Indian Railways is a landmark for its people. It is the largest employer and more than a million people work in it. In a single day it carries above 23 million people and 1.3 million tons of freight. Around 14,300 trains run every day. There are over 8,000 railway stations in India. Recently India’s Prime Minister has launched ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ and citizens are wishing that things improve and they get to see railway stations in better conditions. In order to make the place cleaner, more staff is included, more dustbins are installed and eatables are not allowed inside and CCTV infrastructure is also deployed. In fact cleanliness of certain major railway stations has been outsourced. Here are some of the cleanest railway stations in the country.
1. ChhatrapatiShivaji Terminus
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a railway station, situated in Mumbai covering more than 2.85 hectare area. It is beautifully designed and is a combination of two cultures Indian and Victorian. Its terminus has 7 suburban and 11 additional out-station tracks. This station is considered as the headquarters of the Central Railways. It is the busiest railway station in India as more than 3 million people travel to and fro every day. This railway station is an UNESCO heritage site.
2. Thiruvananthapuram Central Station
Thiruvananthapuram Central is one of the biggest and busiest railway stations. It is located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. More than 300,000 people commute daily. Its building is one of the landmarks. It has five platforms and is a clean and well-maintained railway station. The station is known for the facilities present within the premises. It has restaurants, book-stalls, a place to rest and Internet browsing centers. It is well equipped with latest security gadgets. This station is the first in the state, where video surveillance is installed.
3. New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi Railway Station is located in Delhi. This station has the largest route interlocking system in the world. It is a third busiest and amongst the largest in India. There are two entries for railway station (Pahar Ganj and Ajmeri Gate). It has 16 platforms which handle about 350 trains and around 5 Lakh people commute daily.
4. Charbagh Lucknow Railway Station
Charbagh, Lucknow Station is one of the cleanest railway stations in India. 'Char Bagh' signify four gardens which earlier existed here. The architecture is a combination of Rajput, Awadhi and Mughal. This station contains nine platforms. However the most fascinating about this railway station is that from top or an aerial view it looks like a chess board.
5. Chennai Central Station
Chennai Central Station also called as Madras Central is located in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the most well maintained, attractive and beautiful railway stations in the country. Around 350,000 passengers commute daily. It contains 15 platforms, in which 3 platforms are only for suburban trains. It stretches about 950 m long.
6. Cuttack Railway Station
Cuttack railway station is located in the state of Odisha. It is one of the busiest booking stations of Indian Railway. This railway junction is clean, beautiful and marvelous. It is known for its design and architecture. The design has been inspired from the Barabati Fort, a well-known monument.
7. Howrah Railway Station
Howrah Railway Station is considered as one of the oldest stations in India. It is situated on the bank of the Hooghly River. It has 26 platforms with maximum train-handling ability. It is one of the four intercity railway stations working for the city of Kolkata.
8. Ghum Railway Station
Ghum railway station is located near Darjeeling, West Bengal. It is considered as one of the most beautiful and dirt-free railway track. It is the highest railway station in India and world's 14th highest. It is situated at an altitude of 2,258 meters (7,407 ft). It is a place where Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop also exist.
9. Secunderabad Railway Station
Secunderabad railway station is situated in the city of Hyderabad. The station is large, clean and it is one of the best railway stations in India. In this station there are ten platforms and more than one lakh people commute daily. The station’s all tracks are broad gauged and electrified. It is aptly equipped with latest security instruments.
10. Tiruchirapalli Railway Station
Tiruchirapalli Railway Station is located in the state of Tamil Nadu. It has ten platforms. This railway junction is the second largest and busiest in Southern Railway zone. It is appreciated for electricity conservation. It has been awarded for maintaining the locomotives and the bogies for passenger.
