[mmchak@gmail.co]

Originally Posted by themagicclicks

By the name Swing and the name M M Chakraborty, if I am guessing right, you could be someone I think I have seen on photos of my childhood friends Ujjal Mukherjee, Indronil Bhattacharjee or his batch mate and my Facebook friend Rajib Sengupta.

well you are right.... they are all friends... what's your name? lets engage in FB too. also will be needing further help..

[themagicclicks]

Originally Posted by mmchak@gmail.co

well you are right.... they are all friends... what's your name? lets engage in FB too. also will be needing further help..

Neelanjan, glad to help

[scorpio25]

Hello Everyone! "Shoovo Beejoya"

Can someone help me with information on road condition of "Bhagalpur-Rajoun-Hansdiha-Dumka" route!

Have travelled from Kolkata to Dooars via the Kolkata-Burdwan-Kuli (SH7)-Moregram-Farakka-Raiganj-Dalkhola-Ghoshpukur-Fulbari-Oodlabari-Chalsa" route.
"Kuli-Moregram" stretch is pathetic. Huge potholes and craters pose a threat to low GC vehicles. Similar or worse condition prevails in the stretch between Raiganj to the Botolbari diversion point. However, after that till Dalkhola the road has been repaired and is quite good, but traffic is real slow as usual!
As mentioned earlier in this thread, the Ghoshpukur Fulbari bypass extending via the Ambari Canal Road and Gajoldoba Road is superb, with excellent (though narrow) tarmac and scenic ambiance to keep company!

Thanks and regards!

[themagicclicks]

Yes very true, Kuli - Moregram about 60km is pathetic, so is a stretch after Raiganj till the Botolbari entry.

Ask @Sheel he'll be the best guide of the Hansdiha Dumka route, I'll take the Jharkhand Bihar route too next, I usually always have been travelling along the Asansole - Jamtara - Deoghar - Bhagalpur route, but would like to try the Dumka route too.

[scorpio25]

Originally Posted by themagicclicks

Yes very true, Kuli - Moregram about 60km is pathetic, so is a stretch after Raiganj till the Botolbari entry.

Ask @Sheel he'll be the best guide of the Hansdiha Dumka route, I'll take the Jharkhand Bihar route too next, I usually always have been travelling along the Asansole - Jamtara - Deoghar - Bhagalpur route, but would like to try the Dumka route too.

Thank you Neelanjan (aka themagicclicks)!

Will be travelling back from Dooars to Kolkata on 8th October. If I get the information about the "Bhagalpur-Rajoun-Hansdiha-Dumka" stretch by then, it would help me in taking a call on my drive route. I am weighing available options against taking NH34 (now, NH12) and SH7.

Over to @Sheel then!
Or, to anybody who drove through the above stretch recently!

"Bhagalpur-Amarpur-Banka-Deoghar-Dumka" stretch should be good as per my experience in June 2015 as well as newer updates in this thread, but lengthier by about 62 kms. than the "Bhagalpur-Rajoun-Hansdiha-Dumka" route.

Thanks!

[mmchak@gmail.co]

i returned on 30th Sep, Dashami. I think the best route considering everything is drive straight to Baharampur, take right on SH 11 till Kulir More. I started at 8 AM from Kalimpong and took a 2 hour rest at Raiganj.. reached Kolkata at 10 PM... but while going on 24th, I took 13 hours to reach Raiganj..

[Sheel]

No need to go to Amarpur, Banka and Deoghar, you can drive straight from Bhagalpur to Dumka. Roads are ok in Bihar and new road is constructed in Jharkhand with diversions. Bhagalpur continues to be a mess, so go via Kachehri chowk.

