মাৰ্টিন লাইট ৰেলৱে

মাৰ্টিন লাইট ৰেলৱে ( Martin's Light Railways; MLR) পশ্চিমবংগ, বিহাৰ আৰু উত্তৰ প্ৰদেশত সেৱা আগবঢ়োৱা সাতটা বৰ্তমানে বিলুপ্ত নেৰ’গজ ৰেলপথৰ সমষ্টি।^১ পৰৱৰ্তীকালত এই ৰেলসেৱা ভাৰত চৰকাৰৰ অধীনলৈ অনা হয় আৰু ১৯৮০-ৰ দশকত ই সম্পূৰ্ণৰূপে বন্ধ হৈ যায়।^২

ৰেলপথসমূহ

আৰা-ছাচাৰাম লাইট ৰেলৱে

১৯১৪ চনত বিহাৰৰ আৰা আৰু ছাচাৰামক সংযোগ কৰা আৰা–ছাচাৰাম লাইট ৰেলৱে মুকলি কৰা হয়। ২ফুট ৬ইঞ্চি বহল নেৰ’গজ ৰেলপথটো দৈৰ্ঘ্য আছিল ১০১.২ কিঃমিঃ (৬৩.৫ মাইল)।^৩৪বৰ্ধিত লোকচানৰ বাবে ১৯৭৮ চনত ৰে'লপথটো বন্ধ কৰা দিয়া হয়। ২০০৬–০৭ চনত এই ৰে'লপথ ১,৬৭৬ মিলিমিটাৰ (৫ ফুট ৬ ইঞ্চি) বহল ব্ৰডগজলৈ লৈ ৰূপান্তৰিত কৰি পুনৰ ৰে'ল সেৱা আৰম্ভ কৰা হয়।[5] নতুন ব্ৰডগজ ৰেলপথটোৰ দৈৰ্ঘ্য ৯৭.৩ কিঃমিঃ (৬০.৫ মাইল)।^৫

বাৰাসত-বছিৰহাট লাইট ৰেলৱে

১৯১৪ চনত পশ্চিমবংগৰ বাৰাসাত আৰু বছিৰহাট সংযোগী বাৰাসাত–বছিৰহাট লাইট ৰেলৱে মুকলি কৰা হয়। ২ ফুট ৬ ইঞ্চি (৭৬২ মিলিমিটাৰ) নেৰ' গেজৰ এই ৰেলপথটো পিছলৈ এই হাছনাবাদলৈ সম্প্ৰসাৰিত কৰি মুঠ দৈৰ্ঘ্য বাৰ কিলোমিটাৰলৈ ( ৩২ মাইল) বৃদ্ধি কৰা হয়।^৩ কিন্তু বৰ্ধিত লোকচানৰ বাবে ১৯৫৫ চনত ৰেলপথ বন্ধ কৰা হয়।[6] ১৯৬২ চনত ৫৩ কিলোমিটাৰ (৩৩ মাইল) দীঘল বাৰাসাত-হাছনাবাদ অংশটো ব্ৰডগেজলৈ ৰূপান্তৰিত কৰি ৰেলসেৱা পুনৰ আৰম্ভ কৰা হয়।^৬ এই পথটো এতিয়া কলকাতা উপনগৰীয় ৰেলৱেৰ অংশ। পুৰণি শ্যামবাজাৰ (বেলগাছিয়া)-বেলিয়াঘাটা ব্ৰিজ শাখা লাইন পৰিত্যক্ত হৈ পৰিল। ২০১১ চনৰ ৰেল বাজেটত হিংগলগঞ্জলৈ ১১ কিলোমিটাৰ (৬.৮ মাইল) বৃদ্ধিৰ প্ৰস্তাৱ দিয়া হৈছিল।

বখটিয়াৰপুৰ-বিহাৰ শৰিফ লাইট ৰেলৱে

The Bakhtiarpur–Bihar light railway connecting Bakhtiarpur in বিহাৰ and Bihar Sharif in state of বিহাৰ in India was opened in 1902. The line was later extended to Rajgir. The railway was built in Narrow gauge and total length was 30 কি.মি..^৭ It was further extended 24 কি.মি. to Rajgir. In 1962, the railway was converted to Broad Gauge and train services were resumed.^৮ New 135.95 কি.মি. long railway tracks from Bihar Sharif to Sheikhpura, Bihar Sharif to Daniyawan, Rajgir to Tillaiya & Islampur to Natesar have been made.

