Siliguri Town
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Indian Railway Station | |
Location | Bagha Jatin Road, College Para, Siliguri, Distt:Darjeeling, West Bengal India |
Coordinates | 26°42′26″N 88°25′45″E / 26.7071°N 88.4292°ECoordinates: 26°42′26″N 88°25′45″E / 26.7071°N 88.4292°E |
Elevation | 120 metres (390 ft) |
Owned by | Indian Railways |
Operated by | North East Frontier Railway |
Line(s) | New Jalpaiguri-Alipurduar-Samuktala Road line, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway |
Platforms | 2 [1 Broad Gauge and 1 Narrow Gauge] |
Construction | |
Structure type | Standard at ground |
Parking | Available |
Other information | |
Status | Functioning |
Station code | SGUT |
Division(s) | Siliguri |
History | |
Opened | 1880 |
Electrified | In Progress |
Previous names | North Bengal State Railway |
Location | |
Siliguri Town is one of the three railway stations that serve Siliguri in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The other two stations are: Siliguri Junction and New Jalpaiguri.
In 1878, the railway line from Calcutta (later called Sealdah) station to Siliguri was in two stages – 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge from Calcutta to Damookeah Ghat, on the southern bank of the Padma, across the river in a ferry and then 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge to Siliguri. In 1881, the 610 mm (2 ft) narrow gauge line from Siliguri to Darjeeling was added. In 1926, with the Hardinge Bridge in position, the entire Calcutta-Siliguri line was converted to 1,676 mm broad gauge and in 1947, following the partition of India the line was severed, as a major portion of the line ran through East Pakistan.
In the post-partition era, with makeshift arrangements via Barsoi and Kishanganj being metre gauge and narrow gauge, the focus shifted in 1949 to a new Siliguri Junction railway station and later still, in 1961 to the new broad gauge station at New Jalpaiguri.