77-791: Anand Vihar Terminal (station code: ANVT ) is a railway station on the Indian Railways network, located in the Anand Vihar locality of Delhi , India. It is under the administrative control of the Delhi Division of the Northern Railway zone of Indian Railways . This station was officially inaugurated on 19 December 2009 by the then Union Railway minister Mamata Banerjee and the Chief Minister of Delhi , Sheila Dixit . Spread over 42 hectares (100 acres),
154-542: A 20-day strike . The first metro rail was introduced in Calcutta on 24 October 1984. In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced. In 1988, the first Shatabdi Express was introduced between New Delhi and Jhansi . Two years later, the first self-printing ticket machine (SPTM) was introduced in Delhi. In 1993, air-conditioned three-tier and sleeper were introduced. In 1995, Chennai MRTS became
231-1171: A few sections, intermediate block signalling is provided to further enhance line capacity with minimal investment. As of March 2020, 602 block sections have intermediate block signals. 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. 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. As of March 2023, 6,523 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 1,445 km (898 mi) of tracks. The railways has about 59,105 km (36,726 mi) of optical fiber cable network used for train control, voice and data communication with 3,445 km (2,141 mi) of
308-441: A four or five letter code. 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. 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. In 2018, the semi-high speed self-propelled Vande Bharat train-set
385-534: A global tender for consultancies to develop a masterplan for Phase II of the project. This phase aimed to increase the number of platforms from three to seven and further augment the station’s capacity. The new terminal was developed to alleviate congestion at the following railway stations in the state of Delhi: New Delhi , Delhi Junction , and Hazrat Nizamuddin . Modeled after the Vashi station in Navi Mumbai ,
462-564: A horse-drawn tramway began operation in Bombay between Colaba and Parel . In 1879, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was established which built railway lines across the then Hyderabad State from Kachiguda . In 1877, an Ajmer built F-1/734 Steam Locomotive became the first indigenously built locomotive in India. In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced with Jodhpur Railway,
539-508: A long-term effort, Project Unigauge , aims to convert most of these to broad gauge. As of 31 March 2023 , 65,978 km (40,997 mi) or 96.20% of the network was broad-gauge, 1,345 km (836 mi) or 1.96% metre-gauge and 1,262 km (784 mi) or 1.84% narrow-gauge. The broad-gauge network is equipped with long-welded , high-tensile 52kg/60kg 90 UTS rails with pre-stressed concrete (PSC) sleepers and elastic fastenings. As of July 2020, there are seven major routes
616-768: A number of manufacturing units , training establishments , PSUs and other undertakings under the purview of the Indian Railways. 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. As of March 2023, Groups A & B constitute 1.5% of the total workforce, while Group C & D account for 98.5%. 80% of Group-A employees are recruited through Indian Railways Management Service with remaining through promotions. Group B employees are recruited by departmental promotional exams of Group C employees. Recruitment of Group C employees are through exams conducted by
693-578: A semi-high speed self-propelled train-set capable of reaching speeds of over 160 km/h (99 mph) was rolled out from ICF and the Vande Bharat Express was launched in 2019. Indian Railways announced plans to become a net-zero carbon emission railway by 2030 and has implemented rainwater harvesting at stations, reforestation along the tracks, introduction of solar-powered trains, installation of solar and wind power generation facilities, and sustainable LED lighting at all
770-527: A single metre gauge line from Chennai Beach to Tambaram . In the period between 1925 and 1944, the management of the railway companies in the British presidencies and provinces were taken over by the Government. In 1950, there were about 42 different railway companies operating about 55,000 km (34,000 mi) tracks across the country. These railway companies were amalgamated in steps to form
847-636: A single entity named as Indian Railways. 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. In 1952, fans and lights were mandated for all compartments in passenger trains and sleeping accommodations were introduced in coaches. The first diesel locomotive used in India
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#1732780517658924-559: A stampede at New Delhi railway station on 16 May 2010 highlighted the severe congestion at New Delhi station, which was handling 300,000 to 500,000 passengers daily. This prompted the Northern Railways to transfer more trains to the Anand Vihar Terminal to utilize the terminal effectively. By mid-July 2010, the Northern Railways planned to shift six more regular trains to the Anand Vihar Terminal and also floated
