Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section

The Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section is a railway line connecting Khurda Road in the Indian state of Odisha and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The main line is part of the Howrah–Chennai main line.

Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section
18463 Prashanti Express at Alamanda railway station on Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerIndian Railways
LocaleOdisha, Andhra Pradesh
TerminiKhurda Road
Visakhapatnam
Service
Operator(s)East Coast Railway, South Coast Railway
History
Opened1899
Technical
Track length424 km (263 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge
Operating speedup to 130 km/h (81 mph)
Route map

km
to Kharagpur–Puri line
0
Khurda Road
to Khurda Road–Bolangir line (under construction)
to Puri
5
Argul
9
Kaipadar Road
14
Dhaulimuhan
18
Tapang
23
Golabai
27
Nirakarpur
35
Bhusandpur
42
Muketashwar
48
Kalupara Ghat
53
Kuhuri
60
Gangadharpur
NH 5
63
Solari
70
Balugaon
NH 5
78
Chilka
83
Kalijai
89
Khallikot
100
Rambha
NH 5
110
Humma
116
Ganjam
Rushikulya
124
Chatrapur Court
125
Chatrapur
Gopalpur port
129
Narasimhapura
139
Jagannathpur
147
Brahmapur
158
Golanthra
164
Surla Road
Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border
172
Ichchapuram
184
Jhadupudi
190
Sompeta
NH 5
199
Baruva
208
Mandasa Road
212
Summadevi
220
Palasa
233
Pundi
239
Routhpuram Halt
246 / 0
Naupada
7
Tekkali Halt
NH 5
12
Peddasan
21
Temburu
27
Ganguwada
35
Patapatnam
Andhra PradeshOdisha border
39
Paralamkhemundi
52
Sitapuram Halt
56
Haobhanga Halt
65
Kashinagar Halt
71
Lihuri Halt
78
Bansadhara Halt
83
Palasingi
90
Gunpur
252
Dindu Gopala Puram Halt
260
Kotabommali
267
Harishchandrapuram
NH 5
272
Tilaru
282
Urlam
Vamsadhara River
292
Srikakulam Road
298
Dusi
Nagavali River
308
Ponduru
318
Sigadam
325
Batuva
332
Chipurupalle
335
Garividi
352
Nellimaria
to Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line
363
Vizianagaram
374
Korukonda
Gosthani River
381
Alamanda
390
Kantakapalle
Aluminium plant of JSW Group
to Kothavalasa–Kirandul line
398
Kothavalasa
407
Pendurti
414
Simhachalam North
416
Simhachalam
415
Gopalapatnam
NH 5
Marshalling yard on right lines
419
Maripallem / Visakhapatnam Airport
Naval Dockyard
Essar Steel
Iron Ore sidings
432
Kottapalem
Visakhapatnam Port - Inner harbour
424
Visakhapatnam
Hindustan Zinc
BHPV
NH 5
Coromandel International
Visakhapatnam Refinery of HPCL
Visakhapatnam port channel in blue
Visakhapatnam Port - Inner harbour
Hindustan Shipyard
Visakhapatnam Port - Outer harbour
Dolphin's Nose (hill with lighthouse)
Link to Bay of Bengal
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant
Gangavaram Port
440
Duvvada
NH 5
Simhadri STPP of NTPC
450
Thadi
NH 5
456
Anakapalle
to Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada section

Geography

The Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section traverses the Eastern Coastal Plains, first the southern part of the Odisha plains from the Mahanadi River Delta to a little beyond Chilika Lake and then the Northern Circars. The coastal plains lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal and at places the Eastern Ghats come close to the sea. This area has a number of rivers flowing into the sea – Rushikulya, Vamsadhara and Nagavali.[1][2][3]

Port development

Visakhapatnam Port at the mouth of the Meghadrigedda was opened in 1933. It was initially developed by Bengal Nagpur Railway. The port has an inner harbour and an outer harbour . Visakhapatnam port handled 68.04 million tonnes of cargo in 2010–11, which was the second highest in India after Kandla. Visakhapatnam port is being upgraded to handle ships up to 200,000 DWT.[4][5]

