Widely known as the Indian Circular Railway, the Chakra Rail is a rail loop-line encircling the entire city of Kolkata, thereby encircling the daily lives and travels among the city. This transportation system in the city even with two railway tracks benefits people to travel for daily living. The track further turns out to be single at times. The Chakra Rail covers twenty stations to complete a loop, while the interesting variations within the city life of Kolkata get reflected with the departure and corollary arrival of each of the stations.

Unlike the journeys in metro or tram that passes across the central heart of the city, the Chakra Rail gives us a picture of how each part of the city life in Kolkata contrast to one another, yet united by the loop of daily living and travel. If you ever plan to take up an experience from the Chakra Rail loop, you would find the city presenting the colors of rainbows through the way of life and its socio-cultural dynamics.

While departing from the Dumdum station, you would fetch the scenario of busy crowded streets with small and large shops on both sides and huge traffic jams. You are glancing through the tall buildings passing by, meanwhile, the multiple railway tracks getting merged into one. Patipukur has arrived. This station is situated near Belgachia, where few local trains halt. There is no parking facility. The streets are not as overcrowded as you have seen just before. By the time you try to access how within a few minutes, the entire view of the city changed, another station has arrived. It is the Kolkata station. Situated in Chitpur, the station is indicative of the newly structured facilities and a well-planned connection system.   When the statue of Subhash Chandra Bose passes by, you are sure of the city’s traditional lifestyle. North Kolkata, with its old buildings, standing tall! Then arrives the Tala station… Here, the population is quite dense and people from here, travel to different parts of the city and beyond to earn their daily living, thus making the station a busy one, even though fewer trains pass by.

Now, you are driving into the side scenes of the Hooghly River and its associated ghats. The Bagbazar station, the Ahiritola station, the Burrabazar station, the B.B.B Bag station, Eden Gardens, Princep Ghat, and Khiddirpur dock. Each of the places is known for its different stories. While Bagbazar is known for its Durga puja, Ahiritola is famous for its idol making. Burrabazar is popular for its cheap markets, especially the flower market of Mallick Ghat. Gradually, you can notice a sharp change in the settlement. The tall buildings are no more. There is only a series of slums passing by.

When you reach Eden Garden, you are certainly thinking about some of the memorable cricket matches that took place here. You are thinking of Saurav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, and so on. You are looking at the paradise-like structure that had its root in British India yet takes its pleasure from defeating them in the home ground test matches. Suddenly, you shall come across some boats tied up in the river coast, and some in the middle of the river with people in it. The Princep ghat has arrived. You can even see the second Hooghly Bridge brightly lighted up, and vehicles running by.

After crossing the fancy market of Khidderpore, you shall reach the Remount Road. You would see high flyovers and large bypass roads. By the time, Majerhat is here. This station is also connected with the south Sealdah line. Thus, the immense travel from this part of the city can be imagined. Well, while moving further; are you getting any animal’s sound? No, it is certainly not an animal that you are going to face. It is the New Alipore station. Now, just like your life, the train line shall take a turn. It is reaching out to the heart of the city, the focal point of South Kolkata, Tollygunge. The city life meanwhile has changed again. You are witnessing the core now. The city life of modern Kolkata! This shall continue for the next few stations.  Lake Gardens, Ballygaunge, Park Circus…

You are in central Kolkata now. The office hubs, famous restaurants, apartments, etc. all around… While completing the last course of the journey, the train shall revisit the streets of North Kolkata, passing through Phoolbagan, Bidhannagar, and finally back to Dumdum.

The Circle of City life in Kolkata, complete! Experience it yourself through the loops of Chakrarail…