New Delhi नई दिल्ली نئی دہلی | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indian Railway and Delhi Suburban Railway station | |||||||
 The two entrances at Ajmeri Gate (top) and Paharganj (bottom) | |||||||
| General information | |||||||
| Location | New Delhi, Delhi India | ||||||
| Coordinates | 28°38′30″N 77°13′15″E / 28.6417°N 77.2207°E | ||||||
| Elevation | 214.42 metres (703.5 ft) | ||||||
| Owned by | Indian Railways | ||||||
| Operated by | Northern Railways | ||||||
| Line(s) | |||||||
| Platforms | 16 | ||||||
| Tracks | 20 | ||||||
| Connections |  Red Line Airport Express New Delhi | ||||||
| Construction | |||||||
| Structure type | At-grade | ||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||
| Other information | |||||||
| Station code | NDLS | ||||||
| Zone(s) | Northern Railway zone | ||||||
| Division(s) | Delhi | ||||||
| History | |||||||
| Opened | 1956 | ||||||
| Electrified | Yes | ||||||
| |||||||
New Delhi railway station (station code: NDLS) is the primary railway hub for the Indian capital, New Delhi, and an integral part of Indian Railways. Situated in Central Delhi, approximately 2 kilometers north of Connaught Place, the station features 16 platforms with entrances at Paharganj (platform 1) and Ajmeri Gate (platform 16). It is among the busiest railway stations in India, handling a high frequency of trains and substantial passenger traffic on a daily basis.
Until the 1950s, the Old Delhi railway station served as the principal railway station in Delhi. The New Delhi railway station was officially inaugurated in 1956, boasting of a single platform. The station building at Paharganj was the first in India to provide common facilities for all passenger classes, including a unified entry and exit. By the 1970s, as the station reached capacity, ongoing efforts have been made to decongest both the station and rail traffic.
By the 1980s, the station had expanded to seven platforms, which increased to ten by 1995, and eventually to sixteen during the redevelopment in 2010. The redevelopment also included upgrading the new station building facing Ajmeri Gate. Additionally, the station was integrated with the Delhi Metro network through the New Delhi metro station.
The 16 platforms at New Delhi railway station accommodate over 250 trains that start, terminate, or pass through the station daily. Estimates of the daily footfall and the number of passengers handled vary depending on the study and the time of year. On average, the station experiences a daily footfall of approximately 500,000 passengers, a figure that can rise to 600,000 during peak festival seasons.
Since 1999, the station has held the record for the largest route relay interlocking system in the world. According to the categorisation of Indian Railway stations by commercial importance, the station was previously ranked as A1 and is now classified as an NSG-1 (Non-Suburban Grade-1) station.