Indian Railways (IR) is a
statutory body under the
ownership of
Ministry of Railways
A Ministry of Railways is a Cabinet department that exists or has existed in many Commonwealth states as well as others. It generally occurs in countries where railroad transportation is a particularly important part of the national infrastructur ...
,
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth
largest national railway system in the world by size, with a total route length of . or 83% of all the broad-gauge routes are electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC electric traction .
In 2020, Indian Railways carried 808.6 crore (8.086 billion) passengers and in 2022, Railways transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight.
It runs 13,169 passenger trains daily, on both long-distance and
suburban routes, covering 7,325 stations across India.
Mail or Express trains, the most common types of trains, run at an average speed of . Suburban EMUs run at an average speed of . Ordinary passenger trains (incl. mixed) run at an average speed of .
The maximum speed of passenger trains varies, with the
Vande Bharat Express
The Vande Bharat Express, previously known as Train 18, is a semi-high-speed, electric multiple unit train operated by Indian Railways. It was designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. The first train was manufactured in ...
running at a peak speed of .
In the freight segment, IR runs 8,479 trains daily.
The average speed of freight trains is around . The maximum speed of freight trains varies from depending on their axle load with 'container special' trains running at a peak speed of .
, Indian Railways'
rolling stock
The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can ...
consisted of 2,93,077
freight wagons, 76,608
passenger coaches
A passenger railroad car or passenger car ( United States), also called a passenger carriage, passenger coach ( United Kingdom and International Union of Railways), or passenger bogie ( India) is a railroad car that is designed to carry pas ...
and 12,729
locomotives.
IR owns locomotive and
coach-production facilities at several locations in India. It had 1.254 million employees , making it the world's
eighth-largest employer.
The government has committed to
electrifying India's entire rail network by 2023–24, and become a "
net zero
Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the " ...
(carbon emissions) railway" by 2030.
History
The first railway proposals for India were made in
Madras in 1832.
The country's first transport train, ''Red Hill Railway'' (built by
Arthur Cotton
General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton (15 May 1803 – 24 July 1899) was a British general and irrigation engineer.
Cotton devoted his life to the construction of irrigation and navigation canals throughout British India. He helped many people by b ...
to transport granite for road-building), ran from
Red Hills to the
Chintadripet
Chintadripet ('originally Chinna Thari Pettai) is a locality in Chennai, in India. Located on the southern banks of the Cooum River, it is a residential-cum-commercial area surrounded by Chepauk, Island Grounds, Pudupet, Egmore and Anna Salai ...
bridge in Madras in 1836-1837.
In 1845, the ''Godavari Dam Construction Railway'' was built by Cotton at
Dowleswaram
Dowleswaram is a part of Greater Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation (GRMC). It also forms a part of Godavari Urban Development Authority.
Landmarks
Sir Arthur Cotton built the Dowleswaram Barrage across the Godavari
The Godavari ...
in
Rajahmundry
Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...
, to supply stone for the construction of a dam over the
Godavari River. In 1851, the ''Solani Aqueduct Railway'' was built by
Proby Cautley
Sir Proby Thomas Cautley, KCB (3 January 1802 – 25 January 1871), English engineer and palaeontologist, born in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk, is best known for conceiving and supervising the construction of the Ganges canal during East India ...
in
Roorkee to transport construction materials for an
aqueduct over the Solani River.
These railway tracks were dismantled after these projects were completed and no longer exist.
India's first passenger train, operated by the
Great Indian Peninsula Railway
The Great Indian Peninsula Railway (reporting mark GIPR) was a predecessor of the Central Railway (and by extension, the current state-owned Indian Railways), whose headquarters was at the Boree Bunder in Mumbai (later, the Victoria Terminu ...
and hauled by three steam locomotives (''Sahib'', ''Sindh'' and ''Sultan''), ran for with 400 people in 14 carriages on
broad gauge track between
Bori Bunder
Bori Bunder (also known as Bori Bandar) is an area along the Eastern shore line of Mumbai, India.
Background
This place was used as a storehouse for goods imported and exported from Mumbai. In the local language, 'Bori' mean sack and 'Bandar' ...
(
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
) and
Thane
Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
on 16 April 1853. The Thane viaducts, India's first
railway bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...
s, were built over the
Thane creek
Thane Creek (or Thana Creek) is an inlet in the shoreline of the Arabian Sea that isolates the city of Mumbai (Bombay) from the Konkan region of the Indian mainland. It comprises the area between Mumbra Retibunder and the Mankhurd-Vashi Bridg ...
when the Mumbai-Thane line was extended to
Kalyan
Kalyan (Pronunciation: əljaːɳ is a city on the banks of Ulhas River in Thane district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It is governed by Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Kalyan is a subdivision (Taluka) of Thane district ...
in May 1854. Eastern India's first passenger train ran from
Howrah, near
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, to
Hoogly on 15 August 1854.
The first passenger train in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
ran from
Royapuram
Royapuram is a locality in the northern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for its beach, and for Royapuram Railway Station. The station is the first railway station of south India, opening in 1856, and is today ...
-Veyasarapady (
Madras) to Wallajaroad (
Arcot
Arcot (natively spelt as Ārkāḍu) is a town and urban area of Ranipet district
Ranipet district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, India, formed by trifurcating Vellore district. The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced its prop ...
) on 1 July 1856.
On 24 February 1873, a
horse-drawn
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
opened in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
between
Sealdah
Sealdah is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Etymology
Jackals (''sheal'' in Bengali) howled around Sealdah. Antiquarians identify it as Shrigaldwipa (Jackal Island). Nearby Beliaghata w ...
and Armenian Ghat Street. On 9 May 1874, a horse-drawn tramway began operation in
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
between
Colaba and
Parel. In 1879, the
Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway
Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway (NGSR) was a railway company operating in India from 1879 to 1950. It was owned by the Nizams of Hyderabad State, and its full name was ''His Exalted Highness, The Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway''. The compan ...
was established which built several railway lines across the then
Hyderabad State with
Kachiguda Railway Station
Kacheguda railway station (station code: KCG) is one of the three Central Stations in Hyderabad City of Telangana in India. It is currently operated by the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. The station was first built during the pe ...
serving as its headquarters. In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced by many railway companies. On 3 February 1925, the first electric passenger train in India ran between
Victoria Terminus
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
The terminus was d ...
and
Kurla.
The organization of Indian railways into
regional zones began in 1951, when the
Southern (14 April 1951),
Central (5 November 1951), and
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
(5 November 1951) zones were created.
Fans and lights were mandated for all compartments in all passenger classes in 1951, and sleeping accommodations were introduced in coaches. In 1956, the first fully air-conditioned train was introduced between
Howrah and Delhi (Presently known as Poorva Express). Ten years later, the first containerised freight service began between Mumbai and
Ahmedabad. In 1974, Indian Railways endured a
20 day strike, which damaged the nation's economy.
