Reliably transporting packet streams using packet replication

In one embodiment, packet streams are reliably transported through a network using packet replication. A packet stream is received at a duplication point in a network, with two or more copies of each of the packet streams being transported, typically over divergent paths in the network, to a merge point from which a single copy of the packet stream is forwarded or consumed. In one embodiment, this merge point is a packet switching device that includes ingress card(s) and egress line card(s), wherein multiple copies of the packet stream are received by ingress line card(s), with only a single copy provided to an egress line card of the packet switching device. In this manner, a switching fabric or other communication mechanism communicatively coupling the ingress line card(s) to the egress line card, nor the egress line card, is taxed with the burden imposed by additional copies of packet stream.