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118-434: The East Coast Railway (abbreviated ECoR ) is one of the 19 railway zones of Indian Railways . It came into existence on 1 April 2003. The headquarters of the zone are at Bhubaneswar , Odisha . Consequent upon the parliament's approval, East Coast Railway was the first of the seven new zones to be inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India H. D. Deve Gowda on 8 August 1996. The Officer-on-Special Duty took charge of
236-634: A Food and Agriculture Organization -recognised rice gene bank and research institute, is situated on the banks of Mahanadi in Cuttack . The stretch between Puri and Bhadrak in Odisha juts out a little into the sea, making it vulnerable to any cyclonic activity. Three-quarters of the state is covered in mountain ranges. Deep and broad valleys have been made in them by rivers. These valleys have fertile soil and are densely populated. Odisha also has plateaus and rolling uplands , which have lower elevation than
354-519: A 10 MT steel plant in Odisha, too. Nippon Steel Corporation has recently announced to set up their own plants, one of which will be the world's largest and most advanced steel plant in Odisha, with a production capacity of 30 MT annually. Bandhabahal is a major area of open cast coal mines in Odisha. The state is attracting an unprecedented amount of investment in aluminium, coal-based power plants, petrochemicals, and information technology as well. In power generation, Reliance Power (Anil Ambani Group)
472-542: 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
590-610: A Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC). The position of the RDC in the administrative hierarchy is that between that of the district administration and the state secretariat. The RDCs report to the Board of Revenue, which is headed by a senior officer of the Indian Administrative Service . Each district is governed by a collector and district magistrate, who is appointed from the Indian Administrative Service or
708-530: A brief debate, the lower house, Lok Sabha , passed the bill and amendment on 9 November 2010. On 24 March 2011, Rajya Sabha , the upper house of Parliament , also passed the bill and the amendment. The changes in spelling were made with the intention of having the English and Hindi renditions conform to the Odia transliteration. However, the underlying Odia texts were nevertheless transliterated incorrectly as per
826-535: A coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi). It has one major port at Paradip and few minor ports. some of them are: Major cities of Odisha are well connected to all the major cities of India by direct daily trains and weekly trains. Most of the railway network in Odisha lies under the jurisdiction of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) with headquarters at Bhubaneswar and some parts under South Eastern Railway and South East Central Railway . According to
944-1171: 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
1062-485: A fifth of India's coal, a quarter of its iron ore, a third of its bauxite reserves and most of the chromite . Rourkela Steel Plant was the first integrated steel plant in the public sector in India, built with collaboration of Germany . Arcelor-Mittal has also announced plans to invest in another mega steel project amounting to $ 10 billion. Russian major Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Company (MMK) plans to set up
1180-441: 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
1298-512: 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,
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#17327722906971416-489: A locomotive change from electric to diesel at Kharagpur and vice versa at Visakhapatnam in order to pass through Odisha. Even trains from New Delhi such as the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani had to undergo the change at Kharagpur. This frequent loco change on a trunk route became a time-consuming and inconvenient process. With electrification along the 765 km Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam stretch, trains got speeded up and
1534-508: 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
1652-568: A major part of the Indian sub-continent. Kharavela was a Jain ruler. He also built the monastery atop the Udayagiri hill. Subsequently, the region was ruled by monarchs, such as Samudragupta and Shashanka . It was also a part of Harsha 's empire. The city of Brahmapur in Odisha is also known to have been the capital of the Pauravas during the closing years of 4th century CE. Nothing
1770-653: A majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The 147 elected representatives are called Members of the Legislative Assembly , or MLAs. One MLA may be nominated from the Anglo-Indian community by
1888-596: A new Expressway that will connect Biju Patnaik International Airport airport at Bhubaneswar with the proposed Shri Jagannath International Airport at Puri. Odisha has a total of three operational airports, 16 airstrips and 16 helipads. The airport at Jharsuguda was upgraded to a full-fledged domestic airport in May 2018. Rourkela Airport became operational in December 2022.The Dhamra Port Company Limited plans to build Dhamra Airport 20 km from Dhamra Port . Odisha has
2006-768: 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
