Indian Railways employs a categorization system to classify its railway stations according to their commercial and strategic significance. This categorization aids in the evaluation, planning, and provision of necessary amenities for passengers who utilize these stations. The primary method for assessing a station's importance was previously centred solely on its revenue and earnings.

In December 2017, this approach underwent modifications to include stations with significant footfall and strategic relevance as well. The revised categorization scheme now incorporates both the passenger footfall and the earnings generated by stations for their classification.

The Current Categories (2017-)

As of 2017, stations have been classified into the following categories - Non-Suburban (NS), Suburban (SG), and Halts (HG) based on factors like revenue generation and passenger footfall. Each category further consists of multiple grades, reflecting the varying levels of commercial importance.

Non-Suburban (NS)

NSG-1: Non-Suburban Grade 1 stations are the highest category generating revenue of more than 500 Crore (Indian Rupees) and have a footfall of over 20 million passengers annually. NSG-1 stations are major transportation hubs located in bustling cities, handling a significant number of long-distance trains and serving as vital connectivity points.

List of Notable NSG-1 Stations:

Howrah Junction, West Bengal
New Delhi Railway Station, Delhi
Mumbai Central, Maharashtra
Chennai Central, Tamil Nadu
Secunderabad Junction, Telangana

NSG-2: Non-Suburban Grade 2 stations generate revenue ranging from 100 to 500 Crore and serve approximately 10 to 20 million passengers each year. NSG-2 stations are important to railway transport in various cities, accommodating a considerable number of long-distance trains and catering to a substantial passenger base.

List of Notable NSG-2 Stations:

Allahabad Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Jaipur Junction, Rajasthan
Lucknow Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Patna Junction, Bihar
Bhopal Junction, Madhya Pradesh

NSG-3: Non-Suburban Grade 3 stations are categorized as moderately commercially important. These stations generate revenue between 20 to 100 Crore and serve around 5 to 10 million passengers annually. NSG-3 stations are present in smaller cities and towns, providing essential connectivity and handling a moderate volume of long-distance train services.

List of Notable NSG-3 Stations:

Agra Cantt, Uttar Pradesh
Amritsar Junction, Punjab
Varanasi Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Jodhpur Junction, Rajasthan
Guwahati Junction, Assam

NSG-4: Non-Suburban Grade 4 stations are of relatively lower commercial importance. The revenue generated by these stations ranges from 10 to 20 Crore and they serve approximately 2 to 5 million passengers annually. NSG-4 stations are generally located in smaller towns or suburban areas, catering to local transportation needs and offering limited long-distance train services.

List of Notable NSG-4 Stations:

Ajmer Junction, Rajasthan
Aligarh Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Dhanbad Junction, Jharkhand
Ranchi Junction, Jharkhand
Bhagalpur Junction, Bihar

NSG-5: Non-Suburban Grade 5 stations are categorized as stations with minimal commercial importance. Serving around 1 to 2 million passengers per year, the revenue generated by these stations averages between 1 to 10 Crore annually. NSG-5 stations are often found in remote or less populated areas, handling a limited number of trains and serving local communities.

List of Notable NSG-5 Stations:

Bikaner Junction, Rajasthan
Gandhinagar Jaipur, Rajasthan
Moradabad Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Gorakhpur Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Jamshedpur Junction, Jharkhand

NSG-6: Non-Suburban Grade 6 stations represent stations with the least commercial significance. These stations generate revenue of up to 1 Crore and serve up to 1 million passengers annually. NSG-6 stations are usually small stations or halt points with limited amenities, serving remote areas or low-traffic sections.

List of Notable NSG-6 Stations:

Dewas Junction, Madhya Pradesh
Gonda Junction, Uttar Pradesh
Alipurduar Junction, West Bengal
Nabadwip Dham, West Bengal
Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu

Suburban (SG)

SG-1: Suburban Grade 1 stations are the most commercially important suburban stations. Generating a revenue of more than 25 Crore, these stations witness a footfall of over 30 million passengers annually. SG-1 stations are major suburban transportation hubs, serving densely populated urban areas and offering frequent local train services.

List of Notable SG-1 Stations:

Thane, Maharashtra
Kalyan Junction, Maharashtra
Kharagpur Junction, West Bengal
Virar, Maharashtra
Pune Junction, Maharashtra

SG-2: Suburban Grade 2 stations are moderately commercially important suburban stations. These stations bring in revenue between 10 to 25 Crore and serve approximately 10 to 30 million passengers annually. SG-2 stations are located in suburban areas and provide essential connectivity to nearby residential localities.

