Did you know? With more than 25 million people traveling by trains, India has the largest rail network in Asia and the second largest in the world.
People in India are fond of traveling through railways for many reasons. Be it a wedding, business purposes, tourism, work opportunities, and more. The network of rail connects almost all urban and rural destinations in the country.
A majority of railway stations in the country are busy but some are even busier. So let’s have a look at some of the country’s busiest railway stations.
Check out this list of the busiest railways stations in India.
1. Howrah Junction Railway Station
Location: Howrah, West Bengal
Inaugurated back in 1854, it is the oldest station in the country. Howrah has been a traveler’s favorite since the Victorian age and that is why Howrah Junction is always crowded. This station has 23 platforms, the highest number of platforms built in any railway station in India. More than a million passengers using Howrah station every day makes this the most powerful train handling capacity railway station in India.No wonder, this is the biggest railway junction in India.
2. New Delhi Railway Station
Location: New Delhi
With more than 500,000 passengers traveling daily, New Delhi station is the second busiest railway station in the country. It handles more than 350 trains with 16 platforms. Serving since 1864, New Delhi station is the biggest railway junction in India. Not only this, this railway station has been recorded as the largest route interlocking system in the world.
3. Kanpur Central Railway Station
Location: Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Kanpur Central is also called Cawnpore North Barracks (CNB) and is a part of five central Indian railway stations. This junction carries more than a million passengers per day, making it one of the busiest railway stations in India. Around 611 trains pass through its 10 platforms, which are directly connected to 580 stations in India.
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4. Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction Railway Station
Location: Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh
Holding the largest marshaling yard in Asia, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction operates 400-500 trains in a month. All eastbound Rajdhani trains also halt at this junction. This railway station began in 1862 with the name Mughal Sarai Station. It has 8 platforms and almost 127 passenger trains pass through this station. Apart from this, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction offers a ten-bedded dormitory, AC and Non-AC restrooms, and a food area.
5. Kalyan Junction Railway Station
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Kalyan station was built back in 1954 and has been serving as a major railway station in Mumbai. It is located at the intersection of the north-east and south-east lines of the suburban Mumbai section. It serves more than one lakh passengers with more than 280 trains on 8 platforms. Kalyan railway station is connected to most of the states in the country, which is the reason it is one of the busiest railway stations in the country.
6. Patna Junction Railway Station
Location: Patna, Bihar
Initially named Bankipore Junction, Patna station is the connecting point of five major railway lines of India. Due to its location between the bustling cities of Delhi and Kolkata, this has always been a busy station. With 771 trains and 400k passengers traveling through it per day, Patna railway station becomes one of the busiest railways in India.
7. Prayagraj Junction Railway Station
Location: Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
Being such a big state, Uttar Pradesh houses a lot of railway stations. One of them is Prayagraj Junction. It is one of the busiest railway stations in Northern India. Almost all the trains that come from South India halt at this very station. Formerly known as Allahabad Station, it operates eight important lines. Not only this, this 1859-built station has been graded as ‘A’ by the Indian railway department.
8. Itarsi Junction Railway Station
Location: Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh
With 8 platforms, 11 tracks, and 714 trains operating per day, Itarsi Junction is one of the most occupied stations in our county. It is connected to four sectors of the rail department and therefore, travelers can find trains from and to almost every major city.
9. Chennai Railway Station
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Also called Madras Central, Chennai Railway Station is the main junction in South India. It was built back in 1873 and is one of the most prominent landmarks of Chennai. This railway central has 15 railway platforms that manage long-distance trains. This station carries around 5,50,000 passengers every day, which makes it one of the busiest railway stations in South India.
10. Vijayawada Railway Station
Location: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Begun in 1888, Vijayawada station has over 400 trains operating through it daily. It is one of the most bustling railway stations in India that carries more than 1,00,000 passengers every day. Apart from this, Vijayawada station’s seventh platform is the longest of all.
11. Nagpur Railway Junction
Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra
Opened in 1867, Nagpur railway station is one of the oldest and busiest railway junctions in Maharashtra. It is located at the junction of the Howrah – Mumbai and New Delhi – Chennai railway lines. Nagpur railway junction was the first station Mumbai rail connected with. Apart from this, the Nagpur terminal has eight platforms with 260 trains stopping by every single day. It carries more than 1,00,000 passengers per day making it one of the most crowded stations in the country.
12. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
A historic landmark of Mumbai, this station is featured in many Bollywood movies. Its beauty makes it an important location in Mumbai. This architectural beauty was built in 1887 in Gothic Victorian style to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It was once called the Victoria Terminus and was later named Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. It has 18 platforms and 250 trains crossing it every day with over 30,00,000 passengers, which makes it one of the busiest railway stations in India.
13. Vadodara Railway Station
Location: Vadodara, Gujarat
With around 170 trains starting, ending, and passing through, Vadodara Station is one of the most occupied railway stations in Gujarat. When it comes to train frequency, it is the ninth busiest railway in India. Not just this, Vadodara Station is also an important stop on the western railway zone of Indian railways.
14. Lucknow Railway Station
Location: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Constructed from 1914 to 1926, Lucknow Railway Station is an architectural marvel in the ‘City of Nawabs’. It is a perfect mix of Mughal and Awadhi styles and is regarded as one of the most beautiful Indian railway stations. Being one of the major transportation hubs of India, Lucknow station is well-connected with other important cities. Also, more than 300 trains pass through this station daily making it one of the busiest railway stations in India.
15. Sealdah Railway Station
Location: Kolkata, West Bengal
Established in 1869, the Sealdah railway station is one of the busiest railway stations in India. Initially a tram station, it has now become a major train station in Kolkata with a daily passenger count of over 1.8 million. Not just this but Sealdah railway station is also an important suburban rail terminal. It is divided into three terminals – Sealdah Main with 8 platforms, Sealdah North with 5 platforms, and Sealdah South with 7 platforms.
If you are a first-time visitor to India, do take a train tour to get a peek into the culture. Being the busiest railway stations in India, they are majorly connected with almost all the major parts of the country. So, traveling from these stations will give you an opportunity to get to know India and its people better while admiring the grand railway stations.
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