ফটুহা-ইছলামপুৰ লাইট ৰেলৱে

The Fatuha–Islampur light railway connecting Fatuha and Islampur in বিহাৰ was opened in 1922. The railway was built in Narrow gauge and total length was 43 কি.মি..^৯১০ The railway ran parallel to road for almost its entire route.

The line operated three 0-6-2T locomotives constructed by Manning Wardle of Leeds.^৯১০

Due to increasing losses, the railway was closed in 1987. Later, the railway was converted to Broad Gauge and train services were resumed. Futwah station is now called Fatuha. New 135.95 কি.মি. long railway tracks from Bihar Sharif to Sheikhpura, Bihar Sharif to Daniyawan, Rajgir to Tillaiya & Islampur to Natesar have been made.

হাওৰা-আমতা লাইট ৰেলৱে

লগতে চাওক: Santragachi-Amta Branch Line

The Howrah–Amta light railway had its origin in an agreement, dated 12 June 1889 between the District Board of Howrah and Messrs. Walsh, Lovett & Co., which was subsequently renewed with Messrs. Martin & Co., and sanctioned by Government notification in the Calcutta Gazette of 27 March 1895.^১১ This was one of the Martin lines which was on 2'0" gauge instead of the more common 2'6".

The railway connecting Howrah and Amta in পশ্চিমবংগ was opened up to Domjur in 1897, and to Amta in 1900. An extension from Bargachhia (Bargachha) Junction to Antpur was opened in 1903, and a further extension to Champadanga in 1905. The total length of the railway was 79.7 কি.মি.. Both the Howrah- Amta and Howrah-Seakhala lines used to start from Howrah NG (Telkal Ghat) Station (near Howrah Rail Museum) on the Hooghly river, running to Dasnagar station. Here they separate, the Howrah-Seakhala & Janai line running North-West along the Benaras Road to Seakhala & Janai in Hooghly district. The Howrah–Amta line runs west, chiefly along the side of the Jagatballavpur Road, and then goes south-west 49 কি.মি. to Amta, with a 30.7 কি.মি. long branch line to Champadanga from Bargachhia (Bargachha) Junction.^১১ At various times of the narrow gauge operations, the passenger trains started from different places. In the 1943 Indian Bradshaw they were shown as running from Kadamtala with Dasnagar as junction where line bifurcates towards Amta/Champadanga & Seakhala. Martin Rail Company planned to link Champadanga with Seakhala in 1945 but the 1946 Calcutta Riots put a stop to the plan. Now West Bengal State Highway 15 (Rani Ahilyabai Holkar Road) runs in place of old Narrow Gauge line connecting Champadanga with Seakhala.

The management decided to close the line from 1 January 1971 and in view of the growing demand of local people for a railway service, the Indian Railways agreed to construct a broad-gauge-way from Howrah to Amta & Champadanga.^১২

The railway was converted to Broad Gauge in phase starting from 1984 and completing in 2000 with a slightly different alignment. Only the Howrah–Amta 49 কি.মি. long section was rebuilt, while the 30.7 কি.মি. long branch line from Bargachhia Junction to Champadanga with 8.8 কি.মি. extension to Tarakeswar is under planning since 2001. Work in 39.5 কি.মি. long line from Bargachhia (Bargachha) Junction to Tarakeswar via Antpur & Champadanga is delayed.

