Transport in West Bengal

Last updated
UNESCO World Heritage: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway DHR 780 on Batasia Loop 05-02-21 08.jpeg
UNESCO World Heritage: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Total length of road in West Bengal is 92,023 kilometers. [1] Among these national highway are 2,377 kilometers (1,477 miles), [2] and state highway 2,393 kilometers (1,487 miles). The road density of the state is 103.69 kilometers per 100 square kilometers (166.92 miles per 100 square miles); the national density is 74.7 kilometers per 100 square kilometers (per more than 100 miles in a square mile). [3] The average speed of the road in the state is between 40 and 50 kilometers/hour (25–31 miles/hour). The speed in the village and urban areas is between 20 and 25 kilometers/hour (12–16 miles/hour). This is the main reason the road is low and lack of maintenance. The total length of the railway line in the state is 3,825 kilometers (2,377 miles). [4] Indian Railways' Eastern Railway zone and South Eastern Railway zone Headquarter are located in Kolkata. [5] The railways on the north side of the state Under the Northeast Frontier Railway. Kolkata Metro is India's first underground metro rail service. [6] The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, part of the Northeast Frontier Railway, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [7]

Contents

Road transport

Spread of National and State Highways in West Bengal Roads in West Bengal.svg
Spread of National and State Highways in West Bengal

The total length of the road route of West Bengal is 92,023 km. National highway is 2578 km and the state highway 2,393 km. 87,052 km is the district road and rural road. Industrial area and cities are well-connected with port of the state by national and state highway.

Road typeLength (km)
National Highway2,578
State Highway2,393
Expressway121
District road, rural road87,052
Total92,144

Expressway is the fastest communication system in this state. The main expressways of West Bengal are Durgapur Expressway, Kalyani Expressway, Kona Expressway and Belghoria Expressway.

National Highway 19 ( National Highway 2) has moved from Kolkata to Delhi. National Highway No. 6 passes through Kolkata from Kharagpur to Surat and Mumbai. National Highway No. 4 connects North Bengal with South Bengal. Currently, the expansion of National Road No. 34 Road work is progressing in four lanes. National Highway No. 35 with Kolkata, Habra, Chandpara Petrapole Port of Bongaon on the border city well connect. The soaring national road associated with the most trade with India by you. Among other national highways, notable number – 31 no., No. 55, no. 60 no., No. 31 no., No. 31, 177, 116 no., Among them, national road connecting Haldia port with Middheda 6 was added to the national road. 6, and 60 National Road Gold Quadrilateral Road Project. Apart from this, the National Highway No. 31 is part of north–south and East-West Corridor.

There are more than 15 state roads in West Bengal. The Government of West Bengal is constructing North–South Road Corridor for fast communication with Haldia Port with North Bengal.

Bus service

Bus is a very inevitable mode of transport for most people in West Bengal. This mode of transport is not limited by rail or any specific track, it is also available at any remote location in the state. Buses travel in both city and village. Even in West Bengal, there are some remote villages where only one bus service is provided throughout the day. State-run and private buses are providing daily services to millions of people. Although most of the buses run under private ownership, public buses are even more comfortable with the larger space, but they are much longer than private buses. They are classified in different ways; For example, a limited-stop bus (sitting in limited space), Morning–Sundown bus (morning-bus running till sunset), specials, express services etc. There are also different types of privately run buses; For example, – minibus and chartered and small buses may also be. The rent of West Bengal buses is very affordable. With a lot of stops in the middle, it's a very convenient way to travel.

Rail transport

Aviation

Waterway and Port

Kolkata Port is a major port and only major river port in India. Calcutta Port Trust is responsible for the Kolkata and Haldia Dock. [8] The passenger transport service from Port of Kolkata to Port Blair Port in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and shipping services of India and Outer Port are being provided by Shipping Corporation of India. In the southern part of the state, especially in the Sundarban region, the main transport system is boat transport.

