Best Railway Stations of IndiaIndia is a home to some of the best railway stations since railways were first introduced in 1853. By 1947, the year of India’s independence, there were forty-two rail systems. Some of the railway station are built in the pre-independence era and reflects the architecture of the British era. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus shows the unique artistry of the Victorian Gothic Revival style in India. Read on for some of the best railway stations and then you will come to know why some tourists still prefer trains as their mode of journey.
Following are the “Best Railway Stations of India
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a unique reflection of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India. It’s a new railway station built on the location of the Bori Bunder station to commemorate the Golden Jublilee of Queen Victoria. It has been declared by the UNESCO as World World Heritage Site. This historic railway station in Mumbai also serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways and is one of the busiest stations in India. Chhatrapati Shivaji is a unique blend of British architects with Indian craftsmen.
Kanpur central
Located in the city of Kanpur, Kanpur central is a major inter city and one of the busiest railway station. It is located on the main Howrah – Delhi route broad gauge in Uttar Pradesh. The Kanpur Central Station has Route Interlock System and highest rail crossings, very similar to New Delhi Railway Station. Kanpur Central railway station is the largest station of North Central Railways and records a rush of around 1.5 lakh passengers and more than 300 trains passing through on a daily basis.
Tiruchirappalli
Located in heart of the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tiruchirappalli junction connects the central part of Tamil Nadu to various parts of India including the regions of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the oldest railway hubs of India and has five branches leading to Madurai, Rameswaram, Erode, Tanjore and Chennai. It is the second biggest railway station in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai Central and has more than 200 train crossings per day in its division.
Lucknow Junction
Located towards the south-west of Lucknow city, Lucknow Junction Railway Station is a major railhead served by the Northern and North Eastern Railways. The junction is well connected to most of the cities and towns in the northern part of India. several major train passes through this junction including Mumbai-Gorakhpur Express, Vaishali Express ( New Delhi- Barauni), Shatabdi Express and Gomti Express.
Chennai Central
Chennai Central is the main railway terminus in the city of Madras. It is the most important rail hub in South India. Trains from this junction connects the city to New Delhi and prominent state capitals of India like Bhopal, Lucknow, Jaipur, Mumbai, Patna, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram. Chennai central is the main hub for the Chennai Suburban Railway system. The building of the railway station, designed by the architect Henry Irwin, is one of the landmarks of Chennai.
Jhansi Railway Station
Jhansi Junction Railway Station is situated on Mumbai-Delhi route under the North Central Railways. Some of the main train connections include the Shatabdi Express, Punjab Mail, Dadar-Amritsar Express, Jhelum Express, Karnataka Express, Mahakaushal Express, Malwa Express, Kushinagar Express, Tamil Nadu Express and Kerala Express.
Kachiguda Railway Station
Kachiguda Railway Station is one of the three major central stations in Hyderabad city. Constructed in 1916 by the Nizam of the Hyderabad State, the station is architecturally the most beautiful station in South Central Railway. The station reflects Gothic style of architecture. Towering like a Maharaja’s place and endowed with central and side domes along with minarets, the station is one of the landmarks in the Hyderabad city.
Nagpur Railway Station
The Nagpur railways plays a significant role in the transport system in the city of Nagpur. Some of the important trains that passes through this junction are Vishakapatnam Nizamudin Samta Express, the Banglore Nizamudin Rajdhani Express, the Mumbai Howrah Mail and the Bangalore Gorakpur Express. Nagpur railways are constructed before independence of India. other than a major tourist destibation and the second capital of Maharashtra, Nagpur railways are strategically important due to its prime location.
Howrah Railway Station
Located in the city of Kolkata, Howrah Railway Station is one of the largest railway terminals in the world. The first train of the station ran from Howrah to Pandua in 1854, since then the railway complex has been providing services to most of the cities of India. It has two adjacent terminals, the old and the new one.
Old Delhi railway station
Old Delhi Railway Station, also known as Delhi junction is the oldest railway station of Delhi city. The station was built by the British before independence in the style of red-coloured fort. It is served by the Chandni Chowk station of the Delhi Metro. Built in 1900AD, the station is one of the major railway stations of the country and complements the New Delhi Railway Station.
