Howrah today
Howrah railway station, officially Howrah Junction (station code HWH), stands on the west bank of the Hooghly river, facing Kolkata across the water, which is why many travellers call it Kolkata Howrah station. It is one of the oldest and largest railway stations in India, with 24 platforms and 25 tracks. As of 2026 it handles an estimated 1.8 million passengers a day, making it one of the busiest stations anywhere in the world.
Unusually, Howrah is shared by two railway zones: the Eastern Railway (Howrah division) and the South Eastern Railway (Kharagpur division).
Howrah through the years
The station opened on 15 August 1854 as the starting point of the East Indian Railway, whose first passenger train ran from Howrah towards Hooghly. As traffic grew, a new building was proposed in 1901. Designed by British architect Halsey Ricardo, who designed it without ever visiting Calcutta, it came into service on 1 December 1905. Its red-brick façade and towers remain one of Kolkata's best-known landmarks.
- 14 December 1957: the station was electrified at 3 kV DC.
- 1968: the system was converted to 25 kV AC, the standard used across Indian Railways today.
Platforms and the two complexes
Howrah is effectively two stations side by side:
| Complex | Platforms |
|---|---|
| Old Complex (1905 building) | 1–16 |
| New Complex | 17–24 |
Platforms are long, roughly 650–700 metres, so walking from the main concourse to a coach at the far end of a long-distance train can take several minutes. Check your platform number and coach position early.
Howrah by metro, bus and road
- Kolkata Metro: Howrah metro station on the Green Line links the station with Esplanade and central Kolkata through a tunnel under the Hooghly, India's first under-river metro section.
- Ferry: Howrah Ferry Ghat, beside the station, runs river crossings to the Kolkata side.
- Bus: Howrah Bus Depot serves city and long-distance routes.
- Road: the cantilevered Howrah Bridge connects the station area with Kolkata.
Trains at Howrah
Howrah is the eastern terminus for many long-distance services to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and the north-east, as well as a dense network of suburban trains. Departures from both complexes, old and new, appear on the train timings page; live running status helps you time the crossing of Howrah Bridge.
Finding your way at Howrah
- Kolkata has two big terminals: Howrah (HWH) on the west bank and Sealdah (SDAH) on the east bank. Check which one your train uses.
- Arriving by metro avoids the frequent traffic on Howrah Bridge.
- On platforms up to 700 metres long, ask which end of the train your coach is on before walking down the platform.