The British established a network of railways in India during the 1840s to accomplish several important objectives. In this article, let us learn about 9 railway stations built during the British Rule and still exist today.
Dehradun Railway Station (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
New Delhi: India has over 7,000 railway stations, some of which are the oldest times. There were railway stations built during British Rule that still exist even today. But before that, let us take a brief look at the Indian Railways. The Indian railway system is considered the best in the world and the fourth largest in the world. It falls behind the United States, Russia and China. It has a total track length of 132,310 km and a route length of 68,584 km. The first ever railways in India were proposed by the British Government in 1832 at Madras.
In April 1853, the first railway line in India, dedicated to Lord Dalhousie and up to 34 kilometres between Boribandar (Bombay) and Thane, was opened to passenger trains.
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Let us look at the railway stations built during the British era, which still exist.
List of Railway Stations built during the British Rule
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
- Howrah Junction Railway Station
- Chennai Central Railway Station
- Old Delhi Railway Station
- Lucknow Railway Station
- Egmore Railway Station, Chennai
- Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction (Mughalsarai Junction Railway Station)
- Dehradun Railway Station
- Royapuram Railway Station
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus: It is the headquarters of Central Railway and is also one of the busiest railway stations in India. It has 18 platforms. Earlier, the terminus was Victoria Terminus, named after the then-reigning Empress of India, Queen Victoria.
Howrah Junction Railway Station: It is one of India’s oldest and largest existing railway stations. Located in Howrah, West Bengal, the station was opened in 1854.
Chennai Central: This is another oldest railway station. It was opened in 1873 by the British government in India. Its official name is Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MG Ramachandran Central Railway Station.
Old Delhi Railway Station: Delhi Junction, established in 1864 near Chandni Chowk, is the oldest railway station in Old Delhi and one of India’s busiest, with around 250 trains daily. Its current building, opened in 1903, resembles the Red Fort. Chandni Chowk Metro station is nearby.
Lucknow Railway Station: Lucknow Charbagh is the largest and busiest railway station in Lucknow. In the 19th century, it was a key station in the north after Delhi and served as the headquarters for the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway, which established its first line to Kanpur in April 1867. Now part of the Northern Railway, it is adjacent to Lucknow Junction, which operates under the North-Eastern Railway.
Egmore Railway Station, Chennai: Chennai Egmore is an NSG–1 railway station in Chennai, built between 1906 and 1908 in Indo-Saracenic style. It has one of the longest platforms in India and serves as a major intercity terminal. The main entrance is on Gandhi-Irwin Road.
Mughalsarai Junction Railway Station: Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, previously Mughalsarai Junction, is a railway station in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. It features Asia’s largest railway marshaling yard, serving around 450–500 trains monthly. The station was established by the East Indian Railway Company in 1862 to connect Delhi and Howrah.
Dehradun Railway Station: Dehradun Terminal railway station is located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It is part of the Northern Railway network and is owned by Indian Railways. The station was established by the British in 1899.
Royapuram Railway Station: Royapuram Railway Station in Chennai is India’s second oldest operational station and the oldest in South India. Trains started in June 1856. It was the headquarters of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway until 1922.
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