With a network size of 1.2 lakh kilometers, Indian Railways is the fourth-largest in the world. The Indian Railways primarily offer three different services to the general public: express trains, mail express trains, and passenger trains. Passenger trains have the lowest fares when it comes to fares, while Mail Express trains have the highest fares. Express train fares, however, fall somewhere in the middle. In this post, we will be going into detail about some of the biggest railway stations in India.
The concept of building a railway network in British India was first put forth in 1832. Although rail travel was still in its infancy in Britain at the time, the East India Company was aware of the advantages of creating a vast rail network. Lord Hardinge, the Governor-General of India, finally permitted private businessmen to build a rail system in 1844 after a protracted decade of inaction. By the year 1845, the "East Indian Railway Company" and the "Great Indian Peninsula Railway" had been established.
As planned, India's first train journeyed from Bori Bunder in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane, a distance of about 34 kilometers, on April 16, 1853. Fast forwarding to 2023, the Indian railways have developed a lot now. New trains have been introduced with better facilities and additional features.
Now we simply cannot mention the name of one big railway station that is bigger than every single one of them out there. Based on different aspects, we have four significant railway stations that deserve special mention:
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus is the biggest railway station in India. Frederick William Stevens designed the station in the style of Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture; he intended it to be a modern analogue to the classically inspired architecture of India. The station, located to the south of the original Bori Bunder railway station, was built between 1878 and 1887, the latter year marking the half-centennial of Queen Victoria's reign. It was renamed "Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus" (station code CST) in March 1996 to honor the Maratha Empire's namesake and founder, Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji.
When it comes to Indian train stations, Howrah Junction Railway Complex is among the biggest. It has 23 platforms. There are five major railway terminals that serve the greater Kolkata area, which includes Kolkata and its twin city, Howrah. More than a million passengers pass through the station every day, and 600 passenger trains utilize the station's 23 platforms. 1373 stations across India are directly connected to Howrah Railway Station. Hence, Howrah Junction is one of the busiest railway stations in terms of total passenger footfalls.
When it comes to platform length, the SSS Hubballi Junction station is unrivaled. Platform No. 1 at this station is 1,505 meters long, making it the longest railway platform in the world as of March 2021. The Hubballi Junction station is the second busiest in Karnataka, after the Bengaluru City station. The station is equipped with its own railway division and a diesel locomotive shed housing WDP-4, WDP-4B, and WDP-4D passenger locomotives and WAG-9HC goods locomotives.
When considering the total number of new rail lines, Mathura Junction is far and away the largest station. Beginning at Mathura Junction, there are seven new railway routes. The junction is crucial because trains departing from Delhi split off on different routes to Mumbai and south Indian cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Chennai.
However, the train has a bad reputation due to poor hygiene. The Quality Council of India (QCI) found this station to be the dirtiest out of 75 major stations in their 2018 report. Following widespread criticism, Mathura Junction underwent a complete makeover by the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) in March 2019, giving the station a fresh appearance. With new entry and exit gates, amenities for train passengers, and the provision of new benches on the platforms, this has astounded the various pilgrimages and tourists visiting Mathura.
