indian railways - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

7/27/2019 Indian Railways - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

1/20

Type Ministry (government department)

Industry Railways

Founded 16 April 1853[1]

Headquarters New Delhi, India

Area served India

Services Passenger railways

freight services

Parcel carrier

Catering and Tourism Services

parking lot operations

other related services

Revenue 1,066.47 billion (US$18 billion)

(201112)[2]

Net income 145 billion (US$2.5 billion)

(201213)[2]

Owner(s) Government of India (100%)

Employees 1.4 million (2011)[3]

Parent Ministry of Railways through

Railway Board (India)

Divisions 17 Railway Zones

Website www.indianrailways.gov.in

(http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/)

Indian Railways

Indian Railways

Reporting

mark

IR

Indian RailwaysFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indian Railways (reporting markIR) is an Indian

state-owned enterprise, owned and operated by the

Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is

one of the world's largest railway networks comprising

115,000 km (71,000 mi) of track over a route of 65,000 km(40,000 mi) and 7,500 stations. As of December 2012, it

transported over 25 million passengers daily (over 9 billion on

an annual basis). In 2011, IR carried over 8,900 million

passengers annually or more than 24 million passengers daily

(roughly half of which were suburban passengers) and 2.8

million tons of freight daily. In 20112012 Indian Railways

had revenues of 1,119,848.9 million (US$19 billion) which

consists of 696,759.7 million (US$12 billion) from freight

and 286,455.2 million (US$4.9 billion) from passengers

tickets.

Railways were first introduced to India in 1853 from Bombay

to Thane. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit,

the Indian Railways, becoming one of the largest networks in

the world. IR operates both long distance and suburban rail

systems on a multi-gauge network of broad, metre and

narrow gauges. It also owns locomotive and coach production

facilities at several places in India and are assigned codes

identifying their gauge, kind of power and type of operation.

Its operations cover twenty four states and three union

territories and also provides limited international services toNepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Indian Railways is the world's ninth largest commercial or

utility employer, by number of employees, with over

1.4 million employees. As for rolling stock, IR holds over

239,281 Freight Wagons, 59,713 Passenger Coaches and

9,549 Locomotives (43 steam, 5,197 diesel and 4,309 electric

locomotives). The trains have a 5 digit numbering system as

the Indian Railways runs about 10,000 trains daily. As of 31

March 2013, 23,541 km (14,628 mi) (36%) of the total

65,000 km (40,000 mi) km route length was electrified.[4]Since 1960, almost all electrified sections on IR use 25,000

Volt AC traction through overhead catenary delivery.

Contents

1 History2 Organisational structure

n Railways - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_

0 7/4/2013


2/20

Locale India

Dates of

operation

16 April 1853Present

Track gauge 1676 mm; 1000 mm; 762 mm; 610

mm

Electrification 23,541 km

Length 65,000 km

Headquarters New Delhi, India

Website www.indianrailways.gov.in

(http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/)

India's first train run between

Bombay and Thane

The B.B. & C.I. Railway Head Offices,1905

2.1 Railway zones2.1.1 Zonal railways details

2.2 Recruitment and training2.3 Production units2.4 Other subsidiaries

3 Rolling stock

3.1 Locomotives

3.2 Goods wagons or freight cars3.3 Passenger coaches4 Freight

4.1 Wagon types5 Technical details

5.1 Track and gauge6 Railway links to adjacent countries

7 Types of passenger services8 Accommodation classes9 Notable trains and achievements10 Food

11 Problems and issues12 Indian Railways & Children

13 See also14 References15 Scholarly studies16 External links

16.1 Popular sources

History

Main article: History of rail transport in India

The history of rail transport in India

began in the mid-nineteenth century. In

1849, there was not a single kilometre

of railway line in India. A British

engineer, Robert Maitland Brereton,

was responsible for the expansion of

the railways from 1857 onwards. The

Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line of the

East Indian Railway had been openedin June 1867. Brereton was responsible

for linking this with the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, resulting in a

combined network of 6,400 km (4,000 mi). Hence it became possible to

travel directly from Bombay to Calcutta. This route was officially opened on 7 March 1870 and it was part of

the inspiration for French writer Jules Verne's book Around the World in Eighty Days. At the opening ceremony,

the Viceroy Lord Mayo concluded that it was thought desirable that, if possible, at the earliest possible

moment, the whole country should be covered with a network of lines in a uniform system.[5]