1001-575: A ticket holder to board the train and share a berth. 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. A valid proof for the purchase of ticket along with photo identification is required to board the train. Unreserved tickets for short distance or unplanned travels may be purchased at stations or through UTS mobile app at any time before departure. Holders of such tickets may only board
1078-460: A total length of 11,295 km (7,018 mi) which have been classified as High-Density Network (HDN) routes or Trunk routes. There is 60% traffic on these routes, which are designed for speed limit of 160 km/h . These Trunk route include Chennai–Howrah , Chennai–Mumbai , Delhi–Chennai , Delhi–Howrah , Howrah–Mumbai , Mumbai–Delhi and Delhi–Guwahati. The first electric train ran in Bombay in 1925 on DC traction. In 1928, DC traction
1155-541: Is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India that operates India's national railway system. As of 2023 , it manages the fourth largest national railway system by size with a track length of 132,310 km (82,210 mi), running track length of 106,493 km (66,172 mi) and route length of 68,584 km (42,616 mi). As of August 2024 , 96.59% of
1232-471: Is connected to West Bengal with a construction of new rail link connecting Tripura with Akhaura . Two rail links to Nepal exist as of 2021, with a third under construction. There is an existing railink with Pakistan through Attari – Wagah border. Indian Railways uses a range of signalling technologies and methods to manage its train operations based on traffic density and safety requirements. As of March 2023, around 3,549 km (2,205 mi) of
1309-527: Is divided into 18 administrative zones (17 operational), headed by general managers which are further subdivided into 71 operating divisions , headed by divisional railway managers (DRM). 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. In addition, there are
1386-411: Is the only station in India where loading and unloading of parcels, linen, and food items will be carried out in the station yard instead of on the platforms, deviating from the prevailing practice to maintain cleaner platforms. A rooftop solar project with a capacity of 1.1 MW was installed in 2016 under a Public-Private Partnership format to enhance the use of solar power, with maintenance handled by
1463-601: The Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB) and Group D staffs are recruited by zonal Railway Recruitment Cells (RRC). Indian Railways operates seven centralized training institutes and 295 training centers. It also provides housing , healthcare and education facilities for staff. Indian Railways has various public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other organisations under its purview: Indian Railways also has multiple bodies and undertakings under its purview such as: The first trains in
1540-515: The 1800s were hauled by imported steam locomotives. In 1877, the first locomotive was built in India. Electric locomotives were introduced in 1925 and diesel locomotives later in 1954. By 1990s, steam locomotives were phased out and are currently operated only on mountrain 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
1617-731: The 1960s, Electric multiple units (EMU) were developed for short-haul and suburban rail transit. 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. These train-sets are self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration. In 2018, Indian Railways also rolled out semi-high speed self-propelled train sets with modified coaches for inter city trains. Indian Railways hauls variety of cargo to cater to various requirements and have specialized rolling stock corresponding to
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#17327805176581694-538: The Anand Vihar Terminal to provide an airport-like appearance and seamless travel experience. The redevelopment project, valued at ₹224.48 crore, will be executed in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode. The project is expected to be completed within 2 years and 9 months after being awarded. 28°39′03″N 77°18′55″E / 28.650775°N 77.315239°E / 28.650775; 77.315239 Indian Railways Indian Railways
1771-409: The Indian Railways and public sector companies BEML and BHEL. 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. 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. In
1848-556: The Northeastern states—had to cross the Yamuna River because the existing stations were located on the western side of the city, across the river. To address this challenge and improve accessibility, Anand Vihar, situated in the trans-Yamuna region, was chosen as the location for a new mega railway terminal. In 2003, Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar announced the construction of a new terminal at Anand Vihar. The project
1925-466: 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 55,000 km (34,000 mi). The railway network across the country was reorganized into six regional zones in 1951–52 for administrative purposes, which
2002-453: The cargo hauled. There are 243 types of rolling stock used for cargo operations. These include covered wagons , boxcars , flat wagons , flatbeds , open wagons , hoppers , containers , automobile carriers, defense vehicle carriers and tankers . The freight cars can often carry loads from 10 to 80 tonnes per car depending on the configuration. A new wagon numbering system was adopted in Indian Railways in 2003. The requirement of wagons
