New Delhi Railway Station

New Delhi Railway Station :

The New Delhi Railway Station (Hindi: नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन) (station code NDLS), situated between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi railway station is the busiest and largest railway station in India. It handles over 350 trains and 500,000 passengers daily with 16 platforms. The New Delhi railway station holds the record for the largest route interlocking system in the world similar to the Kanpur Central Railway Station i.e. 48. The station is about two kilometres north of Connaught Place, in central Delhi.

Most eastbound and southbound trains originate at New Delhi Railway Station. However, some important trains to other parts of the country also touch/originate at this station.

Before the new imperial capital New Delhi was established after 1911, the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city and the Agra-Delhi railway line cut through what is today called Lutyens' Delhi and the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (now India Gate) and Kingsway (now Rajpath). The railway line was shifted along Yamuna river and opened in 1924 to make way for the new capital. Minto (now Shivaji) and Hardinge (now Tilak) rail bridges came up for this realigned line. The East Indian Railway Company, that overlooked railways in the region, sanctioned the construction of a single story building and a single platform between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj in 1926. This was later known as New Delhi Railway station. The government's plans to have the new station built inside the Central Park of Connaught Place was rejected by the Railways as it found the idea impractical.[2] In 1927–28, New Delhi Capital Works project involving construction of 4.79 miles (7.71 km) of new lines was completed. The Viceroy and royals entered the city through the new railway station during the inauguration of New Delhi in 1931. New structures were added to the railway station later and the original building served as the parcel office for many years.