2124-687: A part of the South Coast Railway zone upon operationalization. The geographical jurisdiction of East Coast Railway zone extends over three states encompassing almost all of Odisha and Bastar , Mahasamund and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh and a minor part Palasa , Sompeta and seven other stations of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh . The zonal headquarters is at Bhubaneswar in Odisha. The zone has three divisions: Sambalpur , Khurda Road and Waltair . The Rayagada railway division has been proposed to succeed
2242-921: A result of the Second Carnatic War by 1760, and incorporated them into the Madras Presidency gradually. In 1803, the British ousted the Marathas from the Puri-Cuttack region of Odisha during the Second Anglo-Maratha War . The northern and western districts of Odisha were incorporated into the Bengal Presidency . The Orissa famine of 1866 caused an estimated 1 million deaths. Following this, large-scale irrigation projects were undertaken. In 1903,
2360-525: A section of the existing Waltair division which will remain in the East Coast Railway zone upon bifurcation. As of 31 December 2021, it is one of the three 100% electric railway zones in India. The East Coast Railway line integrated with the commissioned Howrah-Chennai electrified trunk route on 29 November 2005. There was a missing link between Kharagpur and Visakhapatnam stations and all trains from Howrah towards Chennai side had to undergo
2478-578: 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
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#17327722906972596-472: 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
2714-636: 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
2832-631: A single kingdom. Yayati II is supposed to have built the Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar . They were replaced by the Eastern Ganga dynasty . Notable rulers of the dynasty were Anantavarman Chodaganga , who began reconstruction on the present-day Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri (c. 1135), and Narasimhadeva I , who constructed the Konark temple (c. 1250). The Eastern Ganga Dynasty was followed by
2950-575: 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
3068-460: 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
3186-541: A very senior officer from Odisha Administrative Service. The collector and district magistrate is responsible for collecting the revenue and maintaining law and order in the district. Each district is separated into sub-divisions, each governed by a sub-collector and sub-divisional magistrate. The sub-divisions are further divided into tahasils. The tahasils are headed by tahasildar. Odisha has 58 sub-divisions, 317 tahasils and 314 blocks. Blocks consists of Panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. The capital of
3304-503: Is also found in this region. Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon on the east coast of Odisha with an area of 1,105 km . It is connected to the Bay of Bengal by a 35-km-long narrow channel and is a part of the Mahanadi delta. In the dry season, the tides bring in salt water. In the rainy season, the rivers falling into the lagoon decrease its salinity. Birds from places as far as
3422-659: Is also home for tiny red crabs. According to a census conducted in 2016, there are around 2000 elephants in the state. All states in India are governed by a parliamentary system of government based on universal adult franchise . The main parties active in the politics of Odisha are the Biju Janata Dal , the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party . Following the Odisha State Assembly Election in 2019 ,
3540-610: Is also known as Utkaḷa and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem, Jana Gana Mana . The language of Odisha is Odia , which is one of the Classical languages of India . The ancient kingdom of Kalinga , which was invaded by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 261 BCE resulting in the Kalinga War , coincides with the borders of modern-day Odisha. The modern boundaries of Odisha were demarcated by
3658-471: 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
East Coast Railway zone - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-527: 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
3894-472: Is experiencing a rapid economic growth post-Covid. The impressive growth in gross domestic product of the state has been reported by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Odisha's growth rate is above the national average. The central Government's Urban Development Ministry has recently announced the names of 20 cities selected to be developed as smart cities . The state capital Bhubaneswar
4012-403: Is gradually losing its wilderness areas to timber smuggling , deforestation , destructive mining, and general urban industrialisation, as well as livestock grazing . There have been attempts at conservation and reforestation . Due to the climate and good rainfall, Odisha's evergreen and moist forests are uniquely suitable habitats for wild orchids . Around 130 species have been reported from
