Today in Transportation History – 2009: The First Major Passenger Railway Terminal Opens in East Delhi

Anand Vihar Terminal railway station was officially opened in India’s National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). The station is specifically located in the Anand Vihar neighborhood of the NCT district known as East Delhi. The facility, which is under the administrative control of the Delhi Division of the Northern Railway zone of the state-owned Indian Railways, was built upon more than 100 acres (42 hectares) of land and is one of India’s largest railway stations. Anand Vihar Terminal railway station was also the first major passenger terminal in East Delhi.

The NCT is a leading hub within India’s extensive railway network, and Anand Vihar Terminal railway station was built to help accommodate the heavy volume of trains that such local facilities as Delhi Junction (Old Delhi), New Delhi, and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations were increasingly unable to handle on their own. At the dedication ceremony for Anand Vihar Terminal railway station, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee highlighted other benefits of the new facility. She characterized the new terminal as “a boon to the people of East Delhi in terms of passenger amenities, communications, infrastructure, and industry.” As one of the officials waving green flags at the ceremony, Banerjee helped inaugurate two new trains – the Anand Vihar-Lucknow Special Train and the Ghaziabad-New Delhi Ladies Special Train – for the occasion.

For more information on Anand Vihar Terminal railway station, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_Vihar_Terminal_railway_station and the 20 December 2009 Hindu daily newspaper article “Anand Vihar railway terminal opens” at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/Anand-Vihar-railway-terminal-opens/article16829465.ece.