Indian Railways
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox company Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system.Template:Efn Template:As of, it manages the fourth largest national railway system by size, with a track length of Template:Cvt, running track length of Template:Cvt and route length of Template:Cvt, of which Template:Cvt is Template:RailGauge broad gauge. Template:As of, 96.59% of the broad-gauge network is electrified. With more than 1.2 million employees, it is the world's ninth-largest employer and India's second largest employer.
In 1951, the Indian Railways was established by the amalgamation of 42 different railway companies operating in the country, spanning a total of Template:Cvt. The railway network across the country was reorganized into six regional zones in 1951–52 for administrative purposes, which was gradually expanded to 18 zones over the years.Template:Efn
The first steam locomotive hauled railway operated in 1837 in Madras for ferrying cargo. The first passenger railway was operated in 1853 between Bombay and Thane. In 1925, the first electric train ran in Bombay on DC traction. The first locomotive manufacturing unit was commissioned in 1950 at Chittaranjan with the first coach manufacturing unit set-up at Madras in 1955.
Indian Railways runs various classes of express, passenger, suburban, and freight trains. In 2023–24, it operated 13,198 passenger trains on average daily covering 7,325 stations and carried 6.905 billion passengers. It operated 11,724 freight trains on average daily and transported 1588.06 million tonnes of freight.<ref name="IRYB"/> Indian Railways operates multiple classes of rolling stock, manufactured by self-owned coach-production facilities. Template:As of, Indian Railways' rolling stock consisted of 327,991 freight wagons, 91,948 passenger coaches (including multiple unit coaches) and 10,675 electric, 4,397 diesel and 38 steam locomotives.<ref name="IRYB"/>
History
1832–1899
In 1832 the proposal to construct the first railway line in India at Madras was made.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Hist">Template:Cite report</ref> In 1835, a railway track was constructed between Red Hills and Chintadripet in Madras and became operational in 1837. It was hauled by a rotary steam engine imported from England and was used for ferrying granite.<ref name="FR">Template:Cite news</ref>
The Madras Railway was established in 1845 and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway was incorporated in 1849.<ref name="Hist"/> Temporary railway lines were built such as the railway line at Dowleswaram built by Arthur Cotton to supply stone for the construction of a dam over the Godavari River in 1845 and the Solani aqueduct railway, built by Proby Cautley in Roorkee to transport construction materials for an aqueduct over the Solani river in 1851.<ref name="Hist"/> In 1852, a steam locomotive imported from England was tried at Byculla.<ref name="Locoh">Template:Cite report</ref> In 1853, the first passenger train on Template:RailGauge broad gauge ran for Template:Convert between Bombay and Thane which had 14-carriages carrying 400 people, hauled by three steam locomotives: the Sahib, Sindh and Sultan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This day is considered to be the formation date of the Indian Railways and is marked annually as Indian Railways Day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Thane viaducts, the first railway bridges, were built over the Thane creek when the Mumbai-Thane line was extended to Kalyan in May 1854. Eastern India's first passenger train ran Template:Convert from Howrah, near Kolkata, to Hoogly on 15 August 1854.<ref name="Hist"/> The construction of the first main line in South India between Royapuram in Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational on 1 July 1856.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 24 February 1873, a horse-drawn Template:Convert tram opened in Calcutta between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat street.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1875, a railway line was opened between Mokama and Darbhanga by the local ruler Lakshmeshwar Singh through Tirhut Railway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 9 May 1874, a horse-drawn tramway began operation in Bombay between Colaba and Parel.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In 1879, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was established which built railway lines across the then Hyderabad State from Kachiguda.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1877, Ajmer built "F1" class metre-gauge steam locomotive no. 734 became the first indigenously built locomotive in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced with Jodhpur Railway, the first to introduce electric lighting as a standard fixture.<ref name="Hist"/>
1900–1999
The first railway budget was presented in 1924.<ref name="Hist"/> On 3 February 1925, the first electric train ran between Bombay and Kurla, hauled by a SLM electric locomotive on DC traction.<ref name="EL">Template:Cite report</ref> In 1925, the first Electric Multiple Units (EMU) were introduced in Bombay with 1500 V DC units imported from Cammell Laird and Uerdingenwagonfabrik.<ref name="EL1">Template:Cite report</ref> Chennai suburban railway started operating in 1931 with a single metre-gauge line from Chennai Beach to Tambaram.<ref name="SR"/> In the period between 1925 and 1944, the management of the railway companies in the British presidencies and provinces was taken over by the Government.<ref name="Zone">Template:Cite report</ref>
In 1950, there were about 42 different railway companies operating about Template:Cvt tracks across the country.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="NAIR"/> These railway companies were amalgamated in steps to form a single entity named as Indian Railways.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In December 1950, the Central Advisory Committee for Railways approved the plan for re-organizing Indian Railways into six regional zones with the Southern (14 April 1951), Central (5 November 1951), and Western (5 November 1951) zones being the first to be created.<ref name="NAIR">Template:Cite report</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="Zone"/> In 1952, fans and lights were mandated for all compartments in passenger trains and sleeping accommodations were introduced in coaches.<ref name="Hist"/> The first diesel locomotive used in India was fabricated by North British Locomotive Company in 1954.<ref name="Gandhi">Template:Cite report</ref>
