[SumitB]

Thank you Suman. I am in Vivek Vihar. Will be here till the 10th. with a trip planned to Amritsar for Sun-Mon.

[amrisharm]

Originally Posted by SumitB

I am to make the return trip in about 10 days and am now wondering which route to take for the Siliguri to Guwahati stretch. I am not going via Cooch Behar.

I took this route:
Shillong-Jhalukbari-Krishnai-Dudhnai-Goalpara-Chapar-Gauripur-Cooch Behar-Jalpaiguri-Dhupguri-Mainaguri-Siliguri-Dhalkhola-Purnia-Begusarai-Gaya-Dobhi-Varanasi-Allahabad-Kanpur-Agra-Faridabad-Delhi

Of this, the Mainaguri-Siliguri stretch was the worst and it took me 90 minutes to do 8 kms. at one point.

About 2300 kms. done in 42 hours (16+13+13) on the road. This could be done in 35 hours provided the bad roads were avoidable.

I will post the details of the Delhi-Shillong return leg once I am in Shillong.

Suggestions for the Siliguri-Guwahati stretch will be appreciated.

Sorry I am a bit confused can u clear this up for me. This is a cut an paste of what you wrote:
"-Cooch Behar-Jalpaiguri-Dhupguri-Mainaguri-Siliguri-Dhalkhola"

Shouldn't it be as follows?
-Cooch Behar-Dhupguri-Mainaguri-Siliguri-Dhalkhola" ?

Another question I have is Once you reached Siliguri, which route did you take to get to Dalkhola? Did you take the NH31 from Siliguri-Matigara-bagdogra-chopra-Dhalkhola?

Or did you go to Dhalkhola via the Phulbari Bypass that takes you straight to Chopra? This road goes along a big canal.

Once you give me the above info i might be able to give you an alternate route.

[SumitB]

Originally Posted by amrisharm

Sorry I am a bit confused can u clear this up for me. This is a cut an paste of what you wrote:
"-Cooch Behar-Jalpaiguri-Dhupguri-Mainaguri-Siliguri-Dhalkhola"

Shouldn't it be as follows?
-Cooch Behar-Dhupguri-Mainaguri-Siliguri-Dhalkhola" ?

Another question I have is Once you reached Siliguri, which route did you take to get to Dalkhola? Did you take the NH31 from Siliguri-Matigara-bagdogra-chopra-Dhalkhola?

Or did you go to Dhalkhola via the Phulbari Bypass that takes you straight to Chopra? This road goes along a big canal.

Once you give me the above info i might be able to give you an alternate route.

Yes, it was in the order you speak off. Still under stress.

I took the Siliguri-Baghdogra-Islampur-Dhalkhola-Purnia route. This is not issue. The problem was in Cooch Behar-Siliguri. 18 kms of hell. 8 kms in 90 mins.

[amrisharm]

Originally Posted by SumitB

Yes, it was in the order you speak off. Still under stress.

I took the Siliguri-Baghdogra-Islampur-Dhalkhola-Purnia route. This is not issue. The problem was in Cooch Behar-Siliguri. 18 kms of hell. 8 kms in 90 mins.

Oh ok, Well There is another route to go to Assam from siliguri, and i know for sure that this route is in better condition than that of the siliguri-Jalpaiguri-Cooch Behar road. Pls keep in mind i have said in better state and not good state.

the route is as follows:
Siliguri-sevoke-coronation bridge-mongpong-chalsa-Binnaguri-Birpara-Hasimara-kalchini-Rajabhat Khawa-Alipur Duar. (Approx 150-170kms)

This route is quite scenic and traffic is quite thin, but it gets thick as you reach Birpara and move forward.

From Alipur Duar you can either head to Koch Behar which is about 30 kms away and then take NH 31 all the way to assam via Goalpara-Boko-Dispur-Shillong. (I think this is the route you came through)
OR
From Alipur Duar you can head straight to assam via NH31C and go through Kochugaon-Sidli-Bongaigaon. (Am not sure about the condition of this road)

[Sheel]

Sumit has completed this drive and would request him to update with all the info which he can.

