The Nagpur–Bhusawal section (railway track) is part of the Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line (alternatively known as Mumbai–Kolkata line / Bombay–Calcutta line) and connects Nagpur and Bhusawal both in the Indian state of Maharashtra. This section also has a number of branch lines. Part of one of the major trunk lines in the country, Nagpur–Bhusawal section passes through a section of the Deccan Plateau. The main line crosses Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Akola, and Buldhana districts of Vidarbha region and Jalgaon district of Khandesh region.^[1][2][3][4]

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Nagpur–Bhusawal section
Vidarbha Express arrives at Badnera Junction which an important train on Nagpur–Bhusawal section
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Maharashtra (Vidarbha and Khandesh)
Termini	Nagpur Bhusawal
Service
System	Main line and some branch lines electrified. Some branch lines: diesel
Services	Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line
Operator(s)	Central Railway
Depot(s)	Ajni, Bhusawal
History
Opened	1867
Technical
Track length	Mainline: 389 km (242 mi) Branch lines: Shakuntala Railway: 189 km (117 mi) Pulgaon-Arvi 35 km (22 mi) Badnera–Narkhed: 138 km (86 mi) Butibori–Umrer branch line 34 km (21 mi)
Number of tracks	Main line: 2
Track gauge	Main line: 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification	Yes
Operating speed	Main line: up to 130 km/h
Highest elevation	314 metres (1,030 ft) at Nagpur, 284 metres (932 ft) Akola and 208 metres (682 ft) at Bhusawal
Route map Legend km Bhusawal–Kalyan section 316 Bhusaval Jabalpur–Bhusaval section Mahagenco Bhusawal Thermal power station to Deepnagar SH 10 NH 6 Bhusawal TPS 304 Varangaon 296 Achegaon 286 Bodwad SH 190 279 Kolhadi 277 Khamkhed Nal Ganga River 266 Malkapur NH 6 258 Wadoda Biswa Ganga River 252 Biswa Bridge 246 Kumgaon Burti 238 Nandura SH 196 Dnyanganga River Khamgaon 226 Jalamb 214 Shegaon SH 173 206 Shri Kshetra Nagziri Mun River Mahagenco Paras Thermal power station 197 Paras 189 Gaigaon SH 197 Morna River SH 204 Akola–Ratlam line ( metre gauge ) 177 Akola Junction to Secunderabad 170 Yeulkhed 159 Borgaon Katepurna River km 150 Katepurna 000 139 Murtajapur Shakuntala Railway 000 017 Achalpur  Sapan River 9 Nowbagh 0 Chamak 8 Khusta Buzurg 9 Pathrot 10 Anjangaon 18 Kapustalni 25 Kokalda 30 Lehgaon Bhuleshwari River 38 Banosa SH 212 Purna River 47 Lakhpuri 139 60 0 Murtizapur Junction Shakuntala Railway ( narrow gauge ) Murtazapur Town 02 NH 6 Kinkhed 12 Uma River Vilegaon 19 Bhadshivni 24 Pohe 27 Karania 32 Karania Town 33 Somthan 46 Sangwi 49 Adan River Warudkhed 53 Darwha Moti Bagh 71 Tapona 83 Ladkhed 88 Ling 93 Lasina 101 Yavatmal 113 SH 212 Mana 127 Uma River Mandura 121 Kuram 114 Takli 106 Badnera 098 0 NH 6 9 Amravati Timtala 89 11 New Amravati Malkhed 83 SH 200 Chandur 69 SH 6 SH 243 Pendhi River Dipore 62 24 Walgaon Dhamangaon 52 37 Shirala SH 237 50 Chandur Bazar Talni 42 Pendhi River Pulgaon barrage across Wardha River SH 241 SH 10 57 Kolihir Pulgaon 32 SH 24A Arvi SH 24A Central Ammunition Depot 66 Astegaon SH 244 72 Morshi Kaotha 26 SH 24A Dhegaon 17 79 Pala Wardha–Nanded line Wardha River Wardha 03 85 Hiwarkheda SH 3 100 Benoda to Nagpur–Hyderabad line SH 244 Sewagram 00 109 Warud Orange City SH 258 SH 248 Warud 03 120 Pusala Dham River Jam River Seloo Road 11 129 Mowad Tuliapur 21 Bhopal–Nagpur section Sindi 29 138 Narkhed NH 44 (old NH 7) Bhopal–Nagpur section BPCL bulk petroleum depot km Borkhedi 41 Wena River Butibori 49 Western Coalfields Limited Umrer Coalfiled NH 44 (old NH 7) Gumgaon 57 Khapri 64 Ajni 73 Nagpur Motibagh 75 Nagpur 76 Bhopal–Nagpur section Main line via Itwari to Chhindwara and Naqbhir ( narrow gauge ) Bilaspur–Nagpur section km Sources: Google Maps Nagpur–Bhusawal Passenger 51286 IndiaRaiIinfo Shakuntala Passenger 52138 IndiaRaiIinfo Murtazapur–Yvatmal Passenger 52131 IndiaRaiIinfo Indore–Yesvantpur Weely Express 19301 IndiaRaiIinfo

