The Kolkata Suburban Railway is the rail system for the suburbs surrounding the city of Kolkata (Calcutta). Railways such as this are important and heavily-used infrastructure in India. The Indian Railways (IR) has several divisions of which the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway are headquartered in Kolkata. There are two major railway stations in Kolkata- Howrah and Sealdah. Another major terminal has been built at Chitpur. Recently another terminal at Shalimar near Howrah started operating. Some intercity express trains start from there too. Kolkata and its neighbouring districts have an extensive (but crowded) suburban railway system. Most of the trains are EMUs (Electric Multiple Units). The extensive rail network stretches into the districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, etc. The Suburban railway system can be categorized as follows:

The suburban railway services in Kolkata are operated by Eastern Railway (ER) and South Eastern Railway (SER). The Kolkata Metro Railway operates the underground Metro services in the city as well. There is a separate Circular Railway corridor in the city also operated by ER.

Main Section

This line serves the northern suburbs on the eastern bank of Hooghly River and further east towards the very end of the international border between India and Bangladesh. The destinations facilitated by this line are:

• In North 24 Parganas district along the banks of the Hooghly like Dum Dum, Barrackpore, Naihati.
• In North 24 Parganas district towards the north east and towards the Bangladesh border like Bongaon, Basirhat, Hasnabad.
• In Nadia district like Kalyani, Ranaghat, Shantipur Krishnagar and Gede

South Section

This line operates on the southern parts of the city and serves the southern suburbs of Calcutta and the entire South 24 Parganas district. The areas served are:

• The southern suburbs like like Ballygunge, Jadavpur, Garia, Budge Budge, Sonarpur.
• In the South 24 Parganas district like Port Canning, Diamond Harbour, Lakshmikantapur, Namkhana.

Within Greater Kolkata: Sealdah, Bidhannagar Road, Dum Dum.

At Dum Dum, the line branches into: 1. Barasat section 2. Dankuni section 3. Naihati section

Dum Dum, Dum Dum Cantt., Durganagar, Birati, Bisharpara Kodalia, New Barrackpore, Madhyamgram, Hridaypur, Barasat

However, at Dum Dum Cantt., the Airport line cuts off to serve the following stations: Dum Dum Cantt., Jessore road, Airport.

At Barasat, the line splits into: 1. Bongaon line 2. Hasnabad line

Barasat, Bamangachi, Duttapukur, Bira, Guma, Ashoknagar Road, Habra, Sanhati, Machlandapur, Gobardanga, Thakurnagar, Chandpara, Bibhuti Bhushan, Bongaon.

Barasat, Kazipara, Karea Kadambagachhi, Bahira Kalibari, Sondalia, Beliaghata Road, Labutala, Bhasila, Harua Road, Kankra Mirzanagar, Malatipur, Ghoraras Ghona, Champapukur, Bhyabla, Basirhat, Matania Anantapur, Madhyampur, Nimdanri, Taki Road, Hasnabad.

Starts from Dum Dum. Dum Dum, Baranagar Road, Dakshineswar, Bally Ghat, Bally Halt, Rajchandrapur, Dankuni.

Dum Dum, Belghoria, Agarpara, Sodepur, Khardaha, Titagarh, Barrackpore, Palta, Ichhapur, Shyamnagar, Jagaddal, Kakinara, Naihati

At Naihati, the line splits into: 1. Bandel section 2. main section

1. Naihati, Garifa, Hooghly Ghat, Bandel

1. Naihati, Halishahar, Kanchrapara, Kalyani

At Kalyani, the Kalyani Simanta line branches off forming two line:

1)Kalyani, Kalyani Shilpanchal, Kalyani Ghoshpara, Kalyani Simanta

and

2)Kalyani, Madanpur, Simurali, Palpara, Chakdaha, Payradanga, Ranaghat

At Ranaghat, the following two lines branch off: 1. main line 2. Gede line

At kalinarayanpur, a station next to ranaghat on the main line, the Shantipur line emerges.

