Lahore Railway Station

Lahore Junction railway station (Urdu, Punjabi: لاہور جنکشن ریلوے اسٹیشن) is the main railway station in Lahore, Pakistan. Construction commenced shortly after the 1857 War of Independence against British rule, and so was built in the style of a medieval castle with thick walls, turrets, and holes to direct gun and cannon fire for defence of the structure. The station is now owned by Pakistan Railways, and also serves as its headquarters.

History

The station was built during the colonial era, and was built just outside the Walled City at the intersection of Empress Road, Allama Iqbal Road and Circular Road. Lahore Junction station was constructed by Mian Mohammad Sultan Chughtai, a former official of the Mughal Empire, between 1859-1860.

The station served as the headquarters for the Punjab Railway and later would serve as the northern terminus of the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway, which connected the port city of Karachi to Lahore. It was built in the style of a medieval castle to ward off any potential future uprisings, as seen in the 1857 War of Independence, with thick walls, turrets, and holes to direct gun and cannon fire for defense of the structure.

The station is a legacy of the extensive railway network established during the British Raj, and reflects the British contribution to the region's infrastructure. The station was severely affected during the riots which followed the Partition of the British Indian Empire and the independence of Pakistan in 1947. Similar to the contemporaneous situation of Muslims fleeing Delhi and Amritsar, Lahore's Hindus and Sikhs were sometimes attacked at Lahore's train station.

Facilities

Lahore Junction Station is equipped with all basic facilities such as ticketing services, restrooms, waiting areas, and international fast food chains. The station has current and advance reservation offices for Pakistan Railways, as well as freight and parcel facilities. Retail shops are found mainly on platforms 1 and 2, including restaurants such as Pizza Hut and McDonald's, in addition to restaurants offering Pakistani cuisine.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "Lahore Junction railway station" and modified on July 23, 2019 according to the CC-BY-SA 4.0 International license.