History History Of Indian Railways 1853 1947
History of Indian Railways (1853–1947) – RRB Exam Capsule
1. Timeline at a Glance
| Year | Milestone | Place / Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1832 | 1st proposal for railways in India | Madras |
| 1836-38 | Experimental rail lines (hand-pushed wagons) | Madras (Red Hill – Chintadripet) |
| 16 Apr 1853 | 1st passenger train in India | Bori Bunder → Thane, 34 km |
| 15 Aug 1854 | 1st passenger train in Eastern India | Howrah → Hooghly, 37 km |
| 1855 | 1st train in South India | Royapuram → Walajah Road (Arcot), 97 km |
| 1871 | Metre-gauge (MG) introduced | Delhi–Rewari |
| 1874 | Universal acceptance of 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) as broad gauge (BG) | |
| 1880 | 1st luxury train “Frontier Mail” (Bombay–Peshawar) | |
| 1892 | Kitchen-cars (dining) started | |
| 1897 | 1st rails laid in Assam (MG) | |
| 1900 | Railway Board constituted | |
| 1920 | Acworth Committee → govt. take-over recommended | |
| 1925 | 1st electric train (1500 V DC) | Bombay VT → Kurla, 16 km |
| 1928 | Peninsular & Oriental (P&O) Express started | |
| 1930 | 1st air-conditioned coach | |
| 1 Apr 1937 | East Indian Railway & GIPR nationalised | |
| 1943 | Bengal–Assam Railway converted to MG for war freight | |
| 15 Aug 1947 | 42 rail systems; Route km 65,217 (BG 40,521, MG 24,696) |
2. Important Firsts (High-frequency MCQ zone)
| First item | Year & Place | Extra fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1st proposal | 1832, Madras | Chief proposer – Lt. A. Court |
| 1st operational railway (goods) | 1837, Red Hill – Chintadripet, Madras | 6.4 km, horse-drawn |
| 1st passenger train | 16-04-1853, Bori Bunder–Thane | 3 rakes, 14 coaches, 400 guests, 21-gun salute |
| 1st MG section | 1871, Delhi–Rewari | 82 km |
| 1st electric section | 1925, Bombay VT–Kurla | 1500 V DC |
| 1st rail bridge over major river | 1854, Hooghly bridge at Pandua | Timber viaduct |
| 1st rail workshop | 1862, Jamalpur (Howrah division) | Still functional |
| 1st Railway budget separate from General budget | 1924-25 | Under Lord Reading |
3. Major Railway Companies & Their Network (1947)
| Company (abbrev.) | Gauge | Headquarters | Route km (1947) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Indian Peninsula Rly (GIPR) | BG | Bombay | 12,481 km |
| East Indian Railway (EIR) | BG | Calcutta | 8,479 km |
| Bombay, Baroda & Central India Rly (BB&CI) | BG | Bombay | 5,712 km |
| Madras & Southern Mahratta Rly (M&SMR) | MG | Madras | 4,923 km |
| Bengal–Nagpur Rly (BNR) | BG | Calcutta | 7,312 km |
| North-Western Railway (NWR) | BG/MG | Lahore | 7,957 km |
| Oudh & Rohilkhand Rly (O&RR) | MG | Lucknow | 2,264 km |
| Assam Bengal Railway (ABR) | MG | Chittagong | 1,674 km |
Note: Above 8 companies held ~80 % of total route km.
4. Statistics & Numbers to Memorise
- Total route km on 15 Aug 1947 – 65,217 km
- BG km – 40,521 (62 %)
- MG km – 24,696 (38 %)
- No. of separate rail systems – 42
- No. of locomotives (steam) in 1947 – 8,249
- No. of coaches – 19,862
- No. of wagons – 2,15,000
- Staff strength (1947) – 8.6 lakh
- 1st rail budget presenter – Sir William Acworth (Chairman, 1920-21)
- Railway Board strength (1905) – 3 members (Chief Commissioner, Traffic, Finance)
- Railway finances separated from General Budget – 1924-25
- 1st Railway Zone (post-nationalisation) – Southern Railway (14-04-1951)
5. Acworth Committee (1920-21) – Key Recommendations
- Government should acquire all major companies.
- Separate Railway Budget.
