Bhagalpur Junction is a major railway station serving the city of Bhagalpur in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. It is one of the principal stations on the Sahibganj Loop line and falls under the administrative control of the Malda Railway Division of the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways.
| Station name | Bhagalpur Junction |
|---|---|
| Station code | BGP |
| Location | Bhagalpur, Bihar, India |
| Line | Sahibganj Loop |
| Operator | Indian Railways |
| Zone | Eastern Railway |
| Division | Malda |
| Type | Junction station |
Bhagalpur Junction is the chief railway hub of Bhagalpur, a historic city situated on the southern bank of the Ganges. The station handles a substantial volume of passenger and freight traffic, linking eastern Bihar with the rest of the country. It serves as the headquarters of the Bhagalpur railway sub-division and is regarded as one of the busiest stations in the Malda division.
The Sahibganj Loop, on which Bhagalpur lies, is one of the oldest railway alignments in India. It was constructed by the East Indian Railway Company in the mid-nineteenth century to connect Howrah with the upper Gangetic plain via Sahibganj. The route remained the principal trunk line between Calcutta and northern India until the opening of the shorter Howrah–Delhi main line through Asansol and Mughalsarai. Bhagalpur retained its importance as a regional junction even after this realignment of long-distance traffic.
The station provides direct rail connections to major Indian cities including Kolkata, New Delhi, Patna, Mumbai, and Ranchi, among others. Branch services link Bhagalpur with surrounding towns in the Anga region of Bihar and with parts of Jharkhand. The station is electrified and supports both diesel and electric traction.
Bhagalpur Junction is the principal gateway to the silk-weaving city of Bhagalpur, often referred to as the "Silk City" of India for its tradition of tussar silk production. The station also serves educational institutions, administrative offices, and pilgrim traffic to nearby religious sites such as Vikramshila and Mandar Hill. It is an important originating and terminating point for several long-distance express trains.