4130-638: Is putting up the world's largest power plant with an investment of US$ 13 billion at Hirma in Jharsuguda district . In 2009 Odisha was the second top domestic investment destination with Gujarat first and Andhra Pradesh in third place according to an analysis of ASSOCHAM Investment Meter (AIM) study on corporate investments. Odisha's share was 12.6 per cent in total investment in the country. It received an investment proposal worth ₹ 2.01 trillion (equivalent to ₹ 4.5 trillion or US$ 54 billion in 2023) in 2010. Steel and power were among
4248-522: Is the first city in the list of smart Cities released in January 2016, a pet project of the Indian Government. The announcement also marked with sanction of Rs 508.02 billion over the five years for development. Odisha has abundant natural resources and a large coastline. Odisha has emerged as the most preferred destination for overseas investors with investment proposals. It contains
4366-562: Is the primary tree species. For fauna, the park is home to around 55 species of mammal , including the Bengal tiger , chital , chousingha , common langur , gaur , Indian elephant , Indian giant squirrel , jungle cat , leopard , muntjac , sambar , small Indian civet and wild boar . There are over 300 species of birds in the park, such as the common hill myna , as well as grey , Indian pied and Malabar pied hornbills . There are also some 60 species of reptiles and amphibians, including
4484-423: 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 was gradually expanded to 18 zones over
4602-617: Is the world's largest nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles . In 2013, the Indian Coast Guard initiated Operation Oliver to protect the endangered sea turtle population of the region. Other major nesting grounds for the turtle in the state are Rushikulya , in Ganjam district , and the mouth of the Devi river . The Bhitarkanika sanctuary is also noted for its large population of saltwater crocodiles and Asian water monitors ,
4720-481: The 2011 Census of India , Odisha accounted for approximately 3% of India's total population. The state had a population of 41,974,218, with 21,212,136 males (50.54%) and 20,762,082 females (49.46%), resulting in a sex ratio of 978 females per 1,000 males. This marked a growth rate of 13.97% during the 2001-2011 period, a decline from 16.25% in the previous decade (1991-2001). The population density stood at 269 people per square kilometer, with Ganjam district having
4838-589: The British Indian government, the Orissa Province was established on 1 April 1936, consisting of the Odia-speaking districts of Bihar and Orissa Province , Madras Presidency and Central Provinces . Utkala Dibasa ( lit. ' Odisha Day ' ) is celebrated on 1 April. Cuttack was made the capital of the region by Anantavarman Chodaganga in c. 1135 , after which
East Coast Railway zone - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-592: The Caspian Sea , Lake Baikal (and other parts of Russia), Central Asia , Southeast Asia , Ladakh and the Himalayas migrate to the lagoon in winter. Among the waterfowl and wading birds spotted there are Eurasian wigeon , pintail , bar-headed goose , greylag goose , greater flamingo , common mallard and Goliath heron . The lagoon also has a small population of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins . The state's coastal region has also had sightings of
5074-547: The Gajapati Kingdom . The region resisted integration into the Mughal empire until 1568, when it was conquered by Sultanate of Bengal . Mukunda Deva, who is considered the last independent king of Kalinga, was defeated and was killed in battle by a rebel Ramachandra Bhanja. Ramachandra Bhanja himself was killed by Bayazid Khan Karrani . In 1591, Man Singh I , then governor of Bihar , led an army to take Odisha from
5192-492: 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 the broad-gauge network is electrified . With more than 1.2 million employees, it
5310-523: The Hunterian system , the official national transliteration standard, in which the transliterations would be Orisha and Oria instead. Prehistoric Acheulian tools dating to Lower Paleolithic era have been discovered in various places in the region, implying an early settlement by humans. Kalinga has been mentioned in ancient texts like Mahabharata , Vayu Purana and Mahagovinda Suttanta . According to political scientist Sudama Misra,
5428-652: The Karranis of Bengal . They agreed to treaty because their leader Qutlu Khan Lohani had recently died. But they then broke the treaty by attacking the temple town of Puri . Man Singh returned in 1592 and pacified the region. In 1751, the Nawab of Bengal Alivardi Khan ceded the region to the Maratha Empire . The British had occupied the Northern Circars , comprising the southern coast of Odisha, as
5546-504: The Naveen Patnaik -led Biju Janata Dal stayed in power for the sixth consecutive term until 2024. Currently, BJP , who won for the first time, formed the government after winning the majority in 2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly election . He is the 17th Chief Minister of Odisha. The Odisha state has a unicameral legislature. The Odisha Legislative Assembly consists of 147 elected members, and special office bearers such as
5664-601: 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
5782-606: The Utkal Sammilani organisation was founded to demand the unification of Odia -speaking regions into one state. On 1 April 1912, the Bihar and Orissa Province was formed. On 1 April 1936, Bihar and Orissa were split into separate provinces. The new province of Orissa came into existence on a linguistic basis during the British rule in India, with Sir John Austen Hubback as the first governor. Following India's independence , on 15 August 1947, 27 princely states signed
