station to Lodhran (90 km) is shorter than Multan to Lodhran station (135 km). Therefore, keeping cost constraints and timeline in mind, it was decided to install a chord line from Khanewal to Lodhran as well. Therefore, in 1874, more staff from the railway department was sent to stay in Khanewal and oversee the construction of the Khanewal Lodhran Chord line. In order to support the staff stationed in Khanewal, the railway department pushed the government to improve the area. As a consequence, the government opened two schools in Khanewal. First, Government Primary School # 6 was opened in early 1876 in Kohna Khanewal and then MC Primary School # 7B was opened. Since Khanewal would become a junction where the railway line from Lahore splits in two ways, Multan and Lodhran, the railway department decided to build a small station here in 1876. In order to support the communications, a post and telegraph office was also built (current PTCL office) during the same year. Work slowly continued and after 9 years in 1885, the Khanewal Lodhran Chord line became operational. Khanewal station became more important after getting the status of a junction. Moreover, the railway department needed more competent staff stationed here to make sure junction operations are properly managed. With the increase in economic activity, people from Kabirwala gradually started coming to Khanewal (still called Khanewalah among locals) for work. In 1886, a new separate post office was built in Khanewal Punjab. After the success of the Khanewal Lodhran chord line in 1885, the railway department started working on the next phase to connect Layllpur (now called Faisalabad) with Khanewal. Work on another railway track from Khanewal to Layllpur was initiated in 1890 and on 4 April 1900, Khanewal-Toba Tek Singh was opened. This made Khanewal the biggest junction of India at that time. By this time the railway station of Khanewal was converted from a small flag station to a bigger developed station. It was one of the biggest stations in Northern India and was regarded highly with stations like Lahore, Multan and the Karachi Railway Station. However, despite being a bigger railway station, the economic activity in the city was low. The city looked more like a desert with sand everywhere around it. The population of this region was only driven by the railway employees who lived on the Kohna Khanewal side of the railway track.