Gangavaram Port came up in 2008 and is claimed to be deepest port in India, which can handle ships up to 200,000 DWT.[6]

A minor port is proposed to be developed at Bheemunipatnam, near the mouth of the Gosthani River.[7]

Gopalpur-on-Sea is being developed into a deep sea port capable of handling ships up to 120,000 DWT.[8]

History

Howrah–Chennai main line

During the period 1893 to 1896, 1,287 km (800 mi) of railway tracks covering the entire coastal stretch from Cuttack to Vijayawada, was built and opened to traffic by East Coast State Railway.[9][10]Bengal Nagpur Railway's line to Cuttack was opened on 1 January 1899.[9] The southern part of the East Coast State Railway (from Waltair to Vijayawada) was taken over by Madras Railway in 1901.[11] The 514 km (319 mi)-long northern portion of the East Coast line to Cuttack, including the branch line to Puri, was taken over by Bengal Nagpur Railway in 1902.[10][12]

Branch lines

The 79 km (49 mi) Vizianagaram–Parvatipuram line was opened in 1908–09 and an extension to Salur was built in 1913. The Parvatipuram–Raipur line was completed in 1931.[9] (More information is available in the Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line.)

In 1960, Indian Railway took up three projects: the Kottavalasa–Koraput–Jeypore–Kirandaul line (Dandakaranya Project ), the Titlagarh–Bolangir–Jharsuguda Project and the Rourkela–Kiriburu Project. All the three projects taken together were popularly known as the DBK Project or the Dandakaranya Bolangir Kiriburu Project.[13] The Kottavalasa–Kirandaul line was opened in 1966–67.[10]

The Paralakhemedi Light Railway opened the Naupada–Gunupur line between 1900 and 1931.[9][14] The line was converted to broad gauge in 2011.[15]

Railway reorganization

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was nationalized in 1944.[16] Eastern Railway was formed on 14 April 1952 with the portion of East Indian Railway Company east of Mughalsarai and the Bengal Nagpur Railway.[17] In 1955, South Eastern Railway was carved out of Eastern Railway. It comprised lines mostly operated by BNR earlier.[17][18] Amongst the new zones started in April 2003 were East Coast Railway and South East Central Railway. Both these railways were carved out of South Eastern Railway.[17]

Electrification

Howrah–Chennai Mail was the first train in South Eastern Railway to be hauled by a diesel engine (WDM-1) in 1965.[18]

The Khurda–Visakhapatnam section was completely electrified by 2002. The Howrah–Chennai route was completely electrified by 2005.[19]

Speed limits

The entire Kharagpur–Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada main line is classified as a "Group B" line which can take speeds up to 130 km/h. In the branch lines the speed limit is 100 km/hr.[20]

References

  1. "Coastal Plains of India". Country facts – the world at your finger tips. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  2. "The Coastal Plains of India". Zahie.com. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  3. "Mahanadi River Delta, India, Asia". The World Delta Database. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  4. "Port of Visakhapatnam". History. vizagport. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  5. "Vizag port feels the heat of competition from Gangavaram". The Hindu Business Line. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2013 via Access My Library.
  6. "Welcome to Gangavaram Port". Port Gangavaram. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  7. "Bheemunipatnam Port". Department of Ports, Government of Andhra. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  8. "Gopalpur port". Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  9. "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  10. "History of Waltair Division". Mannanna.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  11. "IR History: Part III (1900-1947)". IRFCA. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  12. "History". East Coast Railway. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  13. Baral, Chitta. "History of Indian Railways in Orissa" (PDF). Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  14. "Paralakhemedi Light Railway". The Indian Express. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  15. "Performance of Waltair Division in 2011-12". Waltair Division of East Coast Railway. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  16. "IR History: Part - III (1900–1947)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  17. "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  18. "IR History: Part - IV (1947–1970)". IRFCA. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  19. "IR History Part VII (2000–present)". IRFCA. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  20. "Chapter II – The Maintenance of Permanent Way". Retrieved 2 January 2013.
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