Sealdah railway station

For the underground railway station, see Sealdah metro station.

Sealdah
Indian Railways and Kolkata Suburban Railway station
General information
Location	Sealdah, Beleghata, Kolkata, West Bengal 700014   India
Coordinates	22°34′05″N88°22′16″E / 22.5680°N 88.3711°E / 22.5680; 88.3711
Elevation	11 metres (36 ft) [1]
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Eastern Railway
Platforms	21
Tracks	28
Connections	Green Line Sealdah metro Sealdah NRS hospital Jagat Cinema
Construction
Structure type	Standard (on-ground station)
Parking	Available
Bicycle facilities	Available
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Active
Station code	SDAH [2]
Zone(s)	Eastern Railway zone
Division(s)	Sealdah
History
Opened	1862;162 years ago (1862) [3]
Electrified	1960;64 years ago (1960)
Previous names	Eastern Bengal Railway, Assam Bengal Railway
Passengers
1.5 million+ daily [4]
Services Preceding station Kolkata Suburban Railway Following station Terminus Eastern Line Main line Bidhannagar Road towards Naihati Junction Chord link Line Bidhannagar Road towards Dankuni Junction Park Circus towards Ballygunge Junction Sealdah South Main line Terminus
Route map v t e Calcutta Chord link line (C.C link line) (including A.C.C. link branch line) Legend km km Howrah–Kharagpur line 14 0 Andul 2 Maurigram NH 12 Kona Expressway Howrah– Kharagpur line 11 Bankranayabaz 9 Baltikuri Santragachi–Amta branch line to Furfura Sharif (planned) A.C.C. Link branch line Howrah–Bardhaman chord Dankuni 0 FCI Siding Dankuni Loco Factory NH 16 NH 19 Belghoria Expressway Bhattanagar 6 Rajchandrapur 4 4 Belanagar Bally Halt 6 7 Bally Howrah–Bardhaman main line NH 19 Belghoria Expressway PWD Road 7 Bally Ghat Vivekananda Setu over Hooghly River PWD Road 9 0 Dakshineswar Baranagar jute mill siding Sealdah–Ranaghat line BT Road   KM Line 5 (planned)   10 1 Baranagar Road Sealdah–Ranaghat line Noapara 2 Noapara Metro Depot Kestopur Canal   KM Line 4 (u/c)   Sealdah–Bangaon line 15 4 Dum Dum Junction Patipukur Loop line (dismantled) Jessore Road Belgachia 6 17 Patipukur Chitpur Rail Yard Ultadanga Road 18 Lansdown mill siding Kolkata 19 Brown Blanket mill siding Kolkata Circular Railway Kestopur Canal   KM Line 1   Bidhan Nagar Road 5 Bidhannagar Road Press House siding Kankurgachi Road 2 Kankurgachi Road Junction Narkeldanga EMU Carshed 3 Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt Circular Canal Kankurgachi Chord line Sealdah North 00 0 Sealdah Main Sealdah   KM Line 2   Sealdah South 00 Beliaghata Diesel Loco Shed 6 Kamardanga Halt Beruck & Comens Siding 3│7 Park Circus Sealdah South lines km km Key Indian Railways broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) standard gauge (1435 mm) in use │ out of use, planned, or