I am sure a lot of guys would benefit

[wanderer4x4]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

There are 2 options, one to drive through Bihar and the other is avoiding Bihar. Although there has been a significant improvement in the law and order situation in Bihar, and roads are great, my personal experiences have been bad so I hesitate to recommend going via Bihar despite it being shorter.

Route #1: avoid BIhar:
Shillong-Guwahati/Jalukhbari-Goalpara-Ghauripur-Boxirhat-Cooch Behar-Drupuguri-Falakata-Siliguri-Kishanganj-Dalkola-Raiganj-Malda-Farakka-Morgram-Rampurhat-Siuri-Dubrajpur-Raniganj-Asansol-Gobindpur/Dhanbad-Dumri-Aurangabad-Sasaram-Mohaniya-Varanasi-Allahabad-Kanpur-Etawah-Agra-Mathura-Delhi.

Route #2: Through Bihar:
from Siliguri-Dalkola-Purnea-Kagariya-Begusarai-Barauni-Patna-Arrah-Mohaniya-Varanasi.......

Bumping up this for some updated information on the route from Guwahati to Delhi for a planned trip. While searching, Google map throws out a route which is slightly different than the route 2 mentioned by you above.

It gives out the route as Guwahati-Siliguri-Bahadurganj-Forbeganj-Pratapganj-Darbhanga-Sahebganj-Gopalganj-Gorakhpur-Faizabad-Lucknow-Aligarh-Delhi. It presumably is mostly on the EW corridor and is shorter by around 170 kms than the other route of Siliguri-Dalkhola-Purnia-Begusarai-Jahanabad then onto Sasaram and then NH2 all through out.

My confusion is which route to take? Ofcourse, NH2 seems to be the obvious choice as this is the regular route for many, but to get onto NH2 I need to travel a lot anyways. So thought of the other route.

If anyone has travelled on this route then please throw some light on the road conditions on the EW corridor. Is 4 laning complete on the entire stretch in UP and Bihar upto Aligarh? What about wayside facilities on the route? And any other trouble spots on the way?

(Sorry about asking so many questions, but I'm sure that fellow members HVK, Sheel and others would have correct info about this.)

[wanderernomad]

Coincidence? Another wanderer at Jorhat? Anyway I can give you the route information here itself as I just drove from Mohali to Jorhat in the first week of this month itself. I took the NH2 till Dobhi and then came via Bodh Gaya-Bhagalpur-Punea route. NH2 can still give you a lot of grief during day time driving due to numerous towns and un manageable traffic on the road itself plus almost 1000 Rs in Toll. Crossing these tolls is another matter as most of them are chaotic and poorly managed.
The EW corridor though not yet completely built has its own share of problems due to incomplete sections and heavy truck traffic. However, all said and done I would suggest you to stick to the EW as driving down Bihar to meet NH2 will be a nightmare. At most you can do is hit Kanpur and then carry on along NH2 till Kuberpur about 15 Kms before Agra.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by wanderer4x4

It gives out the route as Guwahati-Siliguri-Bahadurganj-Forbeganj-Pratapganj-Darbhanga-Sahebganj-Gopalganj-Gorakhpur-Faizabad-Lucknow-Aligarh-Delhi. It presumably is mostly on the EW corridor and is shorter by around 170 kms than the other route of Siliguri-Dalkhola-Purnia-Begusarai-Jahanabad then onto Sasaram and then NH2 all through out.

The East-West Corridor is Siliguri-Bagodara-Islampur-Kishanganj-Dalkola-Purnea-Forbesganj-Darbhanga-Muzaffarpur-Gopalganj-Kushinagar-Gorakhpur-Ayodhya-Faizabad-Lucknow-Kanpur.

This is a superb 4-laned superfast road which is almost fully complete (subject to my comments below) and now the preferred route for those travelling from North East India to North & Central India.

