Biggest Railway Stations in India
Indian Railway is the fourth largest railway network in the world. It is often referred to as the ‘transport lifeline of the nation’. The total number of people that travel by railway in a year in India is more than the total population of Australia. The number of passengers using the railway is increasing every year, so to meet the growing demand, the government of India has set up bigger and longest railway stations. Some of the biggest railway stations in India are given below:
- Howrah Junction Railway Station
- Sealdah Railway Station
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai
- New Delhi Railway Station
- Chennai Central Railway Station
- Kanpur Central Station
- Allahabad Junction
- Patna Junction
- Ahmedabad Junction
- Vijayawada Junction
- Bangalore City Railway Station
- Lucknow Charbagh Railway Station
- Varanasi Junction
- Mughalsarai Junction
- Kalyan Junction
1) Howrah Junction Railway Station
Howrah railway station is also known as Howrah Junction. It is also the largest as well as the oldest railway station in India. Its station code is HWN. Besides this, it is also one of the busiest railway stations in India. Around 600 passenger trains cross this station in a day and over one million passengers travel using this junction in a day. It was established in 1852, however, the first public departure was on 15 August 1854.
It has the largest number of platforms (23 platforms) that are built parallel to each other and it has 26 tracks. The station is also provided with a road that divides it into two equal parts. So, the passenger can park their vehicles directly inside the platform and board the train. The first Double-Decker of India also ran from Howrah to Dhanbad on October 2011. Besides this, this junction offers various facilities to passengers such as parking, food stalls, booking counters, waiting rooms, washrooms, etc.
2) Sealdah Railway Station
Sealdah is also one of the biggest railway stations in India that serves the city of Kolkata. Its station code is SDAH. Its north terminal has 13 platforms and the south terminal has 7 platforms. Around 1.8 million passengers use this station in a day that makes it one of the busiest stations in India.
Sealdah railway station started its operations in 1869. However, it was a tram terminus until 1978. As of now, it has 3 terminals; Sealdah North with 5 platforms, Sealdah Main with 9 platforms, and Sealdah South with 7 platforms. So, it has a total of 21 platforms and 27 tracks. Besides this, Kolkata Metro Line 2 will pass through Sealdah after completion. An executive lounge is also opened at Sealdah where long-distance passengers can take a warm shower, have food and drinks and relax for a while before boarding the next train. The lounge is very useful for passengers travelling with their children.
3) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSTM), Mumbai
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a historical railway station that was formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station. Its station code is CSTM. In 2004, it was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. It was designed by Frederick William Stevens in an Italian Gothic style. Its construction was started in 1878 and was completed in 1887 and was named Victoria Terminus at that time. Later it was renamed many times. Recently, it was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in 2017.
It is one of the busiest railway stations in the country that also serves as the headquarters of Central Railway of India. It serves over 3 million passengers daily. It has 18 platforms, 11 out of which serve long-distance trains and the remaining 7 serve suburban trains that travel across suburbs of Mumbai. CST Mumbai offers lots of facilities to its commuters that include waiting rooms, washroom, phone booth, cafeteria, bookshop, restaurants, ATM, dairy shop, and more. Besides this, CCTV cameras are also installed for safety purposes.
4) New Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi
New Delhi railway station (station code: NDLS) is located between Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate in New Delhi. It is the main railway station of Delhi that remains busy throughout the year. Around 400 trains pass through this railway station and over 500000 passengers use it daily. It was established in 1926, as of now, it has 16 platforms and 18 tracks.
Most of the trains travelling towards east and south originate from New Delhi Railway Station. Besides this, it is also the main hub for the Rajdhani Express as most of the Rajdhani expresses originate and terminate at this station. The station offers various facilities for the passengers such as an executive lounge, waiting room, toilets, retiring room, etc. Besides this, it is also connected to Delhi Metro service and CCTV cameras are installed at various sensitive places to provide extra security.
5) Chennai Central Railway Station, Chennai
Chennai Central is the main railway station in Chennai. Its station code is MAS. Formerly, it was known as Madras Central. It is the busiest railway station in South India, over 5 lakh passengers use this railway station in a day.
It has 17 platforms and its total length is around 1 km. It connects Chennai to major cities of India such as New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kerala.
The building of the station is designed by George Harding and serves as a popular landmark of Chennai. It was renamed twice. First, it was renamed to Chennai Central from Madras Central when the name of the city was changed from Madras to Chennai in 1996. Later it was renamed Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station on 5 April 2019. The facilities at Chennai Central Railway Station include restaurants, internet, accommodation facilities, waiting hall, and shopping mall, and more.
6) Kanpur Central Station, Kanpur
Kanpur Central Railway Station is the main railway station in the city of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Formerly, it was known as the Cawnpore North Barracks station. It was opened in 1930 and is known as Kanpur Central as it is one of the five central Indian railway stations. The station code is CNB and it has 14 platforms that serve more than 2.3 million commuters in a day and thus it is counted among the busiest railway stations in India.
Over 1500 railway stations are directly connected to it that makes it a railway station that has the highest number of connections in the country. All the major trains like Tejas, Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, and Shatabdi stop here for a while during their journey. The facilities for the passengers at the Kanpur Central include a waiting room, book shops, washrooms, automatic ticket vending machines, information kiosks, ATM, LCD screen, and other basic amenities.
