I am trying to make a compilation of the most strategically located Indian railway stations. Can include all railway stations through a city. Here strategic means in context of Indian railways only not in terms of security. If this stations have operational failures, a huge amount of IR will be crippled.
Necessary conditions for stations to be a part of this list.
1. Must affect at least two trunk routes
2....
more... Not only passenger but freight traffic also will be crippled if station failure occurs.
3. Very few alternatives present
4. My opinion only, you are free to disagree and suggest more stations with valid reasons.
My list so far and reasons given below are
1 ITARSI (Failure will lead to complete paralysis of Grand Trunk Line and Howrah Prayagraj Mumbai ine)
Alternatives :-
BINA-KMZ-USP-R-G-NGP (For Grand Trunk)
NDLS-MTJ-KOTA-ST-BSL-WR (For Grand Trunk)
JBP-NIR-G-NGP (For HWH-PRYJ)
KTE-USP-R-NGP (For HWH-PRYJ)
HWH-NGP-CSTM line
CONCLUSION :- FAILURE WILL CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DISRUPTION OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
2. DEEN DAYAL UPADHAY NAGAR (Complete failure of HWH-NDLS, HWH-PRYJ and NJP-NDLS line)
Alternatives :-
BJU-HJP-CPR-BSB-PRYJ/LKO (Impractical in real life as CPR-BSB section won't be able to take the load that DDU takes. May work out for NJP side train but HWH side impractical)
HWH-DHN-PTRU-CPU-CAR-PRYJ (Slow and over saturated route, impractical for NJP side trains.
HWH-ADRA/TATA-BRKA-CPU-CAR-PRYJ (Possible for trains from BBS side)
HWH-BJU-CPR-GKP-GD-STP/LKO-MB-DLI (Inferior route)
HWH-BJU-CPR-BSB-LKO-MB-DLI (Inferior route)
CONCLUSION :- FAILURE WILL CAUSE TOTAL COLLAPSE OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC. ENTIRE EAST INDIA WILL BE CUT OFF
3. PRAYAGRAJ (JN & CHEOKI) (Complete paralysis of HWH-PRYJ-CSTM line and Major disruption in HWH-NDLS line)
Alternatives :-
DDU-BSB-LKO-CNB/MB (For HWH NDLS line, slow and incompetent route. Trains will be massively delayed)
DDU-CAR-SGRL-KTES-JBP-ET (Practically not viable, slow, single and already oversaturated line. Incapable of handling PRYJ's load)
CNB-JHS-BPL-ET line (Longer and congested route but possible)
CONCLUSION :- FAILURE WILL CAUSE SERIOUS DISRUPTION OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC.
4. VIJAYAWADA (All stations) (Catastrophic failure of HWH-MAS, GT route)
Alternatives :-
HWH-MAS (No viable alternative )
GT route (Diversion via KZJ-SC-DHNE-GTL/GY)
CONCLUSION :- TOTAL COLLAPSE OF HWH-MAS ROUTE. GT ROUTE TRAFFIC PARTIAL DIVERSION POSSIBLE VIA SC
5. GUNTAKAL (Total collapse of MAS-CSTM, MAS-UBL route, partial failure of SBC-CSTM/UBL)
MAS-CSTM/UBL (No viable alternative at all without massive diversion)
For SBC routes diversions possible.
CONCLUSION :- SERIOUS BREAKDOWN OF MAS/SBC-CSTM ROUTE
6. BHUSAVAL (Serious Failure of HWH-PRYJ-CSTM and HWH-NGP-CSTM route and NGP/ET-BSL-NDB-ST route)
Alternatives :-
KTE-BINA-BPL-UJN-RTM-BRC-MMCT (For HWH-PRYJ-CSTM route)
BSP-KTE-BINA-BPL-RTM-BRC-MMCT (For HWH-NGP-CSTM route)
KNW/NGP-ET-BPL-UJN-RTM-BRC-MMCT(For trains coming from opposite directions)
CONCLUSION :- MAJOR FAILURE OF NGP-CSTM,HWH-CSTM ROUTES. DIVERSION AVAILABLE BUT PRACTICALLY UNVIABLE
7. NAGPUR (GT route and HWH-NGP-CSTM route compromised)
Alternatives :-
HWH-PRYJ-CSTM route (For HWH-NGP-CSTM)
BSP-KTE-JBP-ET (For HWH-NGP-CSTM)
BPL-ET-JBP-G-BPQ(For GT)
BINA-KTE-JBP-G-BPQ(For GT)
CONCLUSION :- CATASTROPHIC FAILURE ON GT ROUTE, MAJOR FAILURE ON HWH-CSTM ROUTE BUT DIVERSIONS AVAILABLE.