The route you have mentioned Siliguri-Bahadurganj-Forbeganj-Pratapganj-Darbhanga-Sahebganj-Gopalganj is an alternative but 2-laned district roads & not comparable with the EW Corridor. Moreover, during the coming rainy season, these roads are also prone to flooding.

My confusion is which route to take? Ofcourse, NH2 seems to be the obvious choice as this is the regular route for many, but to get onto NH2 I need to travel a lot anyways. So thought of the other route.

The EW Corridor is a fantastic route & there is no need to get into NH2 till Kanpur.

If anyone has travelled on this route then please throw some light on the road conditions on the EW corridor. Is 4 laning complete on the entire stretch in UP and Bihar upto Aligarh? What about wayside facilities on the route? And any other trouble spots on the way?

I get regular updates on this route. 4-laning is incomplete for a few kms (<10 kms) around Forbesganj & this can be very messy if it rains - and definitely avoidable in night time. LOw-GC & 2WD vehicles have to take extra care. Now that it is summer, it is dry, just lots of loose soil & dust, but once it rains, it can become very slushy. However, construction is progressing very fast. The second bad section is some 40 kms around Gopalganj till the UP border where road widening appears to have stalled & the half-complete work means lots of diversions, pot holes & messiness.

Rest of the route, whether in WB, BR or UP is complete & a pleasure to drive on. No significant safety issues reported. However, keeping with earlier legacy of North Bihar being an unsafe region, petrol pumps remain mostly shut at night time. Facilities like petrol pumps are aplenty, but you will find no hotels or restaurants en route. It is now possible to do a Siliguri-Lucknow in 1 day's drive easily, and Guwahati-Delhi is just 3 days.

However, one additional note on Guwahati-Siliguri where the EW Corridor work is in a miserable condition with several kms of incomplete roads, horrible condition, diversions, and so on. Therefore, the preferred route is Guwahati-Goalpara-North Salamara-Ghauripur-Cooch behar-Falakata-Alipurduar-Birpara-Mal Bazar-Sevoke-Siliguri.


Bihar is now a transformed place, and one can forget those days of non-existent roads & unsafe conditions

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

I took the NH2 till Dobhi and then came via Bodh Gaya-Bhagalpur-Punea route. NH2 can still give you a lot of grief during day time driving due to numerous towns and un manageable traffic on the road itself plus almost 1000 Rs in Toll. Crossing these tolls is another matter as most of them are chaotic and poorly managed.
The EW corridor though not yet completely built has its own share of problems due to incomplete sections and heavy truck traffic. However, all said and done I would suggest you to stick to the EW as driving down Bihar to meet NH2 will be a nightmare. At most you can do is hit Kanpur and then carry on along NH2 till Kuberpur about 15 Kms before Agra.

Yes, the route from Dobhi via Bhagalpur is very messy with several small towns, most without any bypases & with heavy miscellaneous traffic by day time. You cannot make good time unlike the EW Corridor which is 4-laned & fast. Even towns like Gorakhpur (UP) have spectacular bypasses. Slowly, truck traffic is also increasing as more commercial vehicles gain confidence in this new hassle-free route which will is becoming the preferred route even for we West Indians driving to the North east

[wanderernomad]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Therefore, the preferred route is Guwahati-Goalpara-North Salamara-Ghauripur-Cooch behar-Falakata-Alipurduar-Birpara-Mal Bazar-Sevoke-Siliguri.

Yeah I made the mistake of carrying onto Hasimara-Bongaigaon-Rangia and trust me now I should be the obvious choice for a manned mission to moon to drive the rover there.
I was told at Sevoke that the roads are complete and only the bridges remain to be metaled. But what they forgot to tell me was that there is a bridge after every 100 meters on this road. Before you could pick up any momentum the road would suddenly dip a few inches and the next 10-20 meters would put your abilities to test so as not to scrape your cars bottom. But despite that I was able to make it to Jorhat in about 13 hours from Sevoke.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Yeah I made the mistake of carrying onto Hasimara-Bongaigaon-Rangia and trust me now I should be the obvious choice for a manned mission to moon to drive the rover there.
I was told at Sevoke that the roads are complete and only the bridges remain to be metaled. But what they forgot to tell me was that there is a bridge after every 100 meters on this road. Before you could pick up any momentum the road would suddenly dip a few inches and the next 10-20 meters would put your abilities to test so as not to scrape your cars bottom. But despite that I was able to make it to Jorhat in about 13 hours from Sevoke.

