At a glance
- Five regular trains link Kolkata with Purulia: 12883/12884, 12827/12828, 20897/20898, 22891/22892 and 18011/18012 (checked on erail.in, November 2026).
- Most take five to six hours; the Vande Bharat (no service on Tuesdays) is the fastest at under five hours.
- Trains leave from Howrah or Santragachi, not Sealdah, so check your boarding station.
- Barabhum is about 18 km from the Matha forest near Bagmundi; Purulia Junction is about 52 km, but has many more trains.
- The overnight Chakradharpur Express both ways makes a neat Friday-to-Monday weekend through Barabhum.
Five regular trains run from Kolkata to Purulia: the Rupashi Bangla Express from Santragachi, and the Howrah–Purulia Superfast, the Howrah–Ranchi Vande Bharat, the Howrah–Ranchi Intercity and the overnight Howrah–Chakradharpur Express from Howrah. The Kolkata to Purulia train journey takes about five to six hours, a little under five on the Vande Bharat. For Bagmundi and the Ajodhya Hills, two of these trains also stop at Barabhum, about 18 km from the Matha forest.
We checked every train below on erail.in in November 2026. Timetables do change, so confirm on NTES or IRCTC before you book.
Kolkata to Purulia trains at a glance
| Train | Number (to / from Purulia) | Kolkata station | Runs | Leaves Kolkata | Stops for Bagmundi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rupashi Bangla Express | 12883 / 12884 | Santragachi | Daily | Early morning | Purulia Jn |
| Howrah–Ranchi Intercity SF Express | 22891 / 22892 | Howrah | Wed, Thu, Sat | Around midday | Barabhum and Purulia Jn |
| Howrah–Ranchi Vande Bharat Express | 20897 / 20898 | Howrah | Daily except Tuesday | Afternoon (14:35) | Purulia Jn |
| Howrah–Purulia SF Express | 12827 / 12828 | Howrah | Daily | Late afternoon (16:50) | Purulia Jn |
| Howrah–Chakradharpur Express | 18011 / 18012 | Howrah | Daily | Late night | Purulia Jn and Barabhum |
Three of these, the Chakradharpur Express, the Rupashi Bangla and the Howrah–Purulia Express, are also the trains the Purulia district administration lists on its own how-to-reach page.
The trains in detail
Rupashi Bangla Express (12883/12884)
This daily superfast starts from Santragachi, not Howrah, and runs via Kharagpur, Midnapore, Bishnupur, Bankura and Adra to Purulia. It leaves in the early morning and reaches Purulia around midday, which leaves the afternoon free for the drive to the hills. The return, 12884, leaves Purulia in the mid-afternoon and reaches Santragachi late in the evening.
Howrah–Purulia Superfast Express (12827/12828)
Running daily since 1983, this is the old faithful of the route. It leaves Howrah at 16:50 and follows the same line through Kharagpur, Bankura and Adra, reaching Purulia late in the evening. The return, 12828, leaves Purulia at 05:30 and reaches Howrah late in the morning. If you arrive at night, have your car booked before you leave Kolkata.
Howrah–Ranchi Vande Bharat Express (20897/20898)
The fastest option. It leaves Howrah at 14:35 and runs via Kharagpur, Tatanagar and Chandil, reaching Purulia in under five hours before continuing to Ranchi. It does not run on Tuesdays and does not stop at Barabhum. Coming back, 20898 starts from Ranchi early and calls at Purulia in the morning, reaching Howrah in the early afternoon. It has chair-car seating only, with no sleeper berths.
Howrah–Ranchi Intercity Superfast Express (22891/22892)
This runs via Tatanagar on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. It leaves Howrah around midday and stops at Barabhum in the early evening, then at Purulia about half an hour later. The return, 22892, runs on the same three days, calling at Purulia and then Barabhum in the morning and reaching Howrah in the afternoon.
Howrah–Chakradharpur Express (18011/18012)
The only overnight option, and daily. It leaves Howrah late at night, runs via Kharagpur, Bankura and Adra, reaches Purulia early in the morning and Barabhum shortly after, then carries on to Chandil and Chakradharpur. The return, 18012, calls at Barabhum and Purulia in the evening and reaches Howrah early the next morning.
