Samastipur railway division

Samastipur Railway Division

Overview
Operator	Indian Railways
Headquarters	Samastipur ,Bihar
Reporting mark	SPJ
Locale	Bihar ,India
Dates of operation	1969 - Present–
Predecessor	North Eastern Railway zone (1978-2002)
Technical
Track gauge	Broad

Samastipur railway division is one of the five railway divisions under the jurisdiction of East Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways. ^[1] This railway division was formed in 1969 and its headquarter is located at Samastipur in the state of Bihar of India.

Danapur railway division, Mughalsarai railway division, Dhanbad railway division, and Sonpur railway division are the other railway divisions under ECR Zone headquartered at Hajipur. ^{[2] [3]}

History

The establishment of the oldest railway line in the North Eastern Railway system, from Dalsingsarai to Darbhanga via Samastipur, was driven by humanitarian concerns to provide relief and rehabilitation in the famine-affected regions of North Bihar. Covering a distance of 43 miles, the line was constructed in just over six months and was officially opened on 1 November 1875 under the aegis of the state-owned Tirhut Railway

On 1 July 1890, the Tirhut Railway was transferred from state ownership to the privately owned Bengal and North Western Railway. Subsequently, the railway system in this region—extending from Samastipur via Darbhanga to Jhanjharpur—became part of the Awadh and Tirhut State Railway.

The Samastipur Railway Division includes several sections of the former Awadh and Tirhut Railway and serves the Bajjika & Mithila Region, an area known for its rich cultural heritage and frequent references in Indian mythology. This region has played a significant role in both ancient and medieval Indian history.

Samastipur became a separate district in 1972, following its division from Darbhanga district. The Samastipur Railway Division was established in 1969 as part of the North Eastern Railway and subsequently became part of the East Central Railway on 1 October 2002.

Territorial Expansion

On July 28, 2025, Indian Railways announced the transfer of administrative control of Muzaffarpur Junction from Sonpur Railway Division to Samastipur Railway Division. Along with Muzaffarpur, seven other stations— Narayanpur Anant, Silaut, Siho, Dholi, Dubaha, Vishnupur Bathua Halt, Khudiram Bose Pusa, and Karpoorigram—will also be brought under the jurisdiction of the Samastipur Division. This change will come into effect from September 1, 2025. ^[4]

List of railway stations and towns

The list includes the stations under the Samastipur railway division and their station category. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Category of station	No. of stations	Names of stations
NSG-2	3	Muzaffarpur Junction, Darbhanga Junction, Samastipur Junction
NSG-3	9	Saharsa Junction, Bapudham Motihari, Bettiah, Jaynagar, Madhubani, Raxaul Junction, Sakri Junction, Sitamarhi Junction, Narkatiaganj
NSG-4	4	Bagaha, Sagauli Junction, Adapur, Banmankhi Junction, Chakia
NSG-5	20	Purnia Court, Ghorasahan, Majhowlia, Harinagar, Bairgania, Chanpatia, Dauram Madhepura, Hasanpur Road, Janakpur Road, Kamtaul, Laheriasarai, Mehsi, Motipur, Murliganj, Rajnagar, Ramgarhwa, Rusera Ghat, Salauna, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Supaul
NSG-6	97	Kaparpura
HG-2	21	-
HG-3	49	-
Total	202	-

References

1. "Railway Zones and Divisions in The Country". Press Information Bureau. Ministry of Railways (Government of India). 21 July 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
2. "Zones and their Divisions in Indian Railways" (PDF). Indian Railways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
3. "Samastipur Railway Division" (PDF). Railway Board . Western Railway zone . Retrieved 13 January 2016.
4. | Transfer of Stations
5. "Minister of Railways directs to re-categorize railway stations taking into account earnings, passenger footfall, strategic importance". PIB. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
6. "List of Zone/Category wise Railway Station opened for passenger services in IR (As on 01.12.2022)" (PDF). Retrieved 3 November 2024.
7. "Samastipur Division (Commercial Department) Category of stations over the Division" (PDF). Retrieved 3 November 2024.