LUCKNOW, March 8 -- A century ago, long before diesel and electric engines dominated the tracks, Lucknow Junction reverberated with the whistles of steam locomotives running on the city's 'chhoti line' network. As the station celebrates its centenary, a vintage steam engine named 'Airavat' now greets passengers as a tribute to that era.

Established on February 15, 1926, the station, once a key hub of the city's narrow and metre-gauge network, has completed a century of service. The Lucknow division of the North Eastern Railway (NER) is commemorating the milestone with exhibitions, vintage displays and installations that trace the station's journey from a modest narrow-gauge stop to a busy junction connecting several parts of the country....