भारतीय रेल, Indian Railways
Type	Departmental Undertaking of The Ministry of Railways, Government of India
Founded	April 16, 1853, nationalized in 1951
Headquarters	New Delhi, India
Area served	India
Key people	Union Railway Minister: Laloo Prasad Yadav Minister of State for Railways (V): R. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Ministry of Railways in India is in charge of the Indian Railways, the state-owned company that enjoys a Monopoly in Rail transport in India Lalu Prasad Yadav, sometimes spelt as Laloo Prasad or Lalloo Prasad ( Devanāgarī: लालू प्रसाद यादव Lālu Prasād (born June Velu Minister of State for Railways (R): Naranbhai J Rathwa Chairman, Railway Board: Kalyan C. Jena.
Industry	Railways and Locomotives
Products	Rail transport, Cargo Transport, Services
Revenue	▲ INR Rs 13,334. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. 72 Crores (~3. A crore is a unit in the Indian numbering system and was formerly a unit in the Persian numbering system still widely used in Bangladesh, India, Maldives 1BUSD)[1]
Employees	~1,400,000
Parent	Ministry of Railways (India)
Divisions	16 Railway Zones (excluding Konkan Railway)
Website	www.indianrailways.gov.in

Indian Railways (Hindi: भारतीय रेल Bhāratīya Rel), abbreviated as IR (भारे), is a Department of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Railways, and is tasked with operating the rail network in India. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. A division of a business entity is a portion of that business that operates under a different name A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is This article is about the technical workings and operations of railways in India which are run by the Indian Railways. The Ministry is headed by a cabinet rank Railways Minister, while the Department is managed by the Railway Board. Indian Railways is not a private corporate body; however, of late IR has adopted a corporate management style.

Indian Railways has a total state monopoly on India's rail transport. In Economics, a monopoly (from Greek monos, alone or single + polein, to sell exists when a specific individual or enterprise has sufficient It is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting seventeen million passengers^[2] and more than one million tonnes of freight daily. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, ^[3] IR is the world's largest commercial or utility employer, with more than 1. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. 6 million employees. ^[4]

The railways traverse the length and breadth of the country; the routes cover a total length of 63,465 km (39,435 miles). The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand As of 2005, IR owned a total of 222,379 wagons, 42,125 coaches and 7910 locomotives and ran a total of 14,444 trains daily, including about 8,702 passenger trains. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. ^[3]

Railways were first introduced to India in 1853. By 1947, the year of India's independence, there were forty-two rail systems. The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant In 1951 the systems were nationalized as one unit, becoming one of the largest networks in the world. Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government Indian Railways operates both long distance and suburban rail systems.

Contents 1 History 2 Railway zones 3 Passenger services 4 Production Services 5 Suburban rail 6 Freight 6.1 Freight charges 7 Notable trains and achievements 8 Organisational structure 9 Rail budget and finances 10 Current issues and upgrades 11 Photo Gallery 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

History

Main article: History of rail transport in India

A plan for a rail system in India was first put forward in 1832, but no further steps were taken for more than a decade. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Thane ( Marathi / Konkani: ठाणे (formerly Thana) is a city in Maharashtra This article is part of the History of rail transport by country series In 1844, the Governor-General of India Lord Hardinge allowed private entrepreneurs to set up a rail system in India. The Governor-General of India (or from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India) was the head of the British administration in India, and Viscount Hardinge, of Lahore and of Kings Newton in the County of Derby, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Two new railway companies were created and the East India Company was asked to assist them. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or Interest from investors in the UK led to the rapid creation of a rail system over the next few years. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The first train in India became operational on 22 December 1851, and was used for the hauling of construction material in Roorkee. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Roorkee (रुड़की is a town and a Municipal council in the Indian state A year and a half later, on 16 April 1853, the first passenger train service was inaugurated between Bori Bunder, Bombay and Thane. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Bori Bandar literally means a place where sacks are stored This was one of the areas along the Eastern shore line of Mumbai, India which was used as a storehouse Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Thane ( Marathi / Konkani: ठाणे (formerly Thana) is a city in Maharashtra Covering a distance of 34 km (21 miles), it was hauled by three locomotives, Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. This was the formal birth of railways in India.

The British government encouraged new railway companies backed by private investors under a scheme that would guarantee an annual return of five percent during the initial years of operation. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bardhaman (also Barddhaman; Bengali: বর্ধমান Bôrdhoman) is a city Once established, the company would be transferred to the government, with the original company retaining operational control. By 1875, about £95 million were invested by British companies in Indian guaranteed railways. ^[5] The route mileage of this network was about 14,500 km (9,000 miles) by 1880, mostly radiating inward from the three major port cities of Bombay (Mumbai), Madras (Chennai) and Calcutta ( Kolkata). Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896 sent engineers and locomotives to help build the Uganda Railway. The Uganda Railway is a historical Railway system linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in

Soon various independent kingdoms built their own rail systems and the network spread to the regions that became the modern-day states of Assam, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. India is a union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area A Railway Board was constituted in 1901, but decision-making power was retained by the Viceroy, Lord Curzon. The Governor-General of India (or from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India) was the head of the British administration in India, and George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC ( 11 January 1859 &ndash 20 March The Railway Board operated under aegis of the Department of Commerce and Industry and had three members: a government railway official serving as chairman, a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the company railways. For the first time in its history, the Railways began to make a tidy profit. In 1907, almost all the rail companies were taken over by the government.