By 1875, about 95 million were invested by British companies in India guaranteed railways.[6] By 1880 the


0 7/4/2013


3/20

Map of the completed and planned railwaylines in India in 1871, thirteen years after the

end of Company rule.

network had a route mileage of about 14,500 km (9,000 mi), mostly

radiating inward from the three major port cities of Bombay, Madras

and Calcutta. By 1895, India had started building its own

locomotives, and in 1896 sent engineers and locomotives to help

build the Uganda Railways.

In 1900, the GIPR became a government owned company. The

network spread to the modern day states of Assam, Rajasthan and

Andhra Pradesh and soon various autonomous kingdoms began tohave their own rail systems. In 1905, an early Railway Board was

constituted, but the powers were formally invested under Lord

Curzon.[7] It served under the Department of Commerce and

Industry and had a government railway official serving as chairman,

and a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the

company railways as the other two members. For the first time in its

history, the Railways began to make a profit.

In 1907 almost all the rail companies were taken over by the

government. The following year, the first electric locomotive madeits appearance. With the arrival of World War I, the railways were

used to meet the needs of the British outside India. With the end of

the war, the railways were in a state of disrepair and collapse.

In 1920, with the network having expanded to 61,220 km (38,040 mi), a need for central management was

mooted by Sir William Acworth. Based on the East India Railway Committee chaired by Acworth, the

government took over the management of the Railways and detached the finances of the Railways from other

governmental revenues.

The period between 1920 and 1929 was a period of economic boom; there were 41,000 mi (66,000 km) of

railway lines serving the country; the railways represented a capital value of some 687 million sterling; and theycarried over 620 million passengers and approximately 90 million tons of goods each year.[8] Following the

Great Depression, the railways suffered economically for the next eight years. The Second World War severely

crippled the railways. Starting 1939, about 40% of the rolling stock including locomotives and coaches was

taken to the Middle East, the railways workshops were converted to ammunitions workshops and many railway

tracks were dismantled to help the Allies in the war. By 1946 all rail systems had been taken over by the

government.

Organisational structure

Main article: Indian Railway organisational structure

Railway zones

Indian Railways is divided into several zones, which are further sub-divided into divisions. The number of zones

in Indian Railways increased from six to eight in 1951, nine in 1952 and sixteen in 2003.[9][10] Each zonal

railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of

sixty-eight divisions.[3][11]

Each of the sixteen zones is headed by a general manager who reports directly to the Railway Board. The zones


0 7/4/2013


4/20

Indian Railways headquarters

Delhi

Eastern and South eastern

railway HQ Kolkata

Central Railway headquarters

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,

MumbaiSouthern Railway

headquarters, Chennai

Western Railway HQ,

Mumbai Northeast Frontier

headquarters, Guwahati

are further divided into divisions under the

control of divisional railway managers (DRM).

The divisional officers of engineering,

mechanical, electrical, signal and

telecommunication, accounts, personnel,

operating, commercial, security 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.

Zonal railways details


0 7/4/2013


5/20

Sl.No

Name Abbr.Date

EstablishedRoute

kmHeadquarters Divisions

1. Central CR 5 November1951

3905 MumbaiMumbai, Bhusawal, Pune,Solapur, Nagpur

2. East Central ECR 1 October 2002 3628 Hajipur Danapur, Dhanbad,Mughalsarai, Samastipur,Sonpur

3. East Coast ECoR 1 April 2003 2677 Bhubaneswar Khurda Road, Sambalpur and

Waltair (Visakhapatnam)

4. Eastern ER 04-1952 2414 KolkataHowrah, Sealdah, Asansol,

Malda

5.NorthCentral

NCR 1 April 2003 3151 Allahabad Allahabad, Agra, Jhansi

6.NorthEastern

NER 1952 3667 Gorakhpur Izzatnagar, Lucknow, Varanasi

7.

