NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY TRACK FROM BELGACHIA
TO TAKI VIA BAGUATI, RAJARHAT
There
was a Railway connection between Shyambazar of Present Kolkata (Known as Belgachhia
at that time) and present Hasnabad (called Chingrighata at first), having 2ft
6in gauge Railway line, which was promoted and managed by the-then Martin &
Co. This line was known as Shyambazar
- Hasnabad light railway and was opened
in stages between 1st Feb 1905 and 2nd October 1914.
The Route was as follows, as per copies of Newmans Indian Bradshaw of 1940s (the numbers indicates the distance in miles from Shyambazar):
Belgachhia
Pattipooker (1)
Baguiati (3)
Hatiaria (4)
Narainpur
Colony (5)
Rajarhat
Bishnupur (8)
Langalpota (9)
Haroakhal (11)
Kharibaria (13)
Aminpur (15)
Beliaghata Bridge (18)[Not
to be confused with Present Beliaghata ]
Deganga (21)
Berchampa (23)
Sarupnagar (26)
Dhankuria
G. Garden (27)
Arbalia (28)
Shikra
Kulingram (30)
Kholapota (32)
Maitra
Bagan (34)
Basirhat (35)
Basirhat
Kutchery (36)
Dandirhat (38)
Sankchura (41)
Taki
Road (42)
Hasnabad (44)
This
Shyambazar - Hasnabad light railway used to take the exact alignment of present
Baguihati - Hatiara road taken by 30C and 30C/1 routes.
This
line was laid adjacent to the Jessore Road in between present Dum Dum Park and
Bangur, crossing the present Bagjola Canal. This canal was significantly wider
at hat time than what it is now and was quite financially viable with boats
ferrying numerous items through this canal.
The
line was supported by the District Board since it earned significant profits
from this Ralway, but subsequently, loss started occurring, whereby, the
management and administration of this Railway was taken over in August 1951 by
the Board of Directors appointed by the Government of West Bengal under the
powers delegated to them by the Central Government under the Railway Companies
(Emergency Provisions) Ordinance 1951 and the Railway Companies (Emergency
Provisions) Act 1951.
It
was closed down from 1st July 1955 allegedly due to increasing losses arising
from road competition and increased working expenses.
However,
a Pond named “Rail-pukur” (Pond is called “Pukur” in Bengali) still exists, beyond
the PWD building at Baguiati crossing, as perhaps the only reminiscence of this
railway, wherefrom the Trains used to re-fill the engine with water.
