Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station

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.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1] 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.^[2][3]

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.^[4]

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.

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.

• 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

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