Petrapole railway station

23°02′16″N 88°52′06″E / 23.03771026139523°N 88.86846346945615°E / 23.03771026139523; 88.86846346945615Elevation13 metres (43 ft)Owned byIndian RailwaysOperated byEastern RailwayLine(s)Sealdah–Bangaon linePlatforms1Tracks2ConstructionStructure typeAt gradeParkingNoBicycle facilitiesNoOther informationStatusFunctionalStation codePTPL Zone(s) Eastern Railway Division(s) SealdahHistoryOpened1947

Route map

Legend km km Jessore–Benapole section 86 Benapole ( Benapole land port ) Bagdah 26 Bangladesh India Chandabazar 12 82 Petrapole Chhoighoria 6 Naobhanga Khal Ichhamati river line planned 78 00 Bangaon Junction Ranaghat–Bangaon line 20 Poramaheshtala (planned) Satberia Halt 5 Gopalnagar 5 Akaipur Halt 10 Majhergram 13 Gangnapur 18 Naba Raynagar 23 Coopers Halt 25 Ranaghat EMU Carshed Ranaghat–Gede line Ranaghat–Lalgola line Churni Ghat 30 89 Hingalganj Ranaghat Junction 28 Katakhali river line planned Sealdah–Ranaghat line 72 Hasnabad 70 Taki Road 67 Nimdanri 66 Madhyampur Bibhutibhusan Halt 73 64 Matania Anantapur Chandpara 68 61 Basirhat Thakurnagar 64 60 Bhyabla Gobardanga 58 55 Champapukur Jamuna river 52 Ghora Ras Ghona (planned) Swarupnagar 70 Bidyadhari Khal Machhalandapur 55 50 Malatipur Sanhati 50 46 Kankra Mirzanagar Habra 45 42 Harua Road Ashoknagar Road 42 39 Bhasila Guma 38 37 Lebutala (planned) Chakla 47 Bidyadhari Khal Bira 35 34 Beliaghata Road Dattapukur 31 35 Sondalia Bamangachhi 27 33 Bahira Kalibari 29 Karea Kadambagachi Barasat EMU Carshed 26 Kazipara Barasat Junction 23 Barasat Hridaypur 21 Hridaypur Madhyamgram 19 Madhyamgram Noai Khal New Barrackpore New Barrackpur 17 Michael Nagar Bisharpara Kodaliya 16 Birati Birati 14 Biman Bandar Belghoria Expressway  KM Line 6  (u/c) Durganagar 13 Biman Bandar 15 Jessore Road 13 Jessore Road line dismantled Jessop & Co. factory siding Ordnance Factory siding Dum Dum Cantonment 11 Dum Dum Cantonment  KM Line 4  (u/c) Sealdah Main & North section  KM Line 1  Dum Dum Junction 08 Patipukur loop line (dismantled) Jessore Road Belgachia 00 10 Patipukur Chitpur Rail Yard Ultadanga Road 011 Lansdown mill siding Kolkata 012 Brown Blanket mill siding Kolkata Circular Railway  KM Line 1  Kestopur Canal Bidhan Nagar Road 5 Bidhannagar Road Press House siding Kankurgachi Road 2 Kankurgachi Road Junction Narkeldanga EMU Carshed 3 Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt Circular Canal Kankurgachi Chord line Sealdah North 00 0 Sealdah Main Sealdah  KM Line 2  Sealdah South 00 Beliaghata Diesel Loco Shed 6 Kamardanga Halt Beruck & Comens Siding 3│7 Park Circus Sealdah South section km km Key Indian Railways broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) broad gauge (1676 mm) Kolkata Metro (KM) standard gauge (1435 mm) in use   out of use, planned, or under construction (u/c)   tunnel

Location
Petrapole railway station Location in West Bengal Show map of West Bengal Petrapole railway station Location in India Show map of India

Petrapole railway station is a railway station of the Indian Railways located in the North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. Its station code is PTPL.^[1] It is located near the Indo-Bangladesh border and serves as a major border crossing point for freight trains to Bangladesh, with Benapole being the Bangladesh Railways counterpart.^[1][2][3]

History

The Bengal Central Railway Company constructed a broad gauge line connecting Dum Dum with Khulna (now in Bangladesh), via Bangaon (108 miles (174 km)) which opened in stages and was completed in 1884. These lines were merged with Eastern Bengal Railway in 1904.^[4]

After partition of India in 1947, Petrapole railway station was created as the terminus on the Indian side while the Benapole railway station became the terminus on the Bangladeshi side of the line. The Barisal Express, launched in 1884, from Sealdah to Khulna continued post-partition until rail services between the two countries were suspended due to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.^[5] Freight services between the two countries were restored for a brief period of two years in 1972 but closed again due to a lack of goods.^[6] India and Bangladesh signed an agreement in July 2000 to resume freight services and the first freight train ran across the link on 21 January 2001.^[6]

Services

Petrapole serves as the major transit point of goods from India to Bangladesh. It directly connects to the Benapole land port, the largest land port in Bangladesh which is responsible for 90% of the Indian goods imported to Bangladesh.^[7][8][9]

While initially handling only freight traffic, it became a border checkpoint for passengers after the Bandhan Express was introduced on this line in November 2017. It is a weekly service which traces the old route of the Barisal Express except for having its terminus in the Kolkata railway station instead of the Sealdah railway station.^[10]

See also

References