The Hubballi railway station in Karnataka has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest railway platform in the world.
The 1,507-metre long platform was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. The Hubballi railway station was renamed as Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Station.
According to Southern Railways, two trains can be flagged off with electric engines, simultaneously from the longest platform.
Built at a cost of Rs 20.1 crore, the new platform at Hubballi will help reduce congestion and improve passenger comfort at the station, which is an important railway junction in Karnataka.
Earlier, Gorakhpur's railway platform, measuring 1,366.33 metres with ramp, held the record of the longest railway platform in the country.
Hubballi is a major hub of trade and commerce in the North Karnataka region. This station is situated on the junction connecting railway lines towards Bengaluru (Davanagere side), Hosapete (Gadag side) and Vasco-Da-Gama/Belagavi (Londa side).
The Hubballi station had five platforms earlier, three new platforms were added to meet the growing needs of one of the busiest platforms.
Indian Railways has also completed the electrification of Hosapete - Hubballi - Tinaighat Railway line (245 RKM) at a cost of Rs 519 crore.
The route passes through the districts of Vijayanagar, Koppal, Gadag, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada and Belagavi. This is a major coal route of Karnataka linking Steel plant and Thermal power plant with Mormugao Port.