Silchar railway station

Silchar railway station also known as Bhasha Shahid railway station[1] is a railway station situated at Tarapur, Silchar in Assam. The railway station falls under the jurisdiction of the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The railway gauge functioned here is broad gauge.[7] The station consists of single diesel line[2]". It is one of the oldest railway station in India built under Assam Bengal Railway.[8] The station has three platforms with a total of 14 originating trains.[9] It serves Silchar, as well as the whole Barak Valley. Trains operate to different cities of India from Silchar including Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kanpur, Patna, Prayagraj, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Thiruvananthapuram & Agartala. As of now, 170 stations across India are directly connected to Silchar railway station.

Silchar
Train station
Silchar railway station
General information
Other namesBhasha Shahid railway station[1]
LocationStation Road, Tarapur, NH37, Silchar, 788003, Barak Valley, Assam
India
Coordinates24°49′12″N 92°48′00″E
Elevation20 m (66 ft)
Owned byIndian Railways
Operated byNortheast Frontier Railway zone
Line(s)
Distance
Platforms3[2]
Tracks9
Bus routesNH37
Bus standsSilchar ISBT
Bus operatorsAssam State Transport Corporation
Connections
Construction
Structure typeStandard (on-ground station)
Platform levels1
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
Other information
StatusFunctioning
Station codeSCL
Zone(s) Northeast Frontier Railway zone
Division(s) Lumding
ClassificationNSG–4
History
Opened1898 (1898)
Closed2014 (2014)[3]
Rebuilt2015 (2015)[4]
ElectrifiedNot available
Key dates
1995 (1995)Upgraded with Reservation facilities through ticket counters[5]
2014 (2014)Closed for Gauge Conversion[3]
2015 (2015)Reopened after Gauge Conversion[4]
2019 (2019)Upgraded with free WiFi facilities[6]
Passengers
201910,000-15,000 approx
 5% (Daily)
Services
Preceding station   Indian Railways   Following station
Northeast Frontier Railway zone
New Silchar
Location
Silchar railway station
Location in Assam
Silchar railway station
Location in India
Railways around Silchar
km
km
0
Lumding Junction
10
Manderdisa
20
Hatikhali
26
Dibolong
31
Dijaobra
39
Langting
47
Dihakho
54
Mupa
59
Kalachand
64
Maibang
71
Wadrengdisa
74
Daotuhaja
83
Phiding
abandoned MG route
Mahur
88
Mahur
Migrendisa
93
Migrendisa
Lower Halflong
Bagetar
98
New Haflong
Halflong Hill
Jatinga
109
Jatinga Lumpur
Longrangajao
Mailongdisa
119
New Harangajao
Harangajao
Ditokcherra
127
Ditokcherra
abandoned MG route
km
Imphal
Phayeng
Bandarkhal
132
Haochong
Tupul
Noney
Khongsang
Damchara
140
Thingu
Kambiron
Kaimai Road
Chandranathpur
149
67
Vangaichungpao
56
Jiribam
Assam
Manipur
border
52
Jirighat
Bihara
154
42
Kamranga
36
Shribar
28
Ranigaon
Hilara
158
18
Moinarband
10
New Silchar
0
Silchar
6
Arunachal Junction
Sukritipur
164
9
Srikona
14
Salchapara
Katakhal Junction
20
30
Algapur
Panchgram
25
38
Hailakandi
Badarpur Ghat
28
46
Monacherra
54
Lalabazar
Badarpur Junction
169
59
Mahamadpur
Rupasibari
172
67
Katlicherra
Bhanga
178
76
Manipur Bagan
Chargola
184
86
Jamira
New Karimganj
187
96
Ramnathpur
Karimganj Junction
190
Assam
Mizoram
border
Longai
193
103
Bairabi
Maishashan
200
Hartoki
India
Bangladesh
border
Kwanpui
Suprakandi
198
Maulkhang
Nilambazar
205
Sairang
Kayasthagram
208
Baraigram Junction
212
Kanaibazar
216
215
Eraligul
Patharkandi
220
219
Phakhoagram
Kalkhalighat
224
225
Bazarghat
Chand Khira Bagan
230
230
Ratabari
Tilbhum
238
233
Anipur
Assam
Tripura
border
240
Dullabcherra
Churaibari
243
Nadiapur
250
Dharmanagar
256
Panisagar
267
Pencharthal
278
Kumarghat
288
Nalkata
299
Manu
309
S K Para
312
Jawaharnagar
324
Ambassa
329
Mungiakami
347
Teliamura
358
Jirania
378
Jogendra Nagar
392
to Akhaura (proposed)
Bangladesh
India
border
Agartala
396
Sekerkote
402
Bishalgarh
410
Bishramganj
423
Udaipur
438
Garjee
447
Santir Bazar
460
470
Belonia
484
Jolaibari
492
Thailik Twisa
500
Manu Bazar
509
Sabroom
km

