View source for Categorization of Indian Railway stations by commercial importance

{{Short description|Indian railways classification of stations by commercial importance}}
[[Indian Railways]] classifies its railway stations based on commercial and strategic importance under various categories in order to ascertain, plan and provide minimum essential amenities for passengers using them.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Comprehensive Instruction on Provision of Passenger Amenities |url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID-212.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403111049/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID-212.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-03 |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref> While the primary criteria for determining the importance of a station was purely based on the station revenue and earnings, it was changed in December 2017 to better cover stations with high footfalls and strategic importance as well.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Minister of Railways directs to re-categorize railway stations taking into account earnings, passenger footfall, strategic importance. |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1514446 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414025547/https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1514446 |archive-date=2021-04-14 |access-date=18 October 2021 |website=PIB}}</ref>

== History ==
From the 1890s, basic passenger amenities like toilets, gas lamps and electric lighting were introduced in various railway stations of India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timeline: 165 years of history on Indian Railways |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/features/timeline-165-years-history-indian-railways/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613191948/https://www.railway-technology.com/features/timeline-165-years-history-indian-railways/ |archive-date=2018-06-13 |website=Railway Technology}}</ref> However, there was no uniform criteria set for providing passenger amenities or organizing railway stations based on commercial importance. Thus after the [[independence of India]], the 1949 Railway Convention Committee recommended a development fund of {{INRConvert|3|c|lk=off|year=1949}} for providing basic amenities to passengers every year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seventh report: Standing Committee on Railways (1994-95) Tenth Lok Sabha, Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Passenger Amenities |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56582/1/railways_10_07_1994.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118143748/https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56582/1/railways_10_07_1994.pdf |archive-date=2021-11-18 |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref> In 1952, Indian Railways laid the guidelines with regards to passenger amenities like booking arrangement, waiting halls, benches, suitable lighting arrangements, drinking water, latrines, shady trees, rail level platforms of suitable length amongst others.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Passenger Amenities in Railways - Members' reference service larrdis Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi - Reference Note |url=http://164.100.47.193/Refinput/New_Reference_Notes/English/Passengers%20Amenities%20in%20Railways.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506164746/http://164.100.47.193/Refinput/New_Reference_Notes/English/Passengers%20Amenities%20in%20Railways.pdf |archive-date=2021-05-06 |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref> These guidelines were revised in the year 1995 and a classification system for passenger amenities was set up based on the annual passenger earnings of a railway station.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=403 Minimum Essential Amenities, Passenger Amenities, Stations and Yards- Indian Railways |url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRWM/worksmanualCh4_data.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311215229/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/IRWM/worksmanualCh4_data.htm |archive-date=2014-03-11 |access-date=18 October 2021 }}</ref> Stations were initially categorized into five categories namely A, B, C, D & E depending upon the earnings, which was considered to be an indicator of the passenger traffic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Perspective plan for provision of passenger amenities at stations, 1995 - Indian Railways|url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID_96.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=18 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403055155/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID_96.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-03 }}</ref><ref name=":3" /> These categories and criterion were planned to be revised every five years from 1995 to 1996.<ref name=":3" /> In 1999, a sixth category namely F was introduced to cover all halt stations while the criteria for the other categories were revised. All suburban stations were grouped under C category to accord them higher priority while category A & B were modified to classify stations with higher passenger traffic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comprehensive instructions for Provisions of Passenger amenities at stations, 1999 ~ Indian railways|url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/traffic_comm/Comm-cir-1999/CC_30_1999.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=18 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118145316/https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/traffic_comm/Comm-cir-1999/CC_30_1999.pdf |archive-date=2021-11-18 }}</ref> The criteria for these categories were again revised in 2003.<ref name=":2" /> In 2007, a new category A1 was introduced to classify railway stations with annual earnings of more than ₹50 crore to ensure the provision of best amenities at the most important of railway stations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comprehensive instructions for provision of Passenger Amenities at Stations including Model Stations, 2007 ~ Indian Railways|url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID-212.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=18 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403111049/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID-212.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-03 }}</ref>