8. KHARAGPUR (HWH-NGP-CSTM, HWH-MAS, HWH-ADRA-CKP-CSTM)
Alternatives :-
HWH-ASN-CKP-CSTM
HWH-PRYJ-CSTM
HWH-ASN-CKP-SBP-VSKP
HWH-DHN-RNC-ROU
CONCLUSION :- MAJOR FAILURE ON HWH-MAS & HWH-CSTM ROUTE(DIVERSIONS AVAILABLE THOUGH)
9. MATHURA (NDLS-MMCT,GT route, MTJ-JP-ADI-BRC-MMCT) IR'S BIGGEST JUNCTION
Alternatives :-
DLI-RE-JP-ADI-BRC-MMCT (Difficult)
DLI-TDL-AGC (Practically unviable)
DLI-CNB-JHS (Practically unviable)
CONCLUSION :- CATASTROPHIC FAILURE ON NDLS-MMCT AND GT ROUTE.
10. ASANSOL (HWH-DHN-DDU-NDLS,HWH-PNBE-DDU-NDLS,HWH-PRYJ-CSTM,HWH-ASN-CKP)
Alternatives :-
HWH-BWN-UDL-BBI-STN-DHN/PNBE-DDU
HWH-BWN-SBG-BGP-PNBE-DDU
HWH-BWN-DUMK-JSME-PNBE-DDU
HWH-KGP-ADRA/TATA-DHN/GMO-DDU
HWH-KGP-ADRA/TATA-GMO/DHN-JAJ-PNBE-DDU
HWH-KGP-TATA-NGP-CSTM
CONCLUSION :- SERIOUS FAILURE ON HWH-NDLS-ROUTE, HWH-PRYJ-CSTM ROUTE. INSIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON HWH-CSTM ROUTE
11. KANPUR (HWH-NDLS,JHS-CNB-LKO)
Alternatives :-
HWH-DDU-BSB-LKO-MB-DLI (Inferior route)
HWH-DDU-PRYJ-JHS-AGC-DLI (Inferior route)
HWH-DDU-BSB-PRYJ-JHS-AGC-DLI (Inferior route)
HWH-BJU-CPR-GKP-GD-STP/LKO-MB-DLI (Inferior route)
HWH-BJU-CPR-BSB-LKO-MB-DLI (Inferior route)
CONCLUSION :- CATACLYSMIC AFFECT ON LKO-BPL ROUTE, CATASTROPHIC EFFECT ON HWH-NDLS ROUTE
12. VADODARA (NDLS-MMCT,ADI-MMCT)
DLI-JHS-BPL-ET-BSL-CSTM
NO PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES FOR ADI-MMCT ROUTE.
CONCLUSION :- TOTAL FAILURE OF ADI-MMCT ROUTE, AND CATRASTROPHIC FAILURE ON DLI-MMCT ROUTE
13. SECUNDERABAD (SC-KZJ-NDLS, SC-SBC, SC-MAS, SC-BZA-HWH, SC-SUR-PUNE)
Alternatives :-
MAIN STATION OF HYDERABAD. NONE
CONCLUSION:- CONNECTIVITY TO HYDERABAD COMPROMISED
14. KSR BENGALURU (SBC-MAS, SBC-SC, SBC-RU-HWH)
Alternatives :-
MAIN STATION OF BENGALURU. NONE
CONCLUSION :- CONNECTIVITY TO BENGALURU COMPROMISED.