List of Notable SG-2 Stations:

Vasai Road, Maharashtra
Faridabad, Haryana
Panvel Junction, Maharashtra
Howrah Junction (Suburban), West Bengal
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

SG-3: Suburban Grade 3 stations represent suburban stations with minimal commercial importance. They serve up to 10 million passengers while generating revenue of up to 10 Crore annually. SG-3 stations are usually smaller suburban stations catering to local commuters and connecting residential areas with major cities.

List of Notable SG-3 Stations:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Maharashtra
Churchgate, Maharashtra
Sealdah, West Bengal
Kolkata Metro stations (various)
Chennai Beach, Tamil Nadu

Halts (HG)

HG-1: Halt Grade 1 stations are the most significant in terms of commercial importance among halts. These stations witness a footfall of more than 50 lakh (5 million) passengers and serve as important stops for local transportation, accommodating more than 300 thousand passengers annually.

List of Notable HG-1 Stations:

Borivali, Maharashtra
Vapi, Gujarat
Belapur CBD, Maharashtra
Ambarnath, Maharashtra
Virudhunagar Junction, Tamil Nadu

HG-2: Halt Grade 2 stations are moderately important halts. They serve between 5 to 50 lakh (0.5 to 5 million) passengers annually, with footfall ranging from 100 thousand to 300 thousand. HG-2 stations are usually small stops along the rail line, providing transportation facilities to local communities.

List of Notable HG-2 Stations:

Palghar, Maharashtra
Panvel Junction (Harbour Line), Maharashtra
Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra
Badlapur, Maharashtra
Kaman Road, Maharashtra

HG-3: Halt Grade 3 stations have the least commercial significance among halts. Up to 5 lakh (0.5 million) passengers avail of their facilities every year, while the footfall goes up to 100 thousand. HG-3 stations are generally small and have limited amenities, serving sparsely populated areas.

List of Notable HG-3 Stations:

Vasind, Maharashtra
Roha, Maharashtra
Juchandra, Maharashtra
Ambivli, Maharashtra
Jetalpur, Gujarat

The Old Categories (1995-2017)

As mentioned earlier, the categories used today were first implemented in 2017. Let us now take a look at the Categorization of Indian Railway stations used before 2017. These categories were mainly based on the revenue generated by the various stations.

A1 Category: Non-Suburban stations that fell under the A1 category were those with an annual passenger earning of more than Rs. 60 crores. They were major revenue generators for the Indian Railways and handled a significant volume of passenger traffic. A1 stations were typically located in major cities or important transportation hubs, playing a crucial role in connecting various regions.

A Category: Non-Suburban stations falling under the A category had an annual passenger earning between Rs. 8 crores and up to Rs. 60 crores. These stations were economically significant and contributed to the revenue generation of the Indian Railways. Category stations were spread across various cities and towns, serving as vital transportation links for both local and long-distance travel.

B Category: B-category stations included two types. The first type consisted of Non-Suburban stations with annual passenger earnings between Rs. 4 crores to Rs. 8 crores. They had moderate revenue generation and played a role in connecting smaller towns and regions. The second type of stations in the B category were those of tourist importance or deemed important junction stations as decided by General Manager. These stations held strategic importance in promoting tourism or served as significant junction points for various railway lines.

C Category: All suburban stations fell under the C category. These stations primarily served the transportation needs of commuters in densely populated urban areas. Suburban stations were characterized by a high frequency of local or suburban train services, facilitating daily travel for a large number of passengers.

D Category: Stations with passenger earnings between Rs. 60 lakhs and Rs. 4 crores were classified under the D category. These stations had relatively lower revenue generation but still played a role in connecting smaller towns and accommodating local travel requirements.

E Category: Non-Suburban stations bringing in revenue lower than Rs. 60 lakhs were placed in the E category. These stations had minimal revenue generation and usually served remote or less populated areas with limited train services and passenger footfall.

F Category: The F category included halts. These were small stations or stop points along the rail line, primarily serving as brief stops to facilitate transportation for local communities. Halts had limited amenities and witnessed minimal passenger footfall.s

Conclusion

Over the years, there have been several initiatives taken by the Indian railways to ensure the best in efficiency and smooth functioning. The classification of various stations across the country according to the aforementioned criteria is one of these initiatives.

This, in turn, is part of the larger efforts of the Indian Railways in providing the best service to the citizens of this country as well as visitors.

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