Delhi Junction Railway station
Encyclopedia
Delhi Junction, also known as Old Delhi Railway Station (Hindi
: पुरानी दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन, Urdu
: پُرانی دلّی ریلوے سٹیشن), station code DLI, is the oldest railway station of Delhi
city, and a Junction station
. It was built by the British in the style of red-coloured fort, in 1903. This has been an important railway station of the country, and complements the New Delhi Railway Station
. It is served by the Chandni Chowk
underground station of the Delhi Metro
.
It was built in 1900 AD and was open for public in 1903. Started with just 2 platforms and 1000 passengers,today Delhi Railway Station handles more than 1.8 lacs passengers and 200 trains daily. In 1904, when the Agra-Delhi line was opened, Delhi was a part of six railway systems, The East Indian Railway
, North-Western Railway, and Oudh and Rohilkhand
Railways entered from Ghaziabad junction, crossing the Yamuna river by an iron bridge. The Delhi-Ambala
-Kalka
Railway ran northwards from the city, and the Rajputana-Malwa Railway
traversed the Delhi district for a short distance in the direction of Gurgaon
.
Delhi Railway Station has been built by red stones to give the effect of historic Red Fort and Jama Masjid nearby. Station has six clock towers and no. 4 tower is still in use as water tank. Until the opening of New Delhi Railway Station
in in 1926, ahead of the inauguration of the New Delhi city in 1931, this served as the main station for the city of Delhi, and hosting four junction railways. Also Agra
-Delhi railways line cut through what is today called Lutyens' Delhi
and the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (India Gate
), Kingsway (Rajpath
). Eventually East Indian Railway Company
, which overlooked railways in the region, shifted the line along the Yamuna river and opened in 1924. Thereafter it was remodelled in 1934-35, when its platforms were extended, and power signals were introduced.
It is here on this railway station complex that Nathuram Godse
and one of his accomplice stayed in retiring room no 6 the night before he assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on 30 January 1948.
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: पुरानी दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: پُرانی دلّی ریلوے سٹیشن), station code DLI, is the oldest railway station of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
city, and a Junction station
Junction station
Junction station usually refers to a railway station situated or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines...
. It was built by the British in the style of red-coloured fort, in 1903. This has been an important railway station of the country, and complements the New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi Railway Station
The New Delhi Railway Station , station code NDLS, situated between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi railway station is the second busiest and one of the largest in India. It handles over 300 trains each day with 16 platforms and about 360,000 passengers...
. It is served by the Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk Metro Station
Chandni Chowk Metro Station may refer to:* Chandni Chowk * Chandni Chowk Metro Station, Kolkata...
underground station of the Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
.
History
East Indian Railway Company
The East Indian Railway Company, later known as the East Indian Railway , introduced railways to eastern and northern India, while the Companies such as the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, South Indian Railway, Central India Railway and the North-Western Railway operated in other parts of India...
, North-Western Railway, and Oudh and Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
Railways entered from Ghaziabad junction, crossing the Yamuna river by an iron bridge. The Delhi-Ambala
Ambala
Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...
-Kalka
Kalka
Kalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla,...
Railway ran northwards from the city, and the Rajputana-Malwa Railway
Rajputana-Malwa Railway
The Rajputana-Malwa Railway was a railway line which ran from Delhi to Indore and to Ahmedabad....
traversed the Delhi district for a short distance in the direction of Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
.
Delhi Railway Station has been built by red stones to give the effect of historic Red Fort and Jama Masjid nearby. Station has six clock towers and no. 4 tower is still in use as water tank. Until the opening of New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi Railway Station
The New Delhi Railway Station , station code NDLS, situated between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi railway station is the second busiest and one of the largest in India. It handles over 300 trains each day with 16 platforms and about 360,000 passengers...
in in 1926, ahead of the inauguration of the New Delhi city in 1931, this served as the main station for the city of Delhi, and hosting four junction railways. Also Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
-Delhi railways line cut through what is today called Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
and the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (India Gate
India Gate
The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was built in 1931...
), Kingsway (Rajpath
Rajpath
Rajpath is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India. It runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi. The New Delhi avenue is lined on both sides by lawns with rows of trees and ponds...
). Eventually East Indian Railway Company
East Indian Railway Company
The East Indian Railway Company, later known as the East Indian Railway , introduced railways to eastern and northern India, while the Companies such as the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, South Indian Railway, Central India Railway and the North-Western Railway operated in other parts of India...
, which overlooked railways in the region, shifted the line along the Yamuna river and opened in 1924. Thereafter it was remodelled in 1934-35, when its platforms were extended, and power signals were introduced.
It is here on this railway station complex that Nathuram Godse
Nathuram Godse
Nathuram Vinayak Godse , from the city of Pune, India was a Hindutva activist and journalist, who was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. Along with his brother Gopal Godse and six other co-conspirators, he executed a plot to assassinate Gandhi.-Early life:Nathuram Godse was born in Baramati, Pune...
and one of his accomplice stayed in retiring room no 6 the night before he assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on 30 January 1948.
Junction
This station has railway lines from three directions:- From Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, East i.e. Ghaziabad and Delhi-Howrah main line via Kanpur, Allahabad etc. - From HaryanaHaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, North, i.e. Ambala, Karnal,Sonepat, Panipat, Chandigarh, Amritsar & Jammu, etc. - From West i.e. , Kishanganj, Shakurbasti, Rohtak, Rewari, Alwar, Jaipur, Ajmer. Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur etc.
- In addition, the Samjhauta ExpressSamjhauta ExpressThe Samjhauta Express commonly called the Friendship Express, is a twice-weekly train Tuesdays and Fridays that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The word samjhauta means "Understanding","accord" and "compromise" in both Hindi and Urdu.Until the reopening of the Thar...
departs from this station to LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, and is the only international train service from Delhi.
See also
- New Delhi Railway StationNew Delhi Railway StationThe New Delhi Railway Station , station code NDLS, situated between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj is the main railway station in Delhi. New Delhi railway station is the second busiest and one of the largest in India. It handles over 300 trains each day with 16 platforms and about 360,000 passengers...
- Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station
- Anand Vihar Railway TerminalAnand Vihar Railway TerminalAnand Vihar Railway Terminal , station code ANVT, is a large railway station in the Anand Vihar locality of Delhi, India...
- Delhi MetroDelhi MetroDelhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...