Vadodara Junction | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indian Railways junction station | |||||||||||||||
General information | |||||||||||||||
Location | Sayajiganj, Vadodara, Gujarat India | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 22°18′39″N73°10′51″E / 22.3108°N 73.1809°E | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 35.348 metres (115.97 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Owned by | Indian Railways | ||||||||||||||
Operated by | Western Railways | ||||||||||||||
Line(s) | Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line, New Delhi–Mumbai main line, Ahmedabad–Howrah main line, Ahmedabad–Chennai main line, Vadodara–Chhota Udaipur line, Vadodara-Ekta Nagar line | ||||||||||||||
Platforms | 6 | ||||||||||||||
Tracks | 7 Broad Gauge | ||||||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||||||
Structure type | Standard (on ground) | ||||||||||||||
Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Accessible | Available | ||||||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||||||
Status | Functional | ||||||||||||||
Station code | BRC | ||||||||||||||
Zone(s) | Western Railway zone | ||||||||||||||
Division(s) | Vadodara | ||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||
Opened | 1861 | ||||||||||||||
Electrified | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Previous names | Baroda [1] | ||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
|
Vadodara Junction railway station (formerly Baroda City Junction, station code: BRC) is the main station in the Indian city of Vadodara, Gujarat. Due to its strategic location, it is the fifth-busiest railway station in India in terms of frequency of trains after Kanpur Central, Vijayawada Junction, Delhi Junction, New Delhi, and Howrah,and busiest in Gujarat state as well as second important railway station in Gujarat after Ahmedabad Junction. It is also major stop on the Western Railway zone of Indian Railways. Around 340 trains start, end, or pass through the station weekly. [2] This railway station is a junction point for rail lines from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Ektanagar (Kevadiya) and Chhota Udepur. [3] [4]
The station was built in 1861 for the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway company by then Gaekwad ruler Maharaja Khanderao. The existing building was newly constructed by Indian Railways in 1954 by demolishing the original smaller station. The station celebrated 150 years of establishment on 9 January 2010.
It is a fairly large station with 6 platforms on the main line with over 300 trains halting. There are 2 foot overbridges (FOB) connecting platforms 1 and 6. Platforms 2, 3 and 6 have sliding ramps. Platform 1 and platform 6 are equipped with escalators. Additionally there are lifts at platforms 1 and 2 for aged people. There are two exits. One via platform 1 that opens towards the old city (as well as Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and Central Bus Stand) while the other end is towards platform 6 (that open towards the new city- Alkapuri side). [5] Platform 6 is the longest with 704m length. A Pay & Use Toilet facility is available at platform 6. [6]
Platform 1 has waiting room and retiring rooms [7] as well as a refreshment canteen. Several ATM are located just outside platform 1. Platform 7 was situated ahead of platform 1 and acted as a terminus for some passenger and MEMU trains, along with facilitating the reversal of some trains, including the Shanti Express and the Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express, which use the Vadodara Delhi line as well as the Vadodara Ahmedabad line. It was eventually dismantled to make way for the High Speed Railway project. [8]
The station serves three lines: the direct line between Ahmedabad and Mumbai; Vadodara and Chhota Udaipur and the Delhi line via Ratlam, Kota and Mathura. Trains going towards the northern region use the Ratlam line while all other trains use the Ahmedabad–Mumbai line, such as the Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, Delhi Sarai Rohilla–Bandra Terminus Garib Rath Express, Gujarat Mail, Karnavati Express, Suryanagri Express and Ranakpur Express. The prestigious Mumbai Rajdhani Express, August Kranti Rajdhani Express, Ahmedabad–Mumbai Central Tejas Express, Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express, Golden Temple Mail, Hazrat Nizamuddin–Pune Duronto Express and Avantika Express amongst others also halt at this station.
The Railway Staff College is the alma mater for Officers of Indian Railways. It is situated in a sprawling campus of 55 acres (22 ha) of garden and wooded land in the Pratap Vilas Palace (built in 1914) at Lalbaug, Vadodara. It provides training to all levels of Indian railway officers, from probationers to general managers.
The college was founded in 1930 at Dehradun and then shifted to its present sylvan surroundings at Vadodara in 1952. Pratap Vilas Palace is surrounded by lush green lawns and was designed by C. F. Stevens in the Renaissance style. The property was purchased from the Gaekwads, the erstwhile rulers of Vadodara, and is home to peacocks and migratory birds.
Vadodara Electric Loco Shed is one of the largest electric loco sheds in the Western Railway zone. The shed houses more than 150 locomotives, which include WAP-4, WAP-5, WAP-7, WAM-4 (now condemned or withdrawn) and WAG-5 (now transferred to other sheds) locomotives. Additionally it had an AC electric trip shed to house locos coming from other sheds and an AC/DC dual loco trip shed which houses the WCAM Class locomotives from Valsad shed and which allows locomotive changes at Vadodara because the trains which were coming from New Delhi mainline are AC Locomotives and the trains going to Mumbai need AC/DC Loco. Until 2011, Mumbai was under DC supply from before Borivali when the Western Railway in Mumbai changed over to the AC system in February 2012, the WCAM locos have been transferred to the Kalyan shed.
It is currently holds 10+ WAP-4, 60+ WAP-5 and 130+ WAP-7 locomotive respectively.
It also has a MEMU car shed which houses the Mainline Electric Multiple units which provides feeder services to Ahmedabad, Surat, Dahod and Godhra.