In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced in New Delhi. In 1988, the first
Shatabdi Express
Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect important metro cities. Shatabdi Express are day-trains and mostly return to their origin station the same day. The trains were first introd ...
was introduced between New Delhi and Jhansi; it was later extended to
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
. Two years later, the first self-printing ticket machine (SPTM) was introduced in New Delhi. In 1993, air-conditioned three-tier coaches and a sleeper class (separate from second class) were introduced on IR. The CONCERT system of computerized reservations was deployed in New Delhi, Mumbai and
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
in September 1996. In 1998, coupon validating machines (CVMs) were introduced at
Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The nationwide concierge system began operation on 18 April 1999. In February 2000, the Indian Railways website went online. Individuals can book reserved tickets in online through
Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation's (IRCTC) official website
www.irctc.co.in. On 3 August 2002, IR began online train reservations and ticketing. The Railway Budget was usually presented two days before the Union budget every year till 2016. The central government approved
merger of the Rail and General budgets from next year, ending a 92-year-old practice of a separate budget for the nation's largest transporter. On 31 March 2017, Indian Railways announced that the country's entire rail network would be electrified by 2022 or 2023, and become a net-zero (carbon emission) railway by 2030.
On 22 March 2020, Indian Railways announced a nationwide shutdown of passenger rail service to combat the
COVID-19 pandemic in India
The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). As of , according to Indian government figures, India has the second-highest n ...
. This became part of a
nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the
novel coronavirus
Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
. The railway shutdown was initially scheduled to last from 23 to 31 March, but the nationwide lockdown, as announced by
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament fro ...
on 24 March, was to last 21 days. The national rail network is maintaining its freight operations during the lockdown, to transport essential goods. On 29 March, Indian Railways announced that it would start service for special parcel trains to transport essential goods, in addition to regular freight service. The national rail operator has also announced plans to convert coaches into isolation wards for patients of COVID-19. The railways have since reopened are currently functioning in 2022.
File:Tanna Village and Smaller Viaduct (12671597053).jpg, alt=A stone bridge, The smaller railway viaduct near Thane in 1855
File:Tanna Railway Viaduct (9142699593).jpg, alt=Train on a stone bridge with girder, The longer railway viaduct near Thane in 1855
File:IndianRailways1871b.jpg, alt=Railway map, Railway map of India in 1871
File:India railways1909a.jpg, alt=Railway map, Railway map of India in 1909
Organisation
Structure
Indian Railways is headed by a Four-member
Railway Board
The Ministry of Railways is a ministry in the Government of India, responsible for the country's rail transport. The ministry operates the statutory body Indian Railways, an organisation that operates as a monopoly in rail transport and is h ...
whose chairman reports to the
Ministry of Railways
A Ministry of Railways is a Cabinet department that exists or has existed in many Commonwealth states as well as others. It generally occurs in countries where railroad transportation is a particularly important part of the national infrastructur ...
. The Railway Board also acts as the Ministry of Railways. The officers manning the office of Railway Board are mostly from organised Group A Railway Services and
Railway Board Secretariat Service The Railway Board Secretariat Service (RBSS) (हिंदी : रेलवे बोर्ड सचिवालय सेवा) is a civil service with induction at Group 'B' stage in the Secretariat of the Ministry of Railways ( Railway Board) ...
. IR is divided into 18 zones, headed by general managers who report to the Railway Board.
The zones are further subdivided into 71 operating
divisions, headed by divisional railway managers (DRM).
The divisional officers of the engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal and telecommunication, stores, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial, security and safety branches report to their respective DRMs and are tasked with the operation and maintenance of assets. Station masters control individual stations and train movements through their stations' territory. In addition, there are a number of production units, training establishments, public sector enterprises and other offices working under the control of the Railway Board.
Human resources
Staff are classified into
gazetted
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
(Groups A and B) and non-gazetted (Groups C and D) employees. Gazetted employees carry out executive / managerial / officer level tasks. As of March 2017, the number of personnel (Groups A & B) constitutes 1.2% of the total strength, while Group C & D account for 92.6% and 6.2% respectively.
There is no direct recruitment of Group B employees in Indian Railways and they are recruited by departmental promotional exams of Group C employees. Recruitment of Group A employees is carried out by the
Union Public Service Commission
The Union Public Service Commission ( ISO: ), commonly abbreviated as UPSC, is India's premier central recruitment agency for recruitment of all the Group 'A' officers under Government of India. It is responsible for appointments to and exam ...
Civil Service exam. Recruitment of Group C junior engineers and depot material superintendents is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board. Group C employees are recruited by 21 Railway Recruitment Board or RRB, which are controlled by the
Railway Recruitment Control Board
Railway Recruitment Control Board is a government recruitment agency for Group C and Group D non-gazetted civil service and engineering posts in Indian Railways under Ministry of Railways , Government of India . It was set up in 1998 in the M ...
(RRCB). Group D staffs are recruited by 16 Railway Recruitment Cells or RRCs.
The training of all groups is shared among seven centralized zonal training institutes and 295 training centers all over India.
IR offers housing and runs its own hospitals, schools and sports facilities for the welfare of its staff.
Subsidiaries
Following is the list of
public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other organizations in which Indian Railways has a stake and are related to rail transport in India:
Other bodies
Rolling stock
Locomotives
![SRE WAG12B 60003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/SRE_WAG12B_60003.jpg)
By 1990s, steam locomotives were phased out and
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
and
diesel locomotives
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...
, along with a few
CNG
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in cy ...
(compressed natural gas) locomotives are used.
Steam locomotives are used only in
heritage trains.
Locomotives in India are classified by gauge, motive power, the work they are suited for, and their power or model number. Their four- or five-letter class name includes this information. The first letter denotes the track gauge, the second their motive power (diesel or electric), and the third their suitable traffic (goods, passenger, multi or shunting). The fourth letter denoted the locomotive's chronological model number, but in 2002, a new classification was adopted in which the fourth letter in newer diesel locomotives indicate
horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...
range.
A locomotive may have a fifth letter in its name, denoting a technical variant, subclass, or sub-type (a variation in the basic model (or series) or a different motor or manufacturer). In the new diesel-locomotive classification, the fifth letter refines the horsepower in 100-hp increments: A for 100 hp, B for 200 hp, C for 300 hp and so on. In this classification, a WDM-3A is a 3100 hp, a WDM-3D a 3400 hp and a WDM-3F a 3600 hp locomotive. Diesel locomotives are fitted with auxiliary power units, which saves almost 88 percent of fuel during the idle time when a train is not running.
Presently Indian Railways rolling stock (bogies) are being manufactured by
ICF,
MCF and
RCF. Where as Locomotives are manufactured by
Chittaranjan Locomotives, Varanasi Locomotives, Patiala Locomotives. All these are owned and operated by Railways Department. But Indian Railways also procure rolling stocks from
BEML
BEML Limited, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, is an Indian Public Sector Undertaking, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. It manufactures a variety of heavy equipment, such as that used for earth moving, railways, transport an ...
and
BHEL
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. It is based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1956, BHEL is India ...
which are other government organizations.
Goods wagons
![BCNA wagons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/BCNA_wagons.jpg)
A new wagon numbering system was adopted in Indian Railways in 2003.
Wagons are allocated 11 digits,
making it easy for identification and computerization of a wagon's information. The first two digits indicate ''Type of Wagon,'' the third and fourth digits indicate ''Owning Railway,'' the fifth and sixth digits indicate ''Year of Manufacture,'' the seventh to tenth digits indicate ''Individual Wagon Number,'' and the last digit is a ''Check digit.''
IR's bulk requirement of wagons is met by wagon manufacturing units both in public and private sectors as well as other Public Sector Units under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways.
