Richest railway station in India: Whenever there is talk of India’s busiest or grandest railway stations, the picture of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) or Howrah Junction often emerges in people’s mind. But do you know which station of the country is the superstar in terms of earnings? The official figures of Indian Railways have surprised everyone. The New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) of the country’s capital has currently become the richest railway station in India.
Record revenue of Rs 3337 crore
According to the report for the financial year 2023-24, New Delhi Railway Station has set a new record by collecting annual revenue of Rs 3337 crore. Interestingly, this figure is almost double the earnings of the second ranked Howrah Junction (Rs 1692 crore). Mumbai’s famous CSMT station has also lagged far behind Delhi in this race.
Not much crowd, more earning is the secret
An intriguing aspect of the data is that the number of passengers at Howrah station in West Bengal (6.13 crore) is much more than that of Delhi (3.93 crore), yet Delhi has higher earnings. The main reasons behind this are premium trains and long distance routes. Hundreds of premium trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat operate from New Delhi station, whose fare and parcel revenue is much higher than other stations.
Other big sources of income
Ticket sales alone are not the secret of Delhi’s prosperity. New Delhi Railway Station has the advantage of its location and VVIP status:
- Parcel and Logistics: Business parcel traffic from Delhi is huge.
- Advertisement: Crores of rupees are earned from advertisements on station premises and trains.
- Shops and Food Courts: Railways earn huge revenue from the outlets at the station and parking fees.
World Class Hub of the Future
The government is now preparing to make this rich station even more modern. Under a redevelopment project worth about Rs 10,000 crore, New Delhi station is being developed like an international airport. It will have twin dome structure, separate arrival-departure gates and luxury waiting lounge.
Top 3 earning stations of India
- New Delhi: Rs 3337 crore
- Howrah: Rs 1692 crore
- Chennai Central: Rs 1299 crore
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