Imagine stepping into Charbagh railway station and, instead of squeezing through crowded platforms, walking into a vast, airport-style hall suspended above the tracks where passengers can sit, dine, shop and move between platforms as trains glide below. That is the centrepiece of the biggest transformation of Lucknow’s iconic station since it was built nearly a century ago.
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The redevelopment, being carried out under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, is taking shape behind the station’s iconic red-and-white Indo-Saracenic facade, which will remain untouched. While the historic building will continue to greet passengers, a modern seven-storey smart terminal is rising at the rear, shifting most passenger facilities to the new complex, railway officials said.
The redevelopment also came under scrutiny after a section of a tin shed collapsed on Platform 5 during construction, injuring three people, including a travelling ticket examiner. Railway officials said the replacement of ageing platform sheds is part of the air concourse project and is being carried out in phases while keeping the station operational.
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Railway officials said work on the support pillars is in full swing and the roof framework is expected to be completed by October, though the overall completion date has not yet been fixed as construction is progressing in phases without disrupting train operations.
The makeover also includes additional platforms, wider foot overbridges, new lifts and escalators aimed at easing passenger movement at one of North India’s busiest railway stations.
Senior divisional commercial manager, Northern Railway, Lucknow, Kuldeep Tiwari said the project has been progressing in phases for about a year. “At present, pillars for the air concourse are being installed. The roof structure is expected to be completed by October. Since train operations are continuing alongside construction, it is not possible to specify an exact completion date at this stage,” he said.
The scale of the work has occasionally affected train services, with railway authorities taking traffic blocks that temporarily closed platforms, shifted trains and diverted some services.
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Towering concrete pillars are already emerging between the platforms, laying the foundation for a 115-metre-long and 120-metre-wide elevated air concourse that will stretch across Platforms 1 to 7, according to railway officials. “Once complete, the climate-controlled space will connect both station entrances and house airport-style waiting lounges, food courts, seating areas and passenger amenities, allowing travellers to move freely above the railway tracks while trains continue to arrive and depart underneath,” they informed.
