Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station

Delhi Sarai Rohilla
Indian Railway and Delhi Suburban Railway station
General information
Location	Sarai Rohilla, Delhi India
Coordinates	28°39′47″N 77°11′11″E
Elevation	220.950 metres (724.90 ft)
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	Indian Railways
Line(s)	Delhi–Fazilka line Delhi–Jaipur line Delhi Azadpur loop Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Delhi Shahdara line
Platforms	7
Tracks	12
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Available
Other information
Station code	DEE
Zone(s)	Northern Railway zone
Division(s)	Delhi
History
Opened	1873 (1873)
Rebuilt	2013 (2013)
Electrified	Yes
Location Delhi Sarai Rohilla Location within Delhi

Delhi–Rewari Line
km to north and east to Ghaziabad 4 Delhi Junction 0 Delhi Sarai Rohilla 1 Dayabasti north to Shakurbasti & Azadpur 3 Patel Nagar 4 Kirti Nagar south to Naraina & Delhi Safdarjung 10 Delhi Cantonment 13 Palam 20 Bijwasan Delhi Haryana border 27 Gurgaon 37 Garhi Harsaru Inland Container Depot 56 Pataudi 78 Rewari to west & south-west

Delhi Sarai Rohilla (station code: DEE) is a railway station on the Indian Railways network, located 4 kilometres east of the Delhi Junction railway station. Managed by the Delhi Division of the Northern Railway, it serves as a stop for trains connecting Delhi to Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Over 20 trains, including the Duronto Express and AC trains, originate from this station.

Etymology

The term sarai refers to an inn or resting place for travelers. The station is named after the medieval village it was situated in, which itself was named after a sarai built by Ruhullah Khan, a nobleman in the Mughal court. The sarai was located on the busy road connecting Delhi and the pilgrimage town of Ajmer. Ruhullah Khan was one of the three sons of Khalil Ullah Khan, the governor of the Delhi province during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and a distant relative of Empress Mumtaz Mahal. Over time, the name "Ruhullah" evolved into "Rohilla," influenced by the Rohillas, who ruled the region of Rohilkhand, situated to the northeast of Delhi, during the Mughal era.

History

Main article: Northern Railway zone § History

Background

Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station was established in 1872 when the construction of the metre-gauge line from Delhi to Jaipur and Ajmer was underway. Located just outside the walled city of Shahjahanabad, it served as a focal point for metre-gauge trains traveling to Rewari, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. The line from Delhi Junction to Sarai Rohilla was double-tracked, whereas the section from Sarai Rohilla to Rewari remained single until it was later upgraded. From Rewari, single tracks diverged in five directions.

Platform signage

Platform board

Delhi–Sarai Rohilla Bandra Terminus Garib Rath Express at platform 1

Gauge conversion

The conversion of the metre-gauge to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge began in 1991. As part of the Ajmer–Delhi line conversion, one of the double metre-gauge tracks on the Delhi–Rewari line was converted to broad gauge in December 1994. Within a few years, both tracks from Sarai Rohilla to Delhi Junction were converted to broad gauge, eliminating metre-gauge train operations at Delhi station. Consequently, all metre-gauge trains were redirected to Sarai Rohilla, which was thereafter designated a terminus.

By September 2006, the second metre-gauge track from Sarai Rohilla to Rewari was converted to broad gauge, and metre-gauge train operations between Rewari and Sarai Rohilla ceased. However, the newly converted track was opened for public use only in October 2007.

Infrastructure

Delhi Sarai Rohilla Terminal railway station has been developed as a terminus for trains originating from Delhi to destinations in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Mumbai. The station features a ticket reservation center, three washing lines for train rakes, and five platforms. Additionally, two platforms from the adjacent Vivekanandpuri railway halt are connected to Sarai Rohilla by a common foot overbridge.

As part of the Smart Cities Mission, plans are in place to redevelop Delhi Sarai Rohilla Station. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Urban Development and Indian Railways in October 2016. The redevelopment will include the areas surrounding the station, with a focus on improving passenger amenities, enhancing accessibility, creating integrated public transport hubs, and optimizing land use.

Anand Vihar Terminal and Hazrat Nizamuddin are two additional major railway terminals in Delhi, serving as origin points for numerous regional and long-distance trains.

Trains

Previously, all trains from Sarai Rohilla to Delhi terminated at Delhi Junction, as the metre-gauge tracks terminated there. With the conversion to broad gauge, many trains from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat heading north or east of Delhi now pass through Sarai Rohilla and continue beyond Delhi Junction.

See also

• Indian Railways
• New Delhi railway station
• Delhi Junction railway station
• Delhi Cantonment railway station
• Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station
• Anand Vihar Terminal railway station
• Delhi Suburban Railway
• Delhi Metro
• National Capital Region Transport Corporation

External links

• Satellite View of Sarai Rohilla
• Sarai Rohilla Railway Station Photographs, 2012