2079-488: The country's entire broad gauge rail network by 2023. Post electrification, 30 billion kWh of electricity will be required on an annual basis for Indian Railways. As of 1 August 2024 , Indian Railways has electrified 64,080 km (39,820 mi) or 96.59% of the total broad-gauge route length. Indian Railway uses 25 kV AC traction on all its electrified tracks. India shares land border with multiple countries and have rail-links with some of them. Bangladesh
2156-483: 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 . It also operates heritage and exhibition trains on special circumstances. In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced before which ticketing was done manually. Self-printing ticket machines (SPTM) were introduced in 1988. Centralized computer reservation system
2233-762: The entire rail network would be electrified by 2023. 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. The railways resumed passenger services in a phased manner in May 2020. Starting in the 2010s, various infrastructure modernization projects have been undertaken including high-speed rail , redevelopment of 400 stations, doubling tracks to reduce congestion, refurbishing of coaches, Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled tracking of trains and modernization of locomotives. In 2018,
2310-605: The first metro system and the only system operated by Indian Railways was commissioned. Opened in November 1995, Chennai MRTS became the first operational elevated railway line in India. 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. Indian Railways offers tour packages through IRCTC. It operates tourist trains and coach services on popular tourist circuits in different regions of
2387-581: The first coach manufacturing unit in India. These coaches, manufactured from 1955 to 2018, were largely in use till the early 2010s. From the late 1990s, the ICF coaches were replaced by safer and newer LHB coaches designed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany . In the late 2010s, Indian railways started upgrading the coaches of select trains from LHB to new Tejas coaches with enhanced features. As of March 2023, Indian Railways' had 84,863 passenger coaches. Coaches are manufactured by five manufacturing units of
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2464-472: The first floor. Modern amenities such as ATMs, a computerised ticketing system, foreign exchange counters, food plazas, and touch-screen enquiry systems are also available. The terminal has dedicated facilities for loading and unloading parcels, linen, and food items in the station yard instead of the platforms to ensure cleanliness. It features two escalators, six lifts, a special heritage gallery, and custom-built subways for physically challenged passengers. It
2541-535: The first operational elevated railway line in India. 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. The Indian Railways website went online in February 2000. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
2618-624: The first runs beginning in December 1959 with the WAM-1 locomotives. The first containerized freight rail transport began between Bombay and Ahmedabad in 1966. In 1969, the Government of India announced the introduction of a new express train capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) in the railway budget and the first Rajdhani Express was flagged off from New Delhi to Howrah in March 1969. In 1974, Indian Railways endured
2695-653: The first time with the first train flagged off from Coimbatore in June 2022. Indian Railways is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India . It is headed by a four-member Railway Board whose chairman reports to the Ministry of Railways and act on behalf of the ministry. The organisation is divided into separate verticals traction , engineering , traffic , rolling stock , signalling , materials , personnel , RPF , finance , health and safety . Indian Railways
2772-481: The first to introduce electric lighting as standard fixtures. The first railway budget was presented in 1924. On 3 February 1925, the first electric train ran between Bombay and Kurla , hauled by a SLM electric locomotive on DC traction. In 1925, the first Electric Multiple Units (EMU) were introduced in Bombay with 1500 V DC units imported were from Cammell Laird and Uerdingenwagonfabrik . Chennai suburban railway started operating in 1931 with
2849-500: The first trains to reach speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Shatabdi Express introduced in 1988, are capable of running at a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph). In 2019, Vande Bharat Express was launched with self-propelled EMU train-sets capable of reaching maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) with operational speeds restricted to 130–160 km/h (81–99 mph). A non-airconditioned semi-high speed train-set hauled by two modified WAP-5 locomotives
2926-449: The fleet of other rolling stock is carried out at 212 carriage & wagon repair units and 45 periodic overhaul workshops across various zones of IR. As of 31 March 2023 , Indian railway network spanned 68,584 km (42,616 mi) in route length. With 29,719 km (18,467 mi) of the lines having two or more tracks, total running track length was 106,493 km (66,172 mi), while total trackage (including sidings)