The following year, the first electric locomotive appeared. "Electric Trains" redirects here For the 1995 Squeeze single see Electric Trains (song. With the arrival of the First World War, the railways were used to meet the needs of the British outside India. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All By the end of the First World War, the railways had suffered immensely and were in a poor state. The government took over the management of the Railways and removed the link between the financing of the Railways and other governmental revenues in 1920, a practice that continues to date with a separate railway budget.

The Second World War severely crippled the railways as rolling stock was diverted to the Middle East, and the railway workshops were converted into munitions workshops. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. At the time of independence in 1947, about 40 per cent of the railways then went to the newly independent republic of Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and [3] A total of forty-two separate railway systems, including thirty-two lines owned by the former Indian princely states, were amalgamated as a single unit which was christened as the Indian Railways.

The existing rail networks were abandoned in favour of zones in 1951 and a total of six zones came into being in 1952. As the economy of India improved, almost all railway production units were indigenised. The economy of India, measured in USD exchange-rate terms is the twelfth largest in the world with a GDP of around $1 trillion (2008 By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out in favour of diesel and electric locomotives. The entire railway reservation system was streamlined with computerisation in 1995. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.

Indian Railways is one of the largest employers in the world. Very few corporate entities, public or private, have a larger workforce.

Railway zones

For administrative purposes, Indian Railways is divided into seventeen zones.