The first locomotive manufacturing unit at Chittaranjan was commissioned in 1950.<ref name="Chit">Template:Cite report</ref> The first rail coaches were manufactured in India from 1956 when the Integral Coach Factory was established at Madras.<ref name="ICF">Template:Cite report</ref> In 1956, the first air-conditioned train plied between Howrah and New Delhi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1957, Indian Railways adopted 25 kV AC traction with the first runs beginning in December 1959 with the WAM-1 locomotives.<ref name="EL1"/> The first containerized freight rail transport began between Bombay and Ahmedabad in 1966.<ref name="Hist"/> In 1969, the Government of India announced the introduction of a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to Template:Cvt in the railway budget and the first Rajdhani Express was flagged off from New Delhi to Howrah in March 1969.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="auto">Template:Cite report</ref> In 1974, Indian Railways endured a 20-day strike.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first metro rail was introduced in Calcutta on 24 October 1984.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced.<ref name="IT">Template:Cite report</ref> In 1988, the first Shatabdi Express was introduced between New Delhi and Jhansi.<ref name="Hist"/> Two years later, the first self-printing ticket machine (SPTM) was introduced in Delhi.<ref name="SF">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1993, air-conditioned three-tier and sleeper were introduced.<ref name="Hist"/> In 1995, Chennai MRTS became the first operational elevated railway line in India.<ref name="SR">Template:Cite report</ref> Centralized computer reservation system was deployed in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in September 1996, coupon validating machines (CVMs) were introduced at Mumbai CSMT in 1998 and the nationwide concierge system began operation on 18 April 1999.<ref name="Hist"/>
2000–present
The Indian Railways website went online in February 2000. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was incorporated in 1999 and online ticketing was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC.<ref name="IRCTC">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered trains were rolled out.<ref name="CNG">Template:Cite news</ref> Since 1925, the Railway budget was presented before the Union budget till 2016. The central government approved the merger of the Rail and General budgets from 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 31 March 2017, Indian Railways announced a target of electrifying the entire rail network would be electrified by 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2020, Indian Railways announced a nationwide shutdown of passenger service to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in India with the freight operations continuing to transport essential goods.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The railways resumed passenger services in a phased manner in May 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Starting in the 2010s, various infrastructure modernization projects have been undertaken including high-speed rail,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> redevelopment of 400 stations,<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> doubling tracks to reduce congestion,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> refurbishing of coaches,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled tracking of trains<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and modernization of locomotives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, a semi-high speed self-propelled train-set capable of reaching speeds of over Template:Cvt was rolled out from ICF and the Vande Bharat Express was launched in 2019.<ref name="VB">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Indian Railways announced plans to become a net-zero carbon emission railway by 2030 and has implemented rainwater harvesting at stations,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> reforestation along the tracks,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> introduction of solar-powered trains,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> installation of solar and wind power generation facilities,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and sustainable LED lighting at all the stations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Indian railways removed all unstaffed level crossings by 2019 with staffed level crossings being replaced by bridges.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Other safety projects include the extension of an automated fire alarm system to all air-conditioned coaches and GPS-enabled Fog Pilot Assistance System railway signalling devices.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, Indian Railways allowed the operation of private passenger trains for the first time with the first train flagged off from Coimbatore in June 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Organisation
Structure
Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India.Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="PSU">Template:Cite news</ref> It is governed by a Railway Board, which acts on behalf of the Ministry of Railways.<ref name="PSU"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The five member Railway board is headed by a chairman cum chief executive officer, and consists of members responsible for infrastructure, traction & rolling stock, operations & business development, and finance.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Additionally, officers on special duty include those overseeing human resources, Railway Protection Force, health and safety.<ref name="ZR">Template:Cite report</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Indian Railways is divided into 18 administrative zones (17 operational), headed by general managers which are further subdivided into 68 operating divisions, headed by divisional railway managers (DRM).<ref name="ZR"/> The divisional officers of the respective operating verticals report to the DRMs and divisional heads and are tasked with the operation and maintenance of assets. Station masters control individual stations and train movements through their stations' territory.<ref name="IRYB"/> In addition, there are a number of manufacturing units, training establishments, PSUs and other undertakings under the purview of the Indian Railways.<ref name="ZR"/>
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-3
| No. | Zone | Code | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern | SR | Chennai | 1951 |
| 2 | Central | CR | Mumbai CSMT | 1951 |
| 3 | Western | WR | Mumbai (Churchgate) | 1951 |
| 4 | Eastern | ER | Kolkata | 1952 |
| 5 | Northern | NR | Delhi | 1952 |
| 6 | North Eastern | NER | Gorakhpur | 1952 |
| No. | Zone | Code | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | South Eastern | SER | Kolkata | 1955 |
| 8 | Northeast Frontier | NFR | Guwahati | 1958 |
| 9 | South Central | SCR | Secunderabad | 1966 |
| 10 | East Central | ECR | Hajipur | 2002 |
| 11 | South East Central | SECR | Bilaspur | 2003 |
| 12 | North Western | NWR | Jaipur | 2002 |
| No. | Zone | Code | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | East Coast | ECoR | Bhubaneswar | 2003 |
| 14 | North Central | NCR | Prayagraj | 2003 |
| 15 | South Western | SWR | Hubballi | 2003 |
| 16 | West Central | WCR | Jabalpur | 2003 |
| 17 | South Coast | SCoR | Visakhapatnam | 2019 |
| 18 | Konkan Railway | KR | Navi Mumbai | 1998 |
Human resources
Staff are classified into gazetted (Groups A and B) and non-gazetted (Groups C and D) employees with gazetted employees carrying out executive/managerial level tasks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, Groups A & B constitute 1.4% of the total workforce, while Group C (into which Group D merged before 2020) accounts for 98.6%.<ref name="IRYB"/> 80% of Group-A employees are recruited through Indian Railways Management Service with remaining through promotions.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Group B employees are recruited by departmental promotional exams of Group C employees. Recruitment of Group C employees are through exams conducted by the Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB) and Group D staffs are recruited by zonal Railway Recruitment Cells (RRC).<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> Indian Railways operates seven centralized training institutes and 295 training centers. It also provides housing, healthcare and education facilities for staff.<ref name="IRYB"/>
As of 2024, Indian railways employed 1.25 million people.<ref name="IRYB"/> In March 2025, there were 0.13 million women employees including 2,162 loco pilots, 794 train managers, and 1,699 station masters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Subsidiaries
Indian Railways has various public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other organisations under its purview:<ref name="IRYB"/>
Indian Railways also has multiple bodies and undertakings under its purview such as:<ref name="IRYB"/>
- Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC)
- Central Railside Warehouse Company Limited (CRWCL)
- Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)
- Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops (COMW)
- Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE)
- Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)
- Passenger Amenities Committee
- Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA)
- Railway Protection Force (RPF)
- Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB)
- Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB)
- Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO)
Infrastructure and operations
Rolling stock
- Locomotives
Template:Main The first trains in the 1800s were hauled by imported steam locomotives.<ref name="Hist"/> In 1877, the first locomotive was built in India.<ref name="Locoh"/> Electric locomotives were introduced in 1925 and diesel locomotives later in 1954.<ref name="Gandhi"/><ref name="EL"/> By 1990s, steam locomotives were phased out and are currently operated only on mountain railways and on heritage trains. Locomotives are classified by track gauge (broad/metre/narrow/narrower), motive power (electric/diesel/battery), function (passenger/goods/mixed), power rating (x1000 HP) and model in a four or five letter code.<ref name="Class">Template:Cite report</ref> The locomotives may be Longer Hood Front (LHF), where the driver cabin is behind the hood of the engine or Short Hood Front (SHF), where the cabin is located towards the front.<ref name="Class"/> Multiple units (MU) are propelled by locomotives integrated with train-sets. In 2015, the first compressed natural gas (CNG) powered MUs were rolled out by ICF.<ref name="CNG"/> In 2018, the semi-high speed self-propelled Vande Bharat train-set was rolled out from ICF.<ref name="VB"/> Locomotives are manufactured by five owned manufacturing units of the Indian Railways and BHEL.<ref name="facility">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, 37% of the trains were operated by diesel locomotives and rest mostly by electric locomotives.<ref name="DPC">Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of, Indian Railways has 12,919 electric and 4,163 diesel locomotives amongst others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Passenger coaches
