Andal–Sainthia branch line

Andal–Sainthia branch line
Andal railway station and Sainthia railway station
Overview
Type	Diesel-electric
System	Broad gauge
Status	Operational
Locale	West Bengal
Termini	Andal Sainthia Junction
Stations	15
Operation
Opened	1913
Owner	Indian Railway
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway
Technical
Line length	73 km (45 mi)
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad Gauge
Operating speed	up to 100 km/ h

Andal–Sainthia branch line
Legend
colliery of Raniganj Coalfield
km to Bardhaman-Asansol section 0 Andal to Bardhaman-Asansol section National Highway 2 Grand Trunk Road 8 Sonachara Kunustoria Colliery 12 Tapasi 15 Ikra(halt) Sripur Colliery 20 Jamuria(halt) 27 Barabani 33 Chinchuri(halt) 41 Sitarampur to Asansol–Gaya section Harishpur Singaran River National Highway 2 Grand Trunk Road 5 Kajoragram 10 Siduli Sitalpur Colliery 12 Ukhra Pandaveswar Airfield (abandoned) Khottadih Open Cast Project South Samla Colliery 20 Pandabeswar Ajay River 23 Bhimgara Junction 29 Hazaratpur 33 Raswan 37 Barhragram 42 Lachmanpur Road 49 Palashthali Hinglo River 29 Panchra 35 Dubrajpur Bakreshwar River 42 Chinpai Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station 45 Kachujor 54 Suri 63 Kunuri 66 Mahisadahari(halt) Kherua to Sahibganj Loop 73 Sainthia to Sahibganj Loop

The Andal–Sainthia branch line is a railway line connecting Andal on the Bardhaman–Asansol section of the Howrah–Delhi Main Line and Sainthia Junction on the Sahibganj Loop. This 73 kilometres (45 mi) track is under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway. This track passes through the north-eastern part of the Raniganj Coalfield in Bardhaman district and the western part of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

This track serves Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station.

History

The Andal–Sainthia branch line was built in 1913.

Branch lines

There are two branch lines in this section. The first is the Andal–Barabani–Sitarampur section. The other is the Bhimgara-Palasthali Branch Line. Service on this line was suspended for safety reasons. The track became unfit because of unauthorized mining under the track.

Electrification

Electrification of Andal–Pandabeshwar section was completed in 2010–11. Electrification of the Pandabeshwar-Sainthia section was sanctioned in the rail budget for 2011–12, which is expected to be completed till 2013.