Cooch Behar State Railway built the line between Geetaldaha, which connected to Lalmonirhat, and Jainti during 1893–1901.[1] The Eastern Bengal Railway constructed the Hasimara–Alipurduar section during the period 1900–1910. The Bengal Dooars Railway also constructed certain lines in the area. Their longest line was from Lalmonirhat to the western Dooars. Those were metre-gauge railways. The Eastern Bengal Railway and the Assam Bengal Railway were merged during World War II and came to be known as the Bengal Assam Railway. With the partition of India in 1947, the Indian part of Bengal Assam Railway became Assam Railway, which subsequently became part of North Eastern Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway.[2][3][4] The metre-gauge track was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.[5][6] The 182 kilometres (113 mi) long New Jalpaiguri/ Siliguri–Samuktala Road line was constructed as part of the Assam Rail Link project in 1948–50. After conversion to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in), it was re-opened on 20 November 2003.[4][7]
The line running through deep forests has taken a toll on elephant herds. A large number of elephants have been killed by speeding trains. Following protests by the local population, restrictions have been placed on the speed of trains, particularly at night.[5][9]
The Alipuduar–Bamanhat branch line ends near the India–Bangladesh border across the Dharla River. In pre-independence days, it used to connect to Mogalhat, now in Bangladesh, across the Dharla. The bridge is broken. The line from Golokganj meets the branch line. Before the Dharla bridge was broken the rail link from Parbatipur to Fakiragram used to pass through Geetaldaha, now a border village in Cooch Behar district, and Bamanhat.[15][16] The Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) in 2007.[17] Dhubri-New Jalpaiguri Inter-city Express via Cooch Behar was introduced in February 2012.[18]
Rajabhatkawa-Jainti line is a new project sanctioned in 2012–13.[19]
Important Railway Stations
Important railway stations in this line are as follows:
^"The Cooch Behar State Railways (1903)". "The Cooch Behar state and its land revenue settlements" by H. N. Chaudhuri, Cooch Behar State Press, 1903 – Review by R Sivaramakrishnan. IRFCA. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
^"History". Northeast Frontier Railway. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
