Indian Railways is the lifeline of our country. It is the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second-largest under one management unit. Divided into 18 zones connecting Indian railways, it connects almost every corner of the country.
It was in 1832 that the idea of setting up a railway system in British India was first proposed. After much to and fro between East India Company and England, the first railway on the Indian subcontinent ran 21 miles from Bombay to Thane. The idea of a railway to connect Bombay with Thane, Kalyan, and the Thal and Bhore Ghats first occurred to Mr. George Clark, the Chief Engineer of the Bombay Government, during a visit to Bhandup. After a decade of inaction, private entrepreneurs were allowed to establish a rail system in 1844.
Two companies were formed in 1845, namely “The East Indian Railway Company” and “Great Indian Peninsula Railway”. The formal inauguration ceremony was performed on April 16, 1853, when 14 railway carriages carrying about 400 guests left Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm “amidst the loud applause of a vast multitude and to the salute of 21 guns.” It was operated by three locomotives and had 13 carriages. The first passenger train steamed out of Howrah station destined for Hooghly, a distance of 24 miles, on August 15, 1854.
The first major station built in India was Royapuram Station in Madras. Built in the classical revival design in 1856, it hosted the 1st railway line in South India, connecting Madras to Arcot. The first line was opened on July 1, 1856, by the Madras Railway Company.
Post-independence, the Indian railways were nationalized. One of the major developments after independence was the formation of 18 zones in 1951. Indian railways have played a vital role in the economic and social development of the country. By the beginning of the 21st century, it had become one of the largest railway networks in the world, undergoing significant expansions and modernizations. Today, Indian Railways employs 1.4 million employees, with over 12,000 trains running daily, carrying over 2.8 million tons of freight and 23 million passengers.
Info Sources: indianrailways.gov.in, Google Arts and Culture, Finance Express