5900-519: The eleventh-largest by population , with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India . It neighbours the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Odisha has a coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi) along the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean . The region
6018-515: 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
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#17327722906976136-731: 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
6254-409: 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
6372-574: The Kalinga janapada originally comprised the area covered by the Puri and Ganjam districts. The Sabar people of Odisha have also been mentioned in the Mahabharata. Baudhayana mentions Kalinga as not yet being influenced by Vedic traditions, implying it followed mostly tribal traditions. Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty conquered Kalinga in the bloody Kalinga War in 261 BCE, which
6490-718: The Speaker and Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker, or by the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister , although the titular head of government is the Governor of Odisha . The governor is appointed by the President of India . The leader of the party or coalition with
6608-586: The ancient Prakrit word "Odda Visaya" (also " Udra Bibhasha " or " Odra Bibhasha ") as in the Tirumalai inscription of Rajendra Chola I , which is dated to 1025. Sarala Das , who translated the Mahabharata into the Odia language in the 15th century, calls the region 'Odra Rashtra' as Odisha. The inscriptions of Kapilendra Deva of the Gajapati Kingdom (1435–67) on the walls of temples in Puri call
6726-453: 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
6844-554: The city was used as the capital by many rulers, through the British era until 1968. Thereafter, Bhubaneswar became the capital of Odisha. The economy of Odisha is the 15th-largest state economy in India with ₹ 5.86 trillion (US$ 70 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹ 127,383 (US$ 1,500). Odisha ranks 32nd among Indian states in Human Development Index . The terms Odisha and Orissa ( Odia : ଓଡ଼ିଶା , Oṛissa ) derive from
6962-488: 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
7080-483: 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
7198-610: The document to join Orissa. Most of the Orissa Tributary States , a group of princely states, acceded to Orissa in 1948, after the collapse of the Eastern States Union . Odisha lies between the latitudes 17.780N and 22.730N, and between longitudes 81.37E and 87.53E. The state has an area of 155,707 km , which is 4.87% of total area of India, and a coastline of 450 km. In the eastern part of
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#17327722906977316-713: 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,
7434-655: The famed king cobra , plus banded krait and tricarinate hill turtle . There is also a mugger crocodile breeding programme in nearby Ramtirtha. The Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary is a 190 km protected area near the capital city, Bhubaneswar. However, urban expansion and over-grazing have reduced the forests, driving the herds of elephants to migrate away, as well as increasing human-elephant conflicts—which sometimes results in injury and death (on both sides). Some elephants have died in conflicts with villagers, while some have died during migration after being accidentally electrocuted by power lines or even hit by trains. Outside
7552-605: 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
7670-581: 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
7788-535: 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)
7906-568: 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
8024-427: The first time in its history. 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. Odisha Odisha ( English : / ə ˈ d ɪ s ə / ; Odia: [oɽiˈsa] ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011 ), is an Indian state located in Eastern India . It is the eighth-largest state by area , and
8142-546: 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
8260-481: 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
8378-500: 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
8496-449: 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)
8614-437: 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
8732-676: 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
8850-710: The governor. The term of the office is for five years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. The judiciary is composed of the Odisha High Court , located at Cuttack, and a system of lower courts. Odisha has been divided into 30 districts. These 30 districts have been placed under three different revenue divisions to streamline their governance. The divisions are North, Central and South, with their headquarters at Sambalpur , Cuttack and Berhampur respectively. Each division consists of ten districts and has as its administrative head