Passenger coaches
![LHB SL coaches](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/LHB_SL_coaches.jpg)
On long-distance routes and also on some shorter routes, IR uses two primary types of coach design types.
ICF coach
The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coach was a conventional passenger coach used on the majority of main-line trains in India. The design of the coach was developed by Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, Chennai, India in collaboration with the Sw ...
, in production from 1955 until Jan 2018, constitute the bulk of the current stock. These coaches, considered to be having inadequate safety features, are slowly being phased out. As of September 2017, around 40,000 coaches are still in operation. These coaches are being replaced with
LHB coach
Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coach is a passenger coach of Indian Railways that is developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany (renamed Alstom LHB GmbH in 1998 after the takeover by Alstom and now known as Alstom Transport Deutschland) and mostl ...
. Introduced in mid '90s, these coaches are lighter, safer and are capable of speeds up to .
IR has introduced new
electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets for long-distance routes. One such,
Train-18 is under operation and another,
Train-20 is expected to run from 2020. These train sets are expected to replace locomotive-hauled trains on long-distance routes.
On regional short-distance routes, IR runs
Mainline electrical multiple unit (MEMU) or
Diesel electrical multiple unit (DEMU) trains, depending on the traction available. These train sets are self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration and are expected to reduce congestion on dense routes. Passenger locomotive-hauled trains, having frequent stops, are slowly being replaced with train sets across India.
On suburban commuter routes around the large urban centers, IR runs trains with normal
electric multiple unit (EMU) coaches. These are popularly called as "local trains" or simply "locals".
Manufacturing
Indian Railways is a
vertically integrated
In microeconomics, management and international political economy, vertical integration is a term that describes the arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is integrated and owned by that company. Usually each member of the supply ...
organization that produces majority of its locomotives & rolling stock at in-house production units, with a few recent exceptions.
Locomotives:
*
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) is an electric locomotive manufacturer based in India. The works are located at Chittaranjan in the Asansol Sadar subdivision of West Bengal, with an ancillary unit in Dankuni. The main unit is 32 km fr ...
in
Chittaranjan
Chittaranjan is a census town in the Salanpur CD block in the Asansol Sadar subdivision of Paschim Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is popularly known for the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works.
It was recently featured i ...
,
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
manufactures electric locomotives.
*
Banaras Locomotive Works
The Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) (formerly Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW)) in Varanasi, India, is a production unit of Indian Railways. DLW stopped manufacturing diesel locomotives in March 2019 and was renamed BLW in Oct 2020.
History
Founde ...
in
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
manufactures electric locomotives.
*
Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowrah
The Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowrah is a joint venture of GE Transportation of the US with Indian Railways for the production of 1000 high-power freight locomotives over a period of 10 years designed to run on Indian railway tracks. This fac ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
, a
Joint Venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...
of Indian Railways &
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
manufactures high capacity diesel locomotives, used especially for freight transportation.
*
Electric Locomotive Factory in
Madhepura
Madhepura is a municipality in Madhepura district in the Indian state of Bihar. It stands at the centre of Kosi ravine, It was called ''Madhyapura-'' a place centrally situated which was subsequently transformed as Madhipura into present Madhep ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
, a
Joint Venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...
of Indian Railways and
Alstom SA manufactures electric locomotives.
*
Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works
Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW), (formerly Diesel-Loco Modernization Works (DLMW)), is located in Patiala in the Indian state of Punjab. It was set up in 1981 to extend the service life of diesel Locomotives of the Indian Railways and raise the ...
in
Patiala
Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the '' Qila Mubarak'' (the 'Fortunate Castle') construct ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
upgrades and overhauls locomotives. They also manufacture electric locomotives
Rolling Stock:
*
Integral Coach Factory
Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is a manufacturer of rail coaches located in Perambur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1955 and is owned and operated by the Indian Railways. It is located in Perambur, in the suburbs of Chennai. T ...
in
Perambur
Perambur is a neighbourhood located in the northern region of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Etymology
In Tamil, ''pirambu (பிரம்பு)'' means bamboo and ''ur (ஊர்)'' means city or place. Before British rule, this place was w ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
*
Rail Coach Factory
Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala is a coach manufacturing unit of the Indian Railways in the state of Punjab. It is located on the Jalandhar-Firozpur railway line.
History
Established in 1985, RCF is a coach manufacturing unit of Indian Railw ...
in
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buil ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
*
Modern Coach Factory in
Raebareli
Raebareli is a city in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli district and a part of Lucknow Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Sai river, southeast of Lucknow. It possesses many arc ...
,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
*
Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in
Latur
Latur(लातूर) is a city in Indian state of Maharashtra, and is one of the largest cities of the Marathwada region. It is the administrative headquarters of Latur district and Latur Taluka. The city is a tourist hub surrounded by ma ...
,
Maharashtra
Wheel & Axle:
*
Rail Wheel Factory
Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka (RWF) (also known as Wheel and Axle Plant) is a manufacturing unit of Indian Railways, producing wheels, axles and wheel sets of railroad wagons, coaches and locomotives for the use of Indian Railways and overseas c ...
in
Bengaluru,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
*
Rail Wheel Plant in
Chhapra
Chhapra is a city and headquarters of the Saran district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated near the junction of the Ghaghara River and the Ganges River.
Chhapra grew in importance as a river-based market in the 18th century when t ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
The repair and maintenance of this vast fleet of rolling stock is carried out at 44 loco sheds, 212 carriage & wagon repair units and 45 periodic overhaul workshops across various zones of IR.
Network
Tracks
![Project Unigauge (India)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Project_Unigauge_%28India%29.svg)
As of 31 March 2020, IR network spans of track length, while the route length is .
Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from , though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is 180 km/h (110 mph) during trial runs. Almost all the broad-gauge network is equipped with
long-welded, high-tensile strength
52kg/60kg 90 UTS rails and
pre-stressed concrete (PSC) sleepers with elastic fastenings.
broad gauge is the predominant
gauge
Gauge ( or ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, ...
used by IR and spans of route (94.10% of total route network),
It is the broadest gauge in use across the world for regular passenger movement.
Broad gauge generated 100% of the freight output (net tonne-kilometres) and more than 99% of the passenger output (passenger kilometres) in the fiscal year 2019–20.
The tracks and and
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
tracks are present on fewer routes. All of these routes, except the heritage routes, are being converted to broad gauge. The metre gauge tracks were (3.53% of total route network) and narrow gauges tracks were (2.36% of total route network)
Electrification
As of 1 April 2022, IR has electrified 80% or of the total broad-gauge route kilometers. Indian Railway uses
25 kV 50 Hz AC
Railway electrification systems using alternating current (AC) at are used worldwide, especially for high-speed rail. It is usually supplied at the standard utility frequency (typically 50 or 60Hz), which simplifies traction substations. The dev ...
traction on all its electrified tracks.
Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
The terminus wa ...
and
Kurla on the Harbour Line, on 3 February 1925 on the
Great Indian Peninsula Railway
The Great Indian Peninsula Railway (reporting mark GIPR) was a predecessor of the Central Railway (and by extension, the current state-owned Indian Railways), whose headquarters was at the Boree Bunder in Mumbai (later, the Victoria Terminu ...
