Railways recommend Lucknow, Kanpur stations for World Heritage status

Lucknow's Charbagh station and Kanpur Central are among five railway stations that a heritage directorate constituted by the Railway Minist...

Lucknow’s Charbagh station and Kanpur Central are among five railway stations that a heritage directorate constituted by the Railway Ministry has recommended for UNESCO World Heritage site status. The other three being considered for the tag are Kolkata’s Howrah, the Chennai station and the Old Delhi station.

Deputy Chief Traffic Manager of Kanpur Central, R Bharadwaj said if Kanpur Central is selected as a World Heritage site, it would be a great honour not only for the railway department but for the entire city.

Bharadwaj said the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) have already been given this status due to their glorious history of over 100 years.

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The Kanpur station had appeared on the railway route map in 1920. ‘‘With a traffic of around 20 trains in 1920, the station now handles around 250 trains,’’ Bharadwaj said.

In Lucknow, the Charbagh Railway Station, an architectural masterpiece with a history dating back to 1914, is still counted among the popular monuments of the city. The building’s architecture reflects both the Mughal and European influences, highlighted by the nawabs’ royal emblem, a pair of fish.

‘‘The Charbagh station has a great archaeological value and should be maintained accordingly,’’ said Madhu Chaturvedi, the co-convener of the INTACH heritage club.