History

The Station was first inaugurated in 1898 under Assam Bengal Railway. Assam Bengal Railway was incorporated in 1892 to serve British-owned tea plantations in Assam. Assam Bengal Railway had III sections & Silchar railway station come under Section I named as Comilla–Akhaura–Kulaura–Badarpur section opened in 1896–1898 and finally extended to Lumding in 1903.[10]

Significance

Silchar railway station was the location of one of the uprisings in support of the Bengali language. When the Assam government, under Chief Minister Bimala Prasad Chaliha, passed a circular to make Assamese mandatory, Bengalis of Barak Valley protested. On 19 May 1961, Assam police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at Silchar railway station. Eleven protesters were killed.

After the popular revolt, the Assam government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the three districts of Barak Valley.[11][12]

Every year on 19 May is celebrated as Bhasha Shahid Divas to commemorate the incident.

Amenities

The station contains three platforms serving several passengers. It contains retiring rooms or passenger waiting rooms with proper sanitation facilities.[13] The Station is upgraded with reservation facilities through ticket counters in the year 1995.[5] It is also upgraded with RailTel free WiFi facilities.[6] The station is also upgraded with a Digital Museum Video Wall on the entrance of the station that will showcase the rich heritage of Indian Railways and other information related to rail travellers[14][15]

Incidents

On 19 May 1961, during the Bengali Language Movement of Barak Valley,[16] Assam Police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators at Silchar railway station in which 11 protesters were killed.[17] After which Bengali language was ultimately given official status in Barak Valley[18]

On 9 June 2019, three coaches of Silchar–Trivandram Express caught fire in the early hours of Sunday, while it was stationed at Silchar railway station. No casualties recorded later[19]

Security

In 2020, High definition CCTV cameras were installed at platforms, circulating and waiting areas of Silchar railway station by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) under ISS (integrated security system) to ensure round-the-clock security to passengers, especially women[20]

Major trains

See also

References

  1. "Centre nod to renaming Silchar station after language martyrs". Times of India. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  2. "Silchar railway station overview". Travel Khana. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. "Mega blocks from Oct 1 on Silchar–Lumding section". Rail News. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  4. Samudra Gupta Kashyap (21 November 2015). "Assam: New Lumding–Silchar BG track opened for passenger traffic". The Indian Express. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  5. "Welcome to North East Frontier Railway / Indian Railways Portal". PRS functioning in various districts under the jurisdiction of North East Frontier Railway. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  6. "PROVISION OF WI-FI AT STATIONS". nfr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  7. "After a two-decade wait, Assam's Barak Valley finally gets broad-gauge rail connectivity". Business Standard. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  8. "Silchar station to be shifted". The Telegraph. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  9. "Scl railway station overview". NDTV. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  10. "[IRFCA] Indian Railway History – Assam Railways and Trading Company". IRFCA. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  11. "No alliance with BJP, says AGP chief". The Telegraph, Calcutta. 27 December 2003. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  12. "Silchar rly station to be renamed soon". The Times of India. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  13. "Retiring Room Accommodation Rules". nfr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  14. Kushal Deb Roy (31 October 2019). "GM Sanjive Roy, Silchar MP inaugurate digital museum video wall at silchar station". Barak Bulletin. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  15. "NF Railway launches digital museum in 22 stations". Northeast Now. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  16. Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty (8 July 2017). "In Language Movements of West Bengal and Assam, a Parallel in Governments Responses". The Wire. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  17. "Assam Government will pay tribute to 11 martyrs of 1961 Bhasha Andalan". Barak Bulletin. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  18. Rupali Pruthi (10 September 2014). "Assam government withdrew Assamese as official language from Barak Valley". Jagran Josh. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  19. "3 coaches of Silchar–Trivandrum Express gutted in fire". India Today. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  20. Satananda Bhattacharjee (9 January 2020). "CCTV camera in 28 Northeast stations". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
External video
Train arriving at Silchar railway station on YouTube, N F Railway, 2019
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