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| North Eastern Railway zone | |
|---|---|
| Name | North Eastern Railway zone |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Headquarters | Gorakhpur |
| Regions | Uttar Pradesh; Bihar; Uttarakhand; Madhya Pradesh; West Bengal; Nepal (cross-border links) |
| Divisions | Lucknow, Varanasi, Izzatnagar |
| Gauge | Broad gauge, Meter gauge (historical), Narrow gauge (historical) |
| Electrification | Ongoing |
| Website | Indian Railways |
North Eastern Railway zone
The North Eastern Railway zone is one of the zones of Indian Railways with headquarters at Gorakhpur. It administers major rail corridors serving Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and parts of Uttarakhand and West Bengal and interfaces with international links such as the Nepal transit routes. The zone connects historic junctions like Lucknow Charbagh railway station, Varanasi Junction, and Gorakhpur Junction, supporting passenger flows to pilgrimage sites including Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Haridwar.
The zone traces lineage to pre-independence companies including the East Indian Railway Company, the Bengal and North Western Railway, and the Oudh and Tirhut Railway, consolidated after nationalization under Railway Board (India). Reorganization in 1952 and later rationalizations during the 1950s and 1990s led to the present divisions derived from mergers involving the Nepal Government Railway links and branch lines radiating from Lucknow, Gonda Junction, and Varanasi. Infrastructure projects under national plans like the Five-Year Plans and initiatives linked to the Golden Quadrilateral period influenced gauge conversion and electrification milestones. Historical services included prestigious trains such as the Kashi Vishwanath Express, the Gorakhdham Express, and connections to the Howrah network.
The zone spans the Gangetic plains and foothills of the Himalayas incorporating floodplain and riverine terrain along the Ganges, Ghaghara, and Gomti rivers. Administrative divisions are headquartered at Lucknow Charbagh railway station (Lucknow division), Varanasi Junction (Varanasi division), and Izzatnagar railway station (Izzatnagar division). Key junctions include Gonda Junction railway station, Basti railway station, Barabanki Junction, and Sultanpur railway station. Border interchanges connect with Sealdah, Mughalsarai Junction (now Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction), and transshipment points serving nodes like Muzaffarpur Junction and Darbhanga Junction.
Track infrastructure includes broad-gauge mainlines, double and single-track sections with progressive doubling projects between Gorakhpur and Lucknow. Electrification projects are part of wider schemes administered by Railway Electrification cells and executed with contractors tied to the Railway Board (India). Major workshops and yards include the Gorakhpur Coach Workshop, maintenance depots at Lucknow and Varanasi, and freight terminals handling commodities from terminals such as Panki, Barauni, and Aunrihar. Route modernization incorporates signaling upgrades sourced from suppliers linked to the Research Design and Standards Organisation and interlocking installations at strategic interchanges like Barabanki.
The zone operates a fleet comprising electric locomotives like classes sourced from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works and diesel types from DLW Varanasi manufacturers, including models historically supplied by ALCO and EMD. Coaching stock includes ICF coaches, LHB coaches on premium services such as the Arunachal Express and long-distance expresses serving Delhi and Howrah. Shunting locomotives and specialized wagons for bulk freight are marshalled from sheds at Gorakhpur Diesel Shed and Varanasi Diesel Loco Shed, with periodic overhauls at workshops linked to Kapurthala Works practices. Rakes for pilgrim specials serving Ayodhya Dham have been deployed seasonally.
Passenger services range from local EMU/DMU suburban and intercity trains to long-distance expresses connecting to New Delhi Railway Station, Kolkata Railway Station, and Mumbai CST. Important trains include the Kashi Vishwanath Express, Gorakhdham Express, and services linking to Patna Junction and Lucknow Charbagh. Freight traffic prioritizes commodities like coal from eastern collieries serving Barauni Thermal Power Station, agricultural consignments from UP Agricultural Produce markets, fertilizer movements to industrial nodes such as Chhatarpur and mineral consignments from the Singrauli coalfield. Logistics include containerized freight terminals and wagon-load services to ports accessed via Howrah and Kolkata Port corridors.
Safety oversight is coordinated with the Commissioner of Railway Safety framework and internal vigilance by zonal safety departments. The zone has implemented measures after incidents involving derailments and collisions at locations such as Gorakhpur and Barabanki leading to upgrades in track maintenance regimes, rolling stock inspections, and level crossing elimination projects often executed in partnership with state authorities like the Uttar Pradesh Police. Accident investigations reference protocols from the Railway Accident Investigation Board-style inquiries and led to signaling overhauls and staff training programs at depots.
Administrative headquarters at Gorakhpur houses the General Manager’s office under the oversight of the Railway Board (India). Divisional Railway Managers report from Lucknow, Varanasi, and Izzatnagar divisions. Staff cadres include officers recruited through the Indian Railway Traffic Service, the Indian Railway Accounts Service, and technical cadres from the Indian Railway Service of Engineers. Trade unions active in the zone include the All India Railwaymen's Federation and the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen, with training coordinated through centers such as the National Academy of Indian Railways and workshops providing apprentice training.
Category:Zones of Indian Railways