Varanasi–Ayodhya –Lucknow line वाराणसी-अयोध्या-लखनऊ रेल लाइन
Lucknow Charbagh, Varanasi–Ayodhya-Lucknow line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Gangetic Plain inUttar Pradesh
Termini	Varanasi Jn Lucknow Charbagh
Stations	Jaunpur Junction,Zafarabad Junction,Ayodhya Dham Junction,Akbarpur Junction,Barabanki Junction
Service
Operator(s)	Northern Railway for main line North Central Railway partially for branch line
Depot(s)	Lucknow Junction, Ayodhya Dham Junction
History
Opened	1872
Technical
Track length	via Jaunpur and Ayodhya 324 km (201 mi)
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)broad gauge Double broad gauge Sanctioned
Electrification	Yes completed in March 2022
Operating speed	up to 100 km/h
Highest elevation	Varanasi 82 m (269 ft) Lucknow 123 m (404 ft)
Route map Legend Unnao–Sitapur line Lucknow–Moradabad line Aishbagh Lucknow Charbagh Lucknow City Daliganj Junction Unnao–Sitapur line Badshahnagar Gomti Nagar Varanasi–Rae Bareli– Lucknow line Malhaur Jugaur Safedabad Barabanki Junction Lucknow–Gorakhpur line Rasauli Safdarganj Saidkhanpur Daryabad Patranga Rauzagaon Rudauli Gauriyamau Baragaon Deorakot Sohwal Salarpur Varanasi–Sultanpur–Lucknow line Faizabad Junction Acharya Narendra Dev Nagar Ayodhya Junction Lucknow–Gorakhpur line Darshannagar Bilhar Ghat Ulna Bhari Goshainganj Katahri Tanda Thermal Power House Tanda Surapur Akbarpur Junction Jafarganj Malipur Tulsi Nagar Bilwai Allahabad–Mau–Gorakhpur main line Shahganj Junction Kheta Sarai Manikalan Halt Mihrawan Mahagawan Halt Aunrihar–Jaunpur line Jaunpur Junction Varanasi–Sultanpur– Lucknow line Zafarabad Junction Allahabad–Mau–Gorakhpur main line Sarkoni Jalalganj Trilochan Mahadeo Khalispur Pindra Road Babatpur Birapatti Shivpur Varanasi–Rae Bareli– Lucknow line Varanasi–Allahabad Branch line Varanasi Junction Varanasi City Mughalsarai–Kanpur section Chhapra–Varanasi line

TheVaranasi–Ayodhya–Lucknow line (also known as Varanasi–Lucknow via Ayodhya main line) is a railway line connectingVaranasi Jn andLucknow Charbagh, both in the Indian state ofUttar Pradesh. The main line was subsequently extended to Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur and the entire line was thought of as the "main line" of Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway. An important branch line, the Prayagraj–Ayodhya line, which meets the main line almost at right angles, is included here. The main line is under the administrative jurisdiction ofNorthern Railway, a portion of the branch line is under the jurisdiction ofNorth Central Railway.

TheOudh and Rohilkhand Railway opened the5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)broad gauge line from Varanasi to Lucknow in 1872.^[1][2] The line was extended to Ayodhya as ‘Ayodhya Loop’.^[3]

The Curzon Bridge across theGanges was opened in 1905 by theEast Indian Railway Company and the1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)-wide5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)broad gauge Prayagraj–Ayodhya line was possibly opened the same year. It was operated by the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway.^[4]

The loop line of the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway from Benares through Ayodhya to Lucknow traverses the Jaunpur District from south to north, while the main line of the same railway crosses the south-west corner. A branch from Zafarabad to Phaphamau on the Ganges is under construction ib n 1905,^{[clarification needed]} which will give access toPrayagraj. Shahganj is connected withAzamgarh, andJaunpur city withGhazipur, by branches of theBengal and North Western Railway.

Varanasi andLucknow on the main line, andPrayagraj on a branch line are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.^[5]

Lucknow diesel loco shed or Alambagh diesel shed is home to 160+ locomotives, includingWDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-3A andWDG-4 varieties. Charbagh locomotive workshops handle periodical overhaul jobs. Allahabad has an engineering workshop.^[6]

Banaras Locomotive Works at Varanasi initially assembledALCO kits. Subsequently, with technology transfer fromGM EMD, it produces advanced diesel locomotives with high efficiency and low maintenance costs. It produces around 240 locomotives annually.^[7]

Around 1872, theIndian Branch Railway Company was transformed intoOudh and Rohilkhand Railway.^[8][9][10] Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway was merged withEast Indian Railway Company in 1925.^[11] dia took over the Bengal and North Western Railway and merged it with the Rohilkhand and Kumaon Railway to form theOudh and Tirhut Railway in 1943.^[12]

In 1952,Eastern Railway,Northern Railway andNorth Eastern Railway were formed. Eastern Railway was formed with a portion ofEast Indian Railway Company, east of Mughalsarai andBengal Nagpur Railway. Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughal Sarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway. North Eastern Railway was formed with Oudh and Tirhut Railway, Assam Railway and a portion ofBombay, Baroda and Central India Railway.^[13] East Central Railway was created in 1996–97.^[14] North Central Railway was formed in 2003.^[15]

• Trains at Varanasi
• [1]
• Trains at Lucknow Charbagh

• 5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India
• Railway lines in Uttar Pradesh
• Railway lines opened in 1872
• Lucknow NR railway division

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from January 2016
• Use Indian English from January 2016
• All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English
• Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2018