Indian railway ranks fourth in the world with a 114,500-kilometer track and 7500 stations. It was founded on 8th May 1845 and headquartered in New Delhi. The British government introduced the Indian railway. The railway network of our country is driven by a single body, the ministry of railways. The number of people using the Indian railway for commutation keeps on increasing daily. It is the fourth largest railway network in the world and the routes are electrified with 25 KV AC electric traction and 33% of them are multi-tracked. Indian railway runs more than 20,000 passengers daily from 7349 stations across India. The trains have a four-digit and five-digit numbering system. As of March 2017, Indian railway employees 1.308 million workforces. Some of the stations remain busier than the rest. Our country has managed to connect all rural and urban regions with the rail tracks. Even rail service is available at various hill stations. Gorakhpur railway station is the longest railway station in India followed by Kollam, Kharagpur, and Bilaspur. But Howrah has the largest number of platforms. Here are given the lists of the top 12 largest railway stations in India.
Table of Contents
1. Howrah Junction
Howrah junction is located in the city of Howrah, West Bengal, India. It is one of the busiest stations in the world. It is one of the oldest and largest stations that has 23 platforms and 26 tracks and handles most trains in India. The station is located on the west banks of the Hooghly river. At least 1 million people travel from this station every day. The station was opened in 1854 and have started operating 163 years ago. Around 23 platforms are located in the old complex known as terminal 1 while others are in the new complex known as terminal 2. The station also has an underground station, line 2 of the Kolkata metro.
2. Sealdah Station
Sealdah railway station is located in Kolkata district, West Bengal. It is a major railway terminus serving Kolkata and Howrah. The 157 old stations were set up in 1869 and it is an important suburban rail serving Kolkata city with 20 platforms. Until 1978, this station was a tram terminus. The north terminal has 13 platforms and the south consists of seven platforms. Sealdah is one of the busiest railway stations in India handling millions of passengers daily. It has 27 number of tracks. The east-west metro line which is now under construction will have a station at Sealdah.
3. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
CST is the largest train terminus in Mumbai and the historic railway station has world heritage site status. The terminus is the headquarter of the Indian Central railway. Earlier the railway station was known as Victoria Terminus. The railway line serves suburban railways in Mumbai. It is one of the busiest railway stations in the country. The station holds 18 platforms and has multiple numbers of tracks. Eleven stations are dedicated to long-distance trains and seven for the suburban trains covering the suburban areas of Mumbai. The stations are commercially as well as historically important landmarks of Mumbai. The most crowded railway station in India had changed its name to CST in March 1996 in the honor of Maratha Empire Chhatrapati Shivaji. The railway line carries millions of passengers daily.
4. New Delhi
New Delhi is one of the busiest and largest railway stations in India started operating since 1926, and it handles more than 350 trains daily. The largest railway station has 16 platforms and it holds the record for the largest route interlocking system in the world. The busiest railway station has 18 tracks. It is one of the highest-earning stations and nearly 400 trains pass through the track per day. The number of passengers commuting increases on holidays and weekends.
5. Chennai Central
Chennai central is one of the main railway hubs in South India. It has 15 railway platforms to handle long-distance trains with 3 platforms handling suburban trains. It is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai. The terminus connects to northern India and to the south states too. The old building of the railway station was designed by architect George Harding and it is one of the most prominent landmarks in Chennai. The station is used as a landmark for the city and state. It is the most profitable station in southern railways. Chennai central was awarded 183 points for cleanliness in the country. Around 550,000 people use the station every day. The building painted in brick-red color makes it look attractive and remains unique from other stations in India. The station is first to be placed on the cyber map.
6. Kanpur Central Station
Kanpur central station is located in the city of Kanpur, and it is one of the busiest central stations of the country. The station was opened in 1930 with 10 platforms, and 611 trains passing through daily. The station serves more than 2.3 million passengers daily. The railway station is well connected with the main cities in India. As per government records, it is the most profitable station in the country. The station now has undergone beautification and modernization and they have improved their service offering to passengers. The station needs to add 10 more platforms to support the increasing passenger.
7. Allahabad Junction
Allahabad junction is officially known as Prayagraj junction and the station lies on the Howrah-Delhi mainline and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line. It is the headquarter of the north-central railway station. The railway station is located in the Allahabad district and it serves Allahabad and surrounding areas. Most major train passes through the station and it makes one of the busiest stations of India. 8 major lines are operating through this route. The station has 12 platforms and 187 number of trains run per day. The station has two entry sides and government make a special arrangement for travelers attending the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.
8. Patna Junction
The Patna station came into existence in 1862 and it lies between Delhi and Kolkata. Patna is the capital and largest city of Bihar and has a population of more than 2 million people. Patna junction railway is the main railway and one of the busiest stations in India. The station is connected with major cities of India. Additionally, the city has 4 major railway stations. Patna is well connected with daily passengers and express trains. India’s longest rail cum road bridge has been constructed across river Ganges. It holds 10 platforms and covers 15 tracks. Around 4 lakh passengers make use of the rail route daily.
9. Ahmedabad Junction
Ahmedabad junction is the main railway station of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is also one of the biggest railway stations within Gujarat. It is the second-highest income generating division in western railways after Mumbai. The station is well connected with different parts of Gujarat and important centers of the western railway zone. The station has 12 platform and 16 tracks, also has an ample number of the tea stall, snack shops, and medical shops. The station is currently equipped with wi-fi. The station is also popular for various other amenities like golf carts, VIP lounges, and escalators. The locals prefer commuting through Kalupur station.
10. Vijayawada Junction
Vijayawada junction is one of the busiest stations in India serving more than 1.4 lakh passengers every day. The station is situated in Andhra Pradesh, at the junction of Howrah-Chennai and New Delhi- Chennai main lines. Vijayawada junction has trains more than 180 express and 150 freight trains passing daily. It is one of the major railway junction in Indian railways. The station has 10 platforms and 22 tracks and all the tracks are board gauge and electrified. The station was built at the end of the 19th century and one important junction during the British rule connecting southern states with others.
11. Bangalore City Station
Bangalore city station is also known as Bengaluru city station and it is the main station serving the city Bangalore in Karnataka. It is one of the busiest stations in the southwestern railway zone. The station has 10 platforms and three entrances and is located across Kempegowda bus station. More than 250 thousand passengers used to commute using this station for long-distance and metro travel. The station is famous for triple electric lines. It is an important part of the Mysore-Bangalore line. 5 railway lines are passing through the station and the Bangalore-Chennai line is electrified and open for traffic.
12. Lucknow Charbagh Station
Lucknow Charbagh station is one of the three main stations in the city. It is the main railway station in Lucknow city and the other two are Lucknow junction and Lucknow city. The station came into existence in 1914 and it was designed by JHHornimen. It has a large garden in front of the building and it incorporates a mix of Rajput, Awadhi, and Mughal architecture. It’s one of the most beautiful railway stations in India and it holds an ISO 9001 certificate.