Sl. No	Name	Abbr.	Date Established	Headquarters	Divisions
1.	Northern Railway	NR	April 14, 1952	Delhi	Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow, Moradabad
2. The Northern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ambala ( Hindi: अम्बाला Punjabi ਅੰਬਾਲਾ) is a city and a WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Firozpur (or Ferozepur, Ferozepore, फिरोज़पुर) is a city in Firozpur Lucknow is also a mansion in New Hampshire Lucknow ( लखनऊ لکھنؤ Lakhnaū) is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Moradabad ( Urdu: مراداباد, Hindi: मुरादाबाद) is a city and a	North Eastern Railway	NER	1952	Gorakhpur	Izzatnagar, Lucknow, Varanasi
3. The North Eastern Railway is one of the fifteen railway zones in India. Gorakhpur ( Hindi: गोरखपुर Urdu: گۋڙکھ پور is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near Izzatnagar is a place near Bareilly in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is also a mansion in New Hampshire Lucknow ( लखनऊ لکھنؤ Lakhnaū) is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh Varanasi ( Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, pronunciation) also commonly known as Benares ( or Banaras (बनारस	Northeast Frontier Railway	NFR	1958	Guwahati	Alipurduar, Katihar, Lumding, Rangia, Tinsukia
4. The North Eastern Railway was created during the reorganisation of the Indian Railways system in 1952 by amalgamating the Assam Railway and Avadh-Tirhut Railway WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Guwahati ( Assamese: গুৱাহাটী previously spelled Gauhati) is a major city in Alipurduar (আলীপুর দুয়ার is a sub-divisional municipal town of Jalpaiguri district, and is located at the eastern end of the district WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Katihar is a city and a Municipality in Katihar district in the Indian state WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Lumding is a city and a Municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian state WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Rangia (also spelt as Rangiya) is a city and a Municipal board in Kamrup district WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Tinsukia is a city and a Municipal board in Tinsukia district in the Indian state	Eastern Railway	ER	April, 1952	Kolkata	Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda
5. Eastern Railway is a zone of the Indian Railways. Its headquarter is at Fairley Place Kolkata and it comprises Howrah, Malda, Sealdah Sealdah (In Bengali: শিয়ালদহ is one of the major Train stations serving Kolkata (Calcutta in India, the others Asansol (আসানসোল a coal-mining-industrial-commercial centre is the second largest city in West Bengal, after Kolkata. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> English Bazar, better known as Malda, is a city and a Municipality in Malda district	South Eastern Railway	SER	1955	Kolkata	Adra, Chakradharpur, Kharagpur, Ranchi
6. The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Adra (আদ্রা is a town in Purulia district in the Indian state of West WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Chakradharpur ( Hindi: चक्रधरपुर, Urdu: چکردھرپور Kharagpur (KGP (খড়্গপুর is an industrial town in India.	South Central Railway	SCR	October 2, 1966	Secunderabad	Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Guntakal, Guntur, Nanded, Vijayawada
7. The South Central Railway is one of the 16 railway zones in India. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Secunderabad ( Telugu:సికింద్రాబాద్)is WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Secunderabad ( Telugu:సికింద్రాబాద్)is WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Guntakal is a town in Anantapur district in the western part of the state of Andhra Pradesh WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Guntur ( Telugu: గుంటూరు Urdu: گنٹور, Hindi: गुंटूर WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Nanded (नांदेड is the second largest city in Marathwada region of Maharashtra Vijayawada ( (విజయవాడ also known as Bezawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River	Southern Railway	SR	April 14, 1951	Chennai	Chennai, Madurai, Palghat, Tiruchchirapalli, Trivandrum, Salem (Coimbatore)
8. Southern Railway is the first Railway Zone to be created in independent India. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Madurai For the district with the same name see Palakkad District. Palakkad, also known as Palghat (anglicized is a town and a Municipality WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Tiruchirappalli ( Tamil: தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி also spelled Tiruchirapalli Thiruvananthapuram ( Malayalam: തിരുവനന്തപുരം Tiruvanantapuraṁ) also known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Coimbatore (கோயம்புத்தூர் also known as Kovai (கோவை is a major industrial city in India and the second largest city in the	Central Railway	CR	November 5, 1951	Mumbai	Mumbai, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur
9. The Central Railway is one of the largest of the 16 zones of Indian Railways. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bhusawal is a city and a Municipal council in Jalgaon district in the state of Maharashtra Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Solapur is a city and a Municipal corporation in south eastern Maharashtra, India Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra.	Western Railway	WR	November 5, 1951	Mumbai	Mumbai Central, Baroda, Ratlam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar
10. The Western Railway is one of the 16 zones of Indian Railways, and is among the busiest Railway networks in India. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Mumbai Central, previously Bombay Central is the railway station on the Western Railway Mumbai suburban and outstation lines Ratlam ( Hindi:रतलाम known historically as Ratnapuri, is a city in the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of central Ahmedabad (અમદાવાદ Amdāvād, Hindi: अहमदाबाद) is the largest city in Rajkot (રાજકોટ राजकोट Rājkot) is the 4th largest city in the state of Gujarat, India. Bhavnagar (ભાવનગર भावनगर) is a city in the Indian state of Gujarat.	South Western Railway	SWR	April 1, 2003	Hubli	Hubli, Bangalore, Mysore
11. The South Western Railway is one of the 16 railway zones in India. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Hubballi (formerly Hubli Kannada - ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿis a city in the state of Karnataka in India. Hubballi (formerly Hubli Kannada - ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿis a city in the state of Karnataka in India. Bangalore ( officially Bengaluru ( Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Mysore (maɪˈsɔɚ in English; renamed to Mysuru|ಮೈಸೂರು) (ಮೈಸೂರು is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India	North Western Railway	NWR	October 1, 2002	Jaipur	Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur
12. The North Western Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Jaipur ( Hindi: जयपुर also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Jaipur ( Hindi: जयपुर also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. This article is about a city in central Rajasthan, for the historical region see Ajmer region. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bikaner is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan in western India Jodhpur (जोधपुर is the second largest City in the Indian State of Rajasthan.	West Central Railway	WCR	April 1, 2003	Jabalpur	Jabalpur, Bhopal, Kota
13. The West Central Railway is one of the 16 zones of Indian Railways, created in April 2003 Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Jabalpur (lang-hi|जबलपुर}} is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Jabalpur (lang-hi|जबलपुर}} is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India Bhopāl ( Hindi: भोपाल bʰoːpɑːl, Marathi -भोपाळ is a city in central India.	North Central Railway	NCR	April 1, 2003	Allahabad	Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi
14. The North Central Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Agra ( pronounced) (आगरा آگرا is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Jhansi ( Urdu: جھانسی Hindi: झांसी Marathi:झाशी is a city of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India.	South East Central Railway	SECR	April 1, 2003	Bilaspur, CG	Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur
15. The South East Central Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> See Bilaspur for disambiguation Bilaspur is located in the Chhattisgarh WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> See Bilaspur for disambiguation Bilaspur is located in the Chhattisgarh Nāgpur ( Marathi: नागपुर is the largest city in central India (2001 Census and the second capital of the state of Maharashtra.	East Coast Railway	ECoR	April 1, 2003	Bhubaneswar	Khurda Road, Sambalpur, Visakhapatnam
16. East Coast Railway (ECoR is one of the sixteen railway zones of Indian Railways came into existence since 1 April 2003. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Bhubaneswar ( Oriya: BUbEnSvr Hindi: भुवनेश्वर in Sanskrit and Oriya/oDiA "The Lord of the Universe" is the capital and WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Jatani or Jatni ( Oriya:ଜଟଣୀ Hindi:जटणी or Khurda Road Sambalpur is a city in the western region of Orissa. It is the headquarter of Sambalpur District. Visakhapatnam ( Telugu: విశాఖపట్టణం (also Visakhapattanamu, shortened and anglicized Visakha/Vizag or Vizagapatnam is a coastal port	East Central Railway	ECR	October 1, 2002	Hajipur	Danapur, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Samastipur, Sonpur
17. The East Central Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Hajipur 'a very famous city for it's culture Danapur, sometimes known as Dinapur, located on on the right bank of the Ganges, is a satellite town of Patna in Bihar state of India Dhanbad (धनबाद is a city of Jharkhand Dhanbad is also the administrative headquarter of Dhanbad district and Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC Mughalsarai may refer to Mughalsarai Chandauli Mughalsarai Varanasi WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Samastipur ( is a city and a Municipality in Samastipur district in the Indian WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> See Sonepur (disambiguation for other similar names	Konkan Railway†	KR	January 26, 1998	Navi Mumbai	None

†Konkan Railway (KR) is constituted as a separately incorporated railway, with its headquarters at Belapur CBD (Navi Mumbai). The Konkan Railway (Railway SymbolKR is a company of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Navi Mumbai ( Marathi: नवी मुंबई IAST: New Muṃbaī formerly known as New Bombay, is a city on the west coast of the state of CBD Belapur is the third most developed node of Navi Mumbai after Vashi and Nerul. It comes under the control of the Railway Ministry and the Railway Board.

The Calcutta Metro is owned and operated by Indian Railways, but is not a part of any of the zones. The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro ( Bengali: কলকাতা মেট্রো Kolkata Meṭro) is the underground rail network in Kolkata It is administratively considered to have the status of a zonal railway. Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of sixty-seven divisions.

