Grand Chord is part of the Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line and Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai line. It acts as a link between Sitarampur, (Asansol), and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction,, previously known as Mughalsarai Junction, and covers a stretch of 450.7 km (280.1 mi). The Coal India Corridor line that branches off from Dhanbad Junction and rejoins the Grand Chord at Son Nagar Junction is another major coal loading hub. It is a fully electrified, quadruple line section from Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay to Son Nagar and double line section from Son Nagar to Sitarampur. There are plans to triple the lines from Son Nagar to Dhanbad to accommodate the increasing traffic.. The entire line lies under the jurisdiction of three divisions, Mughalsarai railway division, Dhanbad railway division and Asansol railway division. The Grand chord section is the lifeline of the country, 2nd busiest railway section of India after Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Uttar Pradesh Main Line section, on which coal, steel and other important goods are moved from Eastern section to Western and Northern sections of the country. In the down direction, the traffic consists of mostly food grains, fertilizers and empty wagons for coal loading in the Jharkhand and West Bengal coal fields. Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction is a transit division and the main objective is to maintain mobility of high density traffic. The present capacity of the Grand Chord is being optimally utilized. Traversing through Chota Nagpur Plateau of Jharkhand as well as parts of the fertile Gangetic plains of Bihar, the Grand Chord covers a stretch of 450.7 km (280.1 mi). The Grand Chord is renowned for its remarkable controlling of passenger traffic, despite being burdened with freight traffic.
The Eastern Railway is among the 19 zones of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is at Fairley Place, Kolkata and comprises four divisions: Howrah, Malda, Sealdah, and Asansol. Each division is headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM). The name of the division denotes the name of the city where the divisional headquarters is located. Eastern Railway oversees the largest and second largest rail complexes in the country, Howrah Junction and Sealdah railway station, and also contains the highest number of A1 and A Category Stations like Howrah, Malda Town, Sealdah, Asansol, Kolkata, Durgapur, Barddhaman, Rampurhat Junction, Bhagalpur, Jasidih, Bandel and Naihati. Eastern Railways operates India's oldest train, Kalka Mail.
Jasidih is a satellite town of Deoghar in the Deoghar subdivision of the Deoghar district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. This town's railway station connects Deoghar to other cities.
Asansol Junction is a railway station of Eastern Railway in Asansol of Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The station is on the Howrah–Delhi main line. It is the 8th busiest railway station in India in terms of frequency of trains after Kanpur Central, Vijayawada Junction, Delhi Junction, New Delhi, Ambala Cant, Howrah and Patna Junction. Around 171 trains pass through the station daily. It serves Asansol and the surrounding areas.
Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line is a single 5 ft 6 in broad gauge track from Jasidih 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. The Jasidih–Dumka section falls under Asansol Division of Eastern Railway and Dumka–Rampurhat section under Howrah Division of Eastern Railway.
Giridih railway station, station code GRD, is the main railway station serving the city of Giridih, the headquarters of Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Giridih station also serves as a gateway for the Jain pilgrims visiting Parasnath. Giridih is located at 24.18°N 86.3°E. It has an elevation of 289 metres (948 ft).
Madhupur Junction, station code MDP, is the railway station serving the city of Madhupur in the Deoghar district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It connects the town and nearby areas to various metropolitan cities of the country. Howrah–Delhi main line via Mughalsarai–Patna route and Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line are the two routes on this station. The Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma route is a single broad-gauge line. The total length of this route is 137 kilometres (85 mi). It has four platforms and handles many trains daily. Madhupur is located at 24.16°N 86.38°E. It has an average elevation of 228 metres (748 ft).
Dhanbad Junction railway station, station code DHN, is a railway station of the Indian railway serving the city of Dhanbad, the headquarters of Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the largest railway station in Jharkhand, handling over 100 trains and 100000+ passengers every day. Dhanbad is also the headquarters of the Dhanbad Rail Division of the East Central Railway zone. Grand Chord rail-line that connects Howrah and New Delhi passes through Dhanbad junction. Dhanbad is located at 23°47′32″N86°25′42″E. It has an elevation of 235 metres (771 ft).
Dumka railway station is a railway station serving the city of Dumka in Dumka district in the Indian state of Jharkhand on the Jasidih–Rampurhat section. It is in the Asansol division of the Eastern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It has an average elevation of 136 metres (446 ft).
Chittaranjan railway station, formerly known as Mihijam railway station, station code CRJ, is the railway station in Mihijam, Jamtara district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Chittaranjan railway station lies on the Howrah–Delhi main line on the Mughalsarai–Patna section. The railway station is named after the Indian freedom fighter, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das.
Koderma Junction railway station, station code KQR, is railway station of the Indian railway under Dhanbad railway division of East Central Railway zone serving the city of Jhumri Telaiya, Koderma, the headquarters of Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Muri Junction, station code MURI, is the railway station serving the remote town of Muri in the Ranchi district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Muri Junction belongs to the Ranchi division of the South Eastern Railway zone of the Indian Railways.
Bhagalpur Junction railway station, is an A-1 category railway station serving the city of Bhagalpur in the Bhagalpur district of Indian state of Bihar. It comes under jurisdiction of Malda Railway Division of Eastern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Bhagalpur Railway Station is among the 148 important stations that have been selected for redevelopment with world-class infrastructure having an airport like look. Ministry of Railways has approved its master plan for redevelopment at a cost of 481.60 crores and tender is in process. A new Bhagalpur station will also be built near the bypass at a cost of 200 crores.
Daltonganj railway station, station code DTO, is a railway station serving the cities of Medininagar and Palamu in Palamu district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Daltonganj station is also the headquarters of the Palamu division of the East Central Railway Zone of the Indian Railways. It is also a major station on the CIC route and will be a primary hub on the Ranchi–New Delhi route after the opening of the Ranchi–Tori rail line. Major trains such as the Ranchi Rajdhani Express, Muri Express, Sambalpur–Varanasi Express, Palamu Express, Ranchi–Varanasi Express, Ranchi–Ajmer Garib Nawaz Express, Triveni Express, Ahmedabad Kolkata Express, Jharkhand Swarna Jayanti Express, Jharkhand Sampark Kranti Express, and Shaktipunj Express also stop here.
Mandar Hill railway station(Code:MDLE) is a railway station on the Bhagalpur–Dumka railway line in Banka district of Bihar state in India. It is in the Malda railway division of the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways.
Basukinath railway station is at Basukinath city in Dumka district in the Indian state of Jharkhand on the Jasidih–Rampurhat section. It is in the Asansol Division of the Eastern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It has an average elevation of 207 metres (679 ft).
Deoghar Junction Railway Station is the main railway station serving the city of Deoghar in Deoghar district, Jharkhand.
Mohanpur Junction Railway Station is a railway station on the Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line under the Asansol railway division of the Eastern Railway. It is situated at Katban Chhit, Mohanpur, Deoghar, Deoghar district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
The Dumka–Bhagalpur line is an Indian railway line connecting Dumka on the Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line with Bhagalpur Junction on the Sahibganj loop. This 115-kilometre (71 mi) track is under the jurisdiction of Malda Division of Eastern Railway.
Hansdiha Junction railway station is a railway station on the Dumka–Bhagalpur line of Sahibganj loop under Malda railway division of the Eastern Railway Zone. The station is situated beside Hansdiha-Ramgarh Road, Kasba, Hansdiha in Dumka district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Express train and Passenger train station
