98-562: The Western Railway (abbreviated WR ) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai , Maharashtra . The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railways are: Mumbai Central – Ratlam , Mumbai Central– Ahmedabad and Palanpur –Ahmedabad. The railway system is divided into six operating divisions: Ahmedabad , Vadodara , Rajkot , Bhavnagar , Ratlam , and Mumbai WR . Vadodara railway station , being
196-542: 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
294-1171: 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
392-441: 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
490-512: 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,
588-508: 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
686-768: 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
784-646: A number of ports, most important among them being Kandla , Hajira, Surat , Dahej , Mundra , Okha , Veraval , Porbandar , Bhavnagar in Gujarat state and Mumbai in Maharashtra. Navapur railway station is unique as it falls in both the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra because both were part of Bombay State before 1960 and after States Reorganization Act the Navapur station was divided equally among Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Surat railway station
882-578: 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
980-527: 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
1078-636: 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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#17327811775941176-575: 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
1274-460: 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
1372-894: Is also unique. It was the first rail station in Asia with an above ground floor platform. The Western Railway operates electric multiple units (EMUs) on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway , which forms part of the Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line . The EMUs ply between Churchgate and Virar (60 km) and was extended until Dahanu Road and Services actually started on 16 April 2013. EMUs are of 12-car or 15-car rakes and are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains halt at all stations, while fast ones halt at important stations only and are preferable over longer distances. The first electric train on this section
1470-471: 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
1568-527: 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
1666-510: Is in progress at Khar Road, Mira Road and other stations. Many developments have taken place on Western railway in recent past. The unstaffed level crossings have been eliminated. The staffed level crossings are also being closed by constructing Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges. Electrification is being carried out in mission mode to convert whole of Western Railway to electric traction. Gauge Conversion, Doubling and New Line work in recent years: The new upgraded Vande Bharat version 2.0
1764-576: Is located on Altamont road in Cumbala hill, Mumbai. The Western Railway was created on 5 November 1951 by merging several state-owned railways, including the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI), and the Saurashtra Railway , Rajputana Railway and Jaipur State Railway . The narrow-gauge lines of Cutch State Railway was also merged into it in 1951. The BB&CI Railway
1862-525: Is renewable every three years, and currently it is valid until January 2019. In the 1990s, the Delhi–Jaipur line and Jaipur–Ahmedabad line were converted to broad gauge (BG). In 2007, the line going toward Ratlam Junction from Phulera to Chittaurgarh was converted to BG. Between 2008 and 2011, the Bikaner–Rewari line was converted to broad gauge. In 2009, the metre-gauge Hisar–Sadulpur section
1960-603: Is upgrading its suburban system. Western Railway's Mumbai Suburban section extends from Churchgate to Dahanu Road (123km). Western Railway operates 1394 EMU services on this section with 96 being AC services. The suburban section is the lifeline of city, with commuters travelling more than 60 km distances to reach their workplace. To make commuting more comfortable, Western Railway has done several upgradations in recent past. Many Foot Over Bridges have been constructed, Esclators and Lifts have been installed, elevated decks have been made at Andheri, Borivali and Goregaon stations and work
2058-853: The 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in )-wide metre-gauge Delhi–Rewari section of Delhi–Fazilka line to Bathinda, which was The Southern Punjab Railway Co. opened the Delhi–Bathinda–Samasatta line in 1897. The line passed through Muktasar and Fazilka tehsils and provided direct connection through Samma Satta (now in Pakistan) to Karachi. On 18 February 2006, Thar Express , an Indian non-stop international passenger train operated weekly by Indian Railways using its own coaches and locomotives, between Jodhpur in India and Karachi in Pakistan. Earlier, Sindh Mail train operated on this route from 1900 to 1965 when
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#17327811775942156-875: The Great Indian Peninsular Railway , now the Central Railway , which had already started operating in Mumbai in 1853. In 1860 Surat railway station was built. In 1883, a metre-gauge railway system, initially linking Delhi with Agra , Jaipur and Ajmer , was established. The first suburban service in Mumbai with steam traction was introduced in April 1867. It was extended to Churchgate in 1870. By 1900 45 trains in each direction were carrying over one million passengers annually. The railways of several princely states were also integrated into
2254-601: 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
2352-515: 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
2450-731: 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
2548-409: 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
