Railways in Jharia Coalfield

Railways in Jharia Coalfield
Pradhan Khunta Junction an important railway station on Jharia Coalfield Railways area
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Jharia Coalfield, Jharkhand
Service
Operator(s)	Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway
History
Opened	1894
Technical
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	1960–61 onwards with 25 kV AC overhead
Route map Legend km km Barkakana–Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh line to Barkakana 0 Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line to Bokaro 0 Asansol–Gaya section to Gaya 50 0 N.S.C Bose Gomoh Chandrapura 34 17 5 Kochargara Chandrapura TPS 9 Telo Patrakulhi Colliery Dugda Halt 30 44 Khario Halt Dugda Coal Washery KKC main siding Dhanbad-Chandrapura line 39 Khanudih Jamunia River KKC link siding Jamuniatanr Halt 27 37 Benidih Jamuni Halt 24 22 Phulwartanr Adra-Gomoh line 21 Budora Halt Tundu Colliery Jamuniatand 38 18 Tundu Halt Kharkhari 35 24 Ramakunda Halt Mucheraidih 32 Malkera–Kharkhari defunct loop line Mahuda Junction 30 20 Matari Murulidih Colliery 17 Sonardih Halt Asansol–Tatanagar– Kharagpur line to Talgaria 0 15 Nichitpur Moonidih Colliery 14 Tentulia Malkera 24 Dhanbad–Chandrapura line Malkera-Katrasgarh defunct colliery line Katrasgarh 13 Salanpur Colliery Angarpathra Halt 11 Sijua 10 Dhanbad–Gomoh line Bansjora 08 Baseria Halt 06 9 Tetulmari Kendua Colliery Kusunda 04 4 Bhuli Block Hut Kusunda–Jharia branch line (dismantled) Dhanbad–Jharia line former diamond crossing 0 Dhanbad Adra–Gomoh line 5 Dokra Halt Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line to New Giridih (under construction)   9 Pradhankhunta Junction TSBD Colliery Asansol–Gaya section to Asansol Tata Sijua 20 Kankanee Colliery Pradhankhunta–Pathardih line Layabad 18 14 Rakshitpur Layabad Coking plant Dhanbad–Jharia–Pathardih line (dismantled) K.S.T. siding 2 Dhansar Halt Karkend 16 4 Bastakulha Halt Pootkee Colliery 6 Nayakanali Halt Bhaga Goods Shed 7 Jharia Bhaga 10 8 Kujama Halt Ballihari Colliery 9 Lodna Jitpur Colliery 10 Bagdigi Halt 11 Barari Bazar Halt Jamadoba Halt 07 Barari Colliery C.K. Siding JBO Washery 22 Sindri Block Hut Mohalboni 06 14 Patherdih Bazar Bhowrah 04 16 3 Patherdih Junction Pathardih Washery Sudamdih Washery Chasnalla Colliery 25 Sindri Marshalling Yard Sudamdih 00 27 Sindri Town Asansol–Tatanagar– Kharagpur line to Bhojudih 0 Sindri FCI siding km km Sources: [1] [2]

Jharia Coalfield has a series of railway lines covering the region lying between the Grand Chord line on the north and the Damodar river in the south. It consists of five lines of which four are managed by East Central Railway's Dhanbad railway division and one is managed by the South Eastern Railway's Adra railway division.

It was possible to develop mining in the Jharia Coalfield in the late nineteenth century primarily because of the introduction of railways. East Indian Railway Company extended the Grand Chord to Katrasgarh via Dhanbad in 1894.^[3]

The Bengal Nagpur Railway extended its then mainline, the Nagpur–Asansol line, to Netaji SC Bose Gomoh, on EIR’s Grand Chord, in 1907. The Mahuda Junction–Chandrapura branch line was opened in 1913.^[4]

The District Gazetteer of Manbhum noted that: "There is a network of railway line in this district passing through colliery area. Grand Chord Line of the Eastern Railway and branch line of South Eastern Railway pass through this district from Gomoh Junction two railway line one of the Eastern Railway and another of the south Eastern Railway branch off, one going to Dehri on Sone (Shahabad) via Barkakana and another from Gomoh to Adra (Purulia district). There are branch lines in both the railway for carrying coal to different places in the country."^[5]

EIR had four major sections:

• Kumardhubi–Gomoh section
• Pradhankhanta–Pathardih section (15 km), opened in 1913
• Dhanbad–Phularitand section (21.6 km), opened in 1894 to Katrasgarh and extended to Phularitand in 1924
• Dhanbad–Pathardih section opened in 1903.^[5]

BNR had one section from Sudamdih to Gomoh.^[5]

Apart from the numerous loop lines which serve the various collieries in the area, there are 5 major sections:

1. Dhanbad–N.S.C. Bose Gomoh line (part of the Asansol–Gaya section of the Grand Chord)
2. Dhanbad–Chandrapura line
3. Dhanbad–Jharia–Pathardih line (now dismantled due to underground fires)
4. Pradhankhunta–Pathardih–Sindri Town branch line
5. Sudamdih–N.S.C Bose Gomoh section of the Adra–N.S.C. Bose Gomoh line

Electrification of the stretch of mainline of this section from Asansol to Netaji SC Bose Gomoh was completed in 1960–61.^[6]

Stretches of railway track in the Jharia Coalfield were electrified from time to time. Dhanbad–Kusunda–Tetulmari was electrified in 1961-62. The Santaldih–Pathardih–Sudamdih–Jamadoba sector was electrified in 1965-66. The Bhojudih–Netaji SC Bose Gomoh stretch was electrified in 1985–86. The Netaji SC Bose Gomoh–Chandrapura–Bhandaridah–Rajabera sector was electrified in 1986–87. The Chandrapura–Jamuniatanr–Mahuda sector was electrified in 1986–87. The Tupkadih–Talgoria sector was electrified in 1987–88.^[6]