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The Great Indian Peninsula Railway extended the line from Bhusawal to Nagpur in 1867.^[5]

The 189 km (117 mi)-long, 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge Achalpur–Murtajapur–Yavatmal line, known as the Shakuntala Railway was built by a British firm, Killik Nixon & Company, in 1903, to carry cotton from the interior of Vidarbha to the Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line at Murtajapur.^[6][7] The line, run by the Central Provinces Railways Company, India's only operational private railway company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange,^[8][9] The line is under conversion to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.

The 35 km (22 mi)-long, 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway was built from Pulgaon to Arvi by Central Provinces Railway in 1917.^[10][6] This line is also under conversion to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.

The 34 km (21 mi)-long, 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Butibori–Umrer branch line linking Umrer Coalfield to the main line was established in 1965.^[11] The newly laid 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Narkhed–Amravati branch line was opened in 2012.^[12]

There was a 1,469 kilometres (913 mi)-long 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)-wide metre-gauge line from Jaipur to Secunderabad via Akola. Most of the part of this line has been converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge.^[13] The Great Indian Peninsula Railway was taken over by the state in 1925.^[14] In 1951, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway, the Scindia State Railways and the Dholpur Railways were merged to form Central Railway.^[15]

The entire main line is electrified. Electrification of the railways in the region started in 1968–69 and continued up to Nandura in 1988–89. The Nandura-Badnera sector was electrified in 1989–90. The Badnera–Wardha sector was electrified in 1990–91. Badnera–Amaravati sector was electrified in 1993–94, Jalamb–Khamgaon and Butibori–Umrer in 1994–95.^[16]

In 1910, the District Gazetteer of Buldhana gave an account of the railway line and its importance from the point of view of trade:

The Nagpur Branch of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway runs a distance of about 47 miles through the District from west to east, and is connected with Khamgaon by a branch from Jalamb 8 miles in length. The railway stations in the District are Khamkhed, Malkapur, Biswa, Nandura, Jalamb, Khamgaon, Shegaon and Nagjhari. Of these the leading stations for exports and imports are Khamgaon, Shegaon and Malkapur. The first two stations despatch to Bombay mainly cotton and grain produced in the Khamgaon and Mehkar talukas and the greater portion of that produced in the Chikhli taluk; Malkapur sends away grain, linseed, cotton, gur and other articles which it receives from the Malkapur taluk and from the north-west portion of the Chikhli taluk. Nandura is the principal outlet of the Jalgaon taluk although it also exports certain produce from the Malkapur taluk.^[17]

There are electric locomotive sheds at Ajni and Bhusawal on this line and a narrow gauge diesel loco shed at Murtazapur. Ajni loco shed has WAG-7, WAG-9,WAP-7 and WAG-9I locos. Bhusawal loco shed has WAM-4, WAP-4, WAG-5, WAG-7 and WCM-6 locos.^[18]

Central Railway has three workshops on this line. Nagpur has a workshop for upkeep of passenger coaches and Ajni has facilities for repair of goods wagons. Bhusawal has a workshop for repairs of locos and wagons.^[18]

This line passes through the cotton producing areas of Vidarbha.^[19][20] Mahagenco has two major power stations on this route – the 500MW Paras Thermal Power Station and the 920 MW Bhusawal Thermal Power Station.^[21] Reliance Power has a 600 mW thermal power station at Butibori.^[22]

Coal-based thermal power stations consume large quantities of coal.^[23] For example, the Bhusawal Thermal Power Station consumed 2,400,000 tonnes of coal in 2006–07, and the Paras Thermal Power Station consumed 351,000 tonnes of coal in the same year.^[24] Around 80 per cent of the domestic coal supplies in India are meant for coal based thermal power plants and coal transportation forms 42 per cent of the total freight earnings of Indian railways.^[25] There are over 200 coal loading points across India. Coal is transported by rail to around 60 thermal power stations, 12 steel plants and 55 cement factories forming the major customers of coal.^[26]

The entire Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line is classified as a "Group A" line which can take speeds up to 160 km/h (99 mph).^[27]

Nagpur, Akola and Bhusawal, on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[28]