Presenting the “Longest Railway Platform in India 2023″ list. India is now home to the longest railway platform in the world. The Kharagpur railway platform was previously positioned as the second-longest platform in India, however, it has recently dropped to fourth place after slipping two spots.
Introduction
▪ The Indian Railway is the lifeline for the people of India. It covers each corner of the country and connects almost every city via the largest rail network.
▪ As of 31 December 2021, it is the 4th largest railway network in the world after the United States, Russia, and China.
▪ Railways of India has divided into 19 zones. The new railway zone of Indian Railways is the Southern Coast Railway Zone.
What is a Railway Platform?
▪ A Railway Station is a designated area located alongside a railway track, providing easy access to trains. Typically, a station comprises a platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms to accommodate more trains.
▪ Besides, Railway Platforms offer several essential amenities, such as waiting rooms and washrooms. Additionally, some stations may have an employee cabin to assist people in boarding their trains.
Longest Railway Platform in World
▪ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s longest railway platform, measuring 1.5 kilometers.
▪ The platform is located at the Shri Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station, also known as Hubballi Junction, situated in the state of Karnataka, India.
▪ It is noteworthy that the Hubbali railway station, which is situated in the South Western Railway Zone, has been classified as having the longest railway platform in the Guinness Book of World Records.
▪ The Prime Minister of India announced this stage during his visit to Karnataka. Indian Union Minister Prahlad Joshi was also present at the inauguration ceremony.
Longest Railway Platform in India 2023
▪ Hubli Junction, also known as SSS Hubballi Junction, is a significant railway junction station located in Hubli, Karnataka, India, falling under the Hubli railway division of the South Western Railway zone of Indian Railways.
▪ This station is renowned for having the longest railway platform in the world, measuring 1,505 meters in length, as of March 2021.
▪ Platform number 1 of Hubli Junction caters to a considerable number of trains and is well-equipped to provide passengers with all necessary amenities.
2nd longest Railway Platform in India
▪ The Gorakhpur Junction railway station, situated in the city of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, India, boasts the world’s second-longest railway platform after the Hubli Junction railway station in Karnataka.
▪ It serves as the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway, a division of Indian Railways, and offers Class A-1 facilities. The station is a crucial transportation hub in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, connecting the area to Bihar, Nepal, and Northern India.
▪ In 2009, a renovation project for the Gorakhpur railway station was initiated, which was completed promptly within the scheduled time. With the remodeled yard’s inauguration on October 6, 2013, the station’s platform measures 1,366.33 metres (4,482.7 ft) with a ramp and 1,355.40 metres (4,446.9 ft) without it.
Top 10 Longest Railway Platforms in India
| Rank | Station name | Length | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hubli Junction railway station | 1,505 m (4,938 ft) | Karnataka |
| 2 | Gorakhpur Junction railway station | ,366.33 m (4,483 ft) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 3 | Kollam Junction railway station | 1,180.5 m (3,873 ft) | Kerala |
| 4 | Kharagpur Railway Platform | 1,072.5 m (3,519 ft) | West Bengal |
| 5 | Chennai Egmore Railway Station | 925.22 m (3,035 ft) | Tamil Nadu |
| 6 | Pilibhit Junction Railway Station | 900m (2,953 ft) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 7 | Bilaspur Junction Railway Station | 802 m (2,631 ft) | Chhattisgarh |
| 8 | Jhansi Junction Railway Station | 770 m (2,526 ft) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 | Sonpur Junction Railway Station | 738 m (2,421 ft) | Sonepur, Bihar |
| 10 | Nabadwip Dham Railway Station | 720 m (2,362 ft) | Nadia district, West Bengal |
Top 5 Longest Railway Platform in India Infographic
Key Points about the Longest Railway Platform in India
1️⃣ Hubli Junction railway station
▪ Hubli Junction, officially known as Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji – Hubballi Junction.
▪ It is under the Hubli railway division of the South Western Railway zone (SWR) of Indian Railways situated in Hubli, Karnataka, India.
▪ As of March 2021, it is the longest railway platform in the world.
▪ The length of platform number 1 of Hubli Junction is 1,505 meters.
