Hubballi in Karnataka gets world's longest railway platform

The South Western Railway (SWR) zone’s Hubballi station of the Indian Railways has achieved a new Guinness World Record for having the world’s longest railway platform at Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji station.

The construction of the Hubballi station was part of the remodelling of the Hubballi yard, which cost approximately Rs. 20.1 crore.

In February 2021, electronic interlocking was commissioned to facilitate the smooth receipt and dispatch of trains at the Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station.

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Crucial Junction

The Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station in Hubballi, Karnataka is a crucial junction in the region. Hubballi is a significant center for commerce and trade in North Karnataka.

This station is located at a junction connecting railway lines towards Bengaluru (Davanagere side), Hosapete (Gadag side), and Vasco-Da-Gama/Belagavi (Londa side).

Due to the single-line working towards Gadag, Davangere and Londa, trains were frequently detained during reception and despatch at the Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway station Hubballi.

To address this issue and cater to the growing needs of the city, three new platforms were constructed in addition to the existing five. Platform No. 8, measuring 1507m, has been recognized as the world’s longest railway platform.

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Two trains will be flagged off simultaneously from this platform using electric engines.

The remodelling of the Hubballi yard and the construction of the longest railway platform in the world at Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji station in Hubballi brings several benefits.

Will benefit transportation

The new station caters to the future transportation needs of the Hubballi-Dharwad region, while the enhanced operational capacity of the yard addresses the need to hold and run additional trains in the future.

Simultaneously starting trains in two directions will avoid detention of express trains during station entry, saving the time of passengers.

Indian Railways has recently completed the electrification of the Hosapete – Hubballi – Tinaighat Railway line at a cost of Rs. 519 crores.

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This railway line spans across six districts, namely Vijayanagar, Koppal, Gadag, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada and Belagavi, and serves as a major coal route of Karnataka that connects Steel plants and Thermal power plant with Mormugao Port in Goa.

The electrification of the double-line track will help to make the route carbon neutral, thereby eliminating pollution.

Reducing dependence on diesel 

By electrifying this railway line, Indian Railways aims to reduce its dependency on diesel, which will lead to significant cost savings of approximately Rs. 250 crore per year, as well as a reduction of more than 2,50,000 kilo-litres of diesel consumption annually.

Additionally, the electrification of this route will ensure that the transport of bulk cargo remains uninterrupted and smooth, benefiting the economy of the region.