Ranaghat, Kalinarayanpur, Habibpur, Phulia, Bathna Krittibas, Shantipur.

Ranaghat, Kalinarayanpur, Birnagar, Taherpur, Badkulla, Jalalkhali, Krishnanagar City

Ranaghat, Bankimnagar, Panchberia, Aranghata, Bahirgachhi, Bhayna, Bagula, Mayurhaat, Taraknagar, Majhdia, Banpur, Harisnagar, Gede.

Within Greater Kolkata: Sealdah, Park Circus, Ballygunge

At Ballygunge, the line splits up into the 1)South secions, and 2)Budge Budge Section

Ballygunge, Lake Gardens, Tollygunge, New Alipore, Majherhat, Brace Bridge, Santoshpur, Akra, Nungi, Budge Budge

Ballygunge, Dhakuria, Jadavpur, Bagha Jatin, Garia, Narendrapur, Sonarpur

The Canning branch splits from Sonarpur to Canning line and Baruipur section.

Sonarpur, Bidyadharpur, Kalikapur, Champahati, Piali, Gourdaha, Ghutiari Shariff, Beathberia Ghola, Taldi, Canning

Within Greater Kolkata: Sonarpur, Subhasgram, Mallikpur, Baruipur

At Baruipur, the line branches into the Diamond Harbour section and the Kakdwip section.

Within South 24 Parganas: Baruipur, Kalyanpur, Dakshin Durgapur, Hotar, Dhamuah, Uttar Radhanagar, Magra Hat, Bahirpuya, Sangrampur, Deula, Netra, Basuldanga, Gurudas Nagar, Diamond Harbour.

Within South 24 Parganas: Baruipur, Sashan Road, Krishna Mohan, Dhapdhapi, Suryapur, Gocharan, Hogla, Dakshin Barasat, Baharu, Jaynagar Majilpur, Mathurapur Road, Madhabpur, Lakshmikantapur, Udairampur, Kulpi, Karanjali, Nischindapur Market, Nischindapur, Kashinagar, Kakdwip. This line has extended to Namkhana.

This line used to connect the stations of Majherhat and Kalighat (now New Alipore) with the southern port town of Falta. The line was closed down in 1957. If operational, it could have proved to be a boon for the people of the ex-South Suburban Municipal areas. See Kalighat Falta Railway for more details.

South Eastern Railways

Operated by the South Eastern Railway, this section of the line serves the south western suburbs of Greater Kolkata. The destination stations lie :

• In the south western part of Howrah district like Santragachi, Andul, Amta
• In the East Midnapore district like Digha,Tamluk,Haldia.
• In the eastern and southern part of West Midnapore district like Panskura, Kharagpur and Midnapore.

Eastern Railways

Operated by the Howrah division of Eastern Railways, this line runs on the western bank of river Hooghly and serves the following areas:

• The northern part of Howrah district - Liluah, Belur, Bally.
• The eastern part of Hooghly district like Rishra, Serampore, Chandannagar, Chuchura, Bandel.
• The central part of Hooghly district like Tarakeswar.
• The central part of Bardhaman district connecting the town of Bardhaman. From Barddhaman/Bardhaman, another suburban service connects the cities of Durgapur and Asansol further to the west.
• The eastern part of Bardhaman district like Katwa.

Howrah to Bardhaman is reached by two corridors popularly known as the Main Line and the Chord Line. The main Line runs through the towns of Serampore, Chandernagore,Chinsurah and Bandel. The Chord Line runs through the towns of Dankuni, Baruipara, Kamarkundu and Massagram.

Howrah, Tikiapara, Dasnagar, Ramrajatala, Santragachi

At Santragachi, the line splits up into three sections :

1. Shalimar Section
2. Amta Section
3. Panskura Section

Santragachi, Padmapukur, Shalimar.