▪ It is the busiest railway station in Karnataka after Bengaluru city.
World's Longest Railway Platform ▪ The Hubli Railway Station in Karnataka, also referred to as Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji – Hubballi Junction, is one of the busiest railway stations in the state and serves as a key transport hub for various destinations including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Goa. ▪ This station, operated by South Western Railways under the Hubli division, boasts the world's longest railway platform, with its Platform 1 measuring a staggering 1,505 meters in length.
World’s Longest Railway Platform.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 11, 2023
PM @narendramodi Ji will dedicate to the nation tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/aHsuPjXFbX
2️⃣ Gorakhpur Junction railway station
▪ Gorakhpur Junction railway station has the world’s second longest railway platform after Hubli Junction railway station.
▪ It serves as the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway.
▪ It connects Eastern Uttar Pradesh to Bihar, Nepal, and Northern India in Bihar.
Second Longest Railway Platform in World ▪ The Gorakhpur Railway Station located in Uttar Pradesh, India is the second longest railway platform in the world.
3️⃣ Kollam Junction railway station
▪ It is the second-largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area and the largest in terms of the number of tracks.
▪ World’s third longest railway platform is situated at Kollam railway station
▪ It is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division.
4️⃣ Kharagpur Junction railway station
▪ Kharagpur Junction railway station is a railway station in the Kharagpur subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
▪ It is also the fourth longest railway station by platform length after Hubli Junction railway station, Gorakhpur Junction railway station, and Kollam Junction railway station.
5️⃣ Chennai Egmore Railway Station
▪ Chennai Egmore, formerly known as Madras Egmore. It is also known as Chennai Elumbur railway station.
▪ Currently, it is the 5th longest railway station in India located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
▪ Total length of the platform is 925 meters.
▪ The station was built in 1906-1908 as the terminus of the South Indian Railway Company.
▪ The station building is built in the Gothic style and is one of the main landmarks of Chennai.
6️⃣ Pilibhit Junction Railway Station
▪ Pilibhit Junction, located in the Izzatnagar railway division, is a significant railway station with the station code of PBE.
▪ It features five platforms, but unfortunately, lacks some essential facilities such as escalators, coach indicator systems, and basic passenger amenities.
▪ Despite being one of the longest platforms in India, measuring 900 meters (2953 feet), Pilibhit Junction railway station is not adequately connected with several major cities in India, such as Mathura, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Mumbai, Ujjain, Indore, Kota, Ajmer, Surat, Aligarh, Rampur, Kathgodam, Dehradun, and others.
▪ Under the jurisdiction of the North Eastern Railways, Pilibhit Junction serves as a crucial transport hub for the region.
7️⃣Bilaspur Junction Railway Station
▪ Bilaspur Junction railway station (station code BSP), located in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, serves Bilaspur in the Bilaspur district.
▪ Bilaspur is the headquarters of South East Central Railway.
▪ Bilaspur railway station also has the 9th longest railway platform in the world.
8️⃣Jhansi Junction Railway Station
▪ Jhansi Junction railway station, also known as Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi Junction (VGLB), is a significant railway junction situated in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
▪ It is a bustling transportation hub and one of the largest railway stations in India. The station serves as a halt for several vital trains of the Indian Railways, including the fastest train in India, the Gatimaan Express, and others like the Bundelkhand Express.
▪ Jhansi Junction is a crucial stop for numerous essential trains, such as five sets of Rajdhani Express bound for cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and more.
▪ It also hosts one set of Bhopal Shatabdi Express, three Duronto Express trains, and several other trains like the Punjab Mail, one of the oldest running trains in India, Kerala Express, Karnataka Express, etc.
9️⃣ Sonpur Junction Railway Station
• Sonpur Junction, identified by its station code SEE, serves as the headquarters of the Sonpur railway division of the East Central Railway.
• It is situated in the city of Sonpur, which is located in Bihar’s Saran district in India.
• In October 2016, a Happiness Junction was inaugurated at the Sonpur railway station by the Indian Railways.
• The aim of this initiative was to provide a variety of entertainment tools to passengers waiting for their trains, including books and other sources of amusement.
