Gaya–Mughalsarai section
| Gaya–Mughalsarai section including Arrah-Sasaram and Son Nagar-Barkakana branch lines |
|
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh |
| Termini |
Gaya Mughalsarai |
| Stations | 31 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1907 |
| Owner | Indian Railway |
| Operator(s) | East Central Railway |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 197 km (122 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad Gauge |
| Electrification | 1962 |
| Operating speed | up to 160 km/h (99 mph) |
The Gaya–Mughalsarai section is a railway line connecting Gaya and Mughalsarai. This 197-kilometre (122 mi) track is part of the Grand Chord, Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line. This section includes Arrah-Sasaram and Son Nagar branch lines. It is under the jurisdiction of East Central Railway.
Ever since the railway connection of Delhi with Howrah in 1866, the East Indian Railway Company was making regular efforts to reduce the distance of the Howrah–Delhi main line. After a survey in 1888-89 and two more subsequently, a route was determined from Dhanbad to Mughal Sarai via Koderma and Gaya. The major works in this section were a bridge across the Son River at Dehri, and tunnelling and ghat line construction between Gurpa and Gujhandi. The Grand Chord was opened in 1907. Even when the Grand Chord was under construction, the Son Nagar-Daltonganj branch line was opened in 1902.
The total length of the Upper Soane Bridge across the Soane, as the river was then called, over abutments is 3,064 metres (10,052 ft). It was opened for traffic on 27 February 1900. When it was built, it was the longest bridge in India and was believed to be the second longest bridge in the world, short of the Tay bridge near Dundee. Subsequently, longer road bridges were built but it remained the longest rail bridge in India for many years. The opening of the 4.62 km Vembanad Rail Bridge, connecting the Container Transshipment Terminal on Vallarpadam Island to Edappally, in February 2011, pushed it to the second position.
The Gaya–Mughalsarai section was electrified in 1962. In 1965, Asansol-Bareilly Passenger was the first long-distance train on Eastern Railway hauled by an AC loco.
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