Lahore's 100-year-old Kana Kacha station fades into history

Once a bustling hub of passengers and freight, the historic Kana Kacha Railway Station, located some 25 kilometres from Lahore, now stands in ruins - its century-old structure on the verge of collapse.

What was once a vibrant station now resembles a haunted house, overrun by addicts and stray animals, with no sign of trains, staff, or travellers.

Built over 100 years ago, the Kana Kacha station was once among the busiest stops on the Lahore railway route.

Trains frequently arrived and departed, carrying thousands of passengers, traders, and farmers across the country.

Locals recall that at its peak, the rush was so great that passengers even clung to rooftops of carriages to find space. But today, the 50-paisa journey that grew to Rs150 has ended permanently, and silence reigns where once steam whistles filled the air.

According to residents, the station has been completely abandoned.

Junkies have taken over the station master's room, the VIP lounge has long been padlocked and rusted, and surrounding land has been encroached upon by locals who tie their cattle there.

Once home to a cinema, a fruit and vegetable market, and a thriving dairy trade, the area is now desolate - its decaying walls stripped of doors and windows by scavengers.

Elderly locals, including Baba Siraj and Baba Ishaq, recall their childhood memories of traveling from the station with their parents.

"We paid as little as eight annas to one rupee for a ticket. It used to feel like a festival whenever a train arrived," they reminisced.

Today, the railway tracks are broken, iron fences have been stolen, and the building is overrun by weeds and thick shrubs.

Locals say they fear passing by the abandoned site at night, as several thefts and criminal incidents have already occurred there.