North

Western NWR 1 October 2002 5459 Jaipur Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur

8.NortheastFrontier

NFR15 January1958

3907 GuwahatiAlipurduar, Katihar, Rangia,Lumding, Tinsukia

9. Northern NR 14 April 1952 6968 DelhiDelhi, Ambala, Firozpur,

Lucknow, Moradabad

10.South

CentralSCR 2 October 1966 5803 Secunderabad

Vijayawada, Hyderabad,Guntakal, Guntur, Nanded,Secunderabad

11.South East

Central

SECR 1 April 2003 2447 Bilaspur Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur

12.SouthEastern

SER 1955 2631 KolkataAdra, Chakradharpur,Kharagpur, Ranchi,

13.South

WesternSWR 1 April 2003 3177 Hubli Hubli, Bangalore, Mysore

14. Southern SR 14 April 1951 5098 Chennai

Chennai, Trichy, Madurai,

Salem,[12] Palakkad,Thiruvananthapuram

15.West

Central

WCR 1 April 2003 2965 Jabalpur Jabalpur, Bhopal, Kota

16. Western WR 5 November1951

6182 MumbaiMumbai Central, Ratlam,Ahmedabad, Rajkot,Bhavnagar, Vadodara

17.MetroRailway,Kolkata

MR31 December2010

26 Kolkata -

Total 64105


0 7/4/2013


6/20

A modern pantograph. The device

shown is technically a half-pantograph.

CLW made WAP-5 30022(CLW made

WAP-5 locos don't have fluted body

shell) rests at Bhopal

WDP4 Diesel Locomotive Baaz

which is now at New Jalpaiguri

Recruitment and training

Main article: Centralised Training Institutes of the Indian Railways

Staff are classified into gazetted (Group 'A' and 'B') and non-gazetted

(Group 'C' and 'D') employees.[13] The recruitment of Group 'A' gazetted

employees is carried out by the Union Public Service Commission

through exams conducted by it.

[14]

The recruitment to Group 'C' and 'D'employees on the Indian Railways is done through 20 Railway

Recruitment Boards and Railway Recruitment Cells which are controlled

by the Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB).[15] The training of

all cadres is entrusted and shared between six centralised training

institutes.

Production units

Indian Railways manufactures much of its rolling stock and heavy

engineering components at its six manufacturing plants, called

Production Units, which are managed directly by the Ministry. Popularrolling stock builders such as CLW and DLW for electric and diesel

locomotives; ICF and RCF for passenger coaches are Production Units

of Indian Railways. Over the years, Indian Railways has not only

achieved self-sufficiency in production of rolling stock in the country but

also exported rolling stock to other countries. Each of these production

units is headed by a general manager, who also reports directly to the

Railway Board. The production units are:-


0 7/4/2013


7/20

Name Abbr.Year

EstablishedLocation Main products

Golden Rock LocomotiveWorkshops

GOC 1928 TrichyDiesel-electricLocomotives

Chittaranjan Locomotive Works CLW 1947Chittaranjan,Asansol

Electric Locomotives

Diesel Locomotive Works DLW 1961 Varanasi Diesel Locomotives

Diesel-Loco ModernisationWorks

DMW 1981 PatialaDiesel-electricLocomotives

Integral Coach Factory ICF 1952 Chennai Passenger coaches

Rail Coach Factory RCF 1986 Kapurthala Passenger coaches

Rail Spring Karkhana RSK 1988 Gwalior Passenger coach springs

Rail Wheel Factory RWF 1984 BangaloreRailway wheels and

axles

Rail Wheel Factory RWF 2012 Chhapra Railway wheels

Rail Coach Factory, Raebareli RCF 2012 Raebareli Passenger coaches

Other subsidiaries

There also exist independent organisations under the control of the Railway Board for electrification,

modernisation, research and design and training of officers, each of which is headed by an officer of the rank of

general manager. A number of Public Sector Undertakings, which perform railway-related functions ranging

from consultancy to ticketing, are also under the administrative control of the Ministry of railways.