The early rail coaches were based on a prototype by a Swiss company and were termed as ICF coaches after Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the first coach manufacturing unit in India.<ref name="ICF"/> These coaches, manufactured from 1955 to 2018, were largely in use till the early 2010s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From the late 1990s, the ICF coaches were replaced by safer and newer LHB coaches designed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the late 2010s, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of select trains from LHB to Tejas coaches with enhanced features and the introduction of trainsets with specialised coaches such as Vande Bharat.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of, Indian Railways had 91,948 passenger coaches, including 65,016 conventional, 12,229 EMU and 1,681 DMU coaches.<ref name="IRYB"/> Coaches are manufactured by five manufacturing units of the Indian Railways and public sector companies BEML and BHEL.<ref name="facility"/> The coaching stock have unique five or six digit identifiers. Till 2018, the first two digits indicating the year of manufacture and the last three digits indicating the class.<ref name="Class1">Template:Cite report</ref> In 2018, the numbering system was changed with the first two digits indicating the year of manufacture and the last four digits indicating the sequence number.<ref name="Class3">Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Multiple units
In the 1960s, electric multiple units (EMU) were developed for short-haul and suburban rail transit.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On regional short-distance routes, mainline electrical multiple unit (MEMU) and diesel electrical multiple unit (DEMU) trains are run. These train sets run in formation of 6, 9, 12 or 15 coaches and a three-car set is typified by a motor coaches and two passenger coaches.<ref name="EMU1">Template:Cite report</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref> These train-sets are self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, Indian Railways also rolled out semi-high speed self-propelled train sets with modified coaches for inter city trains.<ref name="VB"/>
- Goods wagons
Template:Multiple image Indian Railways hauls various cargo and operates specialised rolling stock for cargo. There are 243 types of rolling stock used for cargo operations including covered wagons, boxcars, flat wagons, flatbeds, open wagons, hoppers, containers, automobile carriers, defense vehicle carriers and tankers.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name="Cargo">Template:Cite report</ref> The freight cars can carry loads ranging from 10 to 80 tonnes per car depending on the configuration.<ref name="Cargo"/> A new wagon numbering system was adopted in Indian Railways in 2003.<ref name="wagon">Template:Cite press release</ref> The requirement of wagons was previously exclusively met by Bharat Wagon and Engineering with the procurement and manufacturing done by various public and private sector companies in the 2020s.<ref name="IRYB"/> In 2025, Indian Railways announced the implementation of an artificial intelligence based technology aimed at detecting unlocked doors in freight wagons during transit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Others
Apart from standard passenger classes, the Indian Railways has other specialized coach types used for dedicated functions.<ref name="Coach">Template:Cite report</ref> These include accident relief medical vans,<ref name="ICF1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> brake vans,<ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> generator cars,<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> inspection carriages,<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> military cars,<ref name="ICF1"/> pantry car<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> and parcel vans.<ref name="Mint">Template:Cite news</ref> These may be dedicated self-propelled units or attached to train-sets.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Manufacturing
Indian Railways operates various manufacturing units. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), commissioned in 1950, was the first locomotive manufacturing unit in India.<ref name="Chit"/> The first rail coach manufacturing unit, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) was established at Madras in 1956.<ref name="ICF"/> Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), commissioned in 1961, is the second locomotive manufacturing unit operated by Indian Railways.<ref name="Banaras">Template:Cite report</ref> BHEL, Patiala Locomotive Works, Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowrah and Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura also manufacture locomotives in India.<ref name="facility"/> Railway coaches are also manufactured at coach factories at Karputhala, Raebareli, Sonipat and Latur.<ref name="facility"/> Indian Railways also operates three rail wheel manufacturing factories at Bangalore, Bela and Raebareli.<ref name="facility"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Maintenance
The locomotives are operated and maintained by 40 locomotive sheds.<ref name="D1">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="E1">Template:Cite reportTemplate:Dead link</ref> The repair and maintenance of the fleet of other rolling stock is carried out at 294 carriage & wagon repair units across various zones of IR.<ref name="IRYB"/>
Tracks
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Template:As of, Indian railway network spanned Template:Cvt in route length. With Template:Cvt of the lines having two or more tracks, total running track length was Template:Cvt, while total trackage (including sidings) was Template:Cvt.<ref name="IRYB"/> The network was built with a variety of gauges, including Template:RailGauge broad gauge, Template:RailGauge metre gauge and Template:RailGauge and Template:RailGauge narrow gauge; but a long-term effort, Project Unigauge, aims to convert most of these to broad gauge. Template:As of, Template:Cvt or 96.59% of the network was broad-gauge, Template:Cvt or 1.68% metre-gauge and Template:Cvt or 1.74% narrow-gauge.<ref name="IRYB"/> The broad-gauge network is equipped with long-welded, high-tensile 52kg/60kg 90 UTS rails with prestressed concrete sleepers and elastic fastenings.<ref name="IRYB"/>
Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from Template:Cvt, though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is Template:Cvt.<ref name="IRYB"/> Template:As of, Template:Cvt (21.1%) of the tracks are capable of handling speeds of above Template:Cvt and Template:Cvt (56.6%) of the tracks are capable of handling speeds between Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Trunk routes