8968-475: The highest population among all districts in Odisha. In contrast, Debagarh district has the lowest population. The population in the age group of 0–6 years comprised 12% of the total population, with a child sex ratio of 934 females for every 1,000 males in this age group. Additionally, Scheduled Castes (SC) constituted a population of 7.2 million, making up 16.5% of the total population, while Scheduled Tribes (ST) accounted for 9.6 million, representing 22.1% of
9086-1362: 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
9204-475: The major stations fall in the state of Odisha , Chhattisgarh . East Coast Railway zone has about 273 railway stations with a track length of 5214 km spread as follows:- ECoR zone has below tracks. All are 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ) broad gauge . The sections are:- Indian Railways Indian Railways is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of
9322-403: 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
9440-775: The need for double headed diesels for high speed express trains was eliminated thus saving on diesel consumption and a cleaner travel. Additionally the line branching off Khurda road towards Puri was also electrified. Gradually the Cuttack-Angul line, Cuttack-Paradeep line and branch line from Jakhapura towards Barbil got electrified too. The major railway stations in the entire zone are Bhubaneswar , Cuttack , Chatrapur , Puri , Sambalpur , Khurda Road , Balugaon , Rayagada , Brahmapur , Angul , Dhenkanal , Bhadrak , Balangir , Bargarh , Jajpur Keonjhar Road , Titilagarh , Kesinga , Lanjigarh , Koraput , Mahasamund , Jagdalpur , Kendujhargarh , Palasa and Barbil . Most of
9558-468: The newly declared Zone on 16 September 1996. Initially, only one division namely Khurda Road was attached to this railway. The zone became fully operational on 1 April 2003. The Waltair division was notified to be bifurcated from the East Coast Railway zone on 27 February 2019. The Odisha section of Waltair division will constitute the new Rayagada division, while the Andhra Pradesh section will be
9676-405: 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
9794-798: 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
9912-501: The plateaus. The highest point in the state is Deomali at 1,672 metres in Koraput district . Some other high peaks are: Sinkaram (1,620 m), Golikoda (1,617 m), and Yendrika (1,582 metres). The state experiences four meteorological seasons : winter (January to February), pre-monsoon season (March to May), south-west monsoon season (June to September) and north east monsoon season (October–December). However, locally
10030-410: The population. According to the 2011 Census, Odisha's overall literacy rate is 72.87%. Male literacy stands at 81.59%, while female literacy is recorded at 64.01%. Odisha's literacy rate is slightly below the national average of 74.04%. Literacy rates vary within the state, with Khordha district having the highest literacy rate at 86.88%, while Nabarangpur has the lowest at 46.43%. In rural areas,
10148-460: The potential to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030. Odisha has a network of roads, railways, airports and seaports. Bhubaneswar is well connected by air, rail and road with the rest of India. Some highways are getting expanded to four lanes. Odisha Government Plans Mega Metro Rail Project to Connect Puri and Bhubaneswar The metro rail proposal was given to connect trains between Puri- Bhubaneswar – Cuttack. The Odisha government has planned
10266-537: 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
10384-688: The protected area, they are killed by ivory poachers . In 2002, there were about 80 elephants, but by 2012, their numbers had been reduced to 20. Many of the animals have migrated toward the Barbara Reserve forest, Chilika, Nayagarh district , and Athagad . Besides elephants, the sanctuary also has leopards, jungle cats and herds of chital. The Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district covers 650 km , of which 150 km are mangroves. Gahirmatha Beach , in Bhitarkanika,
10502-407: The rare finless porpoise , as well as the more common bottlenose dolphin , humpback dolphin and spinner dolphins in its waters. Satapada is situated close to the northeast cape of Chilika Lake and Bay of Bengal. It is famous for dolphin watching in their natural habitat. There is a tiny island en route for watching dolphins, where tourists often take a short stop. Apart from that, this island
10620-578: The region Odisha or Odisha Rajya . In 2011, the English rendering of ଓଡ଼ିଶା was changed from "Orissa" to "Odisha", and the name of its language from "Oriya" to "Odia", by the passage of the Orissa (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010 and the Constitution (113th Amendment) Bill, 2010 in the Parliament . The Hindi rendering उड़ीसा ( uṛīsā ) was also modified to ओड़िशा ( or̥iśā ). After
10738-519: 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
10856-436: 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
10974-739: The second-largest lizard species on earth, in addition to axis deer and rhesus macaques . The coastal mangrove environments are home to several types of mudskippers , including the barred , Boddart's blue-spotted and great blue-spotted mudskippers . In winter, Bhitarkanika is also visited by migratory birds . Among the many species, both resident and migratory, are kingfishers (including black-capped , collared and common kingfishers ), herons (such as black-crowned night , grey , purple and striated herons ), Indian cormorants , openbill storks , Oriental white ibis , pheasant-tailed jacana , sarus cranes , spotted owlets and white-bellied sea-eagles . The possibly endangered horseshoe crab