Passenger services

Indian Railways operates 8,702 passenger trains and transports 17 million daily across twenty-eight states and three union territories (Delhi, Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) and Chandigarh). A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Puducherry (formerly; புதுச்சேரி or பாண்டிச்சேரி పాండిచెర్రి പുതുശ്ശേരി Pondichéry is a Chandigarh ( ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ, चंडीगढ़) also called The City Beautiful Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya are the only states not connected. Sikkim ( Nepali:, also Sikhim) is a Landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas It is the least populous state in India Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश   Aruṇācal Pradeś is the easternmost state of India Meghalaya is a small state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means "The Abode of Clouds" in Sanskrit and

The passenger division is the most preferred form of long distance transport in most of the country.

A standard passenger train consists of eighteen coaches, but some popular trains can have up to 24 coaches. A Railway coach &mdash also known especially in the UK, as a railway carriage &mdash is a passenger car designed for the conveyance of passengers Coaches are designed to accommodate anywhere from 18 to 72 passengers, but may actually accommodate many more during the holiday seasons and on busy routes. The coaches in use are vestibules, but some of these may be dummied on some trains for operational reasons. A vestibule (ˈvɛstɨbjuːl is a lobby, entrance Hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a Building. Freight trains use a large variety of wagons.

Production Services

The Indian Railways manufactures a lot of its rolling stock and heavy engineering components. WAP 5 is the name of a class of Electric locomotive used by Indian Railways. Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado This is largely due to historical reasons. As with most developing economies, the main reason is import substitution of expensive technology related products. This was relevant when the general state of the national engineering industry was immature.

Production Units, the manufacturing plants of the Indian Railways, are managed directly by the ministry. The General Managers of the PUs report to the Railway Board. The Production Units are:

• Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Chittaranjan
• Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi
• Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works, Patiala
• Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
• Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala
• Rail Wheel Factory, Bangalore

Other independent units of Indian Railways are:

• Central Organization For Railway Electrification, Allahabad
• Central Organization For Modernization of Workshops, New Delhi

Important maintenance workshops on IR are:

• Southern Railway Workshop, Ponmalai (Golden Rock), Tiruchirapalli
• Rail Spring Karkhana, Gwalior

Bharat Earth Movers Limited, Bangalore (BEML) is not organisationally related to the Indian Railways however it manufactures coaches for both the Indian Railways and the New Delhi Metro system. Chittranjan Locomotive Works (चित्तरंजन रेल‌इंजन कारखाना is an Electric locomotive manufacturer based in India, one WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Chittaranjan (চিত্তরঞ্জন( Hindi: चित्तरंजन is a DLW redirects here For the DL&W railroad in the United States, see Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Varanasi ( Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, pronunciation) also commonly known as Benares ( or Banaras (बनारस Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works, formerly Diesel Component works is located in Patiala in the Indian state of Punjab. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Patiala ( Punjabi: ਪਟਿਆਲਾ is a city in the Punjab state of India. Started in 1952 the Integral Coach Factory (ICF is located in Perambur, a suburb near Chennai, India. Established in 1986 the Rail Coach Factory ( RCF) was the second coach manufacturing unit of Indian Railways. Kapurthala (ਕਪੂਰਥਲਾ is a city in Punjab state of India. Rail Wheel Factory (RWF at Yelahanka, Bangalore is a premier manufacturing unit of Indian Railways which is engaged in the production of wheels axles and wheel Bangalore ( officially Bengaluru ( Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Central Organization For Railway Electrification (CORE (केन्द्रीय रेल विद्युतीकरण संगठन headquarter at Allahabad Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Tiruchirappalli ( Tamil: தி௫ச்சிராப்பள்ளி also spelled Tiruchirapalli WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Gwalior ( Hindi: ग्वालियर) is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India

Suburban rail

Many cities have their own dedicated suburban networks to cater to commuters. The Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System ( MRTS) or Delhi Metro (दिल्ली मेट्रो is a Rapid transit system in the Indian National Currently, suburban networks operate in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra Hyderabad, and Pune do not have dedicated suburban tracks but share the tracks with long distance trains. New Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai have their own metro networks, namely the New Delhi Metro, the Kolkata Metro,and the Chennai MRTS- Mass Rapid Transport System, with dedicated tracks mostly laid on a flyover as in other local EMU suburban service in Mumbai and Kolkata. The Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System ( MRTS) or Delhi Metro (दिल्ली मेट्रो is a Rapid transit system in the Indian National The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro ( Bengali: কলকাতা মেট্রো Kolkata Meṭro) is the underground rail network in Kolkata For the proposed metro see Chennai Metro MRTS is an Initialism for Mass Rapid Transit System usually referring

Suburban trains that handle commuter traffic are mostly electric multiple units. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Commuting is the process of Travelling between one's place of residence and regular place of work An electric multiple unit or EMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using Electricity as the motive power They usually have nine coaches or sometimes twelve to handle rush hour traffic (Hyderabad MMTS; abbreviation for Multi Modal Transport System has mostly six coach train with a single nine coach one). One unit of an EMU train consists of one power car and two general coaches. Thus a nine coach EMU is made up of three units having one power car at each end and one at the middle. The rakes in Mumbai run on direct current, while those elsewhere use alternating current. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Direct current ( DC) is the unidirectional flow of Electric charge. An alternating current ( AC) is an Electric current whose direction reverses cyclically as opposed to Direct current, whose direction remains constant ^[6] A standard coach is designed to accommodate 96 seated passengers, but the actual number of passengers can easily double or triple with standees during rush hour. The Kolkata metro has the administrative status of a zonal railway, though it does not come under the seventeen railway zones.

