Gorakhpur pips Kharagpur.... gets the longest Railway platform

For some travelling by train is most enjoyable……… and those of us who enjoy train travel – would sure have got down and relished the place, food, and … more at this famous Railway station – where trains perforce stop for a longer while…. With my personal experience of landing so many times in the dead of night – I thought this perhaps was the biggest of them all, at lest in India…. but that is not to be.

Earlier known as Bezawada, Vijayawada is a Commercial city with a hot climate – you can feel the heat as the train enters this region ~ Indian Railways has assigned the station code - "BZA".  This politically active city is well connected by road, air and more specifically by rail.  It is a major Railway junction located in South Central Railway.  Trains from Tamilnadu towards Hyderabad pass through ~ trains to Howrah & beyond; the National Capital and beyond – all have to compulsorily pass through this Junction.  The station has 10 platforms and is one of the busiest with more than 250 express and 150 freight trains passing through it.  The station was constructed in 1888 when the Southern Maharatta Railway's main eastward route was connected with other lines going through Vijayawada. By some accounts, an average of 70,000 people board different trains each day and an equal number of commuters exit trains at the station. 

Miles away is Gorakhpur ~ a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, near the border with Nepal. The city is also home to many historic Buddhist sites and the Gita Press, a publisher of Hindu religious texts. It is also the headquarters of North Eastern Railways. It is named after the ascetic Guru Gorakshnath a saint who popularized “Hath Yoga” a form of yoga which concentrates on mastering natural power. The Gorakhnath Temple  is a major tourist attraction in the city of Gorakhpur. According to Vedic writings, the earliest known monarch ruling over this region with his capital at Ayodhya was Iksvaku, founder of the Solar dynasty, of which Lord Rama was a descendent. The entire region was an important centre of Aryan culture and civilization, a part of the famous kingdoms of Koshala and many others that followed.

Gautama Buddha  was born at Kapilavastu in Nepal, renounced his princely clothing at the confluence of the rivers Rapti and Rohini, near Gorakhpur. The city is also associated with the travels of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. Gorakhpur came under direct British control in 1803. It was one of the major centers of the 1857 uprising, and later played a major role in theIndian independence movement. Its tryst with Indian freedom struggle will soon find a separate post…..

Now Gorakhpur is in news as after  re-modelling of the station yard of Gorakhpur Junction, the city is having the world's longest railway platform.  It is stated that till now Kharagpur was the longest platform with its length of 1,074 metres. Gorakhpur will be more than 1,300 metres. The signalling system of the station is being modernised leading to rescheduling of several trains till October 6.  The doubling of railway lines between Lucknow and Chhapra will be completed by March next year while an alternate rail route between Gorakhpur and Gonda will be available by year end after completion of gauge conversion between Barhni-Gonda and Gonda-Behraich.

Recently, the Gorakhpur railway station became the proud owner world's longest home platform on Sunday after GM, NER, KK Atal inaugurated the remodelled Gorakhpur Yard. The remodelling work was completed on war-footing within the scheduled time. With the inauguration of the remodelled yard, Gorakhpur now has a platform measuring 1366.33 metres with ramp.  With this achievement, the NER has also secured a place in the Limca Book of Records. The achievement of the Gorakhpur station would also be incorporated in the Guinness Book of World Records. The postal department too is likely to release a special cover to mark the achievement.

Newspaper reports state that after inaugurating the newly installed route relay interlocking system, the GM also flagged off 12555 Gorakhdham Express (Gorakhpur to Hisar). Later, talking to reporters, Atal, said, "I congratulate the people of Gorakhpur on getting the privilege of world's longest railway platform in the city.  Hail the construction and achievement of Gorakhpur…

The earlier record holder Kharagpur is an industrial town in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. Kharagpur has one of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology. Kharagpur Junction came up in 1898-99. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

9^th Oct 2013.