Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line

Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line
	Jasidih Dumka Rampurhat line Map of Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Jharkhand, West Bengal, India
Termini	Jasidih; Rampurhat
Stations	16
Service
Type	Diesel
Services	via Dumka
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway zone
History
Opened	2011
Technical
Line length	135 km (84 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	110 km/h (68 mph)
Route map
	130
	0
	124
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	Jharkhand
	Bihar
	Jharkhand
	West Bengal

Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line is a section of Indian Railways under the Asansol division of the Eastern Railway. The single broad gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) track was constructed from Jasidih city in Deoghar District in Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand state to Rampurhat in Birbhum District of West Bengal state. The line connects the cultural capital of Jharkhand Deoghar to the subcapital of Jharkhand, Dumka.

History

The railway line to connect Santhal Pargana with Bengal was conceived by the British in 1850s to exploit the natural resources but was not implemented due to Santhal rebellion of 1855. Demands were raised for a railway line many times after independence. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee approved the railway line and laid the foundation stone in 1999.[1]

Deoghar is an important railway station on the Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat railway line. Due to the importance of Deoghar as a religious place, a railway line from Jasidih to Baidyanathdham Deoghar has been in existence for a long time. The old Deoghar railway station Baidyanathdham Deoghar railway station, however, was located inside the town, so the railway line could not be extended through densely inhabited areas. Therefore, a new railway line was built from Jasidih and a new Deoghar Junction railway station north of Deoghar was built.

The 71 km segment from Jasidih Junction to Dumka via Deoghar became operational on 12 July 2011.[2] The track from Dumka to Ambajora Sikaripara became operational in June 2014. The track from Rampurhat to Pinargaria became operational on 25 November 2012. The short distance of 10 km from Ambajora Sikaripara to Pinargaria was completed at the beginning of 2015 and became operational on 4 June 2015 when a passenger train started operating from Dumka to Rampurhat.[3]

The line reduces the distance between Jasidih Junction and Rampurhat by 135 km, from 270 km via the Asansol Junction.

Branch Lines

Deoghar–Banka line

Two lines branch out from Deoghar Junction railway station. The railway line to Dumka goes east of Deoghar. The other line to Banka goes towards the north and connects with Banka railway station passing through New Nawadih, Chandan, Bhalua, Katoria, Kharjhounsa and Kakwara railway stations. The railway line will serve devotees once a direct train start running between Deoghar and Sultanganj via Bhagalpur, Banka. A daily passenger train runs between Jasidih and Banka which operates once a day, except on Sundays.

Dumka–Bhagalpur line

Construction of a new Dumka–Bhagalpur railway line was taken up as an associated project to connect Dumka with Bhagalpur. The new railway line takes off from Dumka railway station towards the north and connects with Bhagalpur Junction railway station. The 51 km railway line from Bhagalpur to Banka and Mandar Hill already existed. The railway line extended from Mandar Hill to Hansdiha was inaugurated on 22 December 2012. The 14 km line from Dumka to Barapalasi station was commissioned in February 2014.[4] The remaining section from Barapalasi to Hansdiha was opened for passenger trains on 28 September 2016. This Dumka–Bhagalpur railway line will serve as second alternative option for railway traffic to Howrah and Bhagalpur and will decrease distance between Bhagalpur and Howrah by nearly 70 kilometers.

Trains

One passenger train runs between Jasidih and Dumka. After June 2016, one train runs from Jasidih junction to Banka via Deoghar, Chandan, Katoria. One passenger train ran between Jasidih Junction and Barapalasi via Dumka Junction after 10 February 2014. The Passenger train service between Jasidih and Ambajora Sikaripara started on 30 June 2014 via Dumka. Service between Dumka and Rampurhat started on 4 June 2015 when a passenger train started operating from Dumka to Rampurhat. The passenger train service between Dumka to Bhagalpur started on 28 September 2016 when a passenger train started operating from Hansdiha to Dumka. One express train runs from Dumka to Ranchi. One train runs between Bhagalpur and Howrah via Dumka.

There is a demand to run a fast passenger between Sultanganj and Jasidih via Bhagalpur, Banka. A train has been proposed and may become operational.

Further extension

A new railway line from Jasidih to Pirpainti via Mohanpur, Hansdiha and Godda is under construction. The Hansdiha–Poreyahat section is functional and passenger trains were started on this route.

The railways have proposed a Jasidih–bypass line after construction of which trains from Bhagalpur and Dumka can run upto Asansol and Dhanbad without loco reversal at Jasidih, also saving considerable time for the passengers. Deoghar Junction is being developed as a major halt station to decongest Jasidih and avoid a delay of more than 30 minutes for an engine change at Jasidih.

References

https://www.telegraphindia.com/1160929/jsp/bihar/story_110809.jsp
"Dumka-Jasidih trains". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 12 June 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
Train Service; India times, accessed June 2017
Passenger Train; Times of India

External links

Ministry of Railways. (Official site)

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[1] ttps://www.telegraphindia.com/1160929/jsp/bihar/story_110809.jsp

[start-2] "Dumka-Jasidih trains". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 12 June 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2012.

[3] Train Service; India times, accessed June 2017

[4] Passenger Train; Times of India