The 7 Largest Train Stations in the World (2024 Edition)

The Industrial Revolution was the beginning of a technological whirlwind. The world would be moving at a much faster rate than ever before. Trains were one of the products that came out of the Industrial Revolution. The world of traveling and shipping was completely revolutionized. As a result, train stations started to pop up throughout countries, especially major cities like capitals.

Today, there are big train stations and small ones. The big ones are used to accommodate thousands upon thousands of passengers and cargo shipments. Let’s take a look at the seven largest stations in the world in 2024. We’ll look at how many platforms the train station has and how many passengers per year the train station services.

7. Central Railway Station

Opening in 1906, the Central Railway Station is the country’s busiest one since there are about 86 million passengers that pass through those doors every single year. The building is quite an architectural icon, as it features a clock tower, which happens to be one of the tallest in the entire world. Sydney’s Central Railway Station has a total of 28 platforms and 30 tracks.

6. Chicago Union Station

Chicago Union Station opened in 1925, having replaced an older train station that was built on the current site in 1881. Chicago’s train station is the fourth busiest one in the United States. In 2022, about 2.3 million passengers passed through those halls to different destinations. The train station was built in a Beaux-Arts architectural style and has a Great Hall that has marble floors and columns. Chicago Union Station has 30 platforms and 24 tracks and connects to the local Chicago L lines.

5. Beijing Fengtai Station

The Fengtai railway station first opened in 1896. However, in 2010, it was decreed that the train station would go through a total and complete renovation. For 12 years it was closed until it reopened in 2022 to become one of the biggest transit hubs in Beijing and Asia. The new train station has a total of 32 platforms. It also serves an eye-opening 14,000 passengers every single hour, making it one of the busiest train stations in the world.

4. Roma Termini

Opening in 1862, the Roma Termini railway station serves about 150 million passengers every year with a whopping 850 trains leaving the station every day. Besides being the busiest one in Italy, it is the fifth busiest train station in the European continent. Serving as the Italian capital city’s transit hub, some trains go all over Europe every day. The Roma Termini railway station has 33 platforms.

3. Shinjuku Station

The Japanese train station opened in 1885 and has 35 platforms, as well as 16 tracks. It comes at number three on this list, however, the train station serves about 1.3 billion passengers every year. that comes out to about 3.5 million every single day. This makes Shinjuku station one of the busiest train stations in the entire world. It is one of the oldest train stations in Tokyo and Japan.

2. Gare du Nord

Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe. More than 200 million passengers go through the turnstiles every single year. The Parisian train station is also the biggest railway station in Europe. Opening in 1846, Gare du Nord is also the train station that serves the Eurostar trains, which travel to various countries across Europe every day. Gare du Nord has 36 platforms, 32 tracks, and is currently under expansion in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

1. Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal is the largest train station in the world. Its architecture has been recognized by many as beautiful and it has even been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The station has a Beaux-Arts architectural style and because of it, it is one of the most popular and visited train stations in the world. The train station’s main hall has been featured in numerous films and television series. Grand Central Terminal is the second busiest train station in the United States. The train station opened in 1913, has 44 platforms and 67 tracks, and consists of 48 acres.