Chandigarh in brief
Chandigarh Junction (station code CDG) is the main railway station of Chandigarh, the planned city designed by Le Corbusier that serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. It falls within the Northern Railway zone's Ambala division. The station is about 8 km from the city centre and about 7 km from Chandigarh's airport.
The story of Chandigarh
Chandigarh's railway is older than the city itself. The Delhi–Kalka line, which passes through the station, opened in 1891 to connect the plains with the foot of the hills on the way to Shimla. Chandigarh station opened in 1954, as the new capital was being built.
- 1998–99: the Ambala–Chandigarh section is electrified.
- 1999–2000: the Chandigarh–Kalka section is electrified.
- 2013: the Chandigarh–Sahnewal line opens, giving a direct route towards Ludhiana.
- 2014: escalators are installed.
Redevelopment
Chandigarh Junction is being rebuilt in a ₹462 crore project begun in 2023 and nearing completion in 2026. The new station is planned to handle more than 100,000 passengers a day by 2061, with about 1,350 kWp of solar capacity and parking expanded from about 13,720 to 24,515 square metres.
Platforms at Chandigarh
Trains use 6 platforms on 8 broad-gauge tracks, around 331 m above sea level.
Gateway to Shimla
Chandigarh is the nearest major city station to Kalka, where the narrow-gauge Kalka–Shimla toy train begins. Many travellers take a train from Delhi to Chandigarh or Kalka and continue to Shimla by toy train or by road.
Services from Chandigarh
Chandigarh is served by Shatabdi Express and Vande Bharat trains to New Delhi, along with express trains to Mumbai, Lucknow, Amritsar and other cities. Shatabdi and Vande Bharat timings to New Delhi are on the train timings page.
Links around Chandigarh
- Road: city buses, autorickshaws and cycle rickshaws to the sectors of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali.
- Airport: about 7 km away.
Chandigarh pointers
- The station is outside the city centre; allow time for the road journey to the sectors.
- If you are heading to Shimla, check whether your train continues to Kalka; that saves a change of transport.