Ahmedabad Junction railway station

Ahmedabad Junction
અમદાવાદ જંકશન
अहमदाबाद जंक्शन
Express train and Passenger train station
Location Kalupur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
India
Coordinates 23°01′30″N 72°36′04″E / 23.025°N 72.601°E / 23.025; 72.601Coordinates: 23°01′30″N 72°36′04″E / 23.025°N 72.601°E / 23.025; 72.601
Elevation 52.50 metres (172.2 ft)
Owned by Indian Railways
Operated by Western Railway zone
Line(s) Ahmedabad-Mumbai Main Line
Ahmedabad-Botad Meter Gauge line
Ahmedabad-Mehsana Meter gauge
Ahmedabad-Gandhidham main line
Jaipur-Ahmedabad line
Ahmedabad-Udaipur Meter Gauge Line
Platforms 12
Tracks 16
Connections BRTS, AMTS bus stop, taxicab stand, auto rickshaw stand
Construction
Structure type Standard (on ground station)
Parking Yes
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Status Functioning
Station code ADI
Zone(s) Western Railway zone
Division(s) Ahmedabad
Electrified Yes

Ahmedabad Junction railway station is the main railway station of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It is also the biggest and busiest railway station within Gujarat. It is second highest income generating division in Western Railways after the Mumbai Division.

History

Before the partition of India, the Sind Mail used to travel to Hyderabad, Sindh via the HyderabadMirpur KhasKhokhraparMunabaoBarmerLuniJodhpurPaliMarwarPalanpur – Ahmedabad route. Constructed by Gokuldas Contractor and Associates.[1][2][3]

Two Minarates of ruined mosque, now in Ahmedabad railway station, 1866

On the north side, as the train enters the station, are the two tallest minarets in Ahmedabad. All traces of their mosque and the memory of its name and date are gone. The style and material of the minarets point to the close of Mahmud Begada's reign (1511), or perhaps rather later. Though much damaged, especially near the foot, the stairs inside the minarets may still be used[4]

Background

Also referred as Kalupur railway station, this is the primary station of rail transport for the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, India and an important center of the Western Railways zone of the Indian Railways. Locally people refer to it as Kalupur Station (as it is situated in Kalupur area of the walled city) to distinguish it from other stations in the city like Gandhigram, Asarva, Sarkhej, Vastrapur, Chandlodia,Vatva, Maninagar and Sabarmati Junction. It serves trains that connect Ahmedabad to different parts of Gujarat, as well as major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Trivandrum, Ajmer, Dhanbad, Daltonganj, Jaipur and Indore.

Infrastructure

The station has 12 platforms. There are an ample numbers of tea stalls, snack bars, medical shops and enquiry desks. The station also has one cybercafe which is run by Tata Indicom. The station is currently equipped with Wifi by Google Station and RailTel. The station is undergoing large-scale automation to make it a technologically advanced station, and new ATM outlets from ICICI Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Dena Bank, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India & other major banks has been installed. RailTel plans to open Cyber Cafe in Ahmedabad Station.

Facilities

Ahmedabad Railway station has launched hand push luggage trolley service at Ahmedabad railway station. Such trolleys are always available at airports, but for railway station, it is a new initiative. The railway will initially charge Rs 5 per luggage trolley from commuters. As of now, the service is available only for platform no.1, but after new elevators and escalators become functional by the end of this year, the trolley service will be introduced at all platform of Ahmedabad railway station.

According to divisional railway manager of Ahmedabad Shri Ashok Garud, the initiative has been taken following a guideline from the Western railway headquarter. The facility would be launched in Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara railway stations too in future.

Also launched in May 2010 was a golf car service for senior citizens and physically challenged persons.[5]

References

  1. Murray, John (1949). Hearn, Sir Gordon Risley, ed. A handbook for Travellers in India and Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon: Including the Portuguese and French Possessions and the Indian States. p. 211 via Google Books.
  2. Gandhi, Mahatma (1929). Young India. Vol. 11. Navajivan Publishing House. p. 50 via Google Books; University of Virginia.
  3. "Indian Railways FAQ: Geography : International". irfca.org. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  4. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Ahmedabad. Government Central Press. 1879. p. 267.
  5. Luggage trolley,golf car services launched at Ahmedabad railway station
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.