As of July 2020, there are seven major routes a total length of Template:Cvt which have been classified as High-Density Network (HDN) routes or trunk routes. These routes are designed for a maximum operational speed limit of 160 km/h, and carry about 60% of the rail traffic. The trunk routes include Chennai–Howrah, Chennai–Mumbai, Delhi–Chennai, Delhi–Howrah, Howrah–Mumbai, Mumbai–Delhi and Delhi–Guwahati.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Electrification
Template:Main The first electric train ran in Bombay in 1925 on DC traction.<ref name="EL"/> In 1928, DC traction was introduced on the suburban of Bombay by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway between Colaba and Borivili and between Madras beach and Tambaram by the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway in 1931.<ref name="ELECT">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1957, Indian Railways decided to adopt 25 kV AC as its standard.<ref name="EL"/> The first 25 kV AC EMUs operated in Calcutta in 1962 and Madras in 1968. In 2017, Indian Railways announced a plan to electrify the country's entire broad gauge rail network by 2023.<ref name="Eni">Template:Cite report</ref> Post electrification, 30 billion kWh of electricity will be required on an annual basis for Indian Railways.<ref name="Eni"/> Template:As of, Indian Railways has electrified Template:Convert or 97.05% of the total broad-gauge route length.<ref name="RE"/> Indian Railway uses 25 kV AC traction on all its electrified tracks.<ref name="IRYB"/>
- Cross-border
Template:Main India shares land border with multiple countries and have rail-links with some of them. Bangladesh is connected to West Bengal with a construction of new rail link connecting Tripura with Akhaura.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two rail links to Nepal exist as of 2021, with a third under construction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is an existing railink with Pakistan through Attari–Wagah border.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Signaling and communication
Indian Railways uses a range of signalling technologies and methods to manage its train operations based on traffic density and safety requirements. Template:As of, automatic block signalling is used on a total route length of Template:Cvt for train operations – concentrated in high density routes, large cities and junctions.<ref name="IRYB"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Remaining routes are based on absolute block signalling 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a few sections, intermediate block signalling is provided to further enhance line capacity with minimal investment. Template:As of, 756 block sections have intermediate block signals.<ref name="IRYB"/> Indian Railways primarily uses coloured signal lights, which replaced the earlier semaphores and disc-based signalling. It uses two-aspect, three-aspect and four (or multiple) aspect color signalling across its network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Signals at most stations are interlocked using panel interlocking, route-relay interlocking or electronic interlocking methods that eliminate scope for human signalling errors. Indian Railways uses track circuiting, and block proving axle counters for train detection. Template:As of, 6,637 stations have interlocked and multi-aspect signalling. Around 99% of key routes have track circuitry or block proving axle counters for automated train detection and Kavach automatic train protection system has been implemented in Template:Cvt of tracks.<ref name="IRYB"/> The railways has about Template:Cvt of optical fiber cable network used for train control, voice and data communication with Template:Convert of the route covered by GSM-R based Mobile Train Radio communication.<ref name="IRYB"/> In December 2017, Indian Railways announced that it will implement ETCS Level 2 system for signalling and control on key routes with an investment of Template:INRConvert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Stations
Template:See also Template:As of, Indian Railways manages and operates 7,461 stations.<ref name="IRYB"/> Prior to 2017, the stations were classified into seven categories based on their earnings.<ref name="stac1">Template:Cite news</ref> Since 2017, Indian Railways categorizes the 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 (NSG 1–6, SG 1-3 and from HG 1–3).<ref name="Stn">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="stac1"/> The commercial importance of a station is determined by taking into account its passenger footfall, earnings and strategic importance and these categories are used to determine the minimum essential amenities required by each station.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="Stn"/>
Services
Passenger
Travel classes
Template:Further Indian Railways offers various travel classes on its coaches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the purpose of identification in passenger trains, coaches in a train-set are assigned an alpha-numeric code. The first letter identifies the coach class and the second letter identifies the coach number.<ref name="Class2">Template:Cite press release</ref> The berths and seats are numbered by an alphanumeric code with the letter(s) identifying the berth/seat type and numbers identifying the position.<ref name="CC">Template:Cite report</ref>
