Each of us has ever been to a railway station, and everyone knows that a railway station is the heart of a city, a place where people leave and return, where they say goodbye and meet, a place of joy and sadness.
These are wide platforms, endless tracks and passengers constantly scurrying back and forth.
There are big and small railway stations, luxurious and modest, central and dead-end. Now we will talk about the largest railway stations in the world.
Grand Central Terminal in New York (USA)
This railway station is considered the largest station in the world. Although it occupies almost 20 hectares, it looks quite compact.
Much time has passed since the construction of the station; the luxurious Grand Central Terminal was built in 1913 on the site of the old station.
The old station has been in operation since 1871. It is a two-level station, it has 44 platforms and 67 railway tracks.
There is no other train station with such a number of platforms, not only in the USA, but in the world.
There are 41 tracks on the lower level and 26 tracks on the upper level. The station is decorated luxuriously: arched ceilings, stained glass windows, sculptures on the facade.
The station has not only platforms and ticket offices, but also cafes and restaurants. There is also a cinema here. The station itself often appears in Hollywood films. Men in Black and The Godfather were filmed here.
The Gare du Nord in Paris (France)
This station with 44 platforms is the largest in Europe. The station opened in 1846 and was originally just a small station.
Over time, it has become the most beautiful station on the European continent. It is also the oldest in Europe.
Around 190 million passengers pass through it every year and it is the arrival point of the Eurostar express from London.
And it is from here that trains depart to Belgium and the Netherlands. There are many restaurants, cafes, shops, and newsstands at the station. The plan is to expand the Gare du Nord and build new platforms. Ultimately, 77 platforms are planned, which will be more than at Grand Central Station in New York.
Shinjuku Station in Tokyo (Japan) - Shinjuku Station
The first train departed from this station in 1885. Today, this station is a complex connected to several metro and ground transportation stations.
It is an absolute record holder for passenger traffic and for this reason is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. About 4 million people pass through the 200 entrances and exits of the station per day. There are only 36 boarding platforms, some of which are intended for local trains and the metro.
Munich Central Station (Germany)
The station opened its doors in 1839. But during World War II the building was destroyed and fell into disrepair.
After a major reconstruction in the 60s of the last century, the station was able to handle several hundred people a day.
Today it is a major hub with 32 platforms, through which almost 500,000 passengers pass daily.
The station building houses an underground shopping center, cafes, restaurants, and a museum. The station is connected to the metro, and both suburban trains and high-speed long-distance trains depart from here.
Termini in Rome (Italy) - Roma Termini
The station opened in 1862 and is the second largest station in Europe. It has 29 platforms and trains depart to Paris, Geneva and Vienna.
Commuter trains and trains across Italy also depart from these platforms. More than 150 million passengers pass through Termini every year, and this, you must admit, is quite a lot.
Leipzig main station (Germany)
The length of the facade of this German railway station is about 300 meters. And it is the largest station in Europe by area.
The station building has several levels, on which there are 24 platforms. The building itself was built in 1915, but was almost destroyed during the war.
During the 20th century, the station underwent two reconstructions, and in 2011 it received the "Station of the Year" award. Now more than 120,000 passengers pass through it daily.
Earlier we told you which cocktails are the strongest .