(GIPR) at 1500 V DC. Heavy gradients in the
Western Ghats necessitated the introduction of electric traction on the GIPR to
Igatpuri
Igatpuri (Pronunciation: ɡət̪puɾiː formerly known as Egutpoora) is a town and a Hill Station. It is also a municipal council in Nashik District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Western Ghats. Igatpuri railway stati ...
on the North East line and
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
on the South East line. On 5 January 1928 1500 V DC traction was introduced on the suburban section of the
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway between
Colaba and
Borivili, and between
Madras Beach and
Tambaram
Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
Etymology
Tambaram is an ancient to ...
of the
Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway
The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway was a railway company that operated in southern India. It was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway.
Initially, its headquarters was at Royapuram in Ma ...
on 11 May 1931, to meet growing traffic needs.
The 3000 V DC electrification of the
Howrah-
Burdwan
Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...
section of the
Eastern Railway was completed in 1958. The first 3000 V DC
EMU
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
service began on the
Howrah-
Sheoraphuli
Sheoraphuli (also called Seoraphuli) is a neighbourhood of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is on West side of river hooghly. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
Geogra ...
section on 14 December 1957.
Research and trials in Europe, particularly on French Railways (
SNCF), indicated that 25 kV AC was an economical electrification system. Indian Railways decided in 1957 to adopt 25 kV AC as its standard, with SNCF their consultant in the early stages. The first 25 kV AC section was Raj Kharswan–Dongoaposi on the
South Eastern Railway in 1960. The first 25 kV AC
EMUs
Emus may refer to:
* Emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the g ...
, for
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
suburban service, began service in September 1962. For continuity, the
Howrah–
Burdwan
Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...
section of the Eastern Railway and the
Madras Beach
Chennai Beach (formerly known as Madras Beach) (station code: MSB) is a railway terminus of the Southern Railway network in Parry's Corner, Chennai, India. Built on reclaimed land, the station serves the suburban services of the Chennai Suburb ...
–
Tambaram
Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
Etymology
Tambaram is an ancient to ...
section of the Southern Railway were converted to 25 kV AC by 1968. Because of limitations in the DC traction system, a decision was made to convert the electric traction system of the Mumbai suburban rail network of WR and CR from 1.5kV DC to 25 kV AC in 1996–97. The conversion from DC to AC traction was completed in 2012 by Western Railway, and in 2016 by Central Railway. Since then, the entire electrified mainline rail network in India uses 25 kV AC, and DC traction is used only for metros and trams.
Indian Railways announced on 31 March 2017 that the country's entire rail network would be electrified by 2022.
Though not a nascent concept, the electrification in India now has been committed with a fresh investment of to electrify the entire network and eliminate the cost of fuel under transportation which will amount to a massive savings of overall. This will be a boon for savings for the Government to channelize the investments in modernization of the railway infrastructure. Close to 30 billion units of electricity will be required for railway electrification on an annual basis by 2022, leading to excellent opportunities for IPPs of conventional power.
Signaling and telecommunication
![Railway Signal Post at Safilguda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Railway_Signal_Post_at_Safilguda.jpg)
IR uses a range of signalling technologies and methods to manage its train operations based on traffic density and safety requirements.
As of March 2020, around of the route uses
automatic block signalling
Automatic block signaling (ABS), spelled automatic block signalling or called track circuit block (TCB ) in the UK, is a railroad communications system that consists of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of sections ...
for train operations – concentrated in high density routes, large cities and junctions.
Remaining routes are based on
absolute block signalling
Absolute block signalling is a British signalling scheme designed to ensure the safe operation of a railway by allowing only one train to occupy a defined section of track (block) at a time. This system is used on double or multiple lines wher ...
with trains manually controlled by signal men from the signal boxes typically located at stations. Few low density routes still use
manual block signalling methods with communication on track clearance based on physical exchange of tokens. In a few sections, intermediate block signalling is provided to further enhance line capacity with minimal investment. As of March 2020, 602 block sections have intermediate block signals on IR.
IR primarily uses
coloured signal lights, which replaced
semaphores and disc-based signalling (dependent on position or colour).
IR uses two-aspect, three-aspect and four (or multiple) aspect color signalling across its network.
Signals at most stations are interlocked using
panel interlocking,
route-relay interlocking or
electronic interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively re ...
methods that eliminate scope for human signalling errors. IR uses
track circuit
A track circuit is an electrical device used to prove the absence of a train on rail tracks to signallers and control relevant signals. An alternative to track circuits are axle counters.
Principles and operation
The basic principle behind t ...
ing, and block proving
axle counter
An axle counter is a system used in railway signalling to detect the clear or occupied status of a section of track between two points. The system generally consists of a wheel sensor (one for each end of the section) and an evaluation unit for c ...
s for train detection. As of March 2017, 6,018 stations across IR have interlocked stations and multi-aspect signalling. Around 99% of key routes (A, B, C and D) have track circuitry or block proving axle counters for automated train detection. Also, IR has about 59,105 route kilometers of
optical fiber cable
A fiber-optic cable, also known as an optical-fiber cable, is an assembly similar to an electrical cable, but containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry light. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with ...
network across India, that is used for train control, voice and data communication. Around of the route is covered by
GSM-R
GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications.
A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is us ...
based Mobile Train Radio Communication.
In December 2017, IR announced that it will implement
ETCS Level 2
The European Train Control System (ETCS) is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible s ...
system for signalling and control on key routes with an investment of . Currently IR uses
Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) on the busy Ghaziabad – Kanpur route and real-time train monitoring systems on
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
and
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
suburban routes.
Links with adjacent countries
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
is connected by the four times a week ''
Maitree Express
The Maitree Express train ( bn, মৈত্রী এক্সপ্রেস), pronounced ''Moitree Express'' is the first modern day, fully air conditioned, international, express train service connecting Dhaka in Bangladesh to Kolkata in th ...
'' that runs from
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
to
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
, weekly ''
Bandhan Express
The Bandhan Express train ( bn, বন্ধন এক্সপ্রেস) is an international express rail service which runs between the Indian city Kolkata and the Bangladeshi city Khulna every week. It is the second modern day, fully air ...
'' which began running commercial trips between
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
and
Khulna in November 2017 and biweekly ''
Mitali Express
The Mitali Express (13131/13132) train ( bn, মিতালী এক্সপ্রেস) is an international express rail service which connects the Indian city of Siliguri with the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka every week. It is the third modern ...
'' which runs between
New Jalpaiguri Junction and
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
.
Indian and Bangladeshi governments has started work on a new rail link to ease surface transport. India will build a railway linking
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...
's capital
Agartala with Bangladesh's southeastern city of
Akhaura, an important railway junction connected to
Chittagong port
The Chittagong Port ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম বন্দর) is the main seaport of Bangladesh. Located in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong and on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the port handles over 90 percent of Bangladesh' ...
, resource-rich
Sylhet and
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
. An agreement to implement the railway project was signed between the then Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Premier
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh since January 2 ...
during the latter's visit to India in January 2010. Total cost of the proposed project is estimated at . The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) is constructing the new railway tracks on both sides of the border. Of the rail line, of tracks fall in Indian territory. The
Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) is laying the connecting tracks for the new rail link on the Indian side, up to Tripura's southernmost border town,
Sabroom
Sabroom ( bn, সাব্রুম) is a town and a Nagar Panchayat on South Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura. It is located on the banks of the Feni River, which separates India and Bangladesh. Most of the people speak Noakhail ...
