The bloodline for transport in India is the Indian Railway, or Bhartiya Rail network. It binds the people of all regions of India together. The economic, social, and cultural fabric of India from North to South and East to West is possible only because of the existence of the Indian Railway.
The Indian Railway systems transport people, goods, cargo, vehicles, animals, weapons, etc. Indian Railway is also the largest recruiter in the Indian Market, with over 1.3 million employees. It has one of the most extended track lengths in the world and runs around 15,000 passenger trains on a daily basis.
History
The first station to be up for public service was the Bori Bunder (now called the CST or Chattarpathi Shivaji Terminus), and the first train ran between Bori Bunder and Thane in the year 1851 during the month of December.
India started to produce its own carriages and also supplied it to Britain and its other colonies.
The Indian Railway is owned by the government of India. It is the most spread-out rail network and is also the second largest employer in the world.
Some GK (General Knowledge) questions about the Indian Railway
- Q. Where does the North-South track meet the East-West track of the Indian landmass?
- Nagpur, Maharashtra is where the North-South and East-West tracks meet, and trains can change their tracks/routes here.
- Q. What are the different types of engines used to pull the trains of India?
- Steam Engines, Electric Engines, and Diesel Engines. Bullet Trains are soon to come into India.
- Q. Do you have to go back to the station to check PNR status of your ticket?
- No, you need not return to the station. You can check on the registered websites or via call/SMS.
- Q. When was the Indian Rail nationalised?
- The Indian Rail was nationalised in the year 1951.
- Q. When was the Mumbai-Kolkata line completed?
- The Mumbai-Kolkata line was completed and finalised in the year 1867.
- Q. When did the first commercial train run in India and for what distance?
- The first train that ran in India was the Mumbai-Thane track train for a distance of about 32 km.
- Q. What is the easternmost and westernmost stations part of the Indian Railway?
- The eastern more station is Ledo, Assam; The westernmost station is Dwarka in Gujarat.
- Q. What is the northernmost and the southernmost station in the Indian Railway?
- The northernmost station is Udhampur in Jammu, and the southernmost station is Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- Q. When can you start your Indian Railway seat reservations?
- You can start reserving your seats and buying tickets around six months before your date of departure.
A brief article is not enough to describe the vastness of the Indian Railway system. Yes, Indian Trains are crowded. The experience of travelling by train in India is indeed something you’ll never forget. Perhaps the Indian Railway can mould into the international standards that we all expect it to be at in a few years.