[dj78]

Last week I made a trip to my hometown (Balurghat). I usually take the train because the horrendous road conditions don’t make it a desirable experience to drive, especially with kids in tow. But this was a last minute plan and there was absolutely no chance of securing train tickets.
I decided to take the SH7 route, which everyone seems to be opting for, these days (For my last trip I had taken the Bolepur route). The last half of this road from Kuli to Moregram – well there is no tarmac at all in most places, not sure why we insist on calling it a “highway”. While returning (to Kolkata), I decided to follow the advice of fellow bhp-ian Himdari and stayed a little longer on NH34 to merge into SH7 at Panchgram, thus saving ourselves a little bit of the misery. Even after that it took a lot of patience to maneuver my dzire which was now fully loaded with passengers and luggage in the trunk.
My question is has anyone recently taken the NH34 route completely to Kolkata? Where are the bad stretches? Have you got pictures? It’s hard to imagine anything worse than these stretches of SH7.

[mmchak@gmail.co]

Originally Posted by dj78

Last week I made a trip to my hometown .....

It is better to drive down till Baharampur while coming to Kolkata, take left through SH 11 and then take left from Kulir More on SH 7... this is the best option. I used that road on 30th Sep, 2017.

[themagicclicks]

Originally Posted by dj78

My question is has anyone recently taken the NH34 route completely to Kolkata? Where are the bad stretches? Have you got pictures? It’s hard to imagine anything worse than these stretches of SH7.

Yes, in July last week, drove to the Dooars via SH7, yes Kuli to Morgram, that last 60km is all broken, I owned a Swift dZire and have driven her through extreme bad roads in Bihar, NH34 and Jorthang, I am sure she'll pull you through, she's a strong car.

Regarding NH34, on the way back, the cyclonic depression that was flooding most of South Bengal by then and has already blocked the Rampurhat route, was showing its strength on the NH34 too, when I reached Morgram on NH34, it was already arounf 4:30 PM because on the way rain washed roads and blockages along the Mahananda Canal and Gajoldoba, delayed the journey a lot. The rain got to strong and I decided to skip the SH7 in the darkness and the rain, since there were news of some part of Bolpur being washed away already, though of avoiding Bardhaman too, so took NH34 instead.

And that was one hell of a wrong decision I have taken since 2014, that was the last time I drove beyond Berhampure along NH34. This time, NH34 till Behrampur was smooth, and I was pretty happy, but then just as I crossed the last toll plaze, I don't know for what it took money from me! all hell broke loose, and the rest of the journey was one hell of a drive through incessant rain and unending potholes and countless trucks, I reached home, South Kolkata, at 1 AM!

So please, forget NH34, it's dangerous, specially the long dark and potholed stretch called Shantipur Bypass, I guess I would have asked one or two locals available on the streets and taken the old Shantipur town route through Phuliya, if I am not wrong, the bypass skirts all these small localities, but doesn't serve the purpose, because in that potholed stretch, overtaking trucks while 100s are coming at you, is not a very safe game to play. Moreover, the potholes are so deep that the trucks keep swaying dangerously, one truck that was about quite a far away from my car, swung to its right so badly that I was scared shit, the side of the truck leaned on my car and banged on my ORVM from that distance.

All along that stretch there were many trucks stranded with broken axles, and many lay along the sides, turned turtle trying crossing those potholes.

So please avoid NH34 between Kolkata and Behrampur by all means, and if possible, the entire stretch of it.

It was difficult in my Swift dZire and it is still difficult with my XUV, its not worth the risk, I'd rather risk bad roads up on the hills, this is no adventure either.

[AJ-got-BHP]

I usually take the NH34 route (starting from Kolkata Airport to Krishnanagar, Behrampore, Maldah, Siliguri) if heading to the North Bengal region. Why ? I usually start at a time which is post midnight and before sunrise so find this route to be inhabited with population at odd hours also and since I travel with my family, I find this route to be safer.