11092-636: The sectors which attracted maximum investments in the state. The recently concluded Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 saw the state generate investment proposals worth ₹10.5 trillion with an employment potential for 10,37,701 people. Out of the total investment proposals received, the metals, ancillary and downstream sectors fetched ₹5.50 lakhs crore (trillion), power, green energy, and renewable energy sector fetched ₹2.38 trillion, and chemicals-petrochemicals and logistics-infrastructure sector attracted ₹76,000 crores and ₹1.20 trillion, respectively. Odisha has
11210-1150: The state is Bhubaneswar and the largest city is Cuttack , which also functions as the deputy capital of the state . The other major cities are, Rourkela , Berhampur and Sambalpur . Municipal Corporations in Odisha include Bhubaneswar , Cuttack , Berhampur , Sambalpur and Rourkela . Other municipalities of Odisha include Angul , Asika , Balangir , Balasore , Barbil , Bargarh , Baripada , Basudevpur , Belpahar , Bhadrak , Bhanjanagar , Bhawanipatna , Biramitrapur , Boudh , Brajarajnagar , Byasanagar , Chhatrapur , Deogarh , Dhamra , Dhenkanal , Gopalpur , Gunupur , Hinjilicut , Jagatsinghpur , Jajpur , Jeypore , Jharsuguda , Joda , Kendrapara , Kendujhar , Khordha , Konark , Koraput , Malkangiri , Nabarangpur , Nayagarh , Nuapada , Paradeep , Paralakhemundi , Phulbani , Puri , Rajgangpur , Rayagada , Sonepur , Sundargarh , Talcher , Titilagarh , Karanjia , Chatrapur , Asika , Kantabanji , Nimapada , Baudhgarh , and Umerkote . Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats , for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs in rural areas. Odisha
11328-551: The state lies the coastal plain. It extends from the Subarnarekha River in the north to the Rushikulya River in the south. The lake Chilika is part of the coastal plains. The plains are rich in fertile silt deposited by the six major rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal : Subarnarekha , Budhabalanga , Baitarani , Brahmani , Mahanadi , and Rushikulya . The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI),
11446-551: The state. Around 97 of them are found in Mayurbhanj district alone. The Orchid House of the Nandankanan Zoological Park maintains some of these species. Simlipal National Park is a protected wildlife area and Bengal tiger reserve spread over 2,750 km of the northern part of Mayurbhanj district . The park has around 1,078 species of plants, including 94 of the aforementioned orchids. The sal
11564-442: 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
11682-400: 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
11800-688: The year is divided into six traditional seasons (or rutus ): Grishma (summer), Barsha (rainy season), Sharata (autumn), Hemanta (dewy), Sheeta (winter season) and Basanta (spring). According to a Forest Survey of India report released in 2012, Odisha has 48,903 km of wild forest, covering 31.41% of the state's total area. The forests are classified into areas of dense forest (7,060 km ), medium dense forest (21,366 km ), open forest (forest without closed canopy ; 20,477 km ) and scrub forest or scrubland (4,734 km ). The state also has bamboo forests (10,518 km ) and tidal areas of mangrove swamp (221 km ). The state
11918-1120: 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
12036-537: 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
12154-556: 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
12272-578: 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,
12390-487: 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
12508-644: Was heard from the Pauravas from about the 3rd century CE, because they were annexed by the Yaudheya Republic , who in turn submitted to the Mauryans . It was only at the end of 4th century CE, that they established royalty at Brahmapur, after about 700 years. Later, the kings of the Somavamsi dynasty began to unite the region. By the reign of Yayati II, c. 1025 CE, they had integrated the region into
12626-591: 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
12744-575: 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
12862-465: 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
12980-555: 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
13098-553: 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
13216-458: 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 ,
13334-601: 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,
13452-479: 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),
13570-412: Was the eighth year of his reign. According to his own edicts , in that war about 100,000 people were killed, 150,000 were captured and more were affected. The resulting bloodshed and suffering of the war is said to have deeply affected Ashoka. He turned into a pacifist and converted to Buddhism. By c. 150 BCE, Emperor Kharavela , who was possibly a contemporary of Demetrius I of Bactria , conquered
13688-856: 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
13806-573: 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
13924-555: 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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