7) Allahabad Junction
Allahabad Junction, which is renamed Prayagraj Junction recently, is the main railway station in the city of Prayagraj. It also serves as the headquarters of the North Central Railway Zone. Its station code is ALD and it has 10 platforms. Over 400 trains pass through this junction in a day and around 2 lakh passengers use this platform in a day.
It is an ‘A’ grade railway station, which has 10 platforms and 16 tracks. It offers various facilities for passengers that include AC retiring rooms, Non-AC retiring rooms, Wi-Fi, and other basic amenities like washrooms, bookshops, food stalls, enquiry counters, etc.
8) Patna Junction
It is the biggest railway platform in Patna in the state of Bihar. It was established in 1862 as Bankipore Junction at Bankipore town. The station code is PNBE and is comes under the East Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It is situated between New Delhi and Kolkata railway route. Around 400000 passengers use this station in a day that makes it one of the busiest railway stations in Bihar.
It has 10 platforms and 15 tracks. The platforms are interconnected with foot over bridges. Patna junction offers various facilities to passengers such as free RO water, retiring room, waiting room, vehicle parking, reservation counters and automated escalators. Recently, AC waiting room is opened at the station with all basic facilities such as HD television screens that provide information about the trains and entertainment-related content, WiFi, mobile and laptop charging points, etc.
9) Ahmedabad Junction
Ahmedabad Junction is the main railway station in the Ahmedabad city of Gujarat, India. Its station code is ADI. It serves as the headquarters of North-Central Railway Zone and is the part of the western railways’ network. It is connected to many major cities of India. The trains travelling from south to east of India pass through this station.
It has 12 platforms that connect Ahmedabad to all major cities of India. It has various amenities for the commuters such as food stalls, inquiry rooms, tea stalls, lounges, retiring rooms, luggage trolleys, parking, etc.
10) Vijayawada Junction
Vijayawada Junction is the main railway station in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Its station code is (BZA). It was established on 16 May 1956 as a division of Southern Railway. It serves around 1.5 lakh passengers and over 300 trains pass through this junction in a day.
It has 10 platforms. The tracks are broad and electrified. It offers all the basic facilities to the passengers like waiting area, food stalls, restrooms, enquiry counters, etc. Besides this, recently, an executive lounge is opened at this junction on platform no. 1. The lounge offers various facilities like soft beverages, newspapers, magazines, instrumental music, locker, washroom, beverages like tea and coffee, and more.
11) Bangalore City Railway Station
It is located in the Bangalore city of India and is one of the busiest stations in the Southern railway zone. Its station code is SBC and is also known as Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station. It is used by over 2.5 million passengers in a day and handles over 80 trains daily.
Bangalore city railway station is known for its triple electric lines and is an important part of the Mysore-Bangalore line. It is owned by govt. of India and is operated by Indian Railway. It has 10 platforms and three entry gates. It connects Bangalore to all major cities of India such as Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, and Hyderabad.
The facilities provided by Bangalore railway station for the commuters include a waiting room, STD booth, Post office, refreshment room, tea stalls, food stalls, bookstalls, and more.
12) Lucknow Charbagh Railway Station
Lucknow Charbagh, which is officially known as Lucknow LR, is one of the main railway stations in Lucknow city. Its station code is LKO. This station was designed by J. H. Hornimen. It is a combination of Awadhi, Rajput and Mughal architecture. Its construction started in March 1914 and completed in 1923.
A large garden has been built in front of the station’s building. So, it is counted among the most beautiful railway stations in India. It was an orchard before it was converted into a railway platform.
It has 9 platforms that offer various facilities for the passengers such as waiting area, washrooms, food court, shopping area, drinking water, shopping area, ATM, parking, and Health ATMs that provide 16 health check-ups.
13) Varanasi Junction
Varanasi Junction or railway station, which is also known as Varanasi Cant railway station, is the main railway station in Varanasi city of Uttar Pradesh. Its station code is BSB. It is situated between the cantonment and Chetganj regions of the city.
It is a busy railway station, around 300000 lakh people use this station in a day and over 200 trains pass through this junction in a day. The premium train Vande Bharat Express also originates from this station.
It has 9 platforms and offers various facilities such as ATMs, Wifi, CCTV cameras, escalators, public conveniences, water kiosks, steel benches, etc. Besides this, the station is loaded with rooftop solar panels with a power generating capacity of 600 KW.
14) Mughalsarai Junction
Mughalsarai Junction, which is officially known as Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, is a railway station located in the Mughalsarai town of Uttar Pradesh. It was opened in 1862 and contains the largest railway marshalling yard in Asia that handles over 400 trains in a month. All Rajdhani trains moving towards east halt at this station. It is owned by Indian railways and is operated by East Central Railway.
Its station code is MGS. It has 8 platforms and 23 tracks. Around 3 lakh passengers travel using this station in a day. The amenities at Mughalsarai junction include AC and Non-AC retiring rooms, food plaza, jan aahar (affordable food facility), ATMs, parking, and more.
15) Kalyan Junction
It is a part of the Mumbai railway system that is located at the junction of the north-east and south-east lines of the suburban Mumbai division of the Central Railway. Its station code is KYN. It belongs to the Central railway zone and is owned by Indian railways. It is one of the oldest railway stations in Mumbai, the railway line Thane to Kalyan (Callian in that time) was started on 01 May 1854.
It has a total number of 8 platforms. Most of the platforms have a common platform base. Some of them serve Express trains and some of them serve local trains. The facilities provided for commuters at this junction include water refill machines, waiting rooms, ATM, escalators, canteen, Wi-Fi, enquiry counters, and more.