The Suburban trains in Mumbai handle more rush than any other suburban network in the world. The network has three lines viz, western, central and harbour. The Central Line starts from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (Formerly Victoria Terminus or VT) and runs for more than 100 km till Kasara. The Western Line starting from Churchgate runs again for more than 100 km till Dahanu Road. It is thus the longest suburban rail system in the world. Also, it is busiest suburban network in the world, in the sense that it carries more than 6 million passengers each day.

Freight

Indian Railway carries a huge variety of goods ranging from mineral ores, fertilizers and petrochemicals, agricultural produce, iron & steel, multimodal traffic and others. The National Rail Museum is a Museum in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi which Ports and major urban areas have their own dedicated freight lines and yards. Many important freight stops have dedicated platforms and independent lines.

Indian Railways makes 70% of its revenues and most of its profits from the freight sector, and uses these profits to cross-subsidise the loss-making passenger sector. However, competition from trucks which offer cheaper rates has seen a decrease in freight traffic in recent years. Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has switched from small consignments to larger container movement which has helped speed up its operations. Most of its freight earnings come from such rakes carrying bulk goods such as coal, cement, food grains and iron ore.

Indian Railways also transports vehicles over long distances. Trucks that carry goods to a particular location are hauled back by trains saving the trucking company on unnecessary fuel expenses. Refrigerated vans are also available in many areas. The "Green Van" is a special type used to transport fresh food and vegetables. Recently Indian Railways introduced the special 'Container Rajdhani' or CONRAJ, for high priority freight. The highest speed notched up for a freight train is 100 km/h (62 mph) for a 4,700 metric tonne load.

Recent changes have sought to boost the earnings from freight. A privatization scheme was introduced recently to improve the performance of freight trains. Companies are being allowed to run their own container trains. The first length of an 11,000-kilometre (6,800 mi) freight corridor linking India's biggest cities has recently been approved. The railways has increased load limits for the system's 220,000 freight wagons by 11%, legalizing something that was already happening. Due to increase in manufacturing transport in India that was augmented by the increase in fuel cost, transportation by rail became advantageous financially. New measures such as speeding up the turnaround times have added some 24% to freight revenues.

Freight charges

This is a chart of average rail freight charges in 2007 with figures in United States Dollars. See also [4]

Item	Freight per tonne
Cement	$12. 96
Coal	$13. 71
Iron ore	$15. 19
Fertiliser	$16. 53
Raw materials for steel plants	$17. 45
Container service	$18. 58
Petroleum oil & lubricant	$20. 82
Food grains	$23. 65
Iron & finished steel	$26. 08
Other goods	$15. 79

Notable trains and achievements

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow gauge railway that still regularly uses steam as well as diesel locomotives is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train" is a gauge Narrow-gauge railway from Siliguri to Darjeeling in West A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The route started earlier at Siliguri and now at New Jalpaiguri in the plains in West Bengal and traverses tea gardens en route to Darjeeling, a hill station at an elevation of 2,134 metres (7,000 ft). Siliguri (শিলিগুড়ি ''Shiliguṛi'') is a rapidly developing metropolis in the Indian state of West Bengal. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market Darjeeling ( Nepali:) is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. Hill station is a term used for a town usually at somewhat higher elevations The highest station in this route is Ghum. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India, is also classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR connects the town of Mettupalayam with the Hill station of Udagamandalam (Ooty in the Nilgiri Hills of southern The Nilgiri (Tamil: நீலகிரி or literally Blue Mountains) often referred to as the Nilgiri Hills, are a range of mountains with at least 24 peaks above ^[7] It is also the only rack railway in India. A cog railway, rack-and-pinion railway or rack railway is a Railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station in Mumbai is another World Heritage Site operated by Indian Railways. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (छत्रपती शिवाजी टरमीनस formerly Victoria Terminus, and better known by its abbreviation CST or Bombay Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial

The Palace on Wheels is a specially designed train, frequently hauled by a steam locomotive, for promoting tourism in Rajasthan. The Palace on Wheels was the first of four luxury Trains on Indian Railways. The Maharashtra government did try to introduce the Deccan Odyssey along the Konkan route, but it did not enjoy the same success as the Palace on Wheels. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. The Deccan Odyssey is a special train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad The Karnataka government has recently introduced The Golden Chariot train which connects popular tourist destinations in Karnataka and Goa. The Government of Karnataka is a democratically elected body with the Governor as the constitutional head The Golden Chariot is a Tourist Train which connects the important tourist spots in Karnataka, India and Goa, India Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. The Samjhauta Express is a train that runs between India and Pakistan. The Samjhauta Express ( Hindi: समझौता एक्सप्रेस Urdu: سمجھوتا اکسپريس commonly called the Friendship Express However, hostilities between the two nations in 2001 saw the line being closed. It was reopened when the hostilities subsided in 2004. Another train connecting Khokhrapar (Pakistan) and Munabao (India) is the Thar Express that restarted operations on February 18, 2006; it was closed down after the 1965 Indo-Pak war. This article is about Khokhrapar a border town in Sindh, Pakistan. Munabao is a town in Rajasthan in India bordering Pakistan. Transport In February 2006 the two nations reopened the railway line The Thar Express is the cross country train that connects Karachi in Pakistan to Jodhpur in India. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of Skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. The Kalka Shimla Railway till recently featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for offering the steepest rise in altitude in the space of 96 kilometres. The Kalka-Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge Railway in North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U ^[8]

The Lifeline Express is a special train popularly known as the "Hospital-on-Wheels" which provides healthcare to the rural areas. The Lifeline Express or Jeevan Rekha Express is a mobile Hospital in a Train run by the Impact India Foundation. This train has a carriage that serves as an operating room, a second one which serves as a storeroom and an additional two that serve as a patient ward. The train travels around the country, staying at a location for about two months before moving elsewhere.

