Sealdah-Ranaghat Train Route Completes 162 Years, Railways To Hold Special Event On September 29

The Sealdah-Ranaghat train line, established in 1862, celebrates 162 years of service. The Eastern Railway will commemorate this milestone with a special event on September 29.

The original Sealdah station was a shed with a tin roof. The main building was constructed in 1869.

Source : X/@RailMinIndia

Sealdah-Ranaghat Train Route: The Sealdah division is all set to celebrate 162 years of train service between Sealdah and Ranaghat railway stations, which first began in September 1862. The Eastern Railway has planned a special event on September 29 to mark the occasion, according to local media reports. 

The Sealdah-Ranaghat section is one of the busiest lines in Sealdah North, primarily connecting Kolkata with the North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. The Sealdah-Ranaghat train route holds significant historical importance. 

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History Of Sealdah-Ranaghat Section 

In 1857, the Eastern Bengal Railway was established to lay a new railway line from Kolkata to Dhaka. The primary purpose of this line was to boost the jute industry in Bengal. During that period, the jute industry in West Bengal saw remarkable growth, with 38 jute companies operating 31,000 looms for jute production.

It was in January 1862 that the first section of the line — from Calcutta to Champahati — was completed. The Calcutta terminus then was a shed with a tin roof in Sealdah.

From Champahati, the line was extended to Port Canning by May 1862, and further connected to Ranaghat in September 1862.

Designed by Walter Glanville, the main Sealdah railway station building was constructed only in 1869. 

Sealdah became a division under the Eastern Railway zone in 1952. Electrification of the Sealdah-Ranaghat section was done in 1963, while the Bandel-Naihati section was electrified in 1965.

The Ranaghat-Gede section was electrified in 1997-98, after which EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) services between Sealdah and Gede were introduced.

As of today, 12 EMU rakes from the Narkeldanga and Ranaghat EMU car sheds operate on the Sealdah-Ranaghat section. The route has a total of 25 stations, including Sealdah and Ranatghat. Approximately 240 EMUs run on this busy section. Additionally, 41 more EMUs operate between Sealdah and Gede via Ranaghat.