– south of
Agartala. From
Sabroom
Sabroom ( bn, সাব্রুম) is a town and a Nagar Panchayat on South Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura. It is located on the banks of the Feni River, which separates India and Bangladesh. Most of the people speak Noakhail ...
, the
Chittagong international sea port is away.
Bhutan
No rail link currently exists with
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...
as of 2021. An long railway line from
Hasimara
Hasimara is a town in Alipurduar district of West Bengal state, India near the border with Bhutan. It is located at 26° 45' N latitude and 89° 21' E longitude at an altitude of 109 metres above sea level and has a population of about 40,000 (20 ...
on the
New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar line in West Bengal to Toribari near
Pasakha town of Bhutan was planned to be built via Satali, Bharna Bari and Dalsingpara.
However this project was scrapped due to opposition from locals.
In 2020, a new line survey was conducted by the IR for a long line from Mujnai on the
New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar line to Neyopaling village under Phuentshopelri Gewog in
Samtse
Samtse is a town and the headquarers of the Samtse District in Bhutan. The population of the town was 5,396 as of 2017. The population of the Samtse district was 60,100 at the 2005 census.
Samtse is close to the Bhutan–India border. Across the ...
.
Myanmar
No rail link currently exist with
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
as of 2021. The
Jiribam–Imphal railway line, currently under construction is planned to be extended up to the Indo-Myanmar border at
Moreh
Givat HaMoreh (Hebrew: גבעת המוֹרֶה), in Arabic: Jebel ed-Duhy, is a hill in northern Israel on the northeast side of the Jezreel Valley. The highest peak reaches an altitude of , while the bottom of the Jezreel Valley is situated at ...
and to be connected to
Tamu
Tamu may refer to:
* Texas A&M University or TAMU
* Tamu, Myanmar
** Tamu District, Myanmar
** Tamu Township
* Ta'mu, rice cooked in woven coconut leaves from the Philippines
* Tamu Massif, an inactive underwater volcano in the Pacific
* '' Helio ...
on the Myanmar side.
Then a missing link needs to be built from Tamu to the existing railhead at
Kalay
Kalay ( my, ကလေး), also known as Kale, is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located upstream from Mandalay and Monywa on the Myittha River, a tributary of the Chindwin River. The town is the district headquarters of the Kalay D ...
of the Kalay–
Pakokku–
Chaung U–Myouhaung (
Mandalay) line.
The construction of this missing link, as per the feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs through
RITES
Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited, abbreviated as RITES Ltd, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India. It is an engineering consultancy corporation, specializing in the field ...
Ltd, is estimated to cost .
Nepal
Two rail links to
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
exist as of 2021, with a third under construction. A line from Raxaul to
Sirsiya
Sirsiya is a village development committee in Parsa District in Province No. 2 of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 1966 people living in 352 individual households.
Sirsiya is now known for its Inl ...
(near
Birgunj
Birgunj ( ne, वीरगञ्ज) is a metropolitan city in Parsa District in Madhesh Province of southern Nepal. It lies south of the capital Kathmandu, attached in the north to Raxaul in the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entr ...
) was opened for freight traffic in 2005 as per an agreement made between the Indian and Nepali government on 2004. In 2018 an MoU was signed between the Indian and Nepali government to extend the Raxaul–Birgunj line to the Nepali capital of
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
.
The
Jaynagar
Jaynagar Majilpur () is a town and a municipality of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated in the southern suburbs of Kolkata. As an urban setup in the vicinity of Kolkata, the town is within the ar ...
to
Janakpur
Janakpurdham or Janakpur ( ne, जनकपुर, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in Dhanusha District, Madhesh Province, Nepal. The city is a hub for religious and cultural tourism. A headquarter of Dhanusha district, ''Janakpur'' is also the capi ...
line was opened on 2020 till
Kurtha after which the section was handed over to the
Nepal Railways
The Nepal Railway Company Ltd. (in short Nepal Railway), reporting mark: NRW / ने. रे) is a state-owned company under Department of Railways (DORW) which operates passenger train services in Nepal. Currently it operates passenger tran ...
in 2021. Services on the section are yet to begin on the line owing to staffing problems of
Nepal Railways
The Nepal Railway Company Ltd. (in short Nepal Railway), reporting mark: NRW / ने. रे) is a state-owned company under Department of Railways (DORW) which operates passenger train services in Nepal. Currently it operates passenger tran ...
. The
Kurtha–
Bijalpura construction is underway and it has been proposed to extend the line to
Bardibas
Bardibas is a municipal area (municipality) and a town located in Mahottari District of Madhesh Province of Nepal. It is located at latitude: 26°54'6.84" to 27°08'46.90" and longitude: 85°47'42.67" to 85°56'42.97". The municipality is surround ...
.
Construction of the
Jogbani
Jogbani is a town, a notified area in Araria District of Bihar state, India. It lies on the Indo-Nepal border with Morang District, Koshi Zone and is a gateway to Biratnagar city. There is a customs checkpoint for goods at the border. Indian ...
to
Biratnagar
Biratnagar () is a metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Province No. 1. With a population of 242,548 as per the 2011 census, it is the largest city in the province and also the headquarters of Morang district. As per the pr ...
railway line is underway as of 2021. The first phase consisting of railway line is already completed from Bathnaha to Nepal Customs point and the remaining portion of the project from Nepal Customs point to Biratnagar is under construction.
Pakistan
Two trains operate to
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
: the ''
Samjhauta Express
The Samjhauta Express () was a bi-weekly train — Thursday and Monday — that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The word ''Samjhauta'' means "agreement", "accord" and "compromise" in both Hindi and Urdu.
Unti ...
'' between
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
and
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
and the ''
Thar Express
The ''Thar Express'' ( hi, थार एक्सप्रेस, ur, , Sindhi: ٿر ايڪسپريس) was an international passenger train that ran between the a suburban area of Jodhpur in the Indian State of Rajasthan and of Karachi in t ...
'' between
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
and
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. However, as of August 2019, they have been cancelled due to the
tension over Kashmir.
Sri Lanka
No rail links currently exist with
Sri Lanka. However The Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, Initially Connected Madras (#Chennai_Egmore) to #Thothookudi Via Train & Thothookudi to Colombo via streamer later 1) Madras (#Chennai_Egmore) to Dhanushkodi Pier through Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express 2) Dhanushkodi Pier to Talaimannar via Boat 3) Talaimannar to Colombo.Yalzhpannam (Jaffna) During 1900's it was a combined train and steamer ferry service between India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Connecting Chennai and Colombo, the system initially utilised a rail-to-sea operation, but changed to a rail-to-sea-to-rail operation. Passengers could buy a single ticket for the journey. Now at present, it runs from Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram via Villuppuram, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Karaikkudi, Devakottai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, Mandapam and Pamban.
Tuticorin–Colombo, in the late 19th century, the railway portion of the route within India was from Madras (Chennai) to Tuticorin. At Tuticorin, passengers embarked on the boat mail steamer to Colombo in Ceylon. The train took 21 hours and 50 minutes for the journey from Madras to Tuticorin. The Boat Mail was one of the early trains to be given vestibuled carriages, in 1898.
Dhanushkodi–Talaimannar, in 1914 after the
Pamban bridge was built, the train's route changed and it went from Madras to Dhanushkodi. A much shorter ferry service then took the passengers to Talaimannar in Ceylon, from where another train went to Colombo. The long ferry journey was considerably shorter than the long Tuticorin-Colombo route.