| Class | Code<ref name="Class2"/> | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| First AC | H | File:Rajdhani First AC1.jpg | It is the most luxurious and expensive class in most express trains.<ref name="IRFCA">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Coach"/> They have separate air-conditioned compartments with private lockable doors, bedding, dedicated attendants and meals served at seat.<ref name="TM">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| First Class | F | First class is similar to first AC coaches with a combination of cabins and berths but are non air-conditioned and do not have all the facilities of first AC coaches.<ref name="TM"/> They were slated to be phased out of normal express trains starting in the 2000s and the last coach being de-commissioned in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The First class is still in use in toy trains where the coaches consist of seats similar to chair cars.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| Executive Anubhuti | EA/K | File:Mumbai Central Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express - Anubhuti coach - Interior.jpg | Executive Anubhuti is the premium class of air-conditioned chair car equipped with retractable, large cushioned seats in 2x2 configuration. The class is equipped with an entertainment system, large luggage compartments, passenger information system, dedicated reading lights, power sockets and call buttons, modular bio toilets with automated taps. Meals often provided as a part of the journey ticket.<ref name="FE">Template:Cite news</ref> The class is available only in select trains.<ref name="FE"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| AC Executive Class | E | File:The Interior of the Executive Class or 1A of an LHB Shatabdi Coach..jpg | AC Executive Class is often the top most class of air-conditioned chair car in express trains. It is equipped with large retractable seats in 2x2 configuration.<ref name="IRFCA"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The class is equipped with dedicated reading lights and power sockets, modular bio toilets with automated taps. Meals are often provided as a part of the journey ticket.<ref name="TM"/> In Vande Bharat Express trains, the class is equipped with more features including rotating seats, CCTVs, passenger information system, larger toilets, USB ports and automated doors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Executive Vistadome | EV | File:VistadomeInterior.jpg | AC Tourist cars have vistadome coaches with glass roofs and extra wide windows. The interiors are similar to AC chair car coaches. Select trains operating mostly on tourist circuits are equipped with such coaches.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Indian Railways plans to introduce these coaches in all mountain railways.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Second AC or AC 2-tier | A | File:2956coach.JPG | Second AC or AC 2-tier is an air-conditioned sleeping car with wide sealed windows.<ref name="IRFCA"/> There are four berths arranged in two-tiers facing each other in a single bay with two-tiered berths arranged on the sides lengthwise across the corridor.<ref name="Coach"/> Individual berths are equipped with curtains, simple bedding, reading lights and charging sockets.<ref name="Curt">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Bed">Template:Cite news</ref> Food is available on order or as a part of the ticket depending on the train.<ref name="TM"/> |
| Third AC or AC 3-tier | B | File:Inside AC 3 coach passage Indian railway 002.jpg | Third AC or AC 3-tier is an air-conditioned sleeping car.<ref name="IRFCA"/> There are six berths arranged in three-tiers facing each other in a single bay with foldable middle berths and two-tiered berths arranged on the sides lengthwise across the corridor.<ref name="Coach"/> There are common charging sockets and lights in each compartment with simple bedding provided.<ref name="Bed"/> Food is available on order or as a part of the ticket depending on the train with the same menu shared with AC 2-tier.<ref name="TM"/> |
| AC 3-tier economy | G/M | AC 3-tier economy coaches are air-conditioned sleeping cars similar to AC 3-tier.<ref name="IRFCA"/> Compared to 3-tier coaches, they have an extra middle berth along the aisle.<ref name="TM"/> The coaches were first introduced in Garib Rath trains and only a few trains operate with such coaches.<ref name="TN">Template:Cite news</ref> Bedding is available for rent and the coaches have facilities like charging sockets and lights similar to AC 3-tier coaches.<ref name="TN"/> New AC 3-tier economy coaches introduced in 2021 have similar berth arrangement as AC 3-tier but accommodates 83 berths per coach and other improved facilities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| AC Chair Car | C | File:Interiors of the 2nd Generation of the Vande Bharat Express trains.jpg | AC chair car are air-conditioned coaches equipped with retractable seats in 3x2 configuration.<ref name="IRFCA"/> The class has cushioned seats with tray tables and are equipped with LED reading lights, power sockets along the window side. Meals are provided as a part of the journey ticket in select trains.<ref name="TM"/> In Vande Bharat Express trains, the class is equipped with more features including passenger information system, CCTVs, larger toilets and automated doors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Sleeper | S | File:Inside an Indian Railways Train - Sleeper Coach.jpg | Sleeper class is the most common sleeping car coach in Indian Railways.<ref name="IRFCA"/> There are six berths arranged in three-tiers facing each other in a single bay with foldable middle berths and two-tiered berths arranged on the sides lengthwise across the corridor.<ref name="Coach"/> The coaches are not air-conditioned and have open-able windows. There are common charging sockets, ceiling mounted fans and lights in each compartment. Food is available on order or can be purchased from vendors.<ref name="TM"/> |
| Second sitting | D/J | File:Seats inside Indian train.jpg | Second sitting is the most common chair car coach and the cheapest in the Indian Railways.<ref name="IRFCA"/> It is common in most day-time running trains with six seats arranged in 3x3 configuration. The seats may face each other or towards the same side.<ref name="Coach"/> The coaches are not air-conditioned and have open-able windows. There are common charging sockets, ceiling mounted fans and lights in each compartment. Food is available on order or can be purchased from vendors.<ref name="TM"/> |