Among the famous locomotives, the Fairy Queen is the oldest running locomotive on the mainline (though only for specials) in the world today, though the distinction of the oldest surviving locomotive that has recently seen service belongs to John Bull. The Fairy Queen, built in 1855 is the world's oldest Steam locomotive in regular operation today plying between New Delhi to Alwar in The John Bull is an English-built Railroad Steam locomotive that operated in the United States. Kharagpur railway station also has the distinction of being the world's longest railway platform at 1072 m (3,517 ft). Kharagpur (KGP (খড়্গপুর is an industrial town in India. The Ghum station along the Darjeeling Toy Train route is the second highest railway station in the world to be reached by a steam locomotive. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train" is a gauge Narrow-gauge railway from Siliguri to Darjeeling in West ^[9] Indian Railways operates 7,910 locomotives; 42,125 Coaching vehicles and 222,379 freight wagons. There are a total of 6,853 stations; 300 yards; 2,300 goods-sheds; 700 repair shops and a total workforce of 1. 54 million. ^[10]

The shortest named station is Ib and the longest is Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta. Ib is a Train station in India with the distinction of having the shortest name of all stations on the Indian Railways system Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta (Lat 13°18'N Long79°36'E is a railway station in India with the distinction of having the longest name among all stations on the Indian The Himsagar Express, between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on Indian Railways network. Himsagar Express is the longest running train on Indian Railways in terms of distance and time History of Jammu Many historians and locals believe that Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in 14th century BC. It covers 3,745 km (2,327 miles) in about 74 hours and 55 minutes. The Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India today having a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93. 7 mph) on the Faridabad-Agra section. Faridabad, (फरीदाबाद is a city and a Municipal corporation in Faridabad district in the state of Haryana, India. The fastest speed attained by any train is 184 km/h (114 mph) in 2000 during test runs. This speed is much lower than fast trains in other parts of the world. The difference in these speeds could be in part attributed to the fact that the trains run on existing tracks, which were not designed for such high speeds.

Organisational structure

Indian Railways is a department of the Government, being owned and controlled by the Government of India, via the Ministry of Railways rather than a private company. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population The Ministry of Railways in India is in charge of the Indian Railways, the state-owned company that enjoys a Monopoly in Rail transport in India As of 2008, the Railway Ministry is headed by Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Union Minister for Railways and assisted by two junior Ministers of State for Railways, R. Velu and Naranbhai J. Rathwa. Lalu Prasad Yadav, sometimes spelt as Laloo Prasad or Lalloo Prasad ( Devanāgarī: लालू प्रसाद यादव Lālu Prasād (born June R Velu (born 26 July, 1940) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. Naranbhai J Rathwa is the Minister of State for Railways in the Indian Cabinet. Indian Railways is administered by the Railway Board, which has six members and a chairman.

Each of the sixteen zones is headed by a General Manager (GM) who reports directly to the Railway Board. The zones are further divided into divisions under the control of Divisional Railway Managers (DRM). The divisional officers of engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal & telecommunication, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial and safety branches report to the respective Divisional Manager and are in charge of operation and maintenance of assets. Further down the hierarchy tree are the Station Masters who control individual stations and the train movement through the track territory under their stations' administration. In addition to the zones, the six production units (PUs) are each headed by a General Manager (GM), who also reports directly to the Railway Board.

In addition to this the Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE), Metro Railway, Calcutta and construction organisation of N F Railway are also headed by a General Manager. CORE is located at Allahabad. This organisation undertakes electrification projects of Indian Railway and monitors the progress of various electrification projects all over the country.

Apart from these zones and production units, a number of Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) are under the administrative control of the ministry of railways. In India, public sector undertaking ( PSU) is a term used for a Government-owned corporation ( Company in the Public sector) These PSU units are:

1. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India
2. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation
3. Konkan Railway Corporation
4. Indian Railway Finance Corporation
5. Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation
6. Railtel Corporation of India – Telecommunication Networks
7. RITES Ltd. – Consulting Division of Indian Railways
8. IRCON International Ltd. – Construction Division
9. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited
10. Container Corporation of India Limited
11. Rail Land Development Authority –for commercial development of vacant railway land, is a statutory authority formed through an amendment of the Railways' Act, 1989
12. Centre for Railway Information Systems is an autonomous society under Railway Board, which is responsible for developing the major software required by Indian Railways for its operations. The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that provides a fresh meal service for its express trains and food outlets Konkan Railway Corporation ( KRC) is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways (IR The Indian Railway Finance Corporation has been set up to fund the money required for its projects Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways. Railtel Corporation of India was created by in the fall of 2000 with four guiding focuses i To modernize Indian Railways’ train control operational and safety systems RITES Ltd,a ISO 9001 - 2000 company is a multi-disciplinary consultancy organization in the fields of transport infrastructure and related technologies IRCON International Ltd is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways which is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Limited is an organisation associated with Indian Railways whose task is to build engineering works required by Indian Railways Indian Planning Commission has estimated a requirement of Rs 2027169 crores (US $ 494 Billion as investment in infrastructure during the Eleventh Plan period The Centre for Railway Information Systems (or CRIS) was established as a registered society in 1986 by the Ministry of Railways of India