There are twelve public undertakings under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways,[16] viz.

Bharat Wagon and Engineering Co. Ltd. (BWEL)

Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)[17]

Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR)Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL)Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC)Indian Railway Construction (IRCON) International LimitedIndian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC)

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL)Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)Railtel Corporation of India Limited (Rail Tel)

Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited (RITES)Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL)

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), that has constructed and operates Delhi Metro network, is an

independent organisation not connected to the Indian Railways. Similar metro rail corporations in other cities

(except Kolkata Metro in Kolkata) are not connected to the Indian Railways.

Rolling stock


0 7/4/2013


8/20

Two historical steam engines at water

refilling station at Agra station

A Beyer Garratt 6594 Engine seen at

the National Rail Museum

Locomotives

Main article: Locomotives in India

Locomotives in India consist of electric and diesel locomotives. Steam

locomotives are no longer used, except in heritage trains. Locomotives

are also called locos orengines. In India, locomotives are classified

according to their track gauge, motive power, the work they are suited

for and their power or model number. The class name includes thisinformation about the locomotive. It comprises 4 or 5 letters. The first

letter denotes the track gauge. The second letter denotes their motive

power (Diesel or Electric) and the third letter denotes the kind of traffic

for which they are suited (goods, passenger, mixed or shunting). The

fourth letter used to denote locomotives' chronological model number.

However, from 2002 a new classification scheme has been adopted.

Under this system, fornewer diesel locomotives, the fourth letter will

denote their horsepower range. Electric locomotives don't come under

this scheme and even all diesel locos are not covered. For them this letter

denotes their model number as usual.

A locomotive may sometimes have a fifth letter in its name which

generally denotes a technical variant or subclass or subtype. This fifth

letter indicates some smaller variation in the basic model or series,

perhaps different motors, or a different manufacturer. With the new

scheme for classifying diesel locomotives (as mentioned above) the fifth

item is a letter that further refines the horsepower indication in 100 hp

increments: 'A' for 100 hp, 'B' for 200 hp, 'C' for 300 hp, etc. So in this

scheme, a WDM-3A refers to a 3100 hp loco, while a WDM-3F would be a 3600 hp loco.

ote: This classification system does notapply to steam locomotives in India as they have becomenon-functional now. They retained their original class names such as M class or WP class.

As of 31 March 2012, Indian Railways had 5,197 diesel locomotives (increased from 17 on 31 March 1951),

4,309 electric locomotives (increased from 72 on 31 March 1951) and 43 steam locomotives (decreased from

8,120 on 31 March 1951) (see Railway Budget 201213 Explanatory Memorandum).

Goods wagons or freight cars

The number of freight car or goods wagons was 205,596 on 31 March 1951 and reached the maximum number

405,183 on 31 March 1980 after which it started declining and was 239,321 on 31 March 2012. The number is

far shorter than the requirement and the Indian Railways keeps losing freight traffic to road. Indian Railwayscarried 93 million tonnes of goods in 195051 and it increased to 1010 million tonnes in 201213.[18]

However, its share in goods traffic is much lower than road traffic. In 1951, its share was 65% and the share of

road was 35%. Now the shares have been reversed and the share of railways has declined to 30% and the share

of road has increased to 70%.

Passenger coaches

Indian railways has several types of passenger coaches.


0 7/4/2013


9/20

Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) coaches are used for suburban traffic in large cities mainly Mumbai, Chennai,

Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore. These coaches numbered 7,793 on 31 March 2012. They have

second class and first class seating accommodation.

Passenger coaches numbered 46,722 on 31 March 2012. Other coaches (luggage coach, parcel van, guard's

coach, mail coach, etc.) numbered 6,560 on 31