2646-690: The Jodhpur–Bikaner line, along with the link to Phulera, were started, and it was already functioning as broad gauge Jodhpur–Merta City–Bikaner–Bathinda line by 2008. In 2002, on 1 October the North Western Railway zone came into existence. In 2012, the Bikaner Heritage Rail Museum was opened at Bikaner to displays items related to the Jodhpur and Bikaner Railway. In 1884, The Rajputana–Malwa Railway extended
2744-638: The Western Railway. The Gaekwars of Baroda built the Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway (GBSR), which was merged into the BB&;CI in 1949. Several railways of western Gujarat, including the Bhavnagar , Kathiawar , Jamnagar & Dwarka , Gondal , and Morvi railways were merged into the Saurashtra Railway in 1948. The Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway was taken over by Rajasthan state in 1949, after
2842-458: The arches of carriage porch on west. The flawless Porebunder stone was brought from a four mile long quarry in the Kathiawar region in today’s Gujarat. The bases of columns and piers were of finely dressed Coorla(Kurla) stone and Kalyan brock and lime masonry for jams, piers and coigns. Chamfered and moulded arches were made of finely dressed Porebunder and Dhrangdhara red stone. Blue basalt stone
2940-466: 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
3038-425: The building plus Rs 50,000 for the architect’s design fees. The final estimate including a supplementary estimate of Rs 83,426 sanctioned was Rs 7,52,556. F W Stevens appointed Raosaheb Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya as the resident engineer. He had worked with Stevens in same capacity on Municipal Building and other projects. He also appointed Ranganath Krishna Deshmukh as assistant to Resident Engineer Khanderao. F W Stevens
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3136-453: 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
3234-488: 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
3332-483: 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
3430-465: The development of lines on Western Region of India. The BB&CI map dating back to 1930s shows us that the Western line started from Mumbai via Vadodara, Ratlam connected GIP Railway at Mathura to reach Delhi and further Peshawar. The Frontier Mail ( Golden Temple Mail ) used to run up to Peshawar. The Gallery is open for public free of cost during working hours and on special occasions. Some of
3528-438: The eastern Rajasthan, western and southern triangular half of Haryana (railway line network from Rewari – Bhiwani to Hisar , Sirsa and Dabwali , Rohtak to Hansi –Hisar), and a very small corner of south west Punjab (Sirsa to Bhatinda ). The quantum of traffic is equally split between goods and passenger segment, with food grains, china clay and gypsum being the main outbound goods traffic. The Jaipur railway division
3626-786: The elongated elliptical shaped loop railway network in Marwar region central Rajasthan, from Pushkar to Palanpur via Marwar, and from Palanpur back to Pushkar via Chittorgarh . The main goods traffic are the export of cement from Ajmer district , and rock phosphate and soapstone powder from Udaipur district . The passenger segment handles traffic on the prominent religious and tourist circuit of Ajmer Sharif Dargah , Pushkar , Dilwara Jain Temples at Mount Abu and Ranakpur Jain temple . The Bikaner railway division , founded in 1924, has ~12,000 employees handling 142 trains across 198 stations (14 with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), covering
3724-557: The employees and their families, the zone also has the following healthcare facilities: This railway zone has a total of 578 stations, covering a total of 5,449.29 kilometres (3,386.03 mi) route kilometers out of which 2,575.03 kilometres (1,600.05 mi) are broad gauge and 2,874.23 kilometres (1,785.96 mi) are metre gauge (c. 2009), and 7,329.80 kilometres (4,554.53 mi) track kilometers out of6,696.36 kilometres (4,160.93 mi) are broad gauge and 733.44 kilometres (455.74 mi) are metre gauge (c. 2009). The zone has
3822-762: 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,
3920-605: 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
4018-581: 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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4116-535: 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)
4214-682: 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
4312-443: 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. North Western Railway The North Western Railway (abbreviated NWR ) is one of 19 railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Jaipur , Rajasthan and has 59,075+ employees, 658+ stations and a route length of more than 5,761 kilometres (3,580 mi) across
4410-708: 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
4508-481: 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
4606-500: 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
4704-449: 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)
4802-437: 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
4900-676: 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
4998-758: The junction point for the Ahmedabad–Mumbai route and the Mumbai–Ratlam route towards New Delhi , is the busiest junction station in Western Railways and one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways too, while Ahmedabad Division earns highest revenue followed by Mumbai Division and Vadodara Division. Surat railway station is one of the busiest railway station in Western Railway in non-junction category where more than 180 trains pass per day. Western Railway General Manager's official bungalow 'Bombarci' (abbreviation of Bom bay, Bar oda and C entral I ndia)
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#17327811775945096-1362: 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