under construction (u/c) │ tunnel v t e Sealdah–Bangaon line including Barasat–Hasnabad and Ranaghat–Bangaon branch lines Legend km km Jessore–Benapole section 86 Benapole ( Benapole land port ) Bagdah 26 Bangladesh India Chandabazar 12 82 Petrapole Chhoighoria 6 Naobhanga Khal Ichhamati river line planned 78 00 Bangaon Junction Ranaghat–Bangaon line 20 Poramaheshtala (planned) Satberia Halt 5 Gopalnagar 5 Akaipur Halt 10 Majhergram 13 Gangnapur 18 Naba Raynagar 23 Coopers Halt 25 Ranaghat EMU Carshed Ranaghat–Gede line Ranaghat–Lalgola line Churni Ghat 30 89 Hingalganj Ranaghat Junction 28 Katakhali river line planned Sealdah–Ranaghat line 72 Hasnabad 70 Taki Road 67 Nimdanri 66 Madhyampur Bibhutibhusan Halt 73 64 Matania Anantapur Chandpara 68 61 Basirhat Thakurnagar 64 60 Bhyabla Gobardanga 58 55 Champapukur Jamuna river 52 Ghora Ras Ghona (planned) Swarupnagar 70 Bidyadhari Khal Machhalandapur 55 50 Malatipur Sanhati 50 46 Kankra Mirzanagar Habra 45 42 Harua Road Ashoknagar Road 42 39 Bhasila Guma 38 37 Lebutala (planned) Chakla 47 Bidyadhari Khal Bira 35 34 Beliaghata Road Dattapukur 31 35 Sondalia Bamangachhi 27 33 Bahira Kalibari 29 Karea Kadambagachi Barasat EMU Carshed 26 Kazipara Barasat Junction 23 Barasat Hridaypur 21 Hridaypur Madhyamgram 19 Madhyamgram Noai Khal New Barrackpore New Barrackpur 17 Michael Nagar Bisharpara Kodaliya 16 Birati Birati 14 Biman Bandar Belghoria Expressway   KM Line 6   (u/c) Durganagar 13 Biman Bandar 15 Jessore Road 13 Jessore Road line dismantled Jessop & Co. factory siding Ordnance Factory siding Dum Dum Cantonment 11 Dum Dum Cantonment   KM Line 4   (u/c) Sealdah Main & North section   KM Line 1   Dum Dum Junction 08 Patipukur loop line (dismantled) Jessore Road Belgachia 00 10 Patipukur Chitpur Rail Yard Ultadanga Road 011 Lansdown mill siding Kolkata 012 Brown Blanket mill siding Kolkata Circular Railway   KM Line 1   Kestopur Canal Bidhan Nagar Road 5 Bidhannagar Road Press House siding Kankurgachi Road 2 Kankurgachi Road Junction Narkeldanga EMU Carshed 3 Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt Circular Canal Kankurgachi Chord line Sealdah North 00 0 Sealdah Main Sealdah   KM Line 2   Sealdah South 00 Beliaghata Diesel Loco Shed 6 Kamardanga Halt Beruck & Comens Siding 3│7 Park Circus Sealdah South section km km Key Indian Railways broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) standard gauge (1435 mm) in use   out of use, planned, or under construction (u/c)   tunnel v t e Sealdah South section Legend km Sealdah Main & North section 5 Bidhannagar Road Press House siding Kankurgachi Road 2 Kankurgachi Road Junction Narkeldanga EMU Carshed 3 Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt Circular Canal Kankurgachi Chord line Sealdah North 00 0 Sealdah Main