While this classification was useful for categorizing stations with higher earnings, it didn't take into account stations with high number of footfalls like [[Kalyan Junction railway station|Kalyan]], [[Panvel railway station|Panvel]] and [[Tambaram railway station|Tambaram]] which led to them being eligible only for lower number of amenities.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=18 Jul 2018|title=Question and Answer regarding Grading of Railway Stations in Lok Sabha of India|url=http://164.100.24.220/loksabhaquestions/annex/15/AU116.pdf|access-date=26 Sep 2020}}</ref> In December 2017, the entire categorization system was comprehensively revised taking into account passenger footfall, earnings and strategic importance with a view to plan various passenger services and passenger amenities at stations in a more effective and focused manner in order to help the passenger have a better experience in relation to travel amenities at stations.<ref name=":1" /> Stations were categorized into the Non-Suburban Groups - NSG-1 to NSG-6, Suburban Groups - SG-1 to SG-3, and Halt Groups - HG1 to HG3.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="stac12">[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/railways-revise-station-categories-to-improve-services/articleshow/62280609.cms Railways revise station categories to improve services] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317035551/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/railways-revise-station-categories-to-improve-services/articleshow/62280609.cms|date=17 March 2018}}, [[The Economic Times|Economic Times]], 28 December 2017.</ref><ref name=":4" /> General Managers of the various [[Indian Railways Zones and Divisions|zones]] of the Indian railways were also given the power to designate a lower grade station as NSG-4 category if it was a place of tourist importance and/or was an important junction station.<ref name=":1" />

== Station Categories ==

=== Current (2017-Present) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Criteria for categorization of stations based on commercial importance (post 2017)<ref name=":1" />
!Category of stations
!Criteria of Earnings (in Rs.)
!Criteria of outward Passengers handled
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |'''Non Suburban'''
|-
|'''NSG-1'''
|More than 500 Crore
|More than 20 Million
|-
|'''NSG-2'''
|100 to 500 Crore
|10 to 20 Million
|-
|'''NSG-3'''
|20 to 100 Crore
|5 to 10 Million
|-
|'''NSG-4'''
|10 to 20 Crore
|2 to 5 Million
|-
|'''NSG-5'''
|1 to 10 Crore
|1 to 2 Million
|-
|'''NSG-6'''
|Up to 1 Crore
|Up to 1 Million
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |'''Suburban'''
|-
|'''SG-1'''
|More than 25 Crore
|More than 30 Million
|-
|'''SG-2'''
|10 to 25 Crore
|10 to 30 Million
|-
|'''SG-3'''
|Up to 10 Crore
|Up to 10 Million
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |'''Halts'''
|-
|'''HG-1'''
|More than 50 Lakh
|More than 300 thousand
|-
|'''HG-2'''
|5 to 50 lakh
|100 thousand to 300 thousand
|-
|'''HG-3'''
|Up to 5 lakh
|Up to 100 thousand
|}

=== Previous (1995-2017) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Criteria for categorization of stations based on commercial importance (1995–2017)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comprehensive instructions for provision of Passenger Amenities at Stations - 2012, Indian Railways|url=https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT_(2)/PA_Circular_110912.PDF|url-status=live|access-date=18 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403055505/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT_(2)/PA_Circular_110912.PDF |archive-date=2013-04-03 }}</ref>
!Category
!Criteria
|-
|'''A1'''
|Non-Suburban stations with an annual passenger earning of more than Rs. 60 crores.
|-
|'''A'''
|Non-suburban stations with an annual passenger earnings of Rs. 8 crores and up to Rs 60 crores.
|-
|'''B'''
|I. Non suburban stations with annual passenger earnings between Rs. 4 crores to Rs. 8 crores.

II. Stations of tourist importance or an important junction station (to be decided by General Manager).
|-
|'''C'''
|All suburban stations
|-
|'''D'''
|Non suburban stations with passenger earnings between Rs. 60 lakhs and Rs. 4 crores.  
|-
|'''E'''
|Non suburban stations with passenger earnings less than Rs. 60 lakhs
|-
|'''F'''
|Halts
|}

== See also ==

* [[List of railway stations in India]]

== References ==
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{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian Railways]]