Record-breaking train stations around the world as Dubai Metro newcomer set to become tallest

Construction has begun on Blue Line extension that will add 14 stations and 30km to emirate's existing network

Emaar Properties will be the tallest metro station in the world when it opens. Photo: Dubai Media Office

When it opens in 2029, Dubai Metro Blue Line's first station will become the tallest metro station in the world at 74 metres. To be called Emaar Properties and located in the Dubai Creek Harbour area, the station will be an “architectural icon”, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, who laid the foundation stone on Monday.

The Blue Line will add 30km to the Dubai Metro network, and is set to have 14 stations, to be constructed at a cost of Dh18 billion ($4.9 billion). Once completed it will turn the Dubai Metro into a 131km network encompassing 78 stations.

Ahead of the station's opening, here are five others that are already in the record books.

Busiest railway station: Shinjuku Station, Tokyo

Commuters throng a concourse of the multilevel Shinjuku Station. Alamy

Used by an average of 2.7 million people per day, Shinjuku in Japan was certified as the world's busiest railway station by the Guinness World Records in 2022. More than 140 years old, the station serves as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central, eastern and western Tokyo as well as the intercity rail, commuter rail and subway lines.

Largest station by number of platforms: Grand Central Terminal, New York City

Grand Central Station was completed in 1913. Getty Images

With 44 platforms spread over 19 hectares, Grand Central Terminal is situated on two underground levels and serves approximately 660 trains, as well as an average of 125,000 commuters per day.

Completed in 1913, it's also popularly referred to as Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central, and is now an integral part of New York's history. Even today, it's still one of the biggest train stations in the US and one of the world's most popular tourist sites, having been featured in many TV shows and films over the years, from Gossip Girl to The Avengers.

Highest railway station: Tanggula Railway Station, Tibet

Tanggula station is 5,068 metres above sea level. Alamy

Opened in 2006, the Tanggulla Railway Station is in Amdo County in the Tibet Autonomous Region. At 5,068 metres above sea level, it is the highest railway station in the world, and serves the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the world's highest train line, which runs from Qinghai in north-west China to Lhasa in Tibet.

The station is actually unmanned and not a regular stop for passenger trains, although trains may occasionally stop there to wait for another train coming from the opposite direction to pass.

Tallest metro escalator: Admiralteyskaya station, St Petersburg

The escalator at Admiralteyskaya station has 770 steps. Getty Images

At 68.6 metres and comprising 770 steps, the escalator at Admiralteyskaya station in St Petersburg, Russia, is the tallest in the world. The station is 86 metres below ground, making it one of the deepest in the city.

Completed in 2011, the station serves the Frunzensko-Primorskaya Line of the St Petersburg Metro.

Deepest metro station: Hongyancun Station, Chongqing

The south-west municipality of Chongqing in China, known for its hilly terrain, has a number of records to its name, including its social-media-famous monorail system, one of the longest and busiest in the world.

Hongyancun Station, which serves Line 9 of the Chongqing Rail Transit, is 113 metres below ground, making it the deepest metro station in the world. There are extensive escalator systems and lifts to ferry passengers, with some platforms taking up to 10 minutes to reach from the entry point.