Other trains
A slow Howrah–Purulia MEMU (68121/68122) also runs, taking well over seven hours. Several long-distance and special trains from Santragachi and Shalimar also call at Purulia, some of them around midnight, and many run only on certain days of the week. Check erail.in if your dates are fixed.
Purulia Junction or Barabhum: which station is better?
It depends on where you are staying.
- Barabhum (BBM), at Balarampur on SH4, is the nearer station for Bagmundi, the Matha forest and the southern approach to the Ajodhya Hills: about 18 km, or roughly half an hour by road. Only the Chakradharpur Express (daily) and the Intercity (three days a week) stop here from Kolkata.
- Purulia Junction (PRR) has every train on the list, but it is about 52 km from the Matha forest, an hour or a little more by road. It is the better choice if you are staying in Purulia town or heading first for the northern side of the hills via Sirkabad.
Rangamati offers a station pickup and drop from either Barabhum or Purulia Junction on request, so ask when you book.
From the station to Bagmundi and the hills
From Barabhum, the drive runs north-west along SH4 past the bird carvings of Pakhi Pahar to the foot of Matha Buru. From Purulia Junction, you take NH18 south-west to Balarampur and then the same road.
Public transport for this last stretch is limited, so arrange a car or cab in advance, especially for the Vande Bharat's evening arrival or the Chakradharpur Express's early-morning one. From Bagmundi, the hill road climbs to Ajodhya Hill Top, 20 km from our cottages. For all the other ways in, see our full guide on how to reach Purulia.
Booking tips for the Kolkata to Purulia train
- Book early for the season. Since 1 November 2024, reservations open 60 days ahead, not counting the day of travel. The winter holidays, the Christmas–New Year week and the spring palash weekends are the busiest times to travel, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Tatkal as a back-up. Tatkal booking opens the day before travel, at 10 am for AC classes and 11 am for non-AC. Since July 2025, booking Tatkal online has required an Aadhaar-authenticated IRCTC account and an OTP, so set this up well before you need it.
- Check the Kolkata station. The Rupashi Bangla leaves from Santragachi; the rest from Howrah. Some long-distance trains use Shalimar.
- Mind the running days. No Vande Bharat on Tuesdays, and the Intercity only on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
- Check live running before you leave for the station, on NTES or the IRCTC app, as trains coming from Ranchi or Chakradharpur can run late.
Coming back: return trains to Kolkata
Check-out at Rangamati is at 9 am, so it helps to know your options before you plan the last day.
| Train | Number | From | Runs | Leaves | Reaches Kolkata |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howrah–Purulia SF Express | 12828 | Purulia Jn | Daily | 05:30 | Howrah, late morning |
| Vande Bharat Express | 20898 | Purulia Jn | Daily except Tuesday | Morning | Howrah, early afternoon |
| Ranchi–Howrah Intercity SF Express | 22892 | Purulia Jn, then Barabhum | Wed, Thu, Sat | Morning | Howrah, afternoon |
| Rupashi Bangla Express | 12884 | Purulia Jn | Daily | Mid-afternoon | Santragachi, late evening |
| Chakradharpur–Howrah Express | 18012 | Barabhum, then Purulia Jn | Daily | Evening | Howrah, early next morning |
The morning departures from Purulia mean leaving the hills very early, since the station is about an hour's drive away. For most guests the afternoon Rupashi Bangla or the evening train from Barabhum fits better, with a last morning of sightseeing first.
Breaking the journey at Bishnupur
The Rupashi Bangla, the Howrah–Purulia Express and the Chakradharpur Express all stop at Bishnupur, the old Malla capital known for its terracotta temples, and at Bankura. If you have a spare day, you can split the trip: a night in Bishnupur, then the next day's train on to Purulia. It turns a long journey into two easy halves.
A train-friendly weekend plan
For a classic Friday-to-Monday break, take the Chakradharpur Express from Howrah on Friday night and get off at Barabhum on Saturday morning. Spend Saturday on the Ajodhya circuit of dams, falls and viewpoints, and Sunday on the hills near the resort and the mask village. On Sunday evening, board 18012 at Barabhum and you are back in Howrah early on Monday.
If you prefer daylight travel, the Rupashi Bangla gets you to Purulia by lunchtime. Our weekend trip from Kolkata and 2-day itinerary fill in the days, and you can see the cottages on our stay page.
