Gaya–Kiul line

Railway line in Bihar, India

ServiceOperator(s)East Central RailwayHistoryOpened1879TechnicalLine length129 km (80 mi)Number of tracks2 (double)Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gaugeElectrificationYesOperating speed100 Km/Hr

Route map

Gaya–Kiul line

Legend

				km
					to Gaya–Mughalsarai section
					of Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line
				0	Gaya Junction
					to Patna–Gaya line
					Falgu River
				4	Shaheed Ishwar Chowdhary Halt
				5	Manpur Junction
					to Asansol–Gaya section
				12	Paimar
				16	Karjara
				21	Kolhana Halt
				24	Wazerganj
				26	Pura Halt
				31	Jamuawan
				33	Manjhwe
					to Koderma (under construction)
				42	Tilaiya Junction
					to Bakhtiyarpur–Tilaiya line
					to Fatuha–Tilaiya line
				47	Garobigha Halt
				50	Chatar Halt
				59	Nawada
				64	Sadipur Halt
				70	Baghi Bardiha
				78	Warisaliganj
				80	Sonwarsa Halt
				82	Baghi Ghauspur Halt
				88	Kashi Chak
				92	Dergaon Halt
				96	Kusumha Bihar Halt
				103	Sheikhpura
				107	Eksari Halt
				110	Adarsh Manpur
				113	Sirari
				115	Kachhiyana Halt
				119	Garsanda Halt
				122	Karota Patri Halt
				128	Lakhisarai
				130	Kiul
					to Sahibganj loop
					to Asansol–Patna section
					of Howrah–Delhi main line

Sources: Google maps^[1]; India Rail Info^[2]

The Gaya–Kiul line is a railway line connecting Gaya on the Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line and Kiul on the Howrah–Delhi main line both in the Indian state of Bihar.

History

Several years before the Grand Chord was built, a connection from the Howrah–Delhi main line to Gaya was developed in 1900 and the South Bihar Railway Company (operated by EIR) had laid a line from Lakhisarai to Gaya in 1879.^[3] The Grand Chord was opened on 6 December 1906.^[4]

Rail track doubling

Track doubling of the 130 kilometres (81 mi) long Gaya–Kiul line was announced in the Railway Budget for 2010–2011.^[5]

To cater to the growing freight traffic, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the doubling of 124 km long Kiul-Gaya railway line estimated to cost Rs 1354.22 crore in March 2016. Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CCEA decided in favour of doubling of this line which will ease the ever increasing freight traffic between the sections.

The project is likely to benefit Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nawadah and Gaya districts of Bihar and is expected to be completed by 2022-23. Doubling of this line will greatly ease the ever-increasing freight traffic between these sections. The project was likely to be completed by March 2022 but the project got delayed and new deadline is December 2023.

Phase I: Manpur-Wazirganj - December 2019 → Commissioned

Phase II: Wazirganj - Tilaiya — September 2022 → Commissioned

Phase III: Lakhisarai-Sheikhpura — October 2022 → Commissioned

Phase IV: Sheikhpura - Tilaiya - December 2023

Electrification and doubling of track

Feasibility studies for the electrification of the Manpur–Tilaiya–Kiul section were announced in the rail budget for 2010–11 and the electrification work of singletrack is going on starting 2015–16.^[6] electrification of single line from Gaya to Kiul have been completed in July 2018. It has been completed in two phases. In first phase Tilaiya to Warisaliganj have been completed and in the other phase Warisaliganj to Lakhisarai. A special Memu train was flagged on 22 October 2018 by State Railway Minister Mr. Manoj Sinha. Track doubling is in progress and it is expected to be completed by December 2023.

Passenger movement

Gaya is the only station on this line that is amongst the top hundred booking stations of the Indian Railway. Apart from Gaya, there are various local stations used by masses such as Nawada, Sheikhpura, Warisaliganj.

Since most of the trains ply between Kiul and Gaya, passenger movement is also limited. Since Kiul is a terminal station for most of the trains, it does not have much significance as it is neither a great marketplace nor a tourist destination. so it limits the number Of passengers on this line. If more trains are run through this line to other cities like Deoghar, Asansol, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Varanasi, Delhi, and other big cities this line would certainly provide more passenger boarding and deboarding.

The Distance between Kiul to Mughalsarai is 335 km via Patna and it is 334 km via Gaya. There are more than 30 trains from Kiul to Mughalsarai via Patna but only one train via Gaya that too a weekly with only 3AC accommodation. So the actual potential of passengers on this line is not reflected by the number of trains running.