Services
Passenger service
Station categories
IR categorizes its railway stations by commercial importance into three different categories namely Non Suburban Group (NSG), Suburban Group (SG) and Halt Group (HG). These are further subdivided into subcategories based on their commercial importance (namely from NSG 1 to NSG 6, SG 1 to SG 3 and from HG 1 to HG 3).
The commercial importance of a station is determined by taking into account its passenger footfall, earnings and strategic importance.
These categories are used by IR to decide on and provide the minimum essential amenities required by each station.
Prior to December 2017, the commercial importance of a station was determined only on the basis of its earnings and as such the stations were categorized into seven categories based on it, namely A1, A, B, C, D, E, and F categories.
[Railways revise station categories to improve services](_blank)
, Economic Times, 28 December 2017.
Travel classes
![Seats inside Indian train](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Seats_inside_Indian_train.jpg)
IR has several classes of travel, with or without air-conditioning. A train may have one or several classes. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating, and the
Rajdhani Express Rajdhani may refer to:
* ''Rajdhani'' (film), 1956 Indian film
* ''Rajadhani'' (1994 film), Indian Malayalam-language film
* ''Rajadhani'' (2011 film), Indian Kannada-language film
* Rajdhani, Kotli, a village in Pakistan
* Rajdhani, Gorakhpur, ...
,
Shatabdi Express
Shatabdi Express trains are a series of fast passenger trains operated by Indian Railways to connect important metro cities. Shatabdi Express are day-trains and mostly return to their origin station the same day. The trains were first introd ...
,
Garib Rath Express
The Garib Rath ("Poor's chariot") is a No frills, no-frills air-conditioned train started by the Indian Railways in 2005 to provide subsidized price air-conditioned long-distance travel to passengers who could not afford standard fares of air-c ...
,
Double Decker Express
On Indian Railways
Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the wo ...
,
Tejas Express
The Tejas Express is a semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train introduced by Indian Railways. It features modern onboard facilities with doors which are operated automatically. Tejas means "sharp", "lustre", or "brilliance" in many India ...
,
Humsafar Express
Humsafar Express is a fully premium service with AC-3 Tier and Sleeper class accommodation having all the modern facilities designed and operated by Indian Railways. "Humsafar" is a Urdu word meaning "life partner" or "soulmate" The first servi ...
,
Duronto Express
Duronto Express is a category of long-distance non-stop source to destination trains run by the Indian Railways. Initially these trains did not have any ticketing stops between the origin and the destination, but since January 2016 it is possi ...
,
Yuva Express
The Yuva Express series of trains were introduced by erstwhile Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee during the 2009-10 budget together with the Duronto Express
Duronto Express is a category of long-distance non-stop source to destination t ...
, and
Vande Bharat Express
The Vande Bharat Express, previously known as Train 18, is a semi-high-speed, electric multiple unit train operated by Indian Railways. It was designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. The first train was manufactured in ...
have only air-conditioned classes. Fares for all classes differ, and unreserved seating is the least expensive. Fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat Express trains include food. In September 2016, IR introduced dynamic fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains (except 1AC and EC classes) to increase revenue. Long-distance trains usually include a
pantry car
A dining car (American English) or a restaurant car (British English), also a diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant.
It is distinct from other railroad food service cars that do ...
, and food is served at the passengers' berth or seat. Luxury trains (such as
Palace on Wheels
The ''Palace on Wheels'' is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan. It is now known as Heritage Palace on Wheels.
The trai ...
) have separate dining cars, but these trains cost as much as—or more than—a five-star hotel room.
A standard passenger rake has four unreserved (general) compartments, two at the front and two at the rear (one of which may be for women). The number of other coaches varies by demand and route. A luggage compartment may be at the front or the rear. On some mail trains, a separate mail coach is attached. Lavatories are communal, and
Indian- and Western-style. The classes in operation are (although a train may not have all these classes):
At the rear of the train is the
guard's cabin. It contains a
transceiver
In radio communication, a transceiver is an electronic device which is a combination of a radio ''trans''mitter and a re''ceiver'', hence the name. It can both transmit and receive radio waves using an antenna, for communication purposes. Thes ...
, and is where the guard usually gives the all-clear signal before the train departs. The guard's cabin is also called SLR.
Train types
Trains are sorted into categories which dictate the number of stops on a route, their priority on the network, and their fare structure. Each express train is identified by a five-digit number. If the first digit in the train number is 1 or 2, they are long-distance express trains. If the first digit is 0, the train is a special train which will operate for a limited period of time with a different fare structure. A first digit of 5 denotes a passenger train.
The second digit indicates the zone operating the train. However, for high-speed trains, the second digit is either 0 or 2 (the first remains 1 or 2).
[ The third digit denotes the division within the zone which is responsible for maintenance and cleanliness, and the last two digits are the train's serial number.] The train numbering system was changed from four digits from December 2010, to accommodate the increasing number of trains.
Trains traveling in opposite directions along the same route are usually labelled with consecutive numbers. However, there is considerable variation in train numbers; some zones, such as Central Railway, have a less-systematic method of numbering trains.
Trains are classified by average speed. A faster train has fewer stops (halts) than a slower one, and is usually used for long-distance travel. Most express trains have special names to identify them easily. The names of the trains usually denote the regions they connect, the routes they traverse, or a famous person or tourist spot connected with the train.
Tourism
Indian Railway operates tourist train or coach services on popular tourist circuits in different regions of the country. The service offers tour packages inclusive of rail travel, local transportation, accommodation, food and guided tours. IR offers various tourist services in this segment including Luxury tourist trains, Semi luxury trains, Buddhist special trains, Bharat Darshan trains, Aastha Circuit trains, and Steam trains.
The ''Palace on Wheels
The ''Palace on Wheels'' is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan. It is now known as Heritage Palace on Wheels.
The trai ...
'' is a luxury-train service, frequently hauled by a steam locomotive, to promote tourism in Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. The train has a seven-night, eight-day itinerary on a round trip from New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
via Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
, Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur is a city and Municipal Council (Nagar Parishad) in the Sawai Madhopur District in Rajasthan state, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan. Ranthambore National Park which is 7&nbs ...
and Chittaurgarh
Chittorgarh (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold ...
, Udaipur
Udaipur () ( ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic cap ...
, Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...
, Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
, Bharatpur and Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
.
''Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
The ''Royal Rajasthan on Wheels'' is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage s ...
'' covers a number of tourist destinations in Rajasthan. The seven-day, eight-night tour is a round trip from New Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
's Safdarjung station via Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
, Udaipur
Udaipur () ( ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic cap ...
and Chittaurgarh
Chittorgarh (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold ...
, Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park is a national park in Rajasthan, India, with an area of . It is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal River. It is named after the historic Ranthambore Fort, which lies within the par ...
and Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
, Khajuraho, Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
and Sarnath
Sarnath (Hindustani pronunciation: aːɾnaːtʰ also referred to as Sarangnath, Isipatana, Rishipattana, Migadaya, or Mrigadava) is a place located northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pr ...
, and Agra.
''Maharajas' Express
The ''Maharajas' Express'' is a luxury tourist train owned and operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). It serves four routes across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of ...
'', a luxury train operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways. It was initially wholly owned by the Government of India and operated ...
