Here are 10 interesting facts about one of the busiest and most beautiful railway stations in the country, the Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow :
1.The Charbagh Railway Station of was an orchard before it was converted into a railway station in 1867. ‘Charbagh’ literally refers to four gardens which once existed in the area.
2. The present day station building was built in 1926 in a Mughal architectural design, and it is said that an aerial view of the station makes it appear like a chess boar, with the domes and pillars of the building as pieces of the game.
3. The first meeting of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru took place at the Charbagh Railway Station back in 1916
4. It is one of the few railway stations in the country which as earned the tag of being ‘Child Labour free.’ A result of the work done on the station from 2002 to 2014, the station does not allow any vendors on the station to employ child labourers.
5. A Railway Childline by the number 1098 exists to help children in distress found on the railway station in Lucknow. Managed by Ehsaas, an NGO, the childline rescues almost 800 children every year.
6. It is said that the architecture of the station – a combination of Mughal and Rajput design – is such that the sound of trains chugging in and out of the station cannot be heard outside.
7. Would you believe it, the sale of bananas is banned on the railway station since August 2019, to ensure cleanliness!
8. Even then, the Charbagh Railway Station ranked 105th among 700 railway stations surveyed for cleanliness by the Indian Railways and Quality Council of India in 2019.
9. The Charbagh Railway station is being revamped at a cost of Rs.6000 crores to handle increased rail traffic. After its revamp, the station will have two additional platforms, Kalzip roofing, a retail area, modern washrooms, waiting area, travelators, polyclinics, food court and will be disable-friendly.
10. The Indian Railways has installed two ‘Health ATMs’ at the Charbagh railway station recently. The kiosks, promoted by YOLO Health ATM, provide 16 health check-ups in Rs 50-100. There are two types of check-ups. The report is delivered instantly to the email or smartphone of the user.