| Unreserved or General | UR/GS | File:Newly Developed Deen Dayalu Coach being dedicated by the Union Minister for Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu to the Nation, at New Delhi Railway Station on July 19, 2016 (1).jpg | Unreserved or general coaches are second seating coaches which are not available for reservation and seats are taken on available basis.<ref name="IRFCA"/> One or more of these coaches are attached to express trains while dedicated passenger trains might also have all unreserved coaches. Tickets are valid on any train on a route only for within 24 hours of purchase.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
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Saloon coaches available for chartering are equipped with a bedroom and kitchen and can be attached to normal trains.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Passenger trains
Template:Multiple image Indian Railways operates various classes of passenger and express trains. The trains are classified basis average speed and facilities with express trains having fewer halts, priority on rail network and faster average speed. The trains are identified by five digit numbers with train-pairs traveling in opposite directions usually labelled with consecutive numbers.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> Express trains often have specific unique names for easy identification.<ref name="Train">Template:Cite report</ref> In 2018–19, Indian Railways operated 13,523 passenger trains on average daily and carried 8.44 billion passengers.<ref name="IRYB1">Template:Cite report</ref> India Railways operates various categories of express trains including Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Garib Rath Express, Double Decker Express, Tejas Express, Gatimaan Express, Humsafar Express, Duronto Express, Yuva Express, Uday Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Sampark Kranti Express, Vivek Express, Rajya Rani Express, Mahamana Express, Antyodaya Express, Jan Sadharan Express, Suvidha Express and Intercity Express.<ref name="Train"/>
High-speed rail
Rajdhani Express introduced in 1969 were the first trains to reach speeds of up to Template:Cvt.<ref name="auto"/> Shatabdi Express introduced in 1988, are capable of running at a maximum speed of Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2019, Vande Bharat Express was launched with self-propelled EMU train-sets capable of reaching maximum speed of Template:Cvt with operational speeds restricted to Template:Cvt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A non-airconditioned semi-high speed train-set hauled by two modified WAP-5 locomotives was launched as Amrit Bharat Express.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A high-speed rail line is under-construction between Mumbai and Ahmedabad which will become the first true high-speed rail line when completed in 2026.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mountain railways
Template:Multiple image Mountain Railways of India refer to three rail lines operated by Indian Railways in hilly terrain. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a Template:RailGauge narrow-gauge railway in the Lesser Himalayas of West Bengal was opened in 1881. <ref name="UNESCO">Template:Cite web</ref> The mountain railways were designated as World Heritage Sites in 1999.<ref name="UNESCO"/> The Kalka-Shimla Railway, a Template:RailGauge narrow-gauge railway in the Siwalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh started operating in 1903. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a Template:RailGauge rack railway in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu was opened in 1908 and is the only operational rack railway in India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="UNESCO"/> These railways operate with its own dedicated fleet of locomotives and coaches.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Suburban and metro
The first suburban electric trains were introduced in Bombay in 1925.<ref name="EMU1"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chennai suburban lines started operating in 1931 and Kolkata in 1957.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later, AC traction was adopted for suburban lines and are currently operated by Multiple Units (MUs) of various configurations. In 1984, Kolkata Metro, the first metro system and the only system operated by Indian Railways was commissioned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Opened in November 1995, Chennai MRTS became the first operational elevated railway line in India.<ref name="SR"/> Indian Railways operates suburban railway systems across the cities of Mumbai (suburban), Chennai (suburban and MRTS), Kolkata (suburban and metro) and Secunderabad (MMTS) covering six railway zones.<ref name="EMU1"/>
Tourism
Indian Railways offers tour packages through IRCTC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It operates tourist trains and coach services on popular tourist circuits in different regions of the country. It operates luxury tourist trains such as Maharajas' Express, Palace on Wheels, Golden Chariot and Deccan Odyssey, deluxe tourist trains such as Mahaparinirvan Express.<ref name="IRYB"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also operates heritage and exhibition trains on special circumstances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ticketing and fares
In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced before which ticketing was done manually.<ref name="IT"/> Self-printing ticket machines (SPTM) were introduced in 1988.<ref name="SF"/> Centralized computer reservation system was deployed in September 1996.<ref name="Hist"/> The ticketing network at stations is computerized with the exception of few stations. The Indian Railways website went online in February 2000 and online ticketing was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC.<ref name="IRCTC"/> Indian Railways now provides multiple channels for passengers to book tickets through website, smartphone apps, SMS, rail reservation counters at train stations, or through private ticket booking counters. Reserved tickets may be booked up to 60 days in advance and confirmed reservation tickets will show the passenger and fare details along with berth or seat number(s) allocated to them on the ticket.
