Railway Heritage Sites
Railway Heritage Sites
Overview
Indian Railways has declared 52 locations as “Heritage Sites” to preserve iconic stations, bridges, workshops and other assets that showcase the 170-year engineering, architectural and cultural legacy of the world’s fourth-largest rail network. These sites are classified into Grade-I (exceptional heritage value), Grade-II (regional value) and Grade-III (local value) and are protected under the 2019 “Policy for Heritage Assets of Indian Railways”.
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total declared Heritage Sites | 52 (as on 31.03.2025) |
| First site notified | Bori Bunder (CSMT Mumbai) – 1995 |
| UNESCO World-Heritage rail stretch | Mumbai CSMT – Pune – 2009 |
| Oldest working steam shed | Rewari (Haryana) – estd. 1893 |
| Highest heritage bridge | Chenab Rail Bridge (Kashmir) – 359 m |
| Only heritage Ropeway | Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) |
| Heritage Ghat section electrified | 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC – 2021 |
| Fairy Queen loco year | Built 1855, Guinness-certified oldest working steam loco |
| Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) opened | 1881, declared World Heritage – 1999 |
| Kalka-Shimla Railway (KSR) tunnels | 103 (longest Barog – 1.14 km) |
| Nilgiri Mountain Railway rack section | 1 in 12.5 (steepest in Asia) |
| Matheran Light Rail gradient | 1 in 20 (Neral–Matheran 21 km) |
| Jamalpur Workshop age | Set up 1862 (oldest running workshop) |
| First heritage hotel in station | Chittaurgarh (2006) |
| CSMT’s Star Chamber ceiling | 330 different floral designs |
| Heritage logo adopted | 2020 – twin-stripe “IR” with Ashoka wheel |
Important Points
- UNESCO has inscribed 5 Indian rail sections as “Mountain Railways of India” – DHR, NMR, KSR, Matheran & Kangra Valley.
- Grade-I heritage structures cannot be demolished/relocated; only sensitive adaptive re-use is allowed.
- Rewari Steam Shed still maintains 10 working heritage steam locos for specials like “Steam Express” to Alwar.
- CSMT Mumbai has the highest number of heritage components (facade, Star Chamber, HQ building, Rajabai clock tower).
- Jamalpur (Eastern Railway) and Kharagpur (SER) workshops are declared living-heritage industrial complexes.
- The 156-year-old Jubilee Bridge (Hooghly) is India’s first cantilever heritage rail bridge.
- Indian Rail Museum Delhi (1977) is the largest in Asia; National Rail Museum, Chanakyapuri has 75 vintage exhibits.
- The Darjeeling “B” Class 0-4-0ST locos are the world’s oldest regularly steamed commercial locos.
- Heritage assets are funded through “Railway Heritage & Tourism Fund” (₹250 cr corpus 2022-27).
- Tourist trains – Palace on Wheels, Heritage Royal Rajasthan, Deccan Odyssey – operate from heritage depots (Delhi Safdarjung, Mumbai CSMT, Tondiarpet).
- Indian Railways issues “Heritage Certificate” to passengers travelling on UNESCO routes.
- 3D laser-scan documentation is being done for all Grade-I sites for disaster-proof conservation.
- Policy mandates 1% of project cost of new works touching heritage assets to be earmarked for conservation.
- Dedicated “Heritage Walks” are organised every Saturday at CSMT, Pune, Baroda, Secunderabad.
- Zonal Railways celebrate “Heritage Week” (12–18 Nov) to mark the first passenger run (16 Apr 1853).
Frequently Asked in Exams
- Which Indian railway section was first declared World Heritage by UNESCO?
Ans: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999). - CSMT Mumbai building was designed by which architect?
Ans: Frederick William Stevens (Gothic-Revival style). - Where is India’s only working heritage steam loco shed located?
Ans: Rewari (Northern Railway). - How many mountain railways of India are on the UNESCO list?
Ans: Five (DHR, NMR, KSR, Matheran, Kangra Valley). - Under which fund are heritage assets maintained after 2022?
Ans: Railway Heritage & Tourism Fund.
Practice MCQs
1. Which of the following is NOT a UNESCO World-heritage Indian railway? a) Kalka-Shimla Railway b) Nilgiri Mountain Railway c) Konkan Railway d) Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Answer: c) Konkan Railway
2. The oldest working steam locomotive “Fairy Queen” was built in – a) 1855 b) 1875 c) 1895 d) 1905
Answer: a) 1855
3. Indian Railways’ first heritage hotel has been set up at – a) Chittaurgarh b) Jaipur c) Mysuru d) Madurai
Answer: a) Chittaurgarh
4. The steepest rack gradient on NMR is – a) 1 in 25 b) 1 in 20 c) 1 in 12.5 d) 1 in 37
Answer: c) 1 in 12.5
5. Who designed the iconic CSMT Mumbai heritage building? a) George Gilbert Scott b) Frederick William Stevens c) Robert Mallet-Stevens d) Edwin Lutyens
Answer: b) Frederick William Stevens
6. As of 2025, total number of Railway Heritage Sites notified is – a) 42 b) 48 c) 52 d) 55
Answer: c) 52
7. The Jamalpur Workshop, declared a living heritage industrial complex, belongs to – a) Northern Railway b) Eastern Railway c) South Eastern Railway d) East Central Railway
Answer: b) Eastern Railway
8. Which of the following bridges is a heritage cantilever bridge over Hooghly river? a) Vidyasagar Setu b) Jubilee Bridge c) Howrah Bridge d) Nivedita Setu
Answer: b) Jubilee Bridge
9. “Heritage Week” is celebrated every year by Indian Railways during – a) 12-18 November b) 16-22 April c) 1-7 December d) 24-30 September
Answer: a) 12-18 November
10. The National Rail Museum is located in – a) Kolkata b) Mumbai c) Delhi d) Chennai
Answer: c) Delhi
BETA