(IRCTC), runs on five routes to about 12 destinations across northwest and central India (centered around Rajasthan) from October to April.
The ''Deccan Odyssey
The ''Deccan Odyssey'' is an Indian luxury train modeled on the '' Palace on Wheels'' and put into service to boost tourism on the Maharashtra route of the Indian Railways. The train, owned by travel company Cox & Kings since 2014, takes vis ...
'' covers tourist destinations in Maharashtra and Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
. Its seven-night, eight-day tour begins in Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
and stops at Jaigad Fort
Jaigad Fort ( mr, जयगड किल्ला, ) (Also transliterated as Zyghur in old British records.) is a coastal fortification that is located at the tip of a peninsula in Ratnagiri District at a distance of 14 km from the temple ...
, Ganapatipule and Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg
Sindhudurg Fort (Marathi pronunciation: in̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡ is a historical fort that occupies an island in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort was built by Shivaji Maharaj.The fortress lies on the sh ...
, Tarkarli
Tarkarli is a village in Malvan taluka in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a beach destination and remote place in southern Maharashtra. Few years ago, Tarkarli beach is declared as a Queen Beach of Konkan region ...
and Sawantwadi
Sawantwadi an aesthetic land of artists, is an integral part of the Konkan region which is in the mid-western coast of India.
The western coast of India since 1510 A.D. has assumed great importance in Indian history and history of internationa ...
, Goa, Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is ...
and Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
(Day 5), Aurangabad
Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...
and Ellora Caves
Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 mo ...
, and Ajanta Caves and Nashik
Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashi ...
.
The ''Golden Chariot
The ''Golden Chariot'' is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala & Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry, depending on the selected itinerary. It is named after the Stone Ch ...
'' is a luxury train service running on two tours: Pride of the South and Splendor of the South.
The ''Mahaparinirvan Express
The ''Mahaparinirvan Express'' is a tourist train which was launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on 28 March 2007, to attract Buddhist pilgrims. The train takes passengers on an eight-day, seven-night spiritua ...
'', an air-conditioned service also known as the Buddhist Circuit Train, is run by the IRCTC
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways. It was initially wholly owned by the Government of India and operated ...
for Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
pilgrims. Its seven-night, eight-day tour begins in New Delhi and visits Bodh Gaya, Rajgir
Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the d ...
and Nalanda, Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
and Sarnath
Sarnath (Hindustani pronunciation: aːɾnaːtʰ also referred to as Sarangnath, Isipatana, Rishipattana, Migadaya, or Mrigadava) is a place located northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pr ...
, Kushinagar
Kushinagar ( Hindustani: or ; Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is a town in the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is an important and popular Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained ''parinirvana''.
Etym ...
and Lumbini
Lumbinī ( ne, लुम्बिनी, IPA=ˈlumbini , "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth ...
, Sravasti, and the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
.
The ''Fairy Queen
In folklore and literature, the Fairy Queen or Queen of the Fairies is a female ruler of the fairies, sometimes but not always paired with a king. Depending on the work, she may be named or unnamed; Titania and Mab are two frequently used name ...
'', a tourist attraction also known as the world's oldest operating steam engine, hauls a luxury train from Delhi to Alwar
Alwar (Pronunciation: lʋəɾ is a city located in India's National Capital Region and the administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan. It is located 150 km south of Delhi and 150 km north of Jaipur. ...
.
Ticketing
Until the late 1980s, Indian Railways ticket reservations were made manually. In late 1987, IR began using a computerized ticketing system. The system went online in 1995 to provide current information on status and availability. The ticketing network at stations is computerized with the exception of remote areas. IR now provides multiple channels for passengers to book tickets between any two train stations in the country.
Reserved tickets may be booked up to 120 days in advance on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways. It was initially wholly owned by the Government of India and operated ...
website, smartphone apps, SMS
Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
, rail reservation counters at train stations, or through private ticket booking counters. A Tatkal train ticket can be booked by passengers who want to travel at short notice with a reserved seat or berth, but such tickets are sold at higher fares than regular advance reservation tickets.
Confirmed reservation tickets will show the passenger and fare details along with berth or seat number(s) allocated to them on the ticket. If the reservation is not available on a particular train, the ticket has a wait-list number. A person with a wait-listed ticket must wait for enough cancellations to obtain a confirmed ticket. If their ticket is not confirmed on the day of departure, they cannot board the train. Reservation against cancellation tickets, between the waiting and confirmed lists, allow a ticket holder to board the train and obtain a seat chosen by a ticket collector after the collector has found a vacant seat.
Unreserved tickets for short distance or unplanned travels may be purchased at stations at any time before departure. Holders of such tickets may only board the general compartments. Suburban networks issue unreserved tickets valid for a limited time or season passes with unlimited travel between two stops for a period of time. Commuters can purchase tickets and season passes at stations or through UTS mobile apps. A valid proof for the purchase of ticket along with photo identification is required to board the train.
India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and passenger traffic is subsidised by higher-class fares. Discounted tickets are available for senior citizen
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
s (over age 60), the differently-abled, students, athletes, and those taking competitive examinations. One compartment of the lowest class of accommodation is earmarked for women on every passenger train. Some berths or seats are also reserved for women or senior citizens.
Freight service
In the freight segment, IR ferries various commodities and fuels in industrial, consumer, and agricultural segments across the length and breadth of India. IR has historically subsidised the passenger segment with income from the freight business. As a result, freight services are unable to compete with other modes of transport on both cost and speed of delivery, leading to continuous erosion of market share. To counter this downward trend, IR has started new initiatives in freight segments including upgrading of existing goods sheds, attracting private capital to build multi-commodity multi-modal logistics terminals, changing container sizes, operating time-tabled freight trains, and tweaking with the freight pricing/product mix. Also, end-to-end integrated transport solutions such as roll-on, roll-off (RORO) service, a road-rail system pioneered by Konkan Railway Corporation in 1999 to carry trucks on flatbed trailers, is now being extended to other routes across India.
Perhaps the game changer for IR in the freight segment are the new dedicated freight corridors that are expected to be completed by 2020. When fully implemented, the new corridors, spanning around 3300 km, could support hauling of trains up to 1.5 km in length with 32.5 ton axle-load at speeds of . Also, they will free-up capacity on dense passenger routes and will allow IR to run more trains at higher speeds. Additional corridors are being planned to augment the freight infrastructure in the country.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
">Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
IR maintains two UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s: the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai, and the "Mountain Railways of India
The Mountain railways of India are the railway lines that were built in the mountainous regions of India. The term mainly includes the narrow-gauge railways in these regions but may also include some broad-gauge railways.
Three of the narrow gau ...
". The latter are three rail lines in different parts of India: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about long. It climbs from abo ...
, a narrow-gauge railway in the Lesser Himalayas of West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
; the Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) is a railway in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India, built by the United Kingdom, British in 1908. The railway is operated by the Southern Railway zone, Southern Railway and is the only rack railway in India. ...
, a rack railway
A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with th ...
in the Nilgiri Hills
The Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Southern Karnataka, and eastern Kerala in India. They are located at the trijunction of three states and connect the Western Ghats with the Eastern Ghats. At le ...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, and the Kalka-Shimla Railway, a narrow-gauge railway in the Siwalik Hills
The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indian ...
of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
.