In West Bengal, the barge or small vessels from Haldia Port to Farakka Port transported. These vessels transport the coal to Farakka thermal power plant by National Waterway 1.

Sagar Port is a proposed seaport which is to be in Sagar Island.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in India</span>

Transport in India consists of transport by land, water and air. Road transport is the primary mode of transport for most Indian citizens, and India's road transport systems are among the most heavily used in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Bengal</span> State in Eastern India

West Bengal is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of 88,752 km2 (34,267 sq mi) as of 2011. The population estimate as of 2023 is 102,552,787. West Bengal is the fourth-most populous and thirteenth-largest state by area in India, as well as the eighth-most populous country subdivision of the world. As a part of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, it borders Bangladesh in the east, and Nepal and Bhutan in the north. It also borders the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata, the third-largest metropolis, and seventh largest city by population in India. West Bengal includes the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, the Ganges delta, the Rarh region, the coastal Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. The state's main ethnic group are the Bengalis, with the Bengali Hindus forming the demographic majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hooghly River</span> Distributary of the Ganges River in India

The Hooghly River is the westernmost distributary of the Ganges, situated in West Bengal, India. It is known in its upper reaches as the Bhagirathi. The Bhagirathi splits off from the main branch of the Ganges at Giria. A short distance west, it meets the man-made Farakka Feeder Canal, which massively increases its flow. The river then flows south to join the Jalangi at Nabadwip, where it becomes the Hooghly proper. The Hooghly continues southwards, passing through the metropolis of Kolkata. Thereafter, it empties into the Bay of Bengal. Its tributaries include the Ajay, Damodar, Rupnarayan, and Haldi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haldia</span> Metropolis in West Bengal, India

Haldia is an industrial port city in Purba Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It has a major river port and industrial belt located approximately 124 km (77 mi) southwest of Kolkata near the mouth of the Hooghly River, one of the distributaries of the Ganges. The Haldia Township is bordered by the Haldi River, an offshoot of the Ganges River. Haldia is a centre for petrochemical businesses, and is a major trade port for Kolkata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Kolkata</span>

Kolkata is the prime business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the main hub of communication for the North East Indian states. Kolkata, with a GDP (PPP) of $220 billion is home to India's oldest, stock exchange company (bourse) – The Calcutta Stock Exchange. Kolkata is home to many industrial units operated by large public- and private-sector corporations; major sectors include steel, heavy engineering, mining, minerals, cement, pharmaceuticals, food processing, agriculture, electronics, textiles, and jute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Kolkata</span>

Kolkata the Capital of the Indian state of West Bengal has a good transportation system. Kolkata's transport system is diverse, with a mix of modern and traditional modes of transport catering to the city's large population. The primary modes include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Kolkata</span> Port in India

Port of Kolkata or Kolkata Port, officially known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, is the only riverine major port in India, in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, around 203 kilometres (126 mi) from the sea. It is the oldest operating port in India and was constructed by the British East India Company. Kolkata is a freshwater port with no variation in salinity. The port has two distinct dock systems – Kolkata Dock at Kolkata and a deep water dock at Haldia Dock Complex, Haldia.

North–South Corridor may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bengal State Transport Corporation</span>

South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) is a West Bengal state government undertaken transport corporation. It plys buses in South Bengal and other parts of West Bengal to Durgapur and Kolkata. SBSTC owns many depots in West Bengal to station their buses. It is headquartered in Station Road, Durgapur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of West Bengal</span> Emerging Economy In India

The economy of West Bengal is a mixed middle-income developing social market economy and the largest Eastern Indian economy with a substantial public sector. It is the India's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Highway 2 (India, old numbering)</span> Old numbering of road in India

Old National Highway 2 or Old NH 2, was a major National Highway in India, that connected the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It constitutes a major portion of the historical Grand Trunk Road along with old NH 91 and old NH 1 in India. The highway connects national capital Delhi with Kolkata as well as important cities such as Faridabad, Mathura, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Dhanbad, Asansol, Durgapur and Bardhaman.

