Quick Revision: Important Dates for Railway Exams
India’s Railway & Transport Milestones
- 16 Apr 1853 – 1st passenger train: Bori Bunder → Thane (34 km, 400 guests)
Trick: “16-4-53 = One-six for three (steam) engines.”
- 15 Aug 1947 – 42 railway systems → 42 → 1 Indian Railways born.
- 1951 – Railway Budget separated from General Budget (1st budget 1924).
- 8 Sept 2016 – First Bullet-train project (Mumbai-Ahmedabad) approved.
Zones & HQ – Year of Creation
| Zone (alphabetical) |
HQ |
Year |
| Central (CR) |
Mumbai CSMT |
1951 |
| Eastern (ER) |
Kolkata |
1951 |
| Northern (NR) |
New Delhi |
1951 |
| North-Eastern (NER) |
Gorakhpur |
1952 |
| North-East Frontier (NFR) |
Guwahati |
1958 |
| Southern (SR) |
Chennai |
1951 |
| South-Central (SCR) |
Secunderabad |
1966 |
| South-Eastern (SER) |
Kolkata |
1955 |
| Western (WR) |
Mumbai Churchgate |
1951 |
| Konkan Railway Corp. |
Navi Mumbai |
1990 (construction started 1990, opened 1998) |
Mnemonic: “CENS-SCN-SSW-K – alphabets give zone initials; 1951 = Big-5 zones.”
Metro & RRTS Firsts
- 24 Oct 1984 – Kolkata Metro (1st in India) – 1st stretch Esplanade → Bhowanipore.
- 19 Nov 2006 – Delhi Metro commercial run (Red Line).
- 21 Oct 2023 – Namo Bharat (Delhi-Meerut RRTS) – India’s 1st regional rapid transit.
Railway Budget Merges
- 2016-17 – Last separate Rail Budget (presented 25 Feb 2016).
- 2017-18 onward – Merged with Union Budget (1 Feb 2017).
UNESCO World Heritage Mountain Railways
| Railway |
Inscribed Date |
| Darjeeling Himalayan (Toy) |
2 Dec 1999 |
| Nilgiri Mountain |
15 Jul 2005 |
| Kalka-Shimla |
9 Nov 2008 |
Safety & Production Units – Establishment
- 1952 – Chittaranjan Loco Works (CLW) – 1st loco 1 Nov 1950.
- 1961 – Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai.
- 1984 – Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) Bengaluru (earlier Wheel & Axle Plant).
- 2015 – Diesel Loco Works renamed Diesel Loco Modernisation Works (DMW) Varanasi.
- 14 Apr – Railway Week starts (Indian Railways Foundation Day week).
- 31 Oct – National Unity Day – Ekta Diwas (Vallabhbhai Patel) – launch of “Statue of Unity” & “Ekta Nagar” railway station renaming.
Rapid-Fire MCQs
Q1. First passenger train in India ran on which date?
Ans. 16 April 1853
Q2. In which year was the Railway Budget separated from the General Budget?
Ans. 1924 (implemented 1924-25; practice continued till 2016)
Q3. When was the first Bullet-train project approved by the Union Cabinet?
Ans. 8 September 2016
Q4. The first metro service in India started on …………
Ans. 24 October 1984 (Kolkata Metro)
Q5. Railway Budget was merged with Union Budget starting FY …………
Ans. 2017-18
Q6. Which mountain railway was the latest to enter UNESCO list?
Ans. Kalka-Shimla (9 Nov 2008)
Q7. Integral Coach Factory (ICF) was set up in the year …………
Ans. 1961
Q8. Konkan Railway Corporation was incorporated in …………
Ans. 1990
Q9. The first locomotive rolled out from Chittaranjan Loco Works on …………
Ans. 1 November 1950
Q10. “Namo Bharat” RRTS was inaugurated on …………
Ans. 21 October 2023
BETA
