Sahibganj Loop
| Sahibganj Loop | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar |
| Termini |
Khana Junction Kiul Junction |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1866 |
| Owner | Indian Railway |
| Operator(s) | Eastern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 410 km (255 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 1/ 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
|---|
The Sahibganj Loop is a railway line connecting Khana Junction and Kiul Junction. Originally a part of the Howrah-Delhi main line, it was opened to traffic in 1866. With the construction of a shorter railway line for a part of the route, the 410 kilometres (250 mi) stretch was assigned a separate identity.
Railway transportation was introduced in India within 30 years of its in England.
The East Indian Railway Company which was formed on 1 June 1845, completed its survey for a railway line from Kolkata, then called Calcutta, to Delhi via Mirzapur in 1846. The company initially became defunct on refusal of government guarantee, which was given in 1849. Thereafter, an agreement was signed between East Indian Railway Company and the East India Company, for the construction and operation of an "experimental" line between Kolkata and Rajmahal, which would later be extended to Delhi via Mirzapur. Construction began in 1851.
On 15 August 1854, the first passenger train in the eastern section was operated up to Hooghly, 39 kilometres (24 mi) away. On 1 February 1855 the first train ran from Hooghly to Raniganj, 195 kilometres (121 mi) from Howrah. The priority accorded to the Raniganj section was because of the assurance of coal transportation.
The Khana Junction-Rajmahal section was complete in October 1859, crossing Ajay River on the way. The first train ran from Howrah to Rajmahal via Khana on 4 July 1860. The Loop from Khana Junction to Kiul via Jamalpur, including the Monghyr branch, was ready in February 1862.
From Rajmahal, construction progressed rapidly, moving westward along the banks of the Ganges, reaching Bhagalpur in 1861, Munger in February 1862, and opposite Varanasi (across the Ganges) in December 1862 and then on to Naini on the bank of the Yamuna. The work included EIR's first tunnel at Jamalpur and first major bridge across the Son River at Arrah.
During 1863-64, work progressed rapidly on the Allahabad-Kanpur-Tundla and Aligarh-Ghaziabad sections. The Yamuna bridge near Delhi was completed in 1864 and EIR established the Delhi terminus. The Yamuna bridge at Allahabad opened on 15 August 1865 and in 1866 Kolkata and Delhi were directly linked. The 1 Dn/ 2 Up Mail started running.
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