Sealdah   KM Line 2   Sealdah South 00 Beliaghata Diesel Loco Shed 6 Kamardanga Halt Beruck & Comens Siding 3│7 Park Circus Maa Flyover Hindusthan Engineering & Industrial Ltd. siding BESCO siding Bijon Setu 5 Ballygunge Junction Lake Gardens 07 6 Dhakuria Tollygunge 08 8 Jadabpur Rabindra Sarobar 0   KM Line 1   Tollygunge Bridge 0 10 Bagha Jatin Adi Ganga river 0   KM Line 6   New Alipore 09 Jai Hind Bridge New Garia Metro Depot New Garia–Baruipur Metro (planned) Kavi Subhash   KM Line 1   0 11 New Garia Kalighat–Falta Railway (NG) (dismantled) Majerhat 10   KM Line 3   Kolkata Circular Railway 12 Garia KDS Railway 14 Narendrapur Brace Bridge 12 16 Sonarpur Junction KDS Railway Sonarpur EMU Carshed Santoshpur 15 Clive jute mill siding 19 Bidyadharpur Union jute mill siding 22 Kalikapur Akra 18 planned extension Nangi 21 46 Ghatakpukur Batanagar factory siding 60 Minakhan Caledonian jute mill siding 24 Champahati K.M. Budge Budge 24 27 Piali IBP/IOCL Depot 29 Gourdaha Budge Budge Rail Yard 31 Ghutiari Shariff HPCL Siding 34 Betberia Ghola Budge Budge jute mill siding 38 Taldi BPCL Siding 41 Matla Halt IOCL Siding 45 Canning Charial Canal planned extension Lothian jute mill siding Matla River (planned) Kalipur 29 50 Bhangankhali Magadi Soda factory siding 60 Sonakhali Orient jute mill siding 65 Basanti Albion jute mill siding 87 Jharkhali FCI Siding Charial Extension Canal CESC Siding planned extension Pujali 31 Howrah–Kharagpur line Hooghly River Bir Shibpur 41 Howrah–Kharagpur line Pujali–Bankrahat line (planned) Bankrahat 42 Gurudasnagar–Bankrahat line (planned) 19 Subhasgram 22 Mallikpur New Garia–Baruipur Metro (planned) BESCO Siding (planned) Baruipur 00 25 Baruipur Junction Baruipur Metro Depot Kalyanpur 28 27 Shasan Road Dakshin Durgapur 30 29 Krishna Mohan Hotar 32 31 Dhapdhapi Dhamua 34 33 Surjyapur Uttar Radhanagar 37 35 Gocharan Magra Hat 40 38 Hogla Bahirpuya 43 41 Dakshin Barasat Sangrampur 45 44 Baharu (planned) Sangrampur– Krishnachandrapur line 49 Jaynagar Majilpur Deula 50 87 Durgapur (planned) Netra 53 planned extension Basuldanga 55 Gurudas Nagar 63 57 70 57 Krishnachandrapur 61 Uttar Kashinagar 66 Companirthek Diamond Harbour 60 70 Raidighi Hara Fort goods siding 54 Mathurapur Road 59 Madhabpur 62 Lakshmikantapur Gurudasnagar–Kulpi line (planned) 67 Udairampur 75 71 Kulpi 76 Karanjali 82 Nischintapur Market 84 Nischintapur 88 Madhabnagar 92 Kashinagar 95 Kakdwip Budhakhali 103 planned extension Muriganga river 103 Ukilerhat Sagar Island 108 110 Namkhana planned extension 112 Namkhana Ghat 124 Chandranagar 141 Bakkhali km Key Indian Railways broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) standard gauge (1435 mm) narrow gauge (762 mm) in use │ out of use, planned, or under construction (u/c) │ tunnel
Location