^[7]

Railway reorganisation

In 1952, Eastern Railway, Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway were formed. Eastern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company, east of Mughalsarai and Bengal Nagpur Railway. Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughalsarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway, and Eastern Punjab Railway. North Eastern Railway was formed with Oudh and Tirhut Railway, Assam Railway and a portion of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.^[8] East Central Railway was created in 1996–97.^[9]

References

^ Google maps^{[full citation needed]}
^ "53626 Gaya Kiul Passenger". India Rail Info.
^ Saxena, R. P. "Indian Railway History timeline". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ "As the traffic continued to grow even beyond the capacity of the". Symphony of Progress: The Saga of Eastern Railway. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
^ "Rail Budget 2010-2011: Bihar's gain". Jai Bihar. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2014.^{[dead link]}
^ "Railway Budget 2010-11: Electrification of New Rail Sections". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
^ "Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways". Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
^ "Geography: Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^ "East Central Railway". ECR. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.

External links

Trains at Gaya India Rail Info
Trains at Kiul India Rail Info

Railways in Eastern India

National network/
trunk lines

Other lines/sections

Interstate	Asansol–Gaya section Asansol–Patna section Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line Barauni–Gorakhpur, Raxaul and Jainagar lines Barkakana–Son Nagar line Barsoi–New Farakka section Barsoi–Radhikapur branch line Dumka–Bhagalpur line Gaya–Mughalsarai section Hatia–Rourkela line Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line Katihar–Siliguri line Kharagpur–Puri line Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section Kothavalasa–Kirandul line New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section Tatanagar–Bilaspur section
Bihar	Bakhtiyarpur–Tilaiya line Barauni–Katihar section Barauni–Samastipur section Fatuha–Tilaiya line Gaya–Kiul line Mokama–Barauni section Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur line (via Hajipur, Raxaul and Sitamarhi) Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur main line Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi section Muzaffarpur–Hajipur section Narkatiaganj–Bhikhna Thori branch line Neora–Jatdumari–Daniyawan–Bihar Sharif–Sheikhpura line Patna–Gaya line Patna–Mughalsarai section Patna–Sonepur–Hajipur section Raxaul–Sagauli line Samastipur–Muzaffarpur section
Jharkhand	Barkakana–Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh line Barkakana–Muri–Chandil line Dhanbad–Chandrapura line Railways in Jharia Coalfield Koderma–Hazaribagh–Barkakana–Ranchi line Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line
Odisha	Khurda Road–Bolangir line Cuttack–Sambalpur line
West Bengal	Ahmadpur–Katwa line Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line Andal–Sainthia branch line Andal–Sitarampur loop line Bandel–Katwa line Bankura–Masagram line Bardhaman–Asansol section Bardhaman–Katwa line Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Eklakhi–Balurghat branch line Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line Howrah–Barddhaman main line Howrah–Bardhaman chord Howrah–Kharagpur line Kharagpur–Bankura–Adra line New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line Santragachi–Amta branch line Sealdah Main and North section Calcutta Chord link line Kolkata Circular Railway Sealdah–Bangaon line Sealdah–Ranaghat–Gede line Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City–Lalgola line Sealdah South section Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur branch line

Suburban
rail transport

Monorail

Defunct lines

Revived/ Under revival	Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway Bankura–Damodar Railway Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway Burdwan–Katwa Railway Bakhtiarpur–Bihar Light Railway Futwah–Islampur Light Railway
Inactive	Bengal Provincial Railway East Coast State Railway Kalighat Falta Railway Mayurbhanj State Railway Dehri Rohtas Light Railway Patna–Digha Ghat line Parlakimedi Light Railway

Zones & Divisions

Eastern	Asansol Howrah Malda Sealdah
East Central	Danapur Dhanbad Mughalsarai Samastipur Sonpur
East Coast	Sambalpur Khurda Road Waltair
North Eastern	Varanasi
Northeast Frontier	Katihar Alipurduar
South Eastern	Adra Chakradharpur Kharagpur Ranchi

Production units/
workshops

Transit points
with Bangladesh

Active	Haldibari–Chilahati Singhabad–Rohanpur Radhikapur–Biral Gede–Darshana Petrapole–Benapole
Defunct	Mahisasan–Shahbajpur Changrabandha–Burimari Gitaldaha–Mogalhat