3003-437: The freight pricing/product mix. 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. As per the Ministry of Railways, there have been more than 38,500 railway accidents from 1961 to 2019. In 2019-20, the Indian Railways reported zero passenger deaths due to accidents for
3080-676: 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. India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and lower class passenger fares are subsidised. 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. The first rail operational in Madras in 1837
3157-401: The increasing traffic. Construction of a new RapidX rail station, part of the high-speed Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System , is currently underway near the terminal. This corridor, slated to become operational by mid-2025, aims to enhance connectivity and further integrate the terminal into Delhi's expanding multimodal transportation network. Phase I of the two-storey railway station
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3234-450: The infrastructure to handle the increasing passenger load. As a key transit hub connecting northern states like Punjab , Haryana , Himachal Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh , Uttarakhand , and Jammu & Kashmir , Delhi faced significant pressure on its existing rail facilities. The need for an additional major terminal became evident as all eastbound trains from Delhi—serving states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and
3311-1362: The letter(s) identifying the berth/seat type and numbers identifying the position. In standard coaches, the berths and seats are classified as follows: Saloon coaches are also available for chartering which are equipped with a bedroom and kitchen and can be attached to normal trains. 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. Express trains often have specific unique names for easy identification. In 2018–19, Indian Railways operated 13,523 passenger trains on average daily and carried 8.44 billion passengers. 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 . Rajdhani Express introduced in 1969 were
3388-403: The minimum essential amenities required by each station. Indian Railways offers various travel classes on its coaches . 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. The berths and seats are numbered by an alphanumeric code with
3465-591: The operator for 25 years. A foot over-bridge connects the terminal to the Anand Vihar Metro station , improving commuter convenience. In 2020, the station received a five-star rating for its food-related facilities, making it the first in Delhi and the third in India to earn this distinction. Under the Indian Railways station redevelopment plan, the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation will revamp
3542-405: 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
3619-798: 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. 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
3696-537: The proposal to construct the first railway line in India at Madras was made. 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 . The Madras Railway was established in 1845 and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway
3773-519: The route covered by GSM-R based Mobile Train Radio communication. 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 ₹ 120 billion (US$ 1.4 billion). As of March 2023, Indian Railways manages and operates 7,308 stations. Prior to 2017, the stations were classified into seven categories based on their earnings. Since 2017, Indian Railways categorizes
3850-436: The route uses automatic block signalling for train operations – concentrated in high density routes, large cities and junctions. 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. In
3927-438: The station to manage the heavy passenger influx. In Phase II, the number of platforms at the Anand Vihar Terminal will be increased to seven, enabling it to handle over three lakh passengers and up to 270 trains daily. The total cost of the terminal, including Phase I, is estimated at around ₹240 crore (US$ 29 million). Phase II will also include the addition of a new Passenger Reservation System (PRS). This phase involves linking
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#17327805176584004-442: 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). 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
4081-400: The stations. Indian railways removed all unstaffed level crossings by 2019 with staffed level crossings being replaced by bridges. 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. In 2020, Indian Railways allowed the operation of private passenger trains for
4158-553: The terminal also reduced road congestion by decreasing the daily influx of a million people into New Delhi. It is integrated with the Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal and the Anand Vihar station of the Delhi Metro , creating a major transportation hub for the city. Additionally, plans are in place to widen the rail overbridge at Anand Vihar, as the current structure is insufficient to handle
