New Jalpaiguri - History

History

The partition of India in 1947 completely disrupted communication links of North Bengal and Assam with southern parts of West Bengal. Earlier, the links were through the eastern part of Bengal, which became a part of Pakistan in 1947 on partition of India. Siliguri gained in importance as the gateway to North Bengal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Assam.

Around 1949, Siliguri Junction station, a new station north of the old Siliguri Town station, came up with several lines converging on it. Primarily, there were three metre gauge lines – south-west to Kishanganj and Barsoi, north-east in the direction of Assam, and south to Siliguri Town and Haldibari. In addition there was the narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway running from Siliguri Town station to Darjeeling via Siliguri Junction. The Assam Rail Link Project, completed in 1950, linked the railways in Assam, with a metre gauge line to Kishanganj. The line running across North Bengal, spanned the Teesta, Torsha, and Sankosh rivers.

In the early 1960s, Indian Railways built a new greenfield broad gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) station south of Siliguri Town station. It was intended to name the station as New Siliguri station. However, as the new station was located in Jalpaiguri district, it was named New Jalpaiguri station. By 1964, New Jalpaiguri became the most important railway station in the area. It had both broad gauge (to Kishanganj and Barsoi) and metre gauge (to Siliguri town and Siliguri junction) tracks. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway narrow gauge track was extended from Siliguri town station to the new greenfield station. The metre gauge track from New Jaipaiguri to Siliguri town and Siliguri junction was later converted to broad gauge.