In case of no confirmed reservation, a wait-list number is assigned and wait-listed tickets get confirmed if there are cancellations of already reserved tickets. Reservation against cancellation tickets is an intermediate category between the waiting and confirmed lists in sleeper classes which allows a ticket holder to board the train and share a berth.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Reserved tickets can be booked by passengers who want to travel at short notice at higher fares through the Tatkal train ticket, where no refund is applicable on cancellation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A valid proof for the purchase of ticket along with photo identification is required to board the train.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> Unreserved tickets for short distance or unplanned travels may be purchased at stations or through UTS mobile app at any time before departure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Holders of such tickets may only board the general or unreserved coaches. Suburban networks also issue unreserved tickets valid for a limited time or season passes with unlimited travel between two stops for a period of time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and lower class passenger fares are subsidised.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Discounted fares are applicable for railway employees, senior citizens (over age 60), the differently-abled, students, athletes, patients and those taking competitive examinations. Seats of lower class of accommodation are reserved for women or senior citizens in some trains.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Freight
The first rail operational in Madras in 1837 was used for ferrying granite.<ref name="FR"/> The first dedicated commercial freight rail was operated between Bombay and Ahmedabad in 1966.<ref name="Hist"/> Indian Railways ferries various commodities and cargo to cater to various industrial, consumer, and agricultural segments. Apart from dedicated freight trains, parcels, mail and small cargo are carried on specialized carriages attached to passenger trains.<ref name="Mint"/> In 2023–24, Indian Railways operated 11,724 freight trains on average daily and transported 1588.06 million tonnes of freight.<ref name="IRYB"/>
Indian Railways has historically subsidized the passenger segment with income from the freight business and prioritized passenger trains on the network. Hence, freight services were unable to complete other modes of transport on both cost and speed of delivery, leading to continuous erosion of market share till the early 2000s.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> To counter this, Indian Railways established the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India in 2006 to construct dedicated freight corridors to reduce congestion, increase speed and reliability and proposed upgradation 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.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> End-to-end integrated transport solutions such as roll-on, roll-off (RORO) service, a road-rail system pioneered by Konkan Railway in 1999 to carry trucks on flatbed trailers is extended to other routes.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Accidents and incidents
As per the Ministry of Railways, there have been more than 38,500 railway accidents from 1961 to 2019.<ref name="Data"/> In 2019-20, the Indian Railways reported zero passenger deaths due to accidents for the first time in its history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At least 313 people died in 40 train accidents in 2023-24 and 748 people have died in 638 train accidents in the previous ten years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
| Span | Accidents | Train kms (million) | Accidents per million kms | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collisions | Derailments | Level crossing | Fire | Others | Total | |||
| 1961–1970 | 834 | 10,664 | 1,394 | 1,037 | 0 | 13,929 | 4,339 | 3.21 |
| 1971–1980 | 588 | 6,763 | 1,120 | 185 | 0 | 8,665 | 4,810 | 1.80 |
| 1981–1990 | 475 | 6,242 | 677 | 176 | 0 | 7,570 | 5,598 | 1.35 |
| 1991–2000 | 340 | 3,583 | 632 | 77 | 0 | 4,642 | 6,559 | 0.70 |
| 2001–2010 | 135 | 1,680 | 803 | 93 | 52 | 2,763 | 8,333 | 0.33 |
| 2011–2019 | 43 | 567 | 352 | 54 | 16 | 1,023 | 10,134 | 0.10 |
See also
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. 177–186 online
External links
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