Yes, this section has been in a thorough mess for past several years & we prefer the Goalpara-Cooch Behar route - which also has bad sections, but only in some places.

[wanderer4x4]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Coincidence? Another wanderer at Jorhat? ..............

Yes, seems like a cool coincidence. I thought of myself as a rare specimen BHPian around here, and now to find namesake BHPian is a real WOW. Anyways, welcome to Jorhat and thanks for the route updates.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

.....This is a superb 4-laned superfast road which is almost fully complete (subject to my comments below) and now the preferred route for those travelling from North East India to North & Central India. ............
The EW Corridor is a fantastic route & there is no need to get into NH2 till Kanpur. ......

Thanks a lot Mr. Kumar. And as expected your inputs will go a long way in finalizing the route. So, now I'm ready to drop the NH2 plan and take the EW corridor as advised by you. My only worry is about lack of facilities and also the fact that the most of the route hugs the North Bihar belt.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by wanderer4x4

Thanks a lot Mr. Kumar. And as expected your inputs will go a long way in finalizing the route. So, now I'm ready to drop the NH2 plan and take the EW corridor as advised by you. My only worry is about lack of facilities and also the fact that the most of the route hugs the North Bihar belt.

If planned well, and you carry provisions on board, the absence of F&B facilities won't matter at all. En route, places like Purnea, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur & Gorakhpur have good hotels.

North Bihar is no more the scary place it used to be, there has been tremendous transformation in the last 2 years. One of my friends drove with his wife & daughter through the Gopalganj-Purnea sector through the night. And I am sure that our friend Sheel from Purnea will perhaps echo my sentiments although one would also like to be risk-averse & do this sector only by day.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

North Bihar is no more the scary place it used to be, there has been tremendous transformation in the last 2 years. One of my friends drove with his wife & daughter through the Gopalganj-Purnea sector through the night. And I am sure that our friend Sheel from Purnea will perhaps echo my sentiments although one would also like to be risk-averse & do this sector only by day.

There really is no issue. Lots of people now regularly do this route.

At night, of course, there won't be many eateries open & wouldn't be able to tell the good from the bad. Moreover, between Darbhanga - Purnea, there are not many fuel stations & eateries. Though slowly, the situation is improving. Though don't expect CCD & KFC any time for the next 10 years, but good dhaba food (daal, roti) can be found aplenty.

In fact, one of a big shot guy whom I know (at my place) has got himself a Toyota Innova V (with captain seats in mid row) for driving up & down to Delhi. He doesn't go by air any more.

Sir jee, been hearing the Dumaria bridge (between Motihari - Gopalgunj) is in a poor state & if not repaired, there might be disruption. I haven't seen that bridge, but you, Sumit have. Is it that bad?

It is given a major coverage in today's daily.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Sir jee, been hearing the Dumaria bridge (between Motihari - Gopalgunj) is in a poor state & if not repaired, there might be disruption. I haven't seen that bridge, but you, Sumit have. Is it that bad?

It is given a major coverage in today's daily.

Is it the River Gandak bridge you are talking about, which is around 30 kms from Pipra Koti (the flyover junction where the Muzaffarpur-Gopalganj road turns off towards Gopalganj)? The Gandak bridge is a mess, it is being widened, but I don't recall any jams there. After crossing the bridge, the roads are incomplete - and a mess - all the way past Gopalganj till the UP border!

Can you show us a preview of the newspaper repair so that I can also try to find out which bridge it could be (AFAIK, there was no bridge work at Dumaria which comes before this Gandak bridge)