The East Indian Railway Company initiated efforts to develop a railway line from Howrah to Delhi in the mid nineteenth century. Even when the line to Mughalsarai was being constructed and only the lines near Howrah were put in operation, the first train ran from Prayagraj to Kanpur in 1859. For the first through train from Howrah to Delhi in 1864, coaches were ferried on boats across the Yamuna at Prayagraj With the completion of the Old Naini Bridge across the Yamuna through trains started running in 1865–66.[2][3][non-primary source needed][4]
The opening of the Curzon Bridge, across the Ganges, in 1902, linked Prayagraj to regions north of or beyond the Ganges.[5]
The Varanasi–Prayagraj City (Rambagh) line was constructed as a metre-gauge line by the Bengal and North Western Railway between 1899 and 1913. It was converted to broad gauge in 1993–94.[6][unreliable source?][7][non-primary source needed]
The state government changed the name of the station from Allahabad Junction to Prayagraj Junction in February 2020.[8]
Electrification
The Cheoki–Subedarganj section was electrified in 1965–66.[9]
Workshops
There are engineering workshops of Indian Railways at the railway station.[10]
Passenger movement
Prayagraj is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.[11][non-primary source needed] The station has two entry sides i.e. City Side to the south and Civil Lines Side to the north.[12]
Prayagraj Junction is an 'A' grade railway station. It furnishes 3 double-bedded AC retiring rooms, 9 double-bedded non-AC retiring rooms, a 20-bedded dormitory and Wi-Fi for the comfort of passengers. The North Central Railways (NCR) have introduced airport like boarding facility so that the passengers will be issued boarding pass to avail facilities at the junction from new state of the art check-in counters.[15]