Railway Grievance and Suggestion Portal
In 2019, to tackle and resolve the problems of passengers of Indian Railways, the Ministry launched a portal named RailMadad. According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Ashwini Vaishnaw (born 18 July 1970) is an Indian politician and former IAS officer currently serving as the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology in Government of India, since 8 July 2021. He is a membe ...
in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
in 2021, all complaints have been resolved within 72 hours and people gave a satisfactory feedback.
Future
The Indian government plans to invest to upgrade IR by 2020.
Infrastructure modernisation projects include high-speed rail, with the first Ahmedabad-Mumbai train in operation in 2022; redevelopment of 400 stations by monetizing of spare railway land under a plan;[Railways appoints IRSDC as nodal agency for station redevelopment](_blank)
, Livemint, 5 December 2017. doubling tracks to reduce congestion and delays while improving safety;[ the refurbishing of 12- to 15-year-old coaches at the Carriage Rehabilitation Workshop in Bhopal to enhance passenger amenities and fire safety; ]Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
(GPS)-enabled tracking of trains to improve safety and service; Digital India
Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India in order to ensure that the Government's services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity or making ...
-driven digitalisation of the railway to improve efficiency and reduce cost;[ ]rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or a reservoir ...
, with 1885 systems installed by December 2016;[Rain Water Harvesting System In Indian Railway](_blank)
, 7 December 2016. and reforestation
Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting.
Management
A debat ...
of railway land and along the tracks.[India Plants 50 Million Trees in One Day, Smashing World Record](_blank)
, National Geographic, July 2016.
All routes will be electrified
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source.
The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...
to save on imported fuel costs.[Indian Railways orders conversion to Broad Gauge](_blank)
, Rail Digest, 12 April 2017. Off-the-grid
Off-the-grid or off-grid is a characteristic of buildings and a lifestyle designed in an independent manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. The term "off-the-grid" traditionally refers to not being connected to the electrical gr ...
solar-powered trains are planned with the installation of one gigawatt of solar and 130 megawatts of wind power
Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically ...
between 2017 and 2022; India introduced the world's first solar-powered train and 50 coaches with rooftop solar farms in June 2017.[India’s new solar-powered train is the first in the world](_blank)
, June 2017 Initial assessments of this experiment have been positive. Rooftop solar electricity is planned at stations to reduce long-term fuel costs and protect the environment, and sustainable LED lighting at all the stations was completed by March 2018 which saves Rs 500 million per annum in electricity bills. Locomotive factories have been modernised, including two new factories in Bihar: an electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or g ...
factory in Madhepura
Madhepura is a municipality in Madhepura district in the Indian state of Bihar. It stands at the centre of Kosi ravine, It was called ''Madhyapura-'' a place centrally situated which was subsequently transformed as Madhipura into present Madhep ...
and a diesel locomotive factory in Marhaura, and 2,285 bio-toilets were introduced from April to July 2014. A partnership with Alstom to supply 800 electric locomotives from 2018 to 2028 was announced.
All the unstaffed level crossings had been eliminated by Jan 2019, and staffed level crossings are being progressively replaced by overbridges and underbridges.[All unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) have been eliminated on 31st Jan 2019.](_blank)
, 12 May 2016.[ Other safety projects include the extension of an automated fire alarm system, first introduced on Rajdhani Express trains in 2013, to all air-conditioned coaches; and 6,095 GPS-enabled Fog Pilot Assistance System ]railway signalling
Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormo ...
devices (replacing the practice of placing firecrackers on tracks to alert train drivers) installed in 2017 in four zones: Northern, North Central, North Eastern and North Western; and replacing ICF coach with LHB coach.
In an unprecedented move, the railways had suspended the services of all passenger trains for 48 days after the lockdown was announced by the PM on 24 March 2020. Its freight trains however continued to run during this period. This was the first time in its entire history that lifeline of the nation was stopped. On 12 May 2020, in first phase, Railways started the Rajdhani Express for 15 cities and began the reservation for the same via IRCTC
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways. It was initially wholly owned by the Government of India and operated ...
website an evening before.
Indian Railways is planning to seek investments from private firms to operate passenger trains for the first time. Ministry of Railways identified 109 origin-destination routes via 151 trains asked private companies to submit their interest. Private companies may operate trains by April 2023. This will incorporate modern trains with technological advancements like less maintenance, reduce travel time and create employment. 151 trains will be operated by the by private entities. Each train shall have minimum 16 coaches.
Government of India is building the world's highest rail bridge over the river Chenab
The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul regi ...
, which will connect the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India. It is set to be completed in 2022. According to the media, per a local government official: "This is the tallest railway bridge in the world and the maximum designed wind speed for the bridge is 266 kmph".
Commemorative stamps
Stamps released by India Post
India Post is a government-operated postal system in India, part of the Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications. Generally known as the Post Office, it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world. Warren Hastings ...
(by year) -
File:Stamp of India - 1966 - Colnect 145587 - 1 - Electric Locomotive.jpeg, 1966
File:Stamp of India - 1982 - Colnect 169306 - Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.jpeg, 1982
File:Stamp of India - 1998 - Colnect 161856 - Konkan Railway.jpeg, 1998
File:Stamp of India - 2002 - Colnect 158246 - 150 years of Railways in India.jpeg, 2002
File:Stamp of India - 2003 - Colnect 158338 - 100 Years of Kalka Shimla Railway.jpeg, 2003
File:Stamp of India - 2005 - Colnect 158883 - Integral Coach Factory.jpeg, 2005
File:Stamp of India - 2013 - Colnect 477805 - Railway Workshops.jpeg, 2013
File:Stamp of India - 2019 - Colnect 866059 - SE Railways.jpeg, 2019
See also
* List of railway stations in India
* List of railway companies in India
* High-speed rail in India
Indian Railways is currently improving their existing conventional lines to handle speeds of up to , and with certain improved corridors seeing speeds of more than . Also, a total of twelve corridors are planned and one of the corridors which ...
* List of high-speed railway lines in India
India currently does not have any High-speed rail lines operational, but have several lines planned and one of which is currently under construction. The following article lists all the lines in various stages of completion.
Overview
Ne ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* Aguiar, Marian. ''Tracking Modernity: India's Railway and the Culture of Mobility'' (University of Minnesota Press; 2011) 226 pages; draws on literature, film, and other realms to explore the role of the railway in the Indian imagination
excerpt and text search
* Bear, Linda. ''Lines of the Nation: Indian Railway Workers, Bureaucracy, and the Intimate Historical Self'' (2007)
excerpt and text search
* Hurd, John, and Ian J. Kerr. ''India’s Railway History: A Research Handbook'' (Brill: 2012), 338pp
* Kerr, Ian J. ''Railways in Modern India'' (2001
excerpt and text search
* Kerr, Ian J. ''Engines of Change: The Railroads That Made India'' (2006)
* Kumar, Sudhir, and Shagun Mehrotra. ''Bankruptcy to Billions: How the Indian Railways Transformed Itself'' (2009)
* Macpherson, W. J. "Investment in Indian Railways, 1845-1875." ''Economic History Review,'' 8#2, 1955, pp. 177–18
online
*
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External links
Official Website
eTicket Reservation
Glossary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indian Railways
Railway companies of India
Companies based in New Delhi
Government-owned companies of India
Railway companies established in 1845
Indian companies established in 1845
Government-owned railway companies