5194-532: The location of signals, level-crossing gates and other such approaching markers. This zone was formed on 1 October 2002, comprising four divisions: Jodhpur and reorganized Bikaner division of the erstwhile Northern Railway zone , and reorganized Jaipur and Ajmer divisions of the erstwhile Western Railway zone . The Ajmer railway division , founded on 5 November 1951, has ~9,050 employees handling 48 passenger trains across 141 stations (15 main stations with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), covering
5292-550: The major trains operated by Western Railway zone are as follows: Indian Railways Indian Railways 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
5390-403: 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
5488-417: The outline and massing were the most prominent and defining character of the building which was otherwise plain because it lacked ornament. The unique central tower was square from the base up to 100 feet, then became an octagon diminishing into a smaller octagon culminating in a circular dome. This dome was noticeable from all parts of Esplanade and formed a new landmark for ships entering Bombay. Two porches on
5586-405: 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
5684-798: 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
5782-721: The passenger traffic. It forms a logistics hub for the cross traffic of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor , carrying fertilizer, cement, oil, salt, food grains, oil seeds, limestone and gypsum traffic, with bulk container loading facilities. The Jodhpur railway division , with origin going back to 1882, was founded on 5 November 1951. It has ~14,000 employees handling 92 trains across 144 stations (15 with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), It covers Jodhpur, Pali Marwar, Nagaur, Jalore, Barmer, Jaisalmer districts in Rajasthan and certain districts of Gujarat state. The main goods export traffic consists of limestone, salt and gypsum. For
5880-451: 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
5978-626: The restoration of this heritage building, Exhibitions, conduction heritage tours etc. Conserving heritage, Western Railway has opened Heritage Gallery at its headquarters building at Churchgate, Mumbai. The Gallery has recently been renovated. It is a collection of various models of BB&CI era, the precursor of Western Railway. Many notes of agents of BB&CI dating back to 1860s have also been displayed. Suburban timetable of 1948, steam engine model, signalling equipment, Model of 1928 EMUs, working model of Auxiliary Warning System, etc. have been beautifully displayed. The gallery gives an insight about
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#17327811775946076-519: 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
6174-436: 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
6272-511: The states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana. NWR operates international rail service Thar Express from Jodhpur to Karachi. This zone is the key enabler of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project by virtue of running railways 1,500 km long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor . In 1882, a 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in )-wide metre-gauge line from Marwar Junction to Pali
6370-442: 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
6468-400: 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
6566-568: The track was bombed out by the Pakistan Air Force in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . Thar Link Express was run started after 41 years in 2006 based on the earlier rail communication agreement. The rail communication agreement was signed by India and Pakistan in 1976, to ease the soured relations after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 for the successful liberation of Bangladesh by Indian Army . The rail communication agreement
6664-640: The western and southern façades provided additional character to the building. A sculpture of ‘Engineering’ made in Bath stone was placed atop the central gable. The sculpture consisted of a lady accompanied by two children on either side, with her holding a locomotive in her right hand while supporting herself on a wheel to her left. Seven other carved figures in Porebunder stone of griffins holding BB&CI monogrammed shield were placed on smaller gables. Statues of Colonel French and Colonel Kennedy were placed between
6762-672: The western portion was ceded to the government of Pakistan. In 2002, the Jaipur and Ajmer divisions of the Western Railway became part of the newly created North Western Railway , and in April 2003 the Kota division of the Western Railway became part of the newly created West Central Railway . Western Railway headquarters is in Mumbai 's Churchgate station and serves the entire state of Gujarat , some portions of Western Madhya Pradesh , and coastal Maharashtra and some parts of Rajasthan . The Western coast of India served by Western Railway has
6860-537: The workshop at Bikaner (Lalgarh) was set up to carry out periodic overhauling of metre gauge coaches and wagons. In 1952, on 6 November the Jodhpur–Bikaner line was merged with the Western Railway . Sometime around or prior to 1992, the construction work for the conversion from metre gauge to 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in )-wide 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ) broad gauge of
6958-549: The year 1899 will be completing 125 years in January 2024. The Head Quarters building was designed by renowned architect, Frederick William Stevens. Stevens successfully blended the Venetian Gothic and Indian Sarcenic styles, creating in the process a style excellently adapted to the climate and environment of Bombay and the superb vantage site on which the building was constructed. Initially, Rs 4,75,000 were sanctioned for
7056-537: 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
