Portal:Railways in India

Portals → Technology → Transport → Trains → Railways in India

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.

More ...

Template:/box-footer

edit

Selected article

The Mountain Railways of India refer to the five railway lines built in the mountains of India in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, during the British Raj, which are run even today by the Indian Railways. Three out of these five railways, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881), the Kalka-Shimla Railway (1898) and the Kangra Valley Railway (1924), are located in the rugged hill regions of the Himalayas of Northern India and the other two are much further south in the Western Ghats; the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Southern India, and the Matheran Hill Railway in Maharashtra. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway have been collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site entitled "Mountain Railways of India". These five railways in India are part of around twenty similar lines of narrow gauge and metre gauge found in the world. All the five railway lines are still operational and connect to important hill resorts, from foothills, winding through rugged and scenic mountainous terrains. Given the terrain that they were constructed on, in the British colonial period they were considered, "outstanding examples of the interchange of values on development in technology" and engineering marvels.

Read more...

Archive • Candidates

edit

Selected picture

A Phase-II, broad gauge Delhi Metro train on the Blue line, manufactured by Bombardier.

Read more...

Archive • Candidates

Template:/box-header

REDIRECT Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian railways/to do

Template:/box-footer

Template:/box-header


Transport in India (under const.)	Trains	UK Railways	UK Trams	Sri Lanka Railways

Template:/box-footer

Template:/box-header

WikiProject Railways in India (WP:INRI)

Similar WikiProjects:

by region:

Fictional rail transport topics:

WikiProject Thomas (WP:THOMAS)

Template:/box-footer

Template:/box-header

history watch

2024 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

Archive • News Room

Template:/box-footer

edit

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?