ER celebrates 40 years of operation of the Circular Railway

After 40 years of operation, the city’s iconic Circular Railway has seen passenger numbers increase by 200% in the last decade.

The railway network, which is a nostalgic means of transport in Kolkata and shares the cultural heritage of the city, carried around 33,720 people in the year 2014. The network, which was opened mainly to ease intra-city movement, has now become one of the lifelines for thousands of daily commuters. From 33,000 commuters in 2014 to 65,000 passengers today, the Circular Railway has covered a long distance not only in the last decade but also in the last 40 years.

As the story goes, the Circular Railway popularly known as the ‘Chakra Rail’ is a vital part of the Kolkata Metropolitan Railway system which has a rich history of over 170 years. The concept of a Circular Railway in Kolkata was first conceived in the late 19th century. Later, in the 1950s, the idea of ​​developing a distributed railway was mooted. However, the concept gained momentum only in 1984 when the then Railway Minister announced that the Circular Railway network from Majerhat to Tala would be developed in Kolkata, erstwhile Calcutta. To the relief of Calcuttans, on August 15, 1984, a Circular Railway train pulled by a diesel locomotive rolled out from Princep Ghat to Bagbazar.

Initially, the Circular Railway received a lukewarm response from passengers as it was a single line operated by wooden rakes pulled by diesel engines with very few services and also because the circular loop was not fully completed. Having developed as a key means of transport in Kolkata for four decades, the Circular Railway now covers 44 km, passing through the central business district with 21 stations en route. Out of the 21 stations, 13 stations including Dumdum Junction, Bag Bazar station, BBD Bag station, Eden Garden station, Princep Ghat station, Majerhat station are located in a single loop. The network enables passengers to reach any point from north to south in the shortest possible time. According to Eastern Railway, one of the most scenic stations in the network, having a key historical connection, is Princep Ghat station.

According to Eastern Railway, currently over 65,000 passengers use the Circular Railway every day. A total of 27 local trains run on the Dum Dum Junction, Tala, Majerhat, Ballygunge route and 13 on the Dum Dum Junction, Bidhannagar Road, Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt, Park Circus, Ballygunge route, completing the entire Circular Railway loop covering the central business district of Kolkata.

Considering the rich heritage of the rail network, the Sealdah Eastern Railway division is gearing up to commemorate 40 years of passenger service on the Kolkata Circular Railway by conducting a commemorative run of special EMU trains from Kolkata station on September 21, followed by Swachh Bharat Cultural Fest. An exhibition has also been organised at Prinsep Ghat station after the arrival of the special EMU train to mark the occasion.