🔟 Nabadwip Dham Railway Station
• Nabadwip Dham railway station, situated in the Nadia district of West Bengal, serves as the primary railway station of Nabadwip town.
• It is located on the Bandel-Katwa line, which connects Bandel to Katwa and falls under the jurisdiction of the Howrah railway division of the Eastern Railway zone.
• The station is positioned next to State Highway 8, linking Nabadwip and Krishnanager via the Gouranga Bridge, and is a vital transport hub for the region.
• Nabadwip railway station is well-connected to the surrounding areas and serves as a stop for almost all EMU and Passenger trains.
• The distance between Howrah and Nabadwip railway station is approximately 105 km.
• Interestingly, the station has the 16th longest railway platform in the world, measuring 720 meters (2,362 feet).
Top 5 Longest Railway Platforms in India 2022 [Shorts]
World Longest Railway Platform List
The table below provides the list of the top 20 longest railway platforms in the world.
| Sl. No | Platform Name | Location / Country | Length (m/ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hubballi Junction | Karnataka, India | 1,505m (4,938ft) |
| 2 | Gorakhpur Junction | Uttar Pradesh, India | 1,366.33m (4,483ft) |
| 3 | Kollam Junction | Kerala, India | 1,180.5m (3,873ft) |
| 4 | Kharagpur Junction | West Bengal, India | 1,072.5m (3,519ft) |
| 5 | State Street Subway | Chicago, Illinois, US | 1,067.1m (3,501ft) |
| 6 | Chennai Egmore | Tamil Nadu, India | 925.22m (3,035ft) |
| 7 | Pilibhit Junction | Uttar Pradesh, India | 900m (2,953ft) |
| 8 | Auto Club Speedway station | Fontana, California, US | 815m (2,675ft) |
| 9 | Bilaspur | Chhattisgarh, India | 802m (2,631ft) |
| 10 | Cheriton Shuttle Terminal | Kent, United Kingdom | 791m (2,595ft) |
| 11 | Bern | Bern, Switzerland | 785m (2,575ft) |
| 12 | Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh, India | 770m (2,526ft) |
| 13 | East Perth | Perth, Western Australia | 770m (2,526ft) |
| 14 | Dearborn Street subway | Chicago, Illinois, US | 762m (2,500ft) |
| 15 | Sonpur Junction | Sonepur, Bihar, India | 738m (2,421ft) |
| 16 | Nabadwip Dham | Nadia district, West Bengal, India | 720m (2,362ft) |
| 17 | Flinders Street railway station | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | 708m (2,323ft) |
| 18 | Port Pirie (Mary Elie Street) railway station | South Australia | 701m (2,300ft) |
| 19 | Sittard railway station | Netherlands | 700m (2,297ft) |
| 20 | ‘s-Hertogenbosch railway station | Netherlands | 699m (2,293ft) |
Highest Number of Platforms
| Railway Station | Number of Platforms |
|---|---|
| Grand Central Terminal New York City, US | 44 |
| Gare du Nord, France | 35 (31 above ground level + 4 underground) |
| Munich Central Station, Germany | 34 (32 above ground level + 2 underground) |
| Chicago Union Station, US | 30 |
| Zhengzhou East, China | 30 |
| Central railway station Sydney, Australia | 28 |
| London Waterloo station, United Kingdom | 24 (plus 8 at Waterloo tube station) |
| Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Central), Bangkok, Thailand | 24 (+2 MRT Blue Line, 12 platforms are currently inoperational.) |
| Howrah, India | 23 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Hubli Junction railway station (As of March 2021)
Answer: Karnataka (Hubli Junction railway station)
Answer: Hubli Junction railway station in Karnataka
Answer: Kollam Junction Railway Station (Kerala)
Answer: No, Now the Kharagpur railway platform is the 4th longest railway platform in India after Hubli, Gorakhpur, and Kollam Junction railway stations.
Answer: Gorakhpur Junction railway station of Uttar Pradesh is the second longest railway platform in India.
Answer: Hubli Junction railway station of Karnataka
Answer: Hubli Junction railway station is the railway platform in Karnataka.
