[21] In 1849, a contract was signed between the East Indian Railway Company and East India Company and an initial amount allocated for the first section between Howrah and Raneegunge (Raniganj) via Pandooah (Pandua, Hooghly) and Burdwan (Bardhaman).

[22] Frederick Walter Simms, the consulting engineer to Government of India, initially envisaged a station on the right side of Hooghly in 1846.

[23] A bridge across the Hooghly River, a span of 1,700 feet (520 m) at the concerned stretch, was unfeasible at that time.

[24] In the coming years, the question of connecting the rail line to Calcutta was discussed frequently.

Not realizing the future importance of railways in the country, the government authorities decided not to purchase the land and expensive water front needed for the project in January, 1852.

[27] The first experimental locomotive left Howrah on 18 June 1853[citation needed] for the 37.5 miles to Pandoah.

[25][26] There was a gap between laying the line and opening it up since the ship carrying the carriages sank while the locomotive ended up in Australia.

Also, the rail network kept on growing continuously, e.g. was the bridge over the Rupnarayan River at Kolaghat completed on 19 April 1900 and connected Howrah with Kharagpur.

[36] At the same time, a new Yatri Niwas (transit passenger facility) was built south of the original station frontage.

[37][36] In October 2011, India's first double-decker train, Howrah–Dhanbad Double Decker Express, left Howrah for Dhanbad.

], it was awarded CII-IGBC Silver Rating becoming the first green railway station among metropolitan cities in India.

[40][41][42] The book Vibrant Edifice: The Saga of Howrah Station by Eastern Railways was released in 2005.

Trams departed for Sealdah Station, Rajabazar, Shyambazar, High Court, Dalhousie Square, Park Circus, Ballygunge, Tollygunge etc.

Many unauthorized vehicles and pedestrians began to traverse the tram tracks and so the routes were not continued.

From 1909 to 1943 the Fairy Queen, the world's oldest operational steam locomotive, was displayed on a plinth inside the station.

[45][31] The Eastern Railway runs local trains to Belur Math, Tarakeswar, Arambagh, Goghat, Katwa, Bandel, Sheoraphuli, Bardhaman, Serampore and numerous intermediate stations (see Howrah–Bardhaman main line, Howrah–Bardhaman chord and Tarakeswar branch line).

[46] The South Eastern Railway, operates local trains to Amta, Mecheda, Panskura, Haldia, Tamluk, Medinipur and Kharagpur and mail and express trains to Central, West and South India.

1 far end to link the 380 metres (1,250 ft) long Goods Train Platform under Bankim Setu, which is slated to be completed by October 2023.

1 of Howrah Station "Terminal 1" will measure a staggering 1,296 metres (4,252 ft) in length & become the 3rd Longest railway Platform in India & in the World.

First-class passengers wait in an air-conditioned area with balcony views of the Kolkata Skyline and the Howrah Bridge.