Rail budget and finances

The Railway Budget deals with the induction and improvement of existing trains and routes, the modernisation and most importantly the tariff for freight and passenger travel. The Parliament discusses the policies and allocations proposed in the budget. The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is the federal and supreme Legislative body of India. The budget needs to be passed by a simple majority in the Lok Sabha (India's Lower House). The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India The comments of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) are non binding. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. Indian Railways are subject to the same audit control as other government revenue and expenditures. Based on the anticipated traffic and the projected tariff, the level of resources required for railway's capital and revenue expenditure is worked out. While the revenue expenditure is met entirely by railways itself, the shortfall in the capital (plan) expenditure is met partly from borrowings (raised by Indian Railway Finance Corporation) and the rest from Budgetory support from the Central Government. Indian Railways pays dividend to the Central Government for the capital invested by the Central Government.

As per the Separation Convention (on the recommendations of the Acworth Committee), 1924, the Railway Budget is presented to the Parliament by the Union Railway Minister, two days prior to the General Budget, usually around 26 February. The Union Budget of India, referred to as the Annual Financial Statement in the Constitution of India, is the annual budget of the Republic of India, presented Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Though the Railway Budget is separately presented to the Parliament, the figures relating to the receipt and expenditure of the Railways are also shown in the General Budget, since they are a part and parcel of the total receipts and expenditure of the Government of India. This document serves as a balance sheet of operations of the Railways during the previous year and lists out plans for expansion for the current year.

The formation of policy and overall control of the railways is vested in Railway Board comprising the Chairman, Financial Commissioner and other functional Members for Traffic, Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical and Staff matters.

Under Lalloo Prasad Yadav, the previously loss making indian railways which was under the verge of bankruptcy, made a remarkable turnaround by reporting a cash surplus of Rs 9000 cr in 2005, which jumped to Rs 14000 cr in 2006 then again rose to Rs 20,000 cr in 2007. In 2007-08, a cash surplus before Dividend of Rs. 25,000 cr was reported. [5].

The operating ratio has also improved to 76% (stated in 2008 budget), which is the best in the world( second placed canada has 78. 7%). In the last four years under his tenure as railway minister till 2008, the plan size of the Railways has increased from Rs. 13000 cr to Rs. 30000 cr. Annual Plan of 2008-09 is the highest ever annual plan of the railways. It is proposed to invest Rs. 37,500 cr, which is 21 percent more than the previous year. [6]

Budget Estimates-2008 for Freight, Passenger, Sundry other Earnings and other Coaching Earnings have been kept at Rs. 52,700 cr, Rs 21,681 cr, Rs. 5,000 cr and Rs 2,420 cr respectively. Maintaining an overall double digit growth, Gross Traffic Earnings have been projected as Rs 81,801 cr [7] Around 20% of the passenger revenue is earned from the upper class segments of the passenger segment (the air-conditioned classes). ^[11]

A new challenge faced by Indian Railways is competition from low cost airlines that has recently made its début in India. In a cost cutting move, the Railways plan to minimise unwanted cessations, and scrap unpopular routes.

Current issues and upgrades

Although accidents such as derailment and collisions are less common in recent times, many are run over by trains, especially in crowded areas. A derailment is an accident on a railway in which a Train leaves the rails which can result in damage injury and death Indian Railways have accepted the fact that given the size of operations, eliminating accidents is an unrealistic goal, and at best they can only minimize the accident rate. Human error is the primary cause (83%)^[12] of mishaps. In the past, Konkan Railway route has suffered from landslides in the monsoon season, causing fatal accidents. The Konkan Railway (Railway SymbolKR is a company of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement such as rock falls deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows which can occur A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months

Outdated communication, safety and signaling equipment, which used to contribute to failures in the system, is being updated with the latest technology. A number of train accidents happened on account of a system of manual signals between stations, so automated signaling is getting a boost. However, the changeover to a new system would require a substantial investment. It is felt that this would be required given the gradual increase in train speeds and lengths, that would tend to make accidents more dangerous. In the latest instances of signaling control by means of interlinked stations (e. g. , Chennai - Washermanpet), failure-detection circuits are provided for each track circuit and signal circuit with notification to the signal control centres in case of problems. ^[13] This is currently available in a small subset of the overall IR system, although anti-collision devices are to be extended to the entire system. Aging colonial-era bridges and century-old tracks also require regular maintenance and upgrading.

In recent years Indian Railways has laid claim to a financial turnaround, with (unaudited) operating profits going up substantially. ^[14] Credit for this achievement has been claimed by current Indian Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, who asserts that he made significant improvements in operating efficiency of goods traffic after he took over as Railway Minister in May 2004. ^[15]

The Sixth Pay Commission has been constituted in India to review the pay structure of Government employees, and its recommendations are expected by the end of 2008. Based on its recommendations, the salaries of all Railways officers and staff are expected to be revised with retrospective effect (w. e. f. January 1, 2006). New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. If previous Pay Commissions are taken as an indicator, this revision could be 50%, thus having an impact on present and future Railway budgets.