4235-432: The terminal is one of the largest railway stations and handles the vast majority of east-bound trains from Delhi since the conclusion of the second phase of development. Delhi relies heavily on rail transport to manage its growing passenger traffic. Historically, long-distance trains from Delhi operated from three main stations: Delhi Junction (Old Delhi), New Delhi , and Hazrat Nizamuddin . However, these stations lacked
4312-578: The terminal with the original Anand Vihar station (Station code: ANVR), a roadside station with two platforms currently serving only suburban trains. Northern Railways has invited consultants to upgrade the station under Phase II, aiming to provide world-class facilities. The Anand Vihar Terminal offers a range of facilities, including booking offices, ticket counters, separate arrival and departure areas, reservation halls, waiting halls with amenities for differently-abled passengers, high-speed Wi-Fi, toilets, and parking areas. A cloakroom has been established on
4389-537: Was 132,310 km (82,210 mi). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 80 to 200 km/h (50 to 124 mph), though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is 160 km/h (99 mph). The network was built with a variety of gauges , including 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge , 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge metre gauge and 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ) and 610 mm ( 2 ft ) narrow gauge ; but
4466-503: Was also inaugurated. As part of the new terminal's operations, the New Jalpaiguri Express and Farakka Express , both passenger trains to West Bengal, were scheduled to originate from this station. Furthermore, three existing trains from Nizamuddin and New Delhi stations, running to Varanasi , Jogbani , and Motihari , were planned to shift to this terminal from March onward. The original completion deadline for Phase I
4543-538: Was commissioned in the 2003 railway budget , and in December of the same year, Northern Railway invited tenders to hire consultants for Phase I of the project. The foundation stone for the terminal was laid by Nitish Kumar on 25 January 2004. Phase I was initially scheduled for completion by 2006. Construction of the Anand Vihar Terminal was delayed for various reasons but eventually began in October 2006 under Northern Railways . The initial deadline for completing Phase I
4620-556: Was deployed in September 1996. 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. 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
4697-578: Was extended to Kalyan in May 1854. Eastern India's first passenger train ran 39 km (24 mi) from Howrah , near Kolkata , to Hoogly on 15 August 1854. The construction on the first main line in the South between Royapuram in Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational on 1 July 1856. On 24 February 1873, a horse-drawn 3.8 km (2.4 mi) tram opened in Calcutta between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat street. On 9 May 1874,
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#17327805176584774-487: Was fabricated by North British Locomotive Company in 1954. The first locomotive manufacturing unit at Chittaranjan was commissioned in 1950. The first rail coaches were manufactured in India from 1956 when the Integral Coach Factory was established at Madras. In 1956, the first air-conditioned train plied between Howrah and New Delhi . In 1957, Indian Railways adopted 25 kV AC traction with
4851-1160: Was gradually expanded to 18 zones over the years. The first steam operated railway operated in 1837 in Madras with the first passenger operating 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 , passengers and suburban trains. In 2018–19, it operated 13,523 trains on average daily covering 7,325 stations and carried 8.44 billion passengers. Indian Railways also operates different classes of rail freight transport . In 2022–23, it operated 8,479 trains on average daily and transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight . Indian Railways operates multiple classes of rolling stock , manufactured by self-owned coach-production facilities. As of March 2023 , Indian Railways' rolling stock consisted of 318,196 freight wagons and 84,863 passenger coaches . As of December 2023 , Indian Railways had 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives amongst others. In 1832
4928-625: Was inaugurated on 19 December 2009, featuring three platforms , a coach maintenance yard, and feeder lines to Sahibabad Junction . This phase, which cost ₹850 million (US$ 10 million), took five years to complete. During the inauguration, two new trains—the Anand Vihar-Lucknow Special Train and the Ghaziabad-New Delhi Ladies Special Train—were flagged off. Additionally, a Delhi–Panipat EMU with an increased number of coaches, from 12 to 15,
5005-591: Was incorporated in 1849. Temporary railway lines were built such as the railway line at Dowleswaram built at 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. In 1852, a steam locomotive imported from England
5082-575: Was incorporated in 1999 and online ticketing was introduced on 3 August 2002 through IRCTC. In 2015, the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered trains were rolled out. 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. On 31 March 2017, Indian Railways announced a target of electrifying
