Save century-old Dera Baba Nanak Railway Station, declare it heritage site, museum: Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana (Punjab), December 22, 2025: Punjabi Lok Virasat Akademi Chairman and noted academic Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill has urged the Union Railway Minister to halt the proposed demolition of the century-old Dera Baba Nanak railway station and instead grant it heritage status by converting it into a museum.
In a letter addressed to the Railway Minister, Prof. Gill, a native of the Dera Baba Nanak area, expressed deep concern over reports suggesting that the Central Government is planning to demolish the historic railway station built in 1927, prior to the Partition of India and Pakistan. He said he learned about the proposal through media reports and a letter written by Gurdaspur Member of Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.\
Highlighting the historical significance of the station, Prof. Gill pointed out that Dera Baba Nanak railway station in Gurdaspur district is the only remaining station in Punjab that once formed a crucial part of the Amritsar–Sialkot rail link before Independence. Given its proximity to the Kartarpur Corridor, the station holds immense cultural and historical value, he said.
Appealing to the sentiments of heritage lovers, historians and cultural institutions, Prof. Gill emphasized that instead of demolition, the Railways should establish a heritage museum at the site. He demanded that the demolition process be stopped immediately and the decision reviewed in consultation with the Department of Archaeology and Antiquities and heritage experts.
Prof. Gill further called for a comprehensive preservation and upgradation plan for the station, stressing the need to involve local residents, historians and cultural bodies in the decision-making process. Warning that the demolition would permanently erase an important chapter of Punjab’s history, he said it would destroy vital evidence of the region’s pre-Independence and pre-Partition past.
Expressing hope for prompt intervention, Prof. Gill urged the Railway Minister to take immediate cognizance of the matter and ensure that the priceless historical legacy of Punjab is preserved for future generations.