Sealdah railway station is one of India's major railway terminals serving the city of Kolkata. It is the second largest railway station in India and West Bengal in terms of platforms, tracks and overall daily passenger holding capacity.^{[ citation needed ]} It is one of the five large railway stations serving the Kolkata metropolitan area, the others being Howrah, Shalimar, Kolkata and Santragachi. Over 1.5 million passengers use the station on a daily basis. ^[5] It is an important suburban rail terminal of Kolkata Suburban Railway. Passengers can use the Sealdah metro station to transfer to the Green line of Kolkata Metro.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

Old view of Sealdah Railway Station

The origins of Sealdah Station can be traced back to the mid-19th century when the British colonial administration initiated the construction of railways in India. The station was named after Frederick William Stevens, the then Governor-General of British India, who held the title of Lord Sealdah. Sealdah Station was officially opened to the public on 2 December 1862, as part of the Eastern Bengal Railway network from Calcutta to Kushtia. At the Calcutta end there was a tin-roofed station room. Sealdah railway station had a proper Station Building in 1869, ^{[6] [7]} designed by Mr Walter Glanville. The present Sealdah-Ranaghat line was a part of the Sealdah-Kushtia line and was subsequently extended to Goalundo Ghat.

Eastern Bengal Railway Company was registered in 1857 to establish railroad connection between Calcutta and Eastern part of undivided Bengal beyond Ganges(Padma). The first section was completed in January 1862 from Calcutta to Champahati. By May 1862 this extended to Port Canning. Ranaghat was connected in September 1862. Initially, the company was known as Eastern Bengal Guaranteed Railway and ran its trains on guaranteed lines. The guaranteed lines were constructed by companies formed in England. In 1862, the station was well established with 4 platforms

The tram terminus was located at Sealdah Station before the year 1978 from where the concept of horse tram carriage started. There was a tram terminus at Sealdah station. Trams departed from here towards Rajabazar, Howrah Station, Calcutta High Court, Dalhousie Square, Park Circus and Dharmatala. The first horse tram service of Kolkata was also started from Sealdah to Armenian Ghat, following the current route 14 & 16 between Lebutala & Dalhousie Square. The Sealdah–Lebutala & Dalhousie Square–Armenian Ghat (later extended to High Court) stretch is now closed. That terminus was demolished in 1978 also with the Sealdah–Lebutala tram track stretched through Boubazar Street for construction of the Sealdah flyover. Now tram services between Rajabazar–Esplanade, Park Circus–Burrabazar and other services pass through Sealdah. Currently, a car parking exists in place of the old tram terminus.

Operations

There are three station terminals at Sealdah: "Sealdah North", "Sealdah Main" and "Sealdah South":^{[ citation needed ]}

• The "North" terminal consists of platforms 1 to 5
• The "Main" terminal consists of platforms 6 to 14. One more platform is present beside platform no 14 which is used only by goods trains and high capacity parcel vans.
• The "South" terminal consists of platforms 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21.

The north and south sections have a separate set of emerging tracks. The north and south sections are connected by two links: Dumdum–Majherhat link (popularly circular rail) and Bidhannagar Road–Park Circus link (extension of circular rail). These two links were constructed to quickly travel between the two sections, avoiding Sealdah.

Sealdah North acts as the suburban train terminal for the main division. The main division of Sealdah north operates trains plying between Kolkata and Hasnabad, Bandel, Gede, Ranaghat, Shantipur, Krishnanagar, Berhampore, Lalgola, Dankuni, Katwa, Bardhaman, Kanchrapara, Barrackpore, Kalyani, Kalyani Simanta and others. A narrow-gauge line earlier used to connect Shantipur and Krishnanagar but now it has been replaced with broad gauge. This narrow-gauge line further continued to Nabadwip Ghat and was formerly served by DMU trains ^{[8] [9]} (all other lines run EMU trains). Now the suburban train service is also extended from Krishnanagar to Lalgola, ^[10] which part was previously served by electric loco-hauled trains only. Sealdah–Dankuni (via Vivekananda Setu) line connects Eastern Railway's Howrah–Bardhaman chord at Bally Halt (on a viaduct atop Bally station) and Dankuni. Naihati–Bandel (via Sampreeti Bridge) line connects Eastern Railway's Howrah–Bardhaman main line at Bandel Jn.

Now^{[ when? ]} the poorly-patronized branch line between Dum Dum Cantonment and Biman Bandar (serving Dum Dum Airport) is closed and replaced by Line 4 (under construction) of the Kolkata Metro. ^[11]

Sealdah Main is the mail/express terminal for long-distance trains to northern, north-western, north-eastern and eastern India, through Dankuni line and Bandel line. Krishnanagar line is also serving long distance intrastate trains.

The South section, consisting of Sealdah South terminal, acts as the terminal for local trains plying between Kolkata and Budge Budge, Canning, Diamond Harbour and Namkhana.

There is also an EMU carshed at Sealdah (Narkeldanga). Other EMU carsheds are at Barasat and Sonarpur. A diesel shunter loco shed is also situated at adjacent Beliaghata. A rail coach factory is set to come up at Halishahar-Kanchrapara (Bijpur) region in North 24 Parganas.

Before partition in 1947 of India, trains used to run up to present day Bangladesh along Gede line and Bangaon line. Now Gede line is used by Maitree Express up to Dhaka and Bangaon line is used by Bandhan Express up to Khulna.