The Rajdhani Express and Shatabadi Express are the fastest and most luxurious trains of Indian Railways, though they face competition from new low-cost airlines as the trains travel only at 130-140 km/hr (c. Rajdhani Express is a Passenger train service in India connecting National Capital New Delhi with other important destinations especially capitals of States in India Shatabdi Expresses are a series of superfast Passenger trains which are being operated by Indian Railways, to serve as connections between Metro towns f. Fastest trains in India). This is a list of India 's fastest long-distance trains by commercial speed (i ^[16] At least five corridors are under consideration for the introduction of high speed bullet trains to India with expert assistance from France. It is estimated that to modernise Indian Rail and bring it up to international standards, over US$200 billion in investments would be required. ^[17]

These are refreshing times for IR as it becomes more user-friendly. Expansive and expensive plans are underway to upgrade stations, coaches, tracks, services, safety, and security. ^[18] Initially, various upgrade and overhaul work will be performed at more than fifty stations, some of it by private contract. All meter gauge lines in the country will be converted to broad gauge (see Project Unigauge). Project Unigauge is an ongoing exercise of the Indian Railways to standardise most of the Rail gauge in India towards a single 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in New stainless steel LHB design coaches, manufactured in India, are due to be introduced on all Rajdhani, Shatabdi, mail and express trains by 2011. These coaches will enhance the safety and riding comfort of passengers besides having more carrying capacity, and in time will replace thousands of old model coaches throughout Indian Railways. More durable and conforming polyurethane paint is now being used to enhance the quality of rakes and significantly reduce the cost of repainting. Improved ventilation and illumination are part of the new scheme of things too, says Rail Bhawan (HQ in New Delhi). New manufacturing units will be set up to produce state-of-the-art locomotives and coaches.

As a start, the Delhi station is being upgraded with four new stations being built to ease the congestion. Railway authorities have invited private companies to modernise the Delhi station in partnership with the public sector. British firm Terry Farrell and Partners has been hired by the railway ministry to re-design the station. The renovation of Delhi station marks the start of government efforts to upgrade both the nation's railway stations and its routes. The plan is to separate arrivals and departures areas on different levels. Tracks will be widened, enabling a switch to faster and bigger trains that can speed up the passenger flow. ^[19] On a system-wide level, new track is being laid, tunnels blasted out of mountains, bridges and brand new stations being built, in remote parts of the country like the northeastern states and Kashmir. German, Chinese, and other foreign railway expertise is being pressed into service in IR's makeover story, but by the same token Indian Railways lends a helping hand to other countries' national railways.

Sanitation in trains and stations throughout the system is getting more attention with the introduction of eco-friendly, discharge-free green toilets developed by IIT Kanpur. This costly makeover is expected to take three years. Fire detection systems will be installed on trains in a phased manner, and new rodent-control and cleanliness procedures are also working their way into the many zones of IR. Central Railway's 'Operation Saturday' is gradually making progress, station by station, in the cleanup of it's Mumbai division.

Base kitchens and food services across the system are also slated for a makeover, while rail ticket booking through ATMs on select trains and through cell(ular) phone SMS is being put in place. Channel music, TV screens showing the latest films, and optional menus from five-star hotels are being introduced on the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express. The National Institute of Design (NID) was roped in to spice up the upholstery and coach interiors of the two high-end trains to give them a corporate designer look. There is now competitive bidding to lease advertising space on railway buildings, stations and some trains. Significantly, several IT initiatives are being phased in to better handle ticketing, freight, rolling stock (wagons), terminals, and rail traffic, including the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) for train tracking in real time. Senior managers are undergoing advanced training at notable institutions overseas in order to better handle change management in the system.

In summation, IR is changing compellingly for the better, and contributing to the economic vitality of a sub-continent that is evolving at a phenomenal rate, and of which it is an integral part.

Photo Gallery

A view of the first train of the East Indian Railway in 1854.	Howrah Station - The busiest railway station of India	Rail bridge constructed during British raj. Howrah Station is one of the two major Train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the other is Sealdah Station, in Kolkata India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country	Most common standard for Indian rail path- Broad Gauge track.
Sign Board displaying location in 3 languages	Delhi Metro, operational since 2002.

See also

• Fastest trains in India
• Indian locomotives
• Railways cricket team
• Guntur division

References

• Indian Railways FAQ. This is a list of India 's fastest long-distance trains by commercial speed (i Indian locomotive fleet consists electric and Diesel engines Steam engines are no longer used except for heritage trains Engines are also called The Railways Cricket Team (also known as the Indian Railways has been very successful in the Ranji Trophy in recent years although much of their history has been spent in unsuccessful Guntur Division is one of the six divisions of South Central Railway (SCR a zone of the Indian Railways. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 18, 2006.
• IR History: Early Days. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Railway Zones. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Famous Trains. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Freight Trains. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Miscellaneous material on Indian Railways. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 18, 2006.
• Trivia. Indian Railways Fan Club. The Indian Railways Fan Club (IRFCA is the Internet 's largest website devoted to the Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Introductory History of Indian Railways. Glyn's Trains. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Salient Features of Indian Railways. Indian Railways. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Highlights of railway budget, 2006-07. Rediff. com. Retrieved on February 27, 2006.
• Indian Railway takes the E-route. Times of India. The Times of India ( TOI) is a leading English-language Broadsheet Daily newspaper in India. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• The Rediff Interview. Rediff. com. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• A poor track record. Frontline magazine online. Retrieved on June 19, 2005.
• Various authors (2004). Guinness Book of World Records-2005. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U Guinness World Records Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-192-6.  

External links

• Indian railways passenger reservation enquiry new website bharatRaiL.NET
• Survey of India, (2004) Railway Map of India
• India Rail Info - Searchable Database of Indian Railways Trains & Stations, Time-Tables, Route Maps & Fares
• Tamil Railway Glossary Tamil Railway Glossary

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