Lucknow Charbagh railway station

Lucknow Charbagh
Lucknow Charbagh railway station
General information
Location	Charbagh, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates	26°49′55″N 80°55′08″E / 26.832°N 80.919°E / 26.832; 80.919
Elevation	123.500 metres (405.18 ft)
System	Regional rail and Light rail station
Owned by	Ministry of Railways (India)
Operated by	Indian Railways
Lines	Lucknow-Ayodhya-Jaunpur-Varanasi line Lucknow-Rae Bareli-Varanasi line Lucknow-Sultanpur-Jaunpur City-Varanasi line Lucknow-Unnao-Kanpur line Lucknow-Bareilly-Moradabad-New Delhi line
Platforms	9
Tracks	26
Connections	Red Line Charbagh
Construction
Structure type	Standard
Parking	Available
Architect	J. H. Hornimen
Other information
Status	Active
Station code	LKO
Fare zone	Northern Railway zone
History
Opened	21 March 1914 (1914-03-21)
Electrified	Yes
Previous names	Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway / East Indian Railway Company
Passengers
80,000
Services
Location Lucknow Charbagh Location within Uttar Pradesh Show map of Uttar Pradesh Lucknow Charbagh Lucknow Charbagh (India) Show map of India

Lucknow Charbagh (officially Lucknow NR, station code: LKO) is a railway station in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the largest and busiest railway station of Lucknow city.^[1]

The station is part of the Northern Railway zone's Lucknow NR Division and the Varanasi–Lucknow line.

It is also part of the Lucknow-Rae Bareli-Varanasi line, Lucknow-Sultanpur-Jaunpur City-Varanasi line, Lucknow-Kanpur Suburban Railway and Lucknow-Moradabad line.

This station is a (NSG 2) category in Northern Railway. This station is situated in southern central part of Lucknow and adjacent to Lucknow Junction.

Nearby stations include Lucknow Junction (LJN) and Aishbagh (ASH).

Overview

Lucknow Charbagh is a high-revenue station, serving over 80,000 passengers and over 180 Mail/Express and 250-300 Passenger trains on a daily basis. It is under the administrative control of the Northern Railway zone's Lucknow NR railway division.It is the Headquarter of Lucknow NR railway division.

Lucknow Charbagh is well connected with many important cultural cities such as New Delhi, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Jaunpur, Agra, Jaipur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Dehradun, Haridwar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jammu, Meerut, Mathura, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Raipur, Durg, Ujjain, Bilaspur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Vadodara, Nashik, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Patna, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Gaya, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Asansol, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Coimbatore, and Thiruvananthapuram.

History

The history of the Lucknow Charbagh railway station is intertwined with the evolution of Indian railways during the British Raj. The iconic building itself is an Indo-Saracenic architectural masterpiece that was completed in 1923, and it holds a significant place in both the city's heritage and India's independence movement.

In 19th century, Lucknow was the second most important station in the North after Delhi. It was the Headquarters of the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway (O&RR) whose first line from Lucknow to Kanpur was built in April 1867.

Now known as Lucknow Charbagh station, it is part of Northern Railway. It is neighbored by another major station, Lucknow Junction under the North-Eastern Railway within the same premises with a different terminal building.

The foundation stone for the station's main building was laid in March 1914 by Bishop George Herbert. It was designed by J.H. Horniman with assistance from consulting engineer Chaubey Mukta Prasad. The structure features a blend of Mughal, Awadhi, and Rajput architectural styles, giving it a palatial look. The building was completed in 1923 and officially inaugurated for public use in 1926.

Today, the Charbagh complex consists of two adjacent stations: Lucknow Charbagh (LKO), under the Northern Railway zone, and the distinct Lucknow Junction (LJN), which falls under the North Eastern Railway zone.

Key modernization projects

Lucknow Charbagh railway station is currently undergoing a comprehensive ₹420-crore modernization project under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, aiming to transform it into a world-class transit hub while retaining its heritage look. The project includes the integrated redevelopment of both the LKO (Northern Railway) and LJN (North Eastern Railway) stations, with an anticipated completion around the end of 2026.

Improvements include:

• Construction of a vast, modern elevated concourse (120m x 115m) to seamlessly connect the main and second entry points and improve passenger movement.
• The number of platforms in the Northern Railway section is being expanded from 9 to 11 to handle more trains and ease congestion.
• Improved integration with the existing Charbagh metro station and plans for the upcoming Phase 2 metro line (Charbagh-Vasant Kunj) to link the station with other parts of the city.

Infrastructure

The Station was built at a price of ₹ 70 lakhs, which now values as US$ 2 million Dollars or ₹ 14 crores in 2021; Lucknow Charbagh was designed by J. H. Horniman. The foundation of the railway station was placed in March 1914. The building was completed in 1923. A major role in its design and planning was carried out by Chaubey Mukta Prasad, a consulting engineer for Ms Lanebrown and Hulett. It has a large garden in front of the building. It incorporates the mix of Rajput, Awadhi and Mughal architecture and has a palatial appearance. Architecturally, it is considered one of the most beautiful railway stations in India.^[2] The Government Railway Police station at Lucknow Charbagh holds an ISO 9001 certificate.^[3]

Diesel loco shed, Alambagh

Serial No.	Locomotive Class	Horsepower	Quantity
1.	WAP-4	5350	2
2.	WAG-7	5350	60
3.	WAG-5	3850	19
4.	WAP-1	3850	15
5.	WDG-3A	3100	25
6.	WDM-3A	3100	16
7.	WDM-3D	3300	72
8.	WDG-4/4D	4000/4500	58
9.	WDP-4/4B/4D	4000/4500	28
Total Locomotives Active as of July 2025[4][5]			295

Platforms

The station has 9 platforms. Out of which, 2 platforms are Terminals, located towards Dilkusha and 7 are Through Platforms. 2 more terminal platforms are under construction which are towards Alam Nagar.

The adjacent Lucknow NER Jn. has 6 Terminal Platforms. Although managed by 2 different divisions, the entire complex houses 15 platforms.

Gallery

• 
  Lucknow Charbagh Night view
• 
  Lucknow Charbagh Railway Station from outside.
• 
  Station board view of Lucknow Charbagh railway station.
• 
  FOB view at LKO
• 
  View of Platform 7 at LKO.
• 
  LKO Platform 1.
• 
  Lucknow Charbagh Railway Station.

References

1. https://indiarailinfo.com/station/map/lucknow-charbagh-nr-lko/336
2. "India's best railway stations". Rediff. 14 March 2012.
3. "Lucknow police station gets ISO-9001 certification". Yahoo News India. IANS. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
4. "Ministry of Railways (Railway Board)". Railway Board, Indian Railways. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
5. "Electric Loco Holding". Railnet. Retrieved 28 May 2025.

External links

• Media related to Lucknow Charbagh railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• "Arrivals from LKO/Lucknow Charbagh". IndiaRailInfo.
• "Departures from LKO/Lucknow Charbagh". IndiaRailInfo.