5159-465: 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. In 1957, Indian Railways decided to adopt 25 kV AC as its standard. The first 25 kV AC EMUs operated in Calcutta in 1962 and Madras in 1968. In 2017, Indian Railways announced a plan to electrify
5236-555: Was launched as Amrit Bharat Express . 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. Mountain Railways of India refer to three rail lines operated by Indian Railways in hilly terrain . Darjeeling Himalayan Railway , a 610 mm ( 2 ft ) narrow-gauge railway in the Lesser Himalayas of West Bengal
5313-502: Was mid-2007, later revised to March 2008, but the project faced further delays due to various reasons. Regular train services from the station, however, began on 10 March 2010. Over time, many trains were gradually shifted from New Delhi and other stations to the Anand Vihar Terminal. The station also serves as a stop for several EMUs of the Delhi Suburban Railway . Additionally, multiple special trains are operated from
5390-523: Was mid-2007; however, it was later revised to March 2008 due to unforeseen delays. The station was cleared for public use by the Commissioner of Railway Safety on 20 October 2009 and was officially inaugurated on 19 December 2009 by the former Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and then Chief Minister of Delhi , Sheila Dikshit . Regular train operations, however, commenced only on 10 March 2010. The station initially operated below capacity until
5467-553: Was opened in 1881. The mountain railways were designated as World Heritage Sites in 1999. The Kalka-Shimla Railway , a 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ) narrow-gauge railway in the Siwalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh started operating in 1903. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway , a 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge rack railway in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu
5544-458: Was opened in 1908 and is the only operational rack railway in India. These railways operate with its own dedicated fleet of locomotives and coaches. The first suburban electric trains were introduced in Bombay in 1925. Chennai suburban lines started operating in 1931 and Kolkata in 1957. Later, AC traction was adopted for suburban lines and are currently operated by Multiple Units (MUs) of various configurations. In 1984, Kolkata Metro ,
5621-601: Was previously met by Bharat wagon and engineering with the procurement and manufacturing now done by both in public and private sector. Apart from standard passenger classes, the Indian Railways has other specialized coach types used for dedicated functions. These include accident relief medical vans, brake vans, generator cars, inspection carriages, military cars, pantry car and parcel vans. These may be dedicated self-propelled units or attached to train-sets. Indian Railways operates various manufacturing units. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), commissioned in 1950,
5698-479: Was rolled out from ICF. Locomotives are manufactured by five owned manufacturing units of the Indian Railways and BHEL . As of 2021 , 37% of the trains are operated by diesel locomotives and rest mostly by electric locomotives. As of December 2023 , Indian Railways had 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives amongst others. The early rail coaches were based on a prototype by a Swiss company and were termed as ICF coaches after Integral coach factory (ICF),
5775-856: Was the first locomotive manufacturing unit in India. The first rail coache manufacturing unit, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) was established at Madras in 1956. Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), commissioned in 1961, is the second locomotive manufacturing unit operated by Indian Railways. BHEL, Patiala Locomotive Works , Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowrah and Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura also manufacture locomotives in India. Railway coaches are also manufactured at coach factories at Karputhala , Raebareli , Sonipat and Latur . Indian Railways also operates three rail wheel manufacturing factories at Bangalore , Chhpra and Raebareli. The locomotives are operated and maintained by 44 locomotive sheds. The repair and maintenance of
5852-573: Was tried at Byculla . In 1853, the first passenger train on 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge ran for 34 kilometres (21 mi) between Bombay and Thane which had 14-carriages carrying 400 people, hauled by three steam locomotives: the Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. The Thane viaducts, the first railway bridges , were built over the Thane creek when the Mumbai-Thane line
5929-555: Was used for ferrying granite. The first dedicated commercial freight rail was operated between Bombay and Ahmedabad in 1966. 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. In 2022–23, Indian Railways operated 8,479 trains on average daily and transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight. Indian Railways has historically subsidized
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