Himalayan Times (1958)

April 20 1968

8«TM

to start from Katihar, .
the Railway's western -
moit point at present.

Katihar junotion fer-
ret as the gateway of
traffic to and from north
Bengal and Attain having
the aeeead biggett metre
gauge marshalling yard in
the country. The station
deals with 44 pattenger
trains and about 30 goods
trains daily. The goods
traffic passing through
this yard has also been
steadily , inoreasing.

Minor additions and
alterationi in this yard
as found necessary have
been oarried out from
time to time. A compre-
hensive Rs. 80-lakhs plan
has now been prepared
for extensive remodelling
of the yard. The work is
to be taken in hand
shortly.

Starting from Katihar,.
the line runs to Amin
gaon on the north Bank
of the Brahmaputra. This
seotion ean ba divided
into three portions—'
Katihar to Siliguri, Siliguri
to Alipur Duar and Alipur
Duar to Amingaon. The.
first seotion between Ka-
tihar and Siliguri is 125
miles long. The portion
bstween Adhikari and
Naksalbari stations has
a gradient of 1 in ISO
and a banker nngine is
used for all up trains.
The 24i mile line from.
Katihar to Barsoi is run-
tiing to oapaoity To oope

with the increased traffic
on this portion provision
has been made for doub-
ling of the line at a cost
of Rs. 93 lakhs.

< For increasing the
oapaoity of the remaining
portion between Barsoi
and Siliguri—a length of
101} mile—the following
works have been program-
med: (i) oonversion of
Matigara, Hathigisa and
Piprithan halts into cros-
sing stations; (ii) provision
of a new crossing station
between Kishanganj and
Kanki; (iii) lengthening of
loops^ And provision of
additional loops at stations
on the route; and (iv)
improvements in signal-
ling at stations All these
works are estimated to'
oost Rs. 65} lakhs.

The next section bet-
ween Siliguri junction and
Alipur Duar junction is
101 i miles. There are
gradients of 1 in 100 bet-
ween Mai junotion a n d
Banarhat. Measures simi-
lar to those of the Barsoi-
Siliguri seotion are also
being taken for increasing
the line oapaoity of Sili-
guri-Alipur Duar section.
The works are estimated
to oost Rs. 43 lakhs.
Additional crossing sta-
tions are being provided
between Siliguri and
Gulmaand between Gulma
and Sevok.

The 158 mile Alipur
Duar—Amingaon section
runs through the plains.

The line oapaoity works
on this seotion are esti-
mated to cost Rs. 21 lakhs
which include opening of
new orossing stations bet-
ween Alipur Duar junc-
tion and Samuktala, Kok-
rajhar and Basugaon,
Basugaon and Bongaigaon
and Barpeta and Sarupeta
and oonversion of Kai-
tbalkuch.iand Kendukana
halts into crossing stations.
The oonversion has already
been completed

Works for inoreasing
line oapaoity, - similar to
these mentioned above,
has also been planned for
seotions on the south bank
of the Brahmaputra. On
the 1171 mile Pandu-Lum-
ding i seotion, seven new
orossing stations are to
be provided.

On the Lumding-Ma-
riani seotion, which extends
over 110 miles, three new
'crossing stations will, be
provided' between Manipur
and Bokajan, Bokajan and
Naojan and Barpathar and
Jamguri. Ihese works,
including improvement in
signalling, are estimated
to oost Rs. 24 lakhs.

On the 96 miles Ma-
riani Tinsukia seotion, two
■ew orossing stations will
be provided between Am-
guri and Namtiali and
Simaluguri and Lakwa.
Facilities for simultaneous
reception of trains from
both direotions will also
be provided at stations
on this seotion. These