Rail Museum Howrah - Highlights the history & heritage of railways

The Rail Museum situated in Howrah, highlights the history, glory, and heritage of the railways, especially in the eastern part of India. This Rail Museum Howrah puts an extra emphasis on the history of Howrah station, which is the second largest and, at the same time, one of the busiest railway stations in India. The museum offers the opportunity to witness the journey of the railway in British India. You can bring your family and kids as well and learn about new things in this museum.

Attraction

The Rail Museum Howrah, highlights the history as well as the heritage of the railways in the eastern part of Indi. There are many exclusive trains on display. The pictorial histories of ECR (East Central Railway Zone), NFR (North-East Frontier Railway Zone), SER (South Eastern Railway Zone), and the Metro Railway, Kolkata are there as well. Besides, you can look up a few old and rare drawings, a fascinating collection of philately, forms, documents, 150-year-old steam locomotives, salon cars, carriages, and other trains. These are some of the attractions that you visit here. However, a few old coaches have also been turned into restaurants. There are snack counters for a gastronomic journey down memory lane. It might feel like time travel as well.

History

The Rail Museum Howrah, as expected, is an open-air establishment which was set up in 2006. It is basically a window into the past to know more about the locomotives built (more than 100 years ago). The ‘Hall of Fame’ inside the museum gives insights into the history, the engineering, and the evolution from ‘steam engines to ‘diesel’ to ‘electric’ railways. Since 2006, the heritage museum has had models as well as actual decommissioned trains. One can check out the Great Roller, ER’s 2-4-2 Steam Locomotive, and Double Decker train Passenger coach that belongs to the early 20th century. The YG, the WCM5 locomotives, and the Passenger Carriage are from the 1940s. The museum is a rich source of information not only about the trains but also about the history of the train system, mainly, ‘Eastern India’.

Inside/Outside Views

The Howrah Rail Museum covers a vast open space of land near the Howrah Station. At the entrance, there is a huge gate and tracks laid out from the right side of the gate. There are also giant sheds built at regular distances from each other, which eventually home magnificent collections of locomotives. These include some electric locomotives and some diesel locomotives, as well as the rare-to-find ‘steam locomotives’ that are either preserved or reconstructed. There is a miniature model of the Howrah Railway Station inside the museum, which is created with immense detail. There are signals constructed close to the tracks laid across the museum that help us understand their work. The museum is carefully designed to give visitors a pleasant and enriching experience of the bygone railway era.

Opening Hours

Sunday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm

Monday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm

Tuesday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm

Wednesday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm

Thursday: Closed

Friday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm

Saturday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm

Please, note that the Museum remains closed on public holidays.

How to Reach

By road: It is situated in Howrah’s ‘Foreshore Road’ area. The Howrah Rail Museum is only 2 to 4 km away from the busy area of Howrah. Howrah is well connected with other major cities like Kolkata, Midnapore, Siliguri, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Mumbai etc. of the country. And from Howrah city, you will get local transport to reach the site.

By air: The closest airport, ‘Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport‘ (which is an international one), is almost 17 kilometers away from this area, which is in Dum Dum, Kolkata. You can visit this place from outside of India. Apart from that, there are airports in Delhi, Mumbai, or Lucknow with direct flights to Kolkata. From the airport, you can easily get local transport to reach the site.

By train: The closest railway station from the Howrah Rail Museum is only 2 km away at the ‘Howrah Railway Station.’ This station is well connected with major areas of the country. From the station, you will get local transport so that you can reach the site.

Tips for Travellers

Please wear suitable and comfortable clothes according to both culture and seasons.
Don’t forget to follow the code of conduct.
If you are visiting Howrah for the first time, try to visit in a group for safety purposes.
Please stay away from total strangers.
It might take a few hours to complete the visit.