened	1900
Technical
Line length	181 km (112 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Old gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ^3⁄8 in)
Route map km New Bongaigaon–Guwahati section 0 Guwahati 4 New Guwahati 5 Noonmati 10 Satgaon Army Halt 8 Narangi 14 Panikhaiti 19 Thakurkuchi 26 Panbari 33 Digaru Kamalajori 010 38 0 Tetelia Assam Meghalaya 45 Kamrup Khetri Byrnihat 022 51 Barahu under construction ↑ planned ↓ 56 Jagi Road Sohkhwai 032 64 Aujuri Lailad 040 70 Sonuabori Nonghpoh 048 75 Dharamtul Mawkyndah 054 82 Thekeraguri Umtsaor 063 90 Chaparmukh Junction Nongseter 071 Kyrdemkulai 084 94 Raha Umroi 097 102 Phulaguri Umpling 109 107 Bebejia Mawshaepah 121 109 Senchoa Junction Shillong 130 115 Haibargaon Nagaon 116 125 Rupahigaon Puranigudam 126 131 Tarabari Samaguri 135 135 Juria Amoni 143 139 Dagaon Salona 148 144 Balikotia Salona-Khumtai line (planned) 0 147 Batadrawa Kallyden Siding 153 153 Dhing Bazar Solal Siding 158 156 Dhing Jakhalabandha 163 159 Mairabari Silghat Town 171 planned bridge over Brahmaputra River Silghat Town–Dekargaon line (planned) 0 99 Laopani 107 Kampur 118 Jamunamukh 128 Jugijan 135 Hojai 142 Dhalpukhuri 149 Lanka 154 Habaipur 165 Lamsakhang 171 Patharkhola Lumding–Sabroom section 179 Lumding Junction Lumding–Dibrugarh section km km Source: Indian Railway Time Table

History

In the pre-partition days, Assam was linked to Chittagong through the Akhaura-Kulaura-Chhatak Line and Akhaura-Laksam-Chittagong Line. The Chittagong link 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-kilometre long (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.[1][2][3] 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.

Broad gauge

The railway tracks from Guwahati to Lumding and from Chaparmukh to Haibargaon were upgraded from metre gauge to broad gauge in 1994.[4]

Line doubling

The Guwahati-Lumding-Dibrugarh line was proposed to be doubled in the Railway Budget for 2011–12.[5]

The 44.92 km (28 mi) long Lumding-Hojai doubling project was sanctioned in 2012–13.The Lumding Hojai patch doubling was completed on July 10, 2019.[6] The 30.50 km (19 mi) long New Guwahati-Digaru doubling project was completed in 2012–13.[7][8]

Railway reorganisation

The Assam Railway and Trading Company Limited was merged with Assam Bengal Railway in 1945.[9] With partition, Assam Bengal Railway was split up and railway lines in Assam became Assam Railway.[10] In 1952, North East Railway was formed with the amalgamation of Assam Railway, Oudh-Tiirhut Railway and the Kanpur-Achnera section of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.[11] Northeast Frontier Railway was created with a part of NE Railway in 1958.[10]

Jagiroad train derailment

On 16 April 2014, around 2:15am Guwahati bound Dimapur -Kamakhya Express derailed on the Guwahati-Lumding section near Jagiroad in central Assam's Morigaon district leading to 45 injuries. At the time of the accident the train was carrying around 700 passengers.[12][13]

References

1. Fida, Quazi Abul (2012). "Railway". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
2. Report on the administration of North East India (1921–22). Google Books. Mttal Publishers Distributors. 1984. p. 46. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
3. S.N.Singh; Amarendra Narain; Purnendu Kumar (2006). Socio Economic and Political Problems of Tea Garden Workers: A Study of Assam. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 105. ISBN 81-8324-098-4. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
4. "Welcome to the website of Lumding Division, Northeast Frontier Railway". Lumding Division, NF Railway. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
5. "State Congress elated, opposition critical". The Assam Tribune, 26 February 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
6. "Lumding-Hojai Patch Doubling Project" (PDF). NF Railway. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
7. "New Guwahati Patch Doubling Project" (PDF). NF Railway. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
8. "North Eastern Region" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
9. Urban History of India: A Case-Study by Deepali Barua, pages 79-80, ISBN 81-7099-538-8, Mittal Publications, A-110 Mohan Garden, New Delhi - 110059
10. "History". Northeast Frontier Railway. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
11. "Geography : Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
12. "45 injured in a train accident in Assam". 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
13. "19 passengers injured in Assam train accident". The Hindu. Guwahati. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.