However, this time in the last week of September 2017 I took the Kolkata-Burdwan-Moregram stretch to Siliguri. My take on this route at the moment :

• Kolkata to Burdwan is fine as always
• We crossed the Burdwan town early in the morning with no hassle as such
• The road from here was not excellent as before, slightly rough
• Kuli to Sherpur is in a bad shape
• Moregram onwards the roads are rough and not great
• We got stuck near Dhuliyan for over 2 Hours which had no escape and was unforseen
• Traffic at Farakka was close to crawling and stagnant at places
• Kaliachak was a breeze with only a 15min traffic jam
• Malda traffic was no good either and crossing the city traffic was a pain
• Onwards to Botolbari, the roads were not existent at a lot of places
• Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and the Botolbari-Dhantola route had a 'Haat Bazaar' sitting on the highway that day and thus we avoided that route for complications and took the NH to Dalkhola
• Dalkhola was again choked and we had to waste time waiting in traffic
• Post Dalkhola the roads were a mix of good and bad upto Ghoshpukur

We were targeting Gorumara so we took the diversion to Fulbari from Ghoshpukur and to our surprise, this road was in excellent condition

We took 18 Hours to reach our destination at Gorumara which was 636Kms which includes stops in Shaktigarh, Moregram, Maldah and Islampur for food. In the last one and a half decade of driving on this route, I feel this was my worst drive ever as this entire stretch is very unpredictable all throughout.

The return route from Siliguri to Kolkata via Bhagalpur & Dumka :

On our way back from Bhutan, we decided to take the Bhagalpur route. At the end of it, it was a well taken risk. The driving time for this 640Kms took us less than 13 Hours and was much more hassle free. The Bhagalpur to Dumka stretch is under construction with bad roads in and around Hansdiha. At some places there are craters as well, but manageable for all Cars.

Sharing some pictures of the road :











In my honest opinion, it is better to take this stretch at the moment if heading to North Bengal

[mmchak@gmail.co]

once again i took this road yesterday, NH 34 till berhampore, took left on SH 11, and left again from Kuli.

Update - Last 8 km till Kuli is in bad shape (not as bad as Raiganj to Botolbari or Kuli to Moregram), manageable with any car. Average speed will be around 30kmpl. A probable better decision is to take left from Kandi and use Kandi - Dakbangla, also known as Granshalika-Ekghoria-Dakbangla-Kandi Road. Actually the driving distance is much less here. While going towards north bengal, you need to take right after crossing Mayurakkshi river.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/bu...24.0988265!3e0

[themagicclicks]

"NH 34 till berhampore, took left on SH 11" - or right from Berhampore?

"In my honest opinion, it is better to take this stretch at the moment if heading to North Bengal"

- I have always preferred the Asansol Deoghar Bhagalpur route sans last July when I took the SH7 and Botolbari route for the first time. Was planning to take the Bengal - Bengal route in November too, but now you have put me in doubts again. The Jharkhand Bihar routes are so much picturesque and hassle free.

[rahul_kej]

So it's been more than 5 years since this thread started and being a resident of Siliguri I really feel sorry for my State that still the road connectivity of two biggest cities of West Bengal is still a puzzle. Still there is no definite route which we can follow for our road trips between these two cities.

We keep coming up with new routes and worst part is that we need to choose the best route from the worst ones. Really waiting for the day when Siliguri Kolkata and vice versa will be a breeze to drive, waiting for the day when there are no updates required in this thread, waiting for the day when we cover this two cities faster than Darjeeling mail does.

[mmchak@gmail.co]

"Asansol Deoghar Bhagalpur route sans last.."

I agree, its nice route with great views - however, in this highly unpredictable route, I have always see some consistency in Dalkhola & Kishanganj.. you will surely get stuck for sometime... like what used to happen in kaliachawk

Next - using SH7 and SH 11 you will surely reach Berhampore within 5 hours(worst), and if road between Kuli and Moregram is fixed, you will reach Moregram within 5 hours... in next 4 hours, you will reach Raiganj... I understand now Raiganj to Botolbari is semi-fixed (patch work)... and in next 4 hours you reach Shiliguri.. (very conservative estimate) - 13 hours in relaxed driving is a good time.

Once road till Krishnanagar is fixed, i think NH 34 or now 12 will get some glory..