Portal:Railways in India
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Rail transport in India is one of the most common modes of long-distance transport. Rail operations are largely run by a state-owned company, Indian Railways. The rail network traverses the length and width of the country, covering a total length of 63,140 km (39,233 miles). It is said to be the 4th largest railway network in the world, transporting over 7 billion passengers and over 350 million tonnes of freight annually. Its operations cover twenty-five states and three union territories and also link the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Railways were introduced to India in 1853, and by the time of India's independence in 1947 they had grown to forty-two rail systems. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit—Indian Railways—to form one of the largest networks in the world. Locomotives manufactured at several places in India are assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power and type of operation. Colour signal lights are used as signals, but in some remote areas of operation, the older semaphores and discs-based signalling are still in use. Accommodation classes range from general through first class AC. Trains have been classified according to speed and area of operation. Many trains are officially identified by a four-digit code, though many are commonly known by unique names also. The ticketing system has been computerised to a large extent, and there are reserved as well as unreserved categories of tickets.
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The Mumbai Suburban Railway (Marathi: मुंबई उपनगरीय रेल्वे) system, part of the public transport system of Mumbai, is provided for by the state-run Indian Railways' two zonal Western Railways and Central Railways. The system carries more than 6.9 million commuters on a daily basis and constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. It has one of the highest passenger densities of any urban railway system in the world. The trains plying on its routes are commonly referred to as local trains or simply as locals by the general populace.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway, as well as Indian Railways, are an offshoot of the first railway to be built by the British in India in April 1853, and was also the oldest railway system in Asia. The first train ran between Mumbai and Thane, a distance of 34 km. The Bombay Railway History Group has been striving to document railway heritage along this line.
Due to the geographical spread of the population and location of business areas, the rail network is the principal mode of mass transport in Mumbai. As Mumbai's population swelled from a heavy inflow of migrants in recent decades, frequent overcrowding has become a serious issue, and numerous safety concerns have been raised over the years. A metro system and a monorail system are under construction in Mumbai to ease the travelling conditions in the Suburban network.Selected picture
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2025 in rail transport in India
- July 20 – The government of Andra Pradesh announces that among the eight companies that submitted proposals, Larsen & Toubro is the preferred bidder for construction of the Hyderabad Metro in India, costing a proposed
122 billion. The state and federal governments will each finance 20% of the project while Larsen & Toubro will finance the remaining 60%. The project is expected to be completed in 2014. (Railway Gazette)
- June 6 - Passengers of the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam Samata Express had a narrow escape when its engine derailed near Arand railway station in Chhattisgarh, but no one was injured. Rail services through the track were affected for about five hours due to the derailment at an area between Arand and Bhimkhoj stations in Raipur section. The cause of derailment is yet to be ascertained, officials said.The Hindu
- May 28 - At least 148 people were killed and more than 200 got injured after the Mumbai bound Gyaneshwari Express ,from Howrah Station, with 13 passenger coaches, was derailed by an explosion on the tracks and collided with another train as it traveled through the Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal. The Naxalite-Maoist Group, which is suspected to have derailed the train which threw five of its carriages into the path of an oncoming goods train, however, deny the allegation.(Times of India) (BBC)
- March 20 - Maharajas’ Express luxury train begins operation in India as a joint venture between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the travel agency Cox and Kings India Ltd. Times of India
Did you Know...
- ... that three of the five railroads that make up the Mountain Railways of India (pictured) are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List?
- ...that the railcar that ran on the Shimoga-Talaguppa railway in Karnataka had to be reversed on a turntable, so that it could start its return journey?
- ... that the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu is building four new 'X' Class locomotives – a design dating from 1920?
- ... that the city of Chittaranjan is located in West Bengal and its railway station is located in Jharkhand?
- ... that the Chenab Bridge, of Kashmir Railway, will be the highest railway bridge of its kind in the world at 359 mts, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower, surpassing the Royal Gorge Bridge in US, when completed?
- ... that the World's second longest railway platform is in Kollam Junction railway station, Kerala?
