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Dayalpur Railway Station: The decades-long grassroots effort by villagers to save Dayalpur Railway Station in Prayagraj has seemingly come to an unfortunate end. Once a symbol of local pride, the station is now on the verge of complete neglect and disuse, largely due to the discontinuation of train stoppages.
The condition of the station premises reflects years of decay. What once served as the ticket counter is now occupied by stray cattle. The station master’s cabin, too, stands in ruins, bearing testimony to years of abandonment.
Local residents believe that the primary reason behind the station’s deterioration is the lack of train halts. "If trains had continued stopping here, people would still be invested in saving it," said a local villager. In fact, years ago, residents had taken the extraordinary step of buying tickets with their own money—even when they had no intention of travelling—just to keep the station's records active and to show usage.
The motive was not just convenience but identity. For the villagers, Dayalpur Station was a part of their village’s heritage, something worth preserving. However, when train stoppages ceased entirely, the community’s spirit gradually faded, and so did the initiative.
While several trains still pass through Dayalpur station, they no longer stop. Presently, only one train halts at the station, but it does not go towards Prayagraj—it runs on the Pratapgarh route, limiting its utility for locals.
Now, this 70-year-old railway station stands as a shadow of its former self—broken, unused, and nearly forgotten. The villagers are of the opinion that if some of the passing trains - especially those connecting to Prayagraj - are given even one minute halt at the station, it would change the fortune of the station and the villagers.
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