Status Operational Operator(s) East Central Railway | Locale Bihar Owner Indian Railways | |
Termini Narkatiaganj Junction
Bikhnathori Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge
1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ⁄8 in) metre gauge
Some gauge conversions in progress | ||
The Narkatiaganj Bikhnathori line is a rail line in eastern India that connects Amolva, Bhithiarwa ashram and Gaunaha. The line was extended to Bhiknathori near the India-Nepal border.
Contents
History
Railway lines in the area were pioneered by Tirhut Railway and the Bengal and North Western Railway lines in the 19th century. In his book The Indian Empire, Its People, History and Products W.W.Hunter says, "The Tirhut State Railway with its various branches intersects Northern Behar and is intended to extend to the Nepal frontier on one side and to Assam on the other."
The area was developed with metre gauge tracks. The 229 km (142 mi) Samastipur-Narkatiaganj loop was developed in stages between 1875 and 1907. The Samastipur-Darbhanga line opened for famine relief in 1874 and opened to the public on 1 November 1875. The 72 km (45 mi) long Nirmali branch (Darbhanga-Nirmali) opened between 1883 and 1886. The Sakri-Jainagar branch opened in 1905. The Jhanjharpur-Laukaha Bazar line opened in 1976.
Gauge conversion
Conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge has been an ongoing process since 2015.