Faridabad is one of the most important and oldest industrial towns of Northern India. It lies on the Grand Trunk Road or National Highway 2 which passes through the town. The district of Faridabad was formerly a part of Gurgaon district and was declared as an independent district on 15th August 1979. Faridabad has a large industrial base ranging from Multinational automobile companies to small scale industries. This makes railways a very important asset for this town.
Faridabad city has a total of three railway stations namely Old Faridabad, New town Faridabad and Ballabgarh.
Old Faridabad Railway Station:
Old Faridabad Railway Station or FDB is at a distance of 25 KM from Delhi railway station and lies on the New Delhi-Mumbai line, which is a broad gauge line. It has an elevation of 206 metres above the sea level. The old Faridabad station was built in 1904 and it was electrified during the period from 1982 to 1985. It lies under the Delhi division of Northern railways. Faridabad is an important station for people of Faridabad as they use railways as the major transportation for commutation for work and education to Delhi NCR.
The station has four platforms that are well connected through a foot over bridge. There are two entry points for the station – one is towards NH-5 and the other one is towards G.T. Road.
Many trains for major cities of India like Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai are available from this station.
Some of The Major Trains That Have Faridabad as a Stoppage in Their Route Are:
- Dakshin SF Express
- Nizamudin Visakhapatnam Link SF Express
- Meerut City-Mandasor Link Express
- Jabalpur – Jammu Tawi (Durgawati) Express
- Taj Express
- Golden Temple Mail
Apart from these long distance trains, there is a long schedule of EMUs that run for local destinations such as Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Palwal, etc.
The facilities at old Faridabad railway stations are telephone booth, a computerised reservation centre and an unreserved ticket booking office. It also has a big waiting room and refreshment stalls. There is no parking facility at Old Faridabad railway station.
New Town Faridabad Railway Station:
The New Town Faridabad Railway Station or FDN is a small station that is located Near Bata Chowk at a distance of 5 KM from Old Faridabad Railway Station. It is not a major stoppage for long distance trains but is served by a network of EMUs and passenger trains. The station has two platforms and one entry/exit towards the Bata Over-bridge.
There are a small waiting room and a computerised ticket booking office at the station. The parking facility is not available at this station.
Ballabgarh Railway Station:
Ballabgarh Railway Station or BVH is a major station of Faridabad city and serves to a large population of the suburb of Ballabgarh. It has a total of four platforms and is well connected to the Ballabgarh capital bus stand. It has two entry/ exits, one towards G.T. Road and the other one is towards the industrial areas of sectors-24. Ballabgarh also has a big container yard with containers arriving from all parts of the country.
Apart from passenger and EMUs, there are many long distance trains that have stoppage at Ballabgarh station.
Some of The Major Trains That Have Stoppage at Ballabgarh Station Are:
- Mumbai LTT – Amritsar (Pathankot) Express
- Malwa Express
- Udyan Abha Toofan Express
- Mumbai Firozpur Janta Express
The facilities available at Ballabgarh station include computerised ticket booking office, both reserved and unreserved, a Railway police station, refreshment stalls, enquiry booth and large waiting area. The Ballabgarh station has a large paid parking area with a capacity of around 500 four-wheelers and around 2000 two-wheelers at the same time.
These are three major stations serving the city of Faridabad.