Golra Sharif Railway Museum, also known as Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum, is a

railway museum A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives ( steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic ...

located near Sector F-13 of

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. It is located at the Golra Sharif railway station, a

junction station ''Junction station'' usually refers to a railway station situated on or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines. At a station with platforms running from left to right, the minimum ...

in the Rawalpindi Division of

Pakistan Railways Pakistan Railways ( ur, ) is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi, offering both freight and passenger servi ...

, located at 1,994

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

above sea level, in the southeast of the

Margalla Hills The Margalla Hills () are a hill range within the Margalla Hills National Park on the northern edge of Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, just south of Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They are part of the Himalayan foothills. Th ...

and east of the cradle of Gandhara civilization, the ancient city of Taxila. Established in 2003 and renovated in 2018, the railway museum consists of two galleries housing the relics and memorabilia associated with more than 150 years of rail heritage dating back to the days of the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. The railway station, with its museum, is a major attraction for tourists and locals alike and is becoming a major attraction for

railway enthusiasts A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter (Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Rail ...

Golra Sharif Junction railway station

The Golra Sharif Junction railway station lies on the main line of the Pakistan Railways which connects the rest of the country in the south and

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

in the north. More than 20 trains pass through this station every day. It is situated southwest of

, the capital of Pakistan, at the altitude of 1,994 feet. Its magnificent building has

Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...

and is composed of yellow stone masonry. It consists of five hall-like rooms. The station that once linked Peshawar,

Kohat Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th centur ...

Havelian Havelian ( ) is the second largest municipality in the Abbottabad District, in the Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the headquarters for Havelian Tehsil. The word literally translates into English as "mansio ...

, and

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

now enjoys more importance due to its museum. The station was established in 1882 during

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

rule and upgraded as junction in 1912. It was the logistics artery of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

during the Afghan military campaigns at the turn of the twentieth century. It has since become an important trade route which protrudes into

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

through the famous Khyber Pass.

The museum

Development

The museum was envisioned by Ishfaq Khattak, the DS of the Rawalpindi division. In late 2002, the headquarters issued instructions to all the divisions of the Pakistan railways to scrap all the old items including crockery, furniture, locomotives, and saloons for narrow gauge lines. Ishfaq Khattak saw it an opportunity accumulate all the relics and create a heritage site. By the end of 2003, this feat was achieved mostly due to the diligence of officers working on the project without any funding from the government. Pure unabated love for the railways had been the major driving force towards the completion of this venerated project. Though the museum was inaugurated officially on 5 March 2007, it had already opened its doors to the public on 26 September 2003.

Collection

The Railway Heritage Museum was established in October 2003. From relics dating back to the inception of railways in the

subcontinent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...

by the British, to memorabilia depicting the creation of the museum are housed and preserved in this heritage site. The Rail Heritage Museum is housed in two halls to contain artifacts reflecting history of railway over a period of more than 150 years including almost 100 years of undivided India. As a part of the museum, there is a big yard where cranes, trolleys, saloons,

locomotives A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the ...

coaches Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

, and tracks are marshaled impressively, portraying the railway’s march forward through time. The museum houses an impressive blend of artifacts covering the many facets of the railways systems. Mechanical models,

signalling systems Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormou ...

, communication tools and the evolution of operational protocols are preserved and chronologically displayed in the museum. The museum also displays the social impact and anthropological implications of the railways on the human geography of the multi-racial sub continent. An open yard displays a wide array of relics which have become extinct on the railway lines around the world. The steam and electric locomotives, a German postal car, a saloon car used by the last Indian viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, and another 1888 saloon car belonging to the

Maharaja of Jodhpur Kingdom of Marwar, also known as the Jodhpur State under the British, was a kingdom in the Marwar region from 1226 to 1818 and a princely state under British rule from 1818 to 1947. It was established in Pali by Rao Siha, possibly a m ...

, made at the Ajmer Sharif Carriage Workshop from the Jodhpur railways given as a wedding present to his daughter are a few examples.

Relics

The railway museum boasts of a very special collection of memorabilia from different periods in time from the

to the occupation of Indian-held railway station during the 1965 war with

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. May it be the saloon cars of yore or the long-forgotten steam locomotives, this museum has got it all. Everything has been fully preserved given the limited resources and a fledgling organization of Pakistan Railways. A new building has been erected on the premises to be converted into an art gallery and a

café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non ...

. A majority of the items displayed at the museum belong to the North West Railways, as Pakistan Railways was called before Independence, dating back to year 1890. The attempt is to preserve and display vintage items and artifacts related to the history of railways at the heritage point.

Renovation

Renovation work at the museum was inaugurated by

Khawaja Saad Rafique Khawaja Saad Rafique (; born 4 November 1962) is a Pakistani politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since October 2018 and the current federal minister for Railways. A leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Na ...

, the Railways Minister, on 20 April 2018.

Public interest

The heritage site and the beautiful serene looking railway station has become one of the centerpieces of the railway image in the country. The heritage project provided the impetus of the resumption of a steam safari in different areas of Pakistan. A mighty steam locomotive hauling luxury coaches across the beautiful scenic routes of the plains of Punjab or the rolling hills of the north west has become a romantic sight. This has generated an immense public interest with respect to tourism and entertainment.

Portrayal in pop culture

Since then the museum has been repeatedly highlighted in TV commercials and the site has been used by numerous TV plays and films. It has become the station of choice for the entertainment industry as they have become frequent visitors to this beautiful location. This station can be seen in numerous advertisements adorning the billboards and TV screens.

Tourism

Dignitaries, whether related to railways or not, have frequently visited as this heritage museum has become a huge source of attraction to people because of its uniqueness. Schoolchildren are specially brought to this place as the concept of train travel is diminishing fast, especially within the new generations. The number of tourists has also increased following the resumption of the steam safari which takes tourists to the archeological digs at Taxila, the center of the

Gandhara civilization Gandhāra is the name of an ancient region located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan. The region centered around the Peshawar Val ...

References

{{authority control Museums in Pakistan 2003 establishments in Pakistan Transport museums in Pakistan Tourist attractions in Islamabad Railway museums in Pakistan Railway stations in Islamabad Capital Territory Cultural heritage sites in Islamabad History of rail transport in Pakistan