Howrah Station (IR code: HWH), also known as Howrah Junction, is a major railway station of Kolkata, which not only connects the city to the rest of India, but also acts as a major stopover to connect different destinations of West Bengal and beyond. The station is in Howrah, which became known as the "twin city" of Kolkata for this very station. It is next to the Howrah Bridge, one of the major landmarks of Kolkata. The entire Howrah Station-Howrah Bridge area serves a floating population of over a million.
Understand
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Howrah Station is the largest railway station in the country, with over 600 trains arriving per day, including local trains. About two million people use the station every day. The area around Howrah Station and Howrah Bridge is considered a world of its own, catering to the needs of a huge floating population. The station consists of three parts: the Old Complex, the New Complex and the Howrah Metro.
History
[edit]Howrah Station is the first railway station of Eastern India, being established in 1854, with its first railway service to Hooghly beginning on 15 August of the same year. At the time, Howrah Station was just a single line and platform, with a ticket window and a supporting building.
The Howrah-Hooghly line was extended to Pandua two weeks later, then to Raniganj in February 1855. Over 1,09,000 passengers used the service in the first four months.
The increase of residents in the Greater Calcutta area and the booming economy lead to an increasing demand for rail travel. The rail network growing continuously, with the Bengal-Nagpur Railway (BNR) being extended to Howrah in 1900. So, a new station building was proposed in 1901, which now becomes the Old Complex. The building was designed by British architect Halsey Ricardo, and was opened to the public on 1 December 1905.
The inaugural Rajdhani Express departed Howrah for New Delhi on 3 March 1969, which is considered a milestone in the station's history.
The number of platforms of the station was 15 in the 1980s. The New Complex was completed in 1992, thus increasing the number to 18. This was extended by a further four platforms in 2009.
The metro station was planned as early as 1971, and was opened to the public on 6 March 2024.
Services
[edit]Seven major railway lines meet at Howrah: Howrah–Bardhaman main, Howrah–Chennai, Howrah–Delhi main, Howrah–Gaya–Delhi, Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai, Howrah–New Jalpaiguri, and Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai lines.
Although these lines mix each other before entering Howrah, different lines tend to serve different complexes, although exceptions happen when certain platforms are congested. For example, trains from Digha sometimes arrive at the Old Complex instead of the New Complex.
- 1 Old Complex ER . Generally served by Howrah–Bardhaman main, Howrah–Delhi main, Howrah–Gaya–Delhi, Howrah–New Jalpaiguri, and Howrah–Prayagraj–Mumbai lines and their branches. It contains 15 platforms (1-15).
- 2 New Complex SER . Generally served by Howrah–Chennai and Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai lines and their branches. It contains seven platforms (17-23).
Metro
[edit]- 3 Howrah Metro 2 . It is served by the Green Line only, which connects Howrah to Esplanade and Salt Lake. The line has attracted tourists due to the underwater tunnel segment under Hooghly River, which is indicated by dense blue LED lights in the tunnel.
Local transportation
[edit]By bus
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Buses to Howrah Station stop at 4 Howrah Bus Terminus. It is mainly served by city buses and minibuses. Most buses arrive at Howrah Station via Barabazar and the Howrah Bridge. The city bus routes include:
- 12A from Badartala via Metiabruz, Garden Reach, Kidderpore, Hastings, Prinsep Ghat, and Babughat.
- 12AD from Akra Fatak via Santoshpur Station, Nature Park, Taratala, Majerhat, Kidderpore, Hastings, Prinsep Ghat, and Babughat.
- 12C from Pailan via Joka Bridge, Thakurpukur, Sakherbazar, Behala Chowrasta, Taratala, BNR Hospital, Kidderpore, Hastings, Prinsep Ghat, and Babughat.
- 12C/1 from Shibrampur via Behala Chowrasta, Majerhat, Kidderpore, Hastings, Rabindra Sadan, Maidan Metro, Park Street, Esplanade, and Dalhousie.
- 12C/1A from Pailan via Joka Bridge, Thakurpukur, Sakherbazar, Behala Chowrasta, Taratala, Majerhat, Kidderpore, Hastings, Fort William, Esplanade, and Dalhousie.
