Rail Transport
Rail Transport
» The Indian Railways have been a great integrating force for more than 160 years.
» From a very modest beginning in 1853, Indian Railways have grown into a vast network of 7,030 stations spread over a route-length of 64,015 km. with a fleet of 8,592 (43 steam, 4,963 diesel and 3,586 electric) locomotives, 49,110 passenger service vehicles, 5,985 other coaching vehicles and 2,11,763 wagons as on 31 March, 2009.
» Indian Railway network is the largest in Asia and world's second largest under one management.
» The first rail in India started in 1853 between Mumbai and Thane (34 kms). Indian Railway Board was established in March, 1905.
» Indian Railway was nationalized in 1950.
» There are three types of rail lines in India : 1. Broad Gauge, 2. Meter Gauge and 3. Narrow Gauge.
» The network runs multigauge operations extending over 1,08,706 (BG-86,526, MG-18,529 and NG-3,651) Track kilometres.
| Gauge | Route (km) | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Broad Gauge (1.676 mts) | 54,257 km | 84.81 % |
| Meter Gauge (1.000 mts) | 7,180 km | 11.22% |
| Narrow Gauge (0.762 and 0.610 mts) | 2,537 km | 3.97 % |
| Total (as on 31st March, 2010) | 63,974 km | 100.00 |
» The management and governance of the Indian railways is in the hands of the Railway Board.
» Railways have been divided into 17 zones.
» Kolkata Metro Zone (17th zone) has been established on 29 December, 2010.