The following major trains start from Vadodara Junction railway station:
The Western Railway is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railways are: Mumbai Central–Ratlam, Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad and Palanpur–Ahmedabad. The railway system is divided into six operating divisions: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ratlam, and Mumbai WR. Vadodara railway station, being the junction point for the Ahmedabad–Mumbai route and the Mumbai–Ratlam route towards New Delhi, is the busiest junction station in Western Railways and one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways too, while Ahmedabad Division earns highest revenue followed by Mumbai Division and Vadodara Division. Surat railway station is one of the busiest railway station in Western Railway in non-junction category where more than 180 trains pass per day.
The 12901 / 12902 Gujarat Mail is a Superfast train belonging to Indian Railways that runs between Dadar Western and Ahmedabad in India. It is a daily service. It operates as train number 12901 from Mumbai Central to Ahmedabad and as train number 12902 in the reverse direction. It operates with LHB coach since 10 September 2016. Despite leaving before Mumbai Central–Hapa Duronto Express, it reaches the destination 30 minutes after the Duronto Express.
The 12961 / 12962 Avantika Superfast Express is a Superfast train belonging to Indian Railways that runs between Mumbai Central and Indore Junction in India. It is a daily service. It operates as train number 12961 from Mumbai Central to Indore and as train number 12962 in the reverse direction.
Mumbai Tejas Rajdhani Express is the Fastest Train from Mumbai to New Delhi.
The 12957 / 12958 Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express is a Rajdhani Express train on the Indian Railways broad-gauge track network, connecting Sabarmati and New Delhi, a distance of approximately 929 km. The train was one of the Rajdhani Express trains to be introduced in the 20th century, making its inaugural run on 1 January 1998 after the erstwhile metre-gauge lines between Sabarmati and Delhi through Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana were converted to broad gauge. Since it was introduced in the 50th year of India's independence, it was named 'Swarna Jayanti' Rajdhani Express.
The 12917 / 12918 Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express is one of the Sampark Kranti Expresses, a train on India's broad-gauge network, connecting Ahmedabad and Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin, a distance of approximately 1085 km. The train runs on Indian Railways broad-gauge track network and was introduced in 2008 to provide quicker connectivity from India's capital New Delhi to locations in Gujarat.
Mumbai Central - Jaipur Superfast Express Also informally known as Gangaur S.F Express is a Daily Superfast Express train of Indian Raiways. It is one of the most important trains of Western Railway running between Mumbai in Maharashtra and Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. It was the first direct train between these two cities. It is the fastest train under Superfast category of trains; which are running between Mumbai and Jaipur.
The 12267/12268 Mumbai Central–Hapa Duronto Express is a Superfast Express train belonging to Western Railway zone that runs between Mumbai Central and Hapa in India. It is currently being operated with 12267/12268 train numbers on daily basis.
The 12247 / 12248 Bandra Terminus–Hazrat Nizamuddin Yuva Express is a Yuva Express train belonging to Indian Railways that run between Bandra Terminus and Hazrat Nizamuddin in India.
The 12127/12128 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus - Pune Junction Intercity Superfast Express is an Express train belonging to Indian Railways that runs between Mumbai CSMT and Pune Junction in India. It is a daily service. It operates as train number 12127 from Mumbai CSMT to Pune Junction and as train number 12128 in the reverse direction.
The 12933 / 12934 Karnavati Superfast Express is one of four express trains belonging to Indian Railways that offer Chair Car services between Ahmedabad Junction (ADI) and Mumbai Central (MMCT) in India. It operates as train number 12934 from Ahmedabad Junction to Mumbai Central and as train number 12933 in the reverse direction, serving the states of Maharashtra & Gujarat.
The 12263 / 12264 Hazrat Nizamuddin–Pune Duronto Express is a Superfast Express train of Indian Railways Duronto Express type connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM) to Pune (PUNE). It is currently being operated with train numbers 12263 / 12264.
The 12909 / 12910 Bandra Terminus–Hazrat Nizamuddin Garib Rath Express is a Superfast Express train of the Garib Rath Express category belonging to Indian Railways –Western Railway zone that runs between Bandra Terminus and Hazrat Nizamuddin in India. Currently it is the fastest Garib Rath Express in Indian Railways.
The 22959 / 22960 Vadodara-Jamnagar Intercity Superfast Express is a Superfast train owned and operated by Indian Railways - Western Railway zone that runs between Vadodara Junction and Jamnagar in India.
The 12475/12476 Hapa–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Superfast Express is a Superfast train of the Indian Railways connecting Hapa in Gujarat and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra of Jammu and Kashmir. It is currently being operated with 12475/12476 train numbers on a weekly basis.
The 22969 / 22970 Okha–Varanasi Superfast Express is a superfast train belonging to Western Railway zone that runs between Okha and Varanasi Junction in India. It is currently being operated with 22969/22970 train numbers on a weekly basis.
Electric Loco Shed, Vadodara is an electric engine shed located in Vadodara, in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located to south of Vadodara railway station, it falls under the Vadodara railway division of Western Railway. It is the largest of locomotive sheds in the Western Railway zone.
The 20903 / 20904 Ekta Nagar–Varanasi Mahamana Express is an Superfast Express train belonging to Western Railway zone that runs between Ekta Nagar and Varanasi Junction in India. It is currently being operated with 20903/20904 train numbers on a weekly basis.
The 20905 / 20906 Ekta Nagar–Rewa Mahamana Express is a Superfast train belonging to Western Railway zone that runs between Ekta Nagar and Rewa in India.
The 20945 / 20946 Ekta Nagar–Hazrat Nizamuddin Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express is a Superfast train belonging to Western Railway zone that runs between Ekta Nagar and Hazrat Nizamuddin in India. It is currently being operated with 20945/20946 train numbers on bi-weekly basis.