Infrastructure Highest Railway Stations
Railway General Knowledge
Topic: Highest Railway Stations in India
1. Why “Highest Stations” Matter for RRB
- 1–2 direct questions every year in RRB NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP
- Asked as: highest, 2nd highest, altitude in metres, state/section, UNESCO status, zonal HQ, etc.
- Weight-age: ~2 marks → can decide final merit by 2–3 ranks
2. India’s Top-10 Highest Railway Stations
| Rank | Station (code) | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | State | Section | Railway Zone | Dist. from origin | Unique Feature / Landmark nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghum (GHUM) | 2,258 | 7,407 | West Bengal | Darjeeling–Kurseong (DHR) | Northeast Frontier | 6 km after Darjeeling | UNESCO World Heritage Site (DHR) |
| 2 | Shovi (SHO) | 2,286* | 7,500* | J & K | Banihal–Baramulla | NR | 119 km from Baramulla | Under USBRL project; yet to open (2024) |
| 3 | Shribagh (SRBG) | 2,200 | 7,218 | J & K | Banihal–Baramulla | NR | 110 km | Opened 2022; higher than Qazigund |
| 4 | Qazigund (QG) | 2,139 | 7,018 | J & K | Jammu–Baramulla | NR | 105 km | Earlier “highest” till 2022 |
| 5 | Hill Cart Road (HCR) | 2,087 | 6,847 | West Bengal | Darjeeling–Siliguri | NFR | 0 km (Siliguri Jn.) | Heritage joy-ride terminus |
| 6 | Ooty (UAM) | 2,000 | 6,562 | Tamil Nadu | Mettupalayam–Ooty (Nilgiri Mtn.) | SR | 46 km | Rack & pinion system; UNESCO |
| 7 | Coonoor (ONR) | 1,712 | 5,617 | Tamil Nadu | Mettupalayam–Ooty | SR | 28 km | Toy-train workshop |
| 8 | Kurseong (KGN) | 1,458 | 4,786 | West Bengal | Siliguri–Darjeeling | NFR | 32 km | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose stayed |
| 9 | Shimla (SML) | 2,076 | 6,811 | Himachal | Kalka–Shimla | NR | 96 km | UNESCO; 103 tunnels en-route |
| 10 | Barog (BOF) | 1,531 | 5,023 | Himachal | Kalka–Shimla | NR | 42 km | Longest tunnel (No. 33) – 1.14 km |
*Shovi’s altitude is provisional (survey pillar 2,286 m); station building may vary ±5 m.
3. Quick-Fact Capsule
| Parameter | Highest / Longest / Deepest | Value | Station / Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest (Operational) | Ghum | 2,258 m | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway |
| Highest (All-India broad-gauge) | Shribagh | 2,200 m | USBRL (J&K) |
| Highest rack-&-pinion | Ooty | 2,000 m | Nilgiri Mountain Railway |
| Deepest Indian rail station | Patalpani (MP) | 289 m below MSL | Not “highest” but often confused |
| Highest UNESCO World Heritage hill railway | DHR & NMR & KSR | — | Darj, Nilgiri, Kalka-Shimla |
| Highest rail bridge over a ravine | Chenab Bridge | 359 m deck ht | Between Shribagh–Shovi (USBRL) |
4. Altitude vs. Gradient Table (Darjeeling–Kurseong)
| Station | Altitude (m) | Gradient (1 in …) | Distance (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siliguri Jn. | 122 | 1 in 25–28 | 0 |
| Sukna | 183 | 1 in 25 | 7 |
| Rangtong | 564 | 1 in 23 | 16 |
| Chunabhati | 1,019 | 1 in 27 | 24 |
| Tindharia | 1,069 | 1 in 22 | 27 |
| Mahanadi | 1,224 | 1 in 27 | 31 |
| Ghum | 2,258 | 1 in 28 | 74 |
| Darjeeling | 2,042 | 1 in 40 | 80 |
5. Frequently Asked RRB Questions
Q1. Which is the highest railway station in India?
Ans. Ghum (West Bengal) – 2,258 m – on Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.Q2. Highest broad-gauge station of Indian Railways?
Ans. Shribagh (J & K) – 2,200 m – USBRL section.Q3. UNESCO World Heritage hill railways are located in which states?
Ans. West Bengal (DHR), Tamil Nadu (NMR), Himachal Pradesh (KSR).Q4. Chenab rail bridge is situated between which two stations?
Ans. Shribagh and Shovi on Banihal–Katra section (USBRL).Q5. What is the altitude of Ooty (Udagamandalam) railway station?
Ans. 2,000 m above mean sea level.6. 15 MCQs for Practice
Mark the correct option. Answers given at the end.
-
India’s highest railway station is
A) Shimla
B) Ghum
C) Ooty
D) Shovi -
Altitude of Ghum station is approximately
A) 1,800 m
B) 2,000 m
C) 2,258 m
D) 2,400 m -
Which of the following is a UNESCO World Heritage site?
A) Kalka–Shimla & Nilgiri Mountain only
B) Darje Himalayan only
C) All three (DHR, NMR, KSR)
D) None -
Highest broad-gauge (BG) station in India (2024)
A) Qazigund
B) Shribagh
C) Banihal
D) Udhampur -
The Chenab bridge is higher than the Eiffel Tower by ___ m.
A) 29
B) 35
C) 51
D) 66 -
Which rack-&-pinion railway connects Mettupalayam to Ooty?
A) DHR
B) NMR
C) KSR
D) USBRL -
Shovi station falls under which railway zone?
A) NR
B) NFR
C) SR
D) WR -
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was accorded UNESCO status in
A) 1999
B) 2000
C) 2002
D) 1997 -
The gradient of DHR near Ghum is about
A) 1 in 100
B) 1 in 50
C) 1 in 28
D) 1 in 12 -
“Z” reverses & “B” loops are characteristic of which hill railway?
A) Kalka–Shimla
B) DHR
C) NMR
D) Both A & B -
The longest tunnel on Kalka–Shimla section is at
A) Barog
B) Taradevi
C) Summer Hill
D) Kandaghat -
Which of the following is NOT situated above 2,000 m?
A) Ghum
B) Ooty
C) Shovi
D) Shimla -
The first hill railway opened in India was
A) DHR (1881)
B) NMR (1899)
C) KSR (1903)
D) Matheran (1907) -
The deepest Indian railway station (below MSL) is
A) Patalpani
B) Mumbai CSMT
C) Cochin Harbour
D) Chennai Beach -
In USBRL project, the rail line crosses the Pir Panjal range through the ___ tunnel.
A) Banihal
B) Pir Panjal
C) T-15 (Chenani-Nashri)
D) Shovi
Answer Key
1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-B, 5-B (Chenab 359 m vs Eiffel 324 m → 35 m), 6-B, 7-A, 8-A (Dec 1999), 9-C, 10-D, 11-A (Barog tunnel 1.14 km), 12-D (Shimla 2,076 m – actually IS above 2,000 m; trick: all are above 2,000 m except “None”), 13-A, 14-A, 15-C.
7. One-Minute Revision Cheat Sheet
- Ghum – 2,258 m – Darjeling – UNESCO – NFR – Rank-1
- Shribagh – 2,200 m – J&K – BG – NR – Rank-2 (BG-1)
- Ooty – 2,000 m – Rack-&-pinion – Nilgiri – SR – UNESCO
- Chenab Bridge – 359 m deck – higher than Eiffel – USBRL
- Kalka-Shimla – 96 km – 103 tunnels – UNESCO – Z-reverses
Remember: “G-O-S” = Ghum > Ooty > Shimla (altitude order of heritage railways).
BETA
