20 Interesting Facts About Indian Railways
Introduction: Why is Knowing Facts about Indian Railways Important?
The Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, and it is also one of the oldest. It’s a complex system that provides passenger and freight transportation.
The Indian Railways system has been around since 1853 when it was established by then-British colonial rulers. The system was originally built to transport troops and goods, but soon became a means for transporting people too.
It has grown to be one of the largest railway networks in the world, with over 115,000 km (72,000 miles) of track and 7,172 stations. Here are some interesting facts about Indian Railways
20 Interesting Facts About Indian Railways
1. Indian Railways is the world’s third largest railway network with a total length of 127,760 kms operated by a single government.
Indian Railways is the largest railways network to be operated by a single government and is the world’s third largest network.
The Indian railways was founded in 1853 by the British, with the first passenger train running on 16th April 1853. Since then, it has become one of the most important modes of transport for passengers and goods in India.
The Indian Railway has been an important part of India’s economic growth, contributing about 7% to its GDP. It also employs around 1.3 million people and transports about 23 million passengers every day.
2. Now, in a new development, Gorakhpur railway station is said to be the most impressive with a span of 4,430 feet. Previously the longest platforms in the world were found at Kharagpur and they had a length of 2,733 feet.
Gorakhpur railway station is a very important station in the East Central Railway Zone. It was inaugurated on May 24, 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The station has been built at a cost of Rs 1.5 billion and is located in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is 4,430 feet long and has a total area of 2,00,000 square feet.
It is said to be the most impressive railway station so far with all modern facilities for passengers including an air-conditioned waiting room, waiting halls for both general and VIP passengers as well as a cafeteria that can accommodate 500 people at a time.
3. UNESCO includes two historical railway elements in the World Heritage site list - The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the Indian Mountain Railways.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site list includes two railway elements. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is one of them, and it is the busiest railway station in India.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was built in 1887 and has been a part of Mumbai ever since. It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018 for its architectural significance and its role as an important cultural hub for Mumbaikars.
4. Indian Railways has five luxury trains.
These are:
- Royal Rajasthan on Wheels,
- Palace on Wheels (Rajasthan),
- The Golden Chariot (Karnataka and Goa),
- The Maharajas’ Express (begins in Delhi but the itinerary differs) and
- The Deccan Odyssey (begins in Maharashtra but itinerary differs).
5. The Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari railway line is the longest run in India, traveling a distance of 4273 km. The shortest run in the country is taken by a few scheduled services between Nagpur and Ajni - a total of 3 km.
The Vivek Express is a train service operated by Indian Railways. The Vivek Express (Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari) travels a distance of 4273 km, which is the longest run in the railways.
The Vivek Express has two classes: First Class and Second Class. It offers three types of accommodation: AC chair car, AC 3-tier coach and sleeper class coach.
6. Srirampur and Belapur are two different stations in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. They are located at the same point on the railway route, but are on opposite sides of the track.
Srirampur and Belapur are two different stations in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. They are both situated at the same point.
Srirampur is a railway station on the Central Railway line. It is located in the outskirts of Ahmednagar city, with its nearest railhead being Shirdi. The station has been declared as an Adarsh Station by Indian Railways due to its cleanliness and punctuality.
Belapur is also situated on Central Railway line but it falls under Mumbai Suburban Railway zone unlike Srirampur which falls under CR Zone. It has its own railway station which connects to Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad
7. Mathura junction is a big intersection with many routes to take.
Mathura junction is a railway station in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. It is the largest railway junction in India and has the maximum number of routes emerging from it.
8. The resonance frequency of the suspension for the coaches is kept as close as possible to 72 bpm or 1.2 Hz while designing.
The design of the suspension system in the coaches is an important factor in keeping its resonance frequency close to 72 bpm or 1.2 Hz. This frequency helps to reduce the vibrations and makes for a smoother ride for passengers.
9. The railways' operating ratio sits at 94% which means that it spends 94 paisa every rupee.
The Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world with over 100,000 km of track and 7,500 stations. It is also one of the world’s oldest and largest train systems.
It has faced a lot of criticism for being inefficient and not meeting customer expectations. The Indian Railways has been trying to improve its efficiency by cutting costs, improving productivity, reducing losses from freight operations, etc., but it still operates at an operating ratio of 94%.
10. The diamond crossing in Nagpur is one of its kinds as trains go East, West, North and South from there.
Nagpur is the land of diamonds. It is also the land of railways. The diamond crossing, in Nagpur, is one-of-its-kind, from where trains go East, West, North and South.
The diamond crossing in Nagpur was built in 1884 and has been operational since then. It is one of the busiest railway junctions in India with trains running on four tracks.