- Railway Board to be reconstituted with equal voice for Traffic, Finance & Engineering.
- Establishment of a Central Advisory Council.
(All points frequently asked in RRB ‘Match-the-following’)
6. Quick Reference – Chairmen of Railway Board (Pre-1947)
| Period | Chairman |
|---|---|
| 1905-07 | Sir Thomas Robertson |
| 1908-10 | Sir Robert Richmond |
| 1911-14 | Sir Charles Innes |
| 1915-20 | Sir William Michell |
| 1920-21 | Sir William Acworth |
| 1921-24 | Sir Clement Hindley |
| 1925-30 | Sir Alexander Muddiman |
7. 15 High-frequency MCQs (with answers)
Q1. The first-ever railway proposal in India was made in
A. 1830 B. 1832 C. 1835 D. 1837
Answer: B. 1832
Q2. The historic first passenger train of 16 April 1853 was hauled by
A. Lord Lawrence B. Fairy Queen C. Sindh, Sultan & Sahib D. W G 958
Answer: C. Sindh, Sultan & Sahib
Q3. What was the inaugural fare (II class) for the Bori Bunder–Thane journey?
A. 1 anna B. 3 annas C. 5 annas D. 7 annas
Answer: B. 3 annas
Q4. Match the following:
Gauge Width
- Broad Gauge a. 1,676 mm
- Metre Gauge b. 1,000 mm
- Narrow Gauge c. 762 mm / 610 mm
Choose correct code:
A. 1-a, 2-b, 3-c B. 1-b, 2-a, 3-c C. 1-c, 2-b, 3-a D. 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Answer: A. 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Q5. Who headed the 1920-21 committee that recommended government take-over of railways?
A. Acworth B. Muddiman C. Robertson D. Hutchins
Answer: A. Acworth
Q6. In which year was the Railway Board constituted?
A. 1890 B. 1895 C. 1900 D. 1905
Answer: D. 1905
Q7. India’s first electric train ran between
A. Howrah–Burdwan B. Bombay VT–Kurla C. Madras–Chengalpattu D. Delhi–Mathura
Answer: B. Bombay VT–Kurla
Q8. The first rail bridge across the Hooghly river (timber viaduct) was built in
A. 1854 B. 1856 C. 1858 D. 1860
Answer: A. 1854
Q9. Which of the following companies was nationalised on 1 Jan 1943 to form Bengal–Assam Railway?
A. EIR B. GIPR C. ABR D. O&RR
Answer: C. ABR
Q10. The total route km of Indian Railways at the time of independence was about
A. 42,000 B. 53,000 C. 65,000 D. 78,000
Answer: C. 65,000
Q11. Which city had India’s first MG section?
A. Jaipur B. Delhi C. Ahmedabad D. Hyderabad
Answer: B. Delhi
Q12. “Frontier Mail” (renamed Golden Temple Mail) was introduced by
A. EIR B. GIPR C. BB&CI D. NWR
Answer: C. BB&CI
Q13. The first rail workshop of Indian Railways is located at
A. Perambur B. Jamalpur C. Kanchrapara D. Chittaranjan
Answer: B. Jamalpur
Q14. When was the separate Railway Budget first presented?
A. 1921-22 B. 1922-23 C. 1923-24 D. 1924-25
Answer: D. 1924-25
Q15. Which of the following was NOT a recommendation of the Acworth Committee?
A. Govt. acquisition of major railways
B. Separate Railway Budget
C. Privatisation of branch lines
D. Reconstitution of Railway Board
Answer: C. Privatisation of branch lines
8. tag – Additional Q&A for Revision
Q. Why 16 April 1853 is called the “Birthday of Indian Railways”?
It marks the maiden 34 km steam-hauled passenger run from Bori Bunder to Thane, heralding organised rail transport in India.
Q. What is the significance of 1 April 1937?
On this date the two biggest companies—GIPR and EIR—were formally nationalised, bringing ~40 % of the network under direct government control.
Q. Name any two railways that were entirely MG in 1947.
Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway (M&SMR) and Assam Bengal Railway (ABR).
Keep revising the timeline, gauges, firsts & statistics – these are the sure-shot score boosters in every RRB NTPC/Group-D/ALP exam.
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