Indian Railways is one of the largest rail networks in the world and carries more than 23 million passengers daily. Railways started out between two stations, Bombay and Thane in 1853. Today, there are over 8000 stations in India serving millions of passengers and dealing with freight of large quantities.
Delhi is the capital of India and also called as the National Capital Territory (NCT). It is the second in position among the most populous cities in the world, housing over 27 million residents as of 2014.
As part of its infrastructure, it has a good number of railway stations ranging from Old Delhi to the modern Metro Stations. In total, it has around 24 stations.
They are Anand Vihar (ANV), Badli (BHD), Delhi Safdarjang ( DSJ), Mangalpuri (MGLP), Nangloi (NNO), Palam (PM), Shivaji Bridge (CSB), Tilak Bridge ( TKJ), Viveka Vihar (VVB), Adarsh nagar (ANDI), Okhla (OKA), Bijwasan ( BWSN), Delhi Kishanganj (DKZ), Delhi Sarai Rohilla (DEE), Delhi Shahdara (DSA), Narela ( NUR), Shakurbasti (SSB), Tuglakabad (TKD), Anand Vihar Terminus (ANVT), Delhi (DLI), Delhi Cantonment (DEC), Subzi Mandi (SZM), Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM), New Delhi (NDLS).
But the main stations of Delhi are as follows:
- New Delhi Railway Station: With station code NDLS, this station is the most important of Delhi stations and is situated between Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate. This station is the third busiest and one among the largest in India. Its 16 platforms are a host to over 300 trains carrying 500,000 passengers daily. It holds the title for the biggest route interlocking system in the world (48) like the Kanpur railway station. Most East bound and South Bound trains originate from this station. Trains to other major cities also originate from this station. In 2007, a commission was given to Terry Farrell and Partners to expand and modernize the station in preparation for the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.
- Old Delhi Railway Station: Also called as Delhi Junction, this is the oldest station in Delhi. It was set up near Chandni Chowk in 1864 by the British. It is located next to civil lines and comes under Northern railways. It is connected to most major cities of India and has 10 platforms. It provides services like computerized booking, tourist information centres and the service of Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) located nearby. Begun with just 1000 passengers and 2 platforms, this station handles now more than 180,000 passengers and 200 trains on a daily basis. It was built of red stone to complement the Red Fort located nearby.
- Anand Vihar Railway Terminal: Located near Anand Vihar in East Delhi, this modern station has many new features including its subways, a unique parcel-loading centre, and maintenance yard for 60 trains, food courts, Wi-Fi and special reservation counters. It is well-connected to Anand Vihar Metro and Anand Vihar ISBT. This station provides plenty of space for commuters to park their vehicles. It is modelled after the Vashi terminal of Mumbai. It has many facilities like cloakroom, parcel and luggage office, separate departure and arrival areas, toilets and parking areas.
- Hazarat Nizamuddin: It is one of the major railway stations of Delhi. It is close to two of Delhi’s most important arteries: Mathura Road and Ring Road. It connects to most cities of India and was developed to ease the congestion of New Delhi station, which is located 5 km to the North. It connects to the Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT).
- Delhi Sarai Rohilla: It is situated 4 km from Old Delhi railway junction. Managed by the Northern Railways, it caters to trains from regions like Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. More than 20 trains including Duronto trains originate from this station. Sarai means resting place for travellers. The village was named after Ruhullah Khan, a noble member of the Mughal court, but down the centuries, the name was corrupted to Rohilla after the Rohilla rulers who ruled this region under the Mughals. The Sarai Rohilla station was set up in 1872 during the laying of meter gauge railway line from Delhi to Jaipur and Ajmer and became a small station nearing Delhi. By 2006, all meter gauge of the station was converted to broad gauge. It has five platforms and ticket reservation facility.
These are some of the major railways stations of Delhi, which are the pride of Indian Railways.