7154-497: Was also assisted by his son, Charles Fedrick Stevens, who worked as Chief Assistant with him. Charles Fedrick Stevens is known for Art Deco style designs for buildings in Bombay including the famous Regal Cinema building. The completed building with a 276 foot we276-footstern façade supporting a central tower of 160 feet was an imposing sight facing the sea situated at the intersection of Churchgate Street (Veer Nariman Road) and Queen’s road (Maharashi Karve road). As detailed by Stevens,
7252-733: Was built by the Rajputana Railway. It was extended to Luni in 1884 and Jodhpur on 9 March 1886. New Jodhpur Railway was later combined with Bikaner Railway to form Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway in 1890, when the Bikaner Princely State and Jodhpur Princely State started constructing the Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway within the Rajputana Agency . In 1892, the 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in )-wide metre gauge Jodhpur–Bikaner line
7350-605: Was commissioned under the Rajputana–Malwa Railway , Jodhpur–Merta Road section was commissioned on 7 April, the Merta Road-Nagaur section on 15 October, and the Nagaur-Bikaner section on 8 December. In 1901, Jodhpur–Bikaner line combined with Jodhpur–Hyderabad Railway, some part of this railway is in Pakistan, leading to connection with Hyderabad of Sindh Province. In 1902–03, the Jodhpur–Bikaner line
7448-502: Was completed in a record time in close coordination with state government by Western Railway. It was inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister through video conferencing from New Delhi. 8 inaugural trains were flagged off from various parts of the country on same day. Vistadome coach has been introduced in Ahmedabad-Kevadiya Janshatabdi express. Western Railway Head Quarters Building constructed in
7546-509: Was converted to broad gauge. By December 2017, railways for the first time installed 6,095 GPS -enabled "Fog Pilot Assistance System" railway signalling devices in four most affected zones, Northern Railway zone , North Central Railway zone , North Eastern Railway zone and North Western Railway zone, by doing away with the old practice of putting firecrackers on train tracks to alter train divers running trains on snail's pace. With these devices, train pilots precisely know in advance, about
7644-556: 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
7742-412: Was extended to Bathinda in 1902–03 to connect it with the metre-gauge section of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway and the metre gauge of North Western Railway Delhi–Fazilka line via Hanumangarh. In 1925, the combined entity Jodhpur and Bikaner Railways was split to function as two independent Railway companies. After Independence, a part of Jodhpur Railway went to West Pakistan. In 1926,
7840-578: 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,
7938-487: 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
8036-686: Was first introduced on 30/09/2022 between Gandhinagar and Mumbai Central. The train set boasts of several passenger friendly features. Today, Western Railway runs four Vande Bharat trains viz: On 17 January 2021, the Statue of Unity came on the railways map. Western Railway connected the Statue of Unity with the Broad Gauge electrified line with Mumbai- Delhi main line at Vadodara. The project included gauge conversion of Dabhoi-Chandod section, new line from Chandod to Kevadiya(Statue of Unity) and electrification of Pratapnagar(Vadodara) to Kevadiya. The project
8134-402: Was formed after merging parts of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway , Jaipur State Railway and Rajputana–Malwa Railway . It has ~10,250 employees handling 146 trains across 128 stations (14 with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), covering the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. a very small corner of south west Punjab (Sirsa to Bathinda ). 85% of the income is from
8232-1160: 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
8330-591: 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
8428-575: 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
8526-521: Was introduced in 1928 between Churchgate and Andheri . AC EMUs were introduced on Mumbai Suburban section of Western Railway on 25th December, 2017. Today, Western Railway runs 1394 suburban services including 96 AC services. the AC services are getting more and more popular. The suburban services are the lifeline of the city with working class commuting daily to work covering more than 60km distance every day. For making commuting more comfortable, Western Railway
8624-413: 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
8722-586: Was itself inaugurated in 1855, starting with the construction of a 29-mile (47-km) broad-gauge track from Ankleshwar to Utran in Gujarat state on the west coast. In 1864, the railway was extended to Mumbai and the first train was flagged off from Grant Road Station in Mumbai to Ahmedabad on 28th November, 1864. Subsequently, the project was further extended beyond Vadodara in a north easterly direction towards Godhra, Ratlam , Nagda and thereafter northwards towards Kota and Mathura , to eventually link with
8820-555: 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
8918-553: 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
9016-458: 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 ,
9114-601: 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,
9212-479: 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),
9310-856: 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
9408-573: 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
9506-555: 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
9604-424: Was used for long steps of overhanging staircase provided with ornamental railing of wrought iron topped with French polished teak handrail. The domes, mouldings, capitals, columns, cornices and carved enrichments in Porebunder stone, white Coorla (Kurla) and Dhrangdhara red stone were in synergy with neighboring buildings. Western Railway has planned a series of activities to mark completion of 125 years which include
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