- 12C/1B from Pailan via Joka Bridge, Thakurpukur, Tollygunge Metro, Rabindra Sarobar, Kalighat, Bhowanipore, Rabindra Sadan, Maidan Metro, Park Street, Esplanade, and Dalhousie.
- 12C/2 from Aquatica via Dum Dum Park, Lake Town, Sreebhumi, Ultadanga, Maniktala, Rajabazar, Sealdah Station, Bowbazar, Central Metro, and Dalhousie.
- C from Park Street via Esplanade, Eden Gardens, and Babughat.
By ferry
[edit]5 Howrah Ferry Ghat is opposite the station. You have to either cross the taxi stand and the road, or use one of the subways connecting the ferry ghat to the station. It takes ₹5 to cross the river from/to Howrah.
Get around
[edit]On foot
[edit]The three parts of Howrah Station are connected by an uncovered path. From the Old Complex, go through the archway next to Platform 12 with a sign "Way to Platform No. 17 to 23". The Howrah Metro is at the right of the archway. The New Complex entrance is at straight across the metro station, next to "Sainik Aramgah" (military restroom).
Within Old or New Complex, beware of the cab roads while navigating the platforms.
Wait
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There is a large, covered waiting area inside both complexes for passengers awaiting connecting trains.
Lounges
[edit]- 1 Executive Lounge, Old Complex, 1F. Accessible from stairs as well as lifts.
- 2 Executive Lounge, New Complex (at the warehouse-like building housing platforms 22-23), ☏ +91 98310 84442.
Attractions
[edit]There are a few attractions within and around the station compound.
- 3 Big Clock (বড় ঘড়ি Baṛa Ghaṛi).
- 4 Gandhi Memorial Plaque. A bilingual plaque, with one side is in Bengali and other side is in Hindi. It talks about Mahatma Gandhi's meeting with stalwarts like Surendranath Banerjea and Motilal Ghosh while living in Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) in 1896. Then it mentions that Gandhi joined Congress in its 1901 Calcutta session, and the Congress accepted Gandhi's resolution against the discrimination of South African Indians. It also mentions the historical meeting between Gandhi and Tagore at Santiniketan in March 1915 and the presence of Gandhi Memorial Museum in his memory at Barrackpore.
- 5 Steam locomotive AK6. A steam locomotive built by W. G. Bagnall for narrow-gauge McLeod's Light Railways in 1914, now on public display.
Eat and drink
[edit]Old Complex
[edit]- 1 Food Plaza (ফুডপ্লাজা) (near Platform 12). An exclusive food court run by Indian Railway Catering and Ticketing Corporation (IRCTC).
- 2 Jan Ahaar (জন আহার) (near Platform 12). 5AM-1PM.
New Complex
[edit]- 3 Food Court (at the warehouse-like building housing platforms 22-23).
- Jan Ahar (জন আহার).
Buy
[edit]Connect
[edit]Like most railway stations, Howrah has a free Wi-Fi service named RailWire. There are also some private telecom operators providing free Wi-Fi at the station.
Cope
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Sampath Rail Yatri Niwas (at New Complex), ☏ +91 33 2660 1742. Contains a dormitory, single-room, and double-room accommodations. Dorm ₹100/bed, Double Non-AC ₹350, Double AC ₹550, Triple Non-AC ₹400.
Stay safe
[edit]There's a common scam while booking tickets from Howrah, either at the ticket counter of the New Complex, or from the UTS mobile app. In both cases, you'll encounter two stations, "Howrah" (HWH) and "Howrah South NC" (HWHS). However, the New Complex (NC) is not a separate station, and "Howrah South NC" is a fictitious station intended for railway-sponsored scams. If you take a Howrah-bound train and alight at the New Complex, beware of the scammers in the name of train ticket examiners (TTEs). They will ask you to give "fine" for alighting at "Howrah South NC" (HWHS) instead of "Howrah" (HWH). You should ignore such demands and politely reply that there's no station named "Howrah South NC", and both Old and New Complexes bear the same station code "HWH".
Nearby
[edit]Howrah and Kolkata are obvious places to visit for travellers trapped here. With a rich colonial history and a unique cosmopolitan culture, it is hard to be bored in Kolkata.