Santragachi, Bankranayabaz, Baltikuri, Kona, Dansi, Jhalurberi, Makardaha, Domjur Road, Domjur, Dakshinbari, Bargachia, Pantihal, Munsirhat, Mahendralalnagar, Amta

Santragachi, Mourigram, Andul, Sankrail, Abada, Nalpur, Bauria, Chengail, Phuleswar, Uluberia, Birshibpur, Kulgachia, Bagnan, Ghoraghata, Deulti, Kolaghat, Mecheda, Nandai Gajan, Bhogpur, Narain Pakuria Murail, Panskura

At Panskura, the line further divides into:

1. Midnapore Section
2. Haldia Section

Panskura, Khirai, Haur, Radhamohanpur, Duan, Balichak, Shyamchak, Madpur, Jakpur, Kharagpur, Giri Maidan, Gokulpur, Cossye, Midnapur

Panskura, Raghunathbari, Rajgoda, Shahid Matangini, Tamluk, Keshabpur, Satish Samanta, Mahishadal, Barda, Basulya Sutahata, Durgachak, Durgachak Town, Shilpaprabesh, Bandar, Haldia

Howrah, Liluah, Belur, Bally

However, at Liluah., the Belur Math branch line cuts off to serve the Belur Math station.

At Bally, the line splits into two sections:

1. Barddhaman (via Dankuni) Section
2. Seoraphuli Section

Bally, Belanagar, Dankuni, Gobra, Janai Road, Begampur, Baruipara, Mirzapur Bankipur, Balarambati, Kamarkundu, Madhusudhanpur, Chandanpur, Porabazar, Belmuri, Dhaniakhali, Sibaichandi, Hazigarh, Gurap, Jhapandanga, Jaugram, Nabagram, Masagram, Chanchai, Palla Road, Saktigarh, Gangpur, Bardhaman

Bally, Uttarpara, Hind Motor, Konnagar, Rishra, Serampore, Seoraphuli

At Seoraphuli, the line branches into:

1. Tarakeshwar Section
2. Section

Seoraphuli, Diara, Nasibpur, Singur, Kamarkundu, Nalikul, Maliya, Haripal, Kaikala, Bahirkhanda, Loknath, Tarakeswar

Seoraphuli, Baidyabati, Bhadreshwar, Mankundu, Chandannagar, Chunchura, Hooghly, Bandel

At Bandel, the line splits into:

1. Barddhaman Section
2. Katwa Section

Bandel, Adi Saptagram, Magra, Talandu, Khanyan, Pundooah, Simlagarh, Bainchigram, Bainchi, Debipur, Bagila, Memari, Nimo, Rasulpur, Palsit, Saktigarh, Gangpur, Bardhaman

Bandel, Bansberia, Tribeni, Kuntighat, Dumurdaha, Khamargachi, Jirat, Balagarh, Somra Bazar, Behula, Guptipara, Ambika Kalna, Baghnapara, Dhatrigram, Samundragarh, Nabadwip Dham, Bishnupriya, Bhandartikuri, Purbasthali, Mertala Phaleya, Lakshmipur, Belerhat, Patuli, Agradwip, Sahebtala, Dainhat, Katwa

This line encircles the entire city of Kolkata. It starts from Dum Dum Junction in the north and passes through Chitpur, Burrabazar, B.B.D.Bag, Prinsep Ghat, Hastings, Kidderpore, Remount Road, Majherhat, Ballygunge, Park Circus, Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt and finally back to Dum Dum Junction. There is also a plan to build two more stations between Park Circus and Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt named Tangra and Beliaghata Main Road respectively.

Dum Dum, Patipukur, Kolkata, Tala, Bagbazar, Shovabazar- Ahiritola, Burrabazar, B.B.D. Bag, Eden Gardens, Prinsep Ghat, Kidderpore, Remount Road, Majherhat, New Alipore (Cal), Tollygunge, Lake Gardens, Ballygunge, Park Circus, Sir Gurudas Banerjee Halt, Bidhannagar Road, Dum Dum