ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum, located in Golra, southeast of the Margalla Hills in the federal capital, is being expanded with the addition of a gallery for showcasing railway relics and memorabilia dating back to the British rule.

Renovation work on the museum was inaugurated by Minister Railways Saad Rafique on Friday.

The minister expressed interest in launching similar railway museums in Lahore, Karachi and Quetta which will be managed by the Directorate of Railways Heritage.

The Golra station was established in 1882 and was upgraded as a junction in 1912.

The museum was established in 2003 in order to preserve more than 150 years of rail heritage in the region and consists of two main galleries.

The first displays objects from 1881 from the North Western Railways’ time to the present including signals, metres, mode of communication, emergency equipment etc.

The second gallery contains Victorian furniture in waiting halls with classic crockery, piano and long-arm rest chairs etc.

Steam and diesel locomotives, historical coaches in narrow and broad gauge and vintage saloons- including a saloon which was part of the last viceroy’s fleet- are part of the display as well.

A royal saloon gifted by the maharaja of the Indian state of Jodhpur to his daughter on her wedding is on display- which was made in Ajmer Sharif in 1888- as is a German postal coach made in 1914.

The station also hosted the Quaid-i-Azam on his travels between Karachi and Lahore and has a beautiful teak wood interior.

The Golra railways station is also currently functional with the Hazara Express arriving at Golra at 8:17am from Rawalpindi.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018