There was some construction of a new alignment from Howrah station which utilized the existing route up to Santragachhi Junction and skipped some of the older stations up to Makardaha, while new stations came up on this alignment at Bankra Nayabaz, Baltikuri Junction, Kona, Dansi and Jhaluarber. While some stations from the old line have been retained, some stations on the rebuilt line are at new locations. But the new BG alignment measures the exact 49 কি.মি. as the old NG alignment. This route is now part of Kolkata Suburban Railway. It has been electrified and EMU local trains run between Howrah and Amta. This route now comes under the jurisdiction of the South Eastern Railway.^{১৩১৪১৫}

হাওৰা-ছেখালা লাইট ৰেলৱে

The Howrah–Sheakhala light railway had its origin in an agreement, dated 12 June 1889 between the District Board of Howrah and Messrs. Walsh, Lovett & Co., which was subsequently renewed with Messrs. Martin & Co., and sanctioned by Government notification in the Calcutta Gazette of 27 March 1895.^১১

Like the Howrah–Amta light railway, this was of 2'0" gauge. The railway connecting Howrah and Seakhala in পশ্চিমবংগ was opened in November 1897 and the 16.5 কি.মি. long Chanditala-Janai Branch Line was opened in 1898. The total length of the railway was 53 কি.মি.. Both the 49 কি.মি. long Howrah- Amta and the 36.5 কি.মি. long Howrah-Seakhala lines started from Howrah NG (Telkal Ghat) Station (near Howrah rail Museum) on the Hooghly river, running to Dasnagar station. Here they separate, the Howrah-Seakhala line running north-west along the Benaras road to Seakhala in Hooghly district. The Howrah–Amta line runs west, chiefly along the side of the Jagatballabhpur road, and then goes south-west to Amta.^১১ In the 1943 Indian Bradshaw they were shown as running from Kadamtala with Dasnagar as junction where line bifurcates towards Amta/Champadanga & Seakhala. Martin Rail Company planned to link Champadanga with Seakhala in 1945 but the 1946 Calcutta Riots put a stop to the plan. Now West Bengal State Highway 15 (Rani Ahilyabai Holkar Road) runs in place of old Narrow Gauge line connecting Champadanga with Seakhala.

While the 49 কি.মি. Howrah–Amta section was reopened as Broad Gauge in 2000, the Howrah-Seakhala light railway was permanently closed. The Old alignment of Howrah-Seakhala light railway is made into a State Highway. In 2009, the then Railway minister proposed restoration of Howrah Seakhala NG line in Broad Gauge from Dankuni Junction to Seakhala via Chanditala, Janai, Mosat & Furfura Sharif, covering 32.6 কি.মি. stretch. But this project is facing land problem, political interference & resistance from Furfura Sharif.

সাহাদৰা-ছাহাৰানপুৰ লাইট ৰেলৱে

The Shahdara–Saharanpur light railway connecting Shahdara in Delhi and Saharanpur in উত্তৰ প্ৰদেশ was opened to traffic in 1907. The railway was built in narrow gauge and total length was 94.24 মাইল.^{১৬১৭১৮}

Due to increasing losses, the railway was closed in 1970. It was later converted to broad gauge by Indira Gandhi's Government on the strong recommendation of then Congress Member of Parliament Ram Chandra Vikal from Baghpat Lok Sabha. After gauge conversion it was reopened in the late 1970s.^{১৭১৮১৯} Although the broad gauge largely follows the same trackbed and alignment as the erstwhile narrow gauge, there is a 10.6 মাইল deviation near Saharanpur. The 104.84 মাইল long broad gauge line takes off south towards Delhi from Tapri Junction on the main line, while the narrow gauge line did not touch Tapri at all. Tapri Junction is located 4.25 মাইল from Saharanpur. Other than that, all the stations are the same as before.^১৭

শ্ৰেণীকৰণ

১৯২৬ চনৰ ভাৰতীয় ৰেলৱেৰ শ্ৰেণীবিভাজন ব্যৱস্থা অনুসৰি মাৰ্টিন লাইট ৰেলৱেক তৃতীয় শ্ৰেণীৰ ৰেলৱে হিচাপে শ্ৰেণীভূক্ত কৰা হৈছিল।The^২০ একমাত্ৰ সাহাদৰা-ছাহাৰানপুৰ লাইট ৰেলৱেকহে দ্বিতীয় শ্ৰেণী হিচাপে শ্ৰেণীভূক্ত কৰা হয়।^২১

বাহ্যিক সংযোগ

• List of trains between Barasat and Hasanabad Junction.
• Trains at Shamli