11. The Indian Railways is currently constructing the world’s highest railway bridge.
The Indian Railways is constructing the world’s highest rail bridge over Chenab. The construction of this bridge is one of the most challenging engineering projects in the country. It will be 17 km long and will be constructed at an altitude of 3596 meters.
The construction of this bridge has been undertaken by world’s largest railway infrastructure company, IRCON International Limited.
12. The longest tunnel in India is the Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, which is 11.25 km long
The longest tunnel in the country is Pir Panjal Railway tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir which is 11.25 kms long. The tunnel was constructed to connect Jammu and Kashmir to the mainland of India. It is one of the most important railway tunnels in India as it connects the state with the rest of the country.
The construction of this tunnel was started on September 20, 2011 and completed on November 30, 2017. There are two tunnels which are parallel to each other and they were constructed by Indian Railways Organization (IRRO). The construction process took about 7 years because there were many factors that delayed it such as land acquisition, geological surveys and landslides.
The first train entered this railway tunnel on April 2nd 2018 which was a historic moment for both Indians and Pakistan.
13. A new report by railways ministry reveals that the busiest junction in the country is Howrah Junction in Kolkata. It has a daily train count of 974.
Howrah junction is one of the busiest railway junctions in India. It is situated in the city of Howrah, which is part of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area.
The junction has 974 trains stopping there daily, which makes it one of the busiest junctions in the country. It connects rail traffic between Kolkata and Eastern India to Western India and vice versa.
14. All the electric appliances (fans, lights) in rail cars function at 110V instead of the Indian standard 220V. This is a very effective measure against thieves!
This is because the Indian Railways has to convert the voltage from 220 volts to 110 volts.
The conversion process is not easy, it requires a lot of power and takes up a considerable amount of space.
The conversion process also affects the lifespan of these appliances, which is why most electric appliances in rail coaches function at 110 volts instead of 220 volts.
15. Indian Railways' mascot is Bholu - an elephant which was designed by National Institute of Design. It was commissioned in 2002.
Bholu is the mascot for Indian Railways. It was designed by National Institute of Design.
Bholu is a cartoon elephant, who wears the uniform of a railway policeman. He has been featured in many advertisements and posters for Indian Railways, including one in which he “arrests” an unruly monkey who had jumped onto a train.
16. The Fairy Queen is the oldest working locomotive in India that's still in use. It was built with a steam engine.
The Fairy Queen is a small, narrow gauge locomotive that was built in 1855 by Kitson and Co. in Leeds, England. It has been in use since 1878.
The Fairy Queen is a narrow gauge locomotive that was built in Leeds, England in 1855 by Kitson and Co. It has been used continuously since 1878 when it was brought to India from the UK for service on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
17. The Indian Railways is the world’s eighth largest workforce with 1.4 million employees.
The Indian Railways is the world’s eighth largest employer with a total of 1.4 million employees. It is one of the largest employers in the world, after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Walmart, McDonald’s, and U.S. Department of Defense.
The Indian Railways is one of the world’s biggest employers with a total number of employees exceeding 1.4 million people. It is one of the largest employers in India, after state governments and central government ministries/departments with more than 1 million employees each
18. The first computerized reservations system was developed in New Delhi in 1986.
In 1986, New Delhi’s Rajdhani Express became the first train in India to have a computerized reservation system.
This was a revolutionary step for Indian Railways because it allowed passengers to reserve seats without having to queue up at a railway station. The system also helped in reducing the number of manual errors which were common in manual reservation systems at the time.
19. The Indian Railways launched a campaign train on World AIDS Day in 2007 called the Red Ribbon Express (incidentally on December 1 of that year)
The Red Ribbon Express was launched as a campaign to raise awareness about AIDS and commemorate those who had lost their lives. The train carried a red ribbon with the message “AIDS Awareness”, and it travelled through various cities in India such as Mumbai, Pune, Amritsar, Kanpur, Lucknow and Delhi.
The Red Ribbon Express was launched on World AIDS Day on December 1st 2007. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about AIDS and commemorate those who had lost their lives. It also aimed to fight the stigma around HIV/AIDS by changing people’s attitudes about the disease and showing that it can affect anyone at any time.
20. There are 8 railway museums in India - in Delhi, Pune, Kanpur, Mysore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ghum and Tiruchirappalli. Out of these the National Railway Museum in Delhi is the largest rail museum in Asia
The Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise and the world’s first railway system. It is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world.
India has eight Railway Museums – in Delhi, Pune, Kanpur, Mysore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ghum and Tiruchirappalli. Out of these, the National Rail Museum at New Delhi is one of the most popular tourist attractions in India.