Lines

• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Baranagar–Dakshineswar–Rajchandrapur–Baltikuri–Andul–Kharagpur
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Baranagar–Dakshineswar–Dankuni–Barddhaman
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Kalyani Simanta
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Krishnanagar–Berhampore–Lalgola
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Kalinarayanpur–Krishnanagar
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Kalinarayanpur–Shantipur
• Krishnanagar–Dignagar–Shantipur
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Kalyani–Ranaghat–Gede
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Bandel–Barddhaman
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Naihati–Bandel–Ambika Kalna–Nabadwip Dham–Katwa
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Barasat–Bongaon
• Sealdah–Dum Dum–Barasat–Basirhat–Hasnabad
• Ranaghat–Majhergram–Bongaon
• Sealdah–Ballygunge–Majerhat–BBD Bag–Kolkata
• Sealdah–Ballygunge–Majerhat–Budge Budge
• Sealdah–Ballygunge–Jadavpur–New Garia–Sonarpur–Champahati–Ghutiari Sharif–Canning
• Sealdah–Ballygunge–Jadavpur–New Garia–Sonarpur–Baruipur–Magrahat–Diamond Harbour
• Sealdah–Ballygunge–Jadavpur–New Garia–Sonarpur–Baruipur–Jaynagar Majilpur–Lakshmikantapur–Kakdwip–Namkhana

Station facilities

Executive lounge

IRCTC opened the first executive lounge at this station, the first in any of the main stations in the state of West Bengal. In 2019, on the occasion of Bengali New Year, the lounge was opened. It covers around 2,500 sq ft area, and has free Wi-Fi, showers, foods, newspapers, TV, cloak room facilities available. Though on the first floor, it is next to the elevator to make it accessible to wheelchair users. ^{[12] [13]}

• The station has a first class air conditioning waiting room and a resting area with bedding facilities.
• Google provides RailWire free high-speed Wi-Fi.
• The station also has many IRCTC food court and restaurants including Haldiram, Jan-Ahaar, Mio Amore and Wow Momos.
• Amazon India has launched an Amazon kiosk in the non-ticketing zone, where passengers can pick up their parcels.
• The station has a large reservation ticketing zone where passengers can book their tickets in advance.

Sealdah Metro Station

Sealdah metro station is an operational station on Line 2 (Green Line) of the Kolkata Metro, located in Sealdah, Kolkata. The underground station adjoins with the Sealdah railway station of the Indian Railways on its eastern side.

Gallery

• 
  Old view of Sealdah Railway Station
• 
  Exterior of Sealdah station
• 
  Platform of Sealdah station
• 
  12259 Sealdah–New Delhi Duronto Express – departure from platform 9B
• 
  On approach to Sealdah
• 
  Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office in Sealdah railway station
• 
  Sealdah metro station
• 
  Night view of the Station

Important trains

• Sealdah Rajdhani
• Darjeeling Mail
• Sealdah-New Alipurduar Padatik Superfast Express
• Sealdah–Puri Duronto Express
• Sealdah Bikaner Duronto Express

See also

• Kolkata Metro
• Kolkata
• Kolkata Suburban Railway
• List of Kolkata Suburban Railway stations
• Trams in Kolkata

References

1. "SDAH/Sealdah".
2. "LIST OF STATIONS OF SEALDAH DIVISION".
3. "History of Sealdah Station".
4. "SEALDAH STATION" (PDF).
5. "SEALDAH STATION" (PDF). Indian Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
6. "Sealdah History". irfca.org/. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
7. Railway gazette international. Reed Business Pub. 1957. p. 182. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
8. "Narrow Gauge in Nadia".
9. "Mamata rolls out rly sops for Nadia". The Times of India . 8 January 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
10. "EMU Service starts upto Lalgola".
11. "Services End on Kolkata's Circular Railway".
12. "Sealdah station gets West Bengal's first Executive Lounge". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
13. Nishat Nizami. "IRCTC executive lounge for passengers at Sealdah station from Poila Baishakh". The Statesman. Retrieved 28 May 2019.

External links

• Sealdah railway station at the India Rail Info
• Eastern Railways website