The city of Karachi is a major transport hub of Pakistan. The Karachi port and airport are major gateways to Pakistan. The Karachi Railway stations transports the major part of Pakistan's trade with other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Bihar</span>

This article deals with the system of transport in Bihar, both public and private.

Tamil Nadu, a state in South India, has a developed, dense, and modern transportation infrastructure, encompassing both public and private transport. Its capital city Chennai is well-connected by land, sea, and air and serves as a major hub for entry into South India.

Sagar Port is a proposed seaport in Sagar Island, West Bengal, India by the Government of India and Government of West Bengal. IIT Madras has been engaged to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the port, involving studies for shore-protection, land reclamation and physical modeling for use of dredge material. Cost of the port build up will be ₹30 billion. The port is scheduled to have an initial capacity to handle 60 million tonnes of bulk and containerised cargo. A rail cum road bridge over the Muriganga river is proposed to connect the Sagar Island to the mainland via Kakdwip. The length of rail-road bridge is 3.3 km.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haldia Port</span> Port in India

The Haldia Port, officially Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), is a port on the confluence of the Haldi River and the Hooghly River. The port is located at Haldia in West Bengal, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) from the sandheads–deep sea area of the Bay of Bengal, 45 kilometres (28 mi) upstream from Pilotage Station at Sagar and 104 km downstream of Kolkata. In 1968, an oil jetty was commissioned at Haldia, and officially in 1977 the port facility of Haldia started functioning as a subsidiary port of the Port of Kolkata under the name Haldia Dock Complex.

Water transport in India has played a significant role in the country's economy and is indispensable to foreign trade. India is endowed with an extensive network of waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks and a long coastline accessible through the seas and oceans. It has the largest carrying capacity of any form of transport and is most suitable for carrying bulky goods over long distances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunlop, Kolkata</span> Neighbourhood in Baranagar of West Bengal, India

Dunlop is a neighbourhood in Baranagar of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.

Varanasi–Kolkata Expressway, also known as Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Expressway, and NH-319B, is an approved 610 km (380 mi) long, six-lane, greenfield access-controlled expressway, which will connect the spiritual city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with the capital of West Bengal, Kolkata, through the capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi. It will run almost parallel to the Grand Trunk Road or the Asian Highway 1, and will pass through four states–Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The expressway is a part of Bharatmala Pariyojana, and it will reduce both travel time and distance, from 12-14 hours to only 6-7 hours, and from 690 km (430 mi) to 610 km (380 mi). It will start from Chandauli district in Uttar Pradesh, and will terminate near Uluberia, Howrah district, West Bengal.

The Kharagpur–Siliguri Economic Corridor is a proposed economic corridor between Kharagpur and Siliguri city in West Bengal. The corridor stretches across the state of West Bengal and passes through the major districts and divisional cities like Bardhaman, Berhampore, Malda and Raiganj. The total length of the corridor is approximately 516 km. The corridor is mapped around the existing National Highway 12 (NH12), National Highway 27 (NH27) and the proposed Kharagpur–Morgram Expressway.

References

  1. "West Bengal: Infrastructure". Public Private Partnerships in India. Dept of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  2. "List of State-wise National Highways in the Country". National Highways. Department of Road Transport and Highways; Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways; Government of India. Archived from the original on 2007-01-20. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. Chattopadhyay, Suhrid Sankar (January–February 2006). "Remarkable Growth". Frontline. 23 (2). Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  4. "West Bengal". Indian States-A Profile. Indian Investment Centre, Government of India. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  5. "Geography : Railway Zones". IRFCA.org. Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  6. "About Kolkata Metro". Kolkata Metro . Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  7. "Mountain Railways of India". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  8. "Salient Physical Features". Kolkata Port Trust. Archived from the original on 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-06-09.