Indian Railways History
Indian Railways History
Overview
Indian Railways, the lifeline of the nation, is one of the world’s largest railway networks under single management. Its 170-year journey—from the first steam run in 1853 to the present-day Vande Bharat Express—mirrors India’s own economic, social and political evolution. Every mile of track laid, every bridge built and every timetable printed has a story that is asked repeatedly in RRB NTPC, Group-D, ALP and UPSC exams.
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First passenger train in India | 16 Apr 1853, Bombay–Thane (34 km) |
| First steam loco in India | 1851, Roorkee–Piran Kaliyar (goods) |
| First electric train in India | 3 Feb 1925, Bombay VT–Kurla (1500 V DC) |
| First metro rail | 24 Oct 1984, Kolkata Metro (Esplanade–Bhowanipore) |
| First Rajdhani Express | 1 Mar 1969, New Delhi–Howrah (via Gaya) |
| First Shatabdi Express | 1988, New Delhi–Jhansi |
| First Duronto Express | 2009, Sealdah–New Delhi |
| First Vande Bharat Express | 15 Feb 2019, New Delhi–Varanasi |
| First rail budget separate from general budget | 1924–25 (Sir Alexander Muddiman Committee) |
| Rail budget merged with Union Budget | 2017–18 (presented together) |
| Indian Railways nationalised | 1951 (all private companies merged) |
| Railway Board created | 1905 (reconstituted 1951) |
| Zonal re-organisation (1st) | 14 April 1952 (6 zones) |
| Latest zone created | South Coast Railway (SCoR) – 2019 (operational from 2019) |
| Total zones at present | 19 (18 conventional + 1 metro) |
| UNESCO World Heritage rail sites | 2 – Mountain Railways of India (Darjeeling, Nilgiri) |
| Longest platform in India | Hubballi (Hubli) – 1,507 m (2021) |
| First rail factory | Jamalpur Loco Workshop (1862) |
| First electric loco factory | Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), 1950 |
| First coach factory | Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai (1955) |
| First rail university | National Rail & Transport Institute (NRTI), Vadodara – 2018 |
Important Points
- 1853: Bombay–Thane passenger service flagged off with 14 carriages & 400 guests; 3 steam locos—Sahib, Sindh & Sultan.
- 1870: Allahabad–Jabalpur–Bombay route linked to create the first trunk route (Howrah–Bombay).
- 1880: Gatling light on trains—first form of “air-conditioning”.
- 1895: India becomes first country in Asia to run full electric traction (DC) on Harbour Line, Bombay.
- 1907: First “family planning” poster displayed in Bombay suburban trains.
- 1920: Acworth Committee recommends state ownership; leads to 1924 separation of rail finances.
- 1947: IR inherited 388 km of electrified route, 54,000 km total route; 7,500 km in Pakistan.
- 1952: Six original zones—Central, Eastern, Northern, North Eastern, Southern & Western.
- 1956: First 25 kV AC traction on Raj Kharsawan–Dongoposi (SER) with French SNCF help.
- 1984: Computerised passenger reservation starts at New Delhi (PRS) & Bombay (PRS).
- 1995: CONCERT (Country-wide Network for Computerised Enhanced Reservation & Ticketing) fully rolls out.
- 2002: 1st phase of Konkan Railway (Roha–Mangalore) opens—longest rail tunnel (6.5 km) then.
- 2008: “Vision 2025” & National Rail Vikas Yojana (NRVY) launched.
- 2016: Suresh Prabhu announces elimination of unmanned level-crossings by 2020 (achieved 2019).
- 2022: 100% electrification of broad-gauge routes targeted under “Mission 100% Electrification”.
Frequently Asked in Exams
- Date & route of first passenger train – 16 April 1853, Bombay to Thane.
- Father of Indian Railways – Lord Dalhousie (recommended rail in 1853).
- First Railway Minister of independent India – John Mathai (1948–50).
- First fully computerised zone – Southern Railway (1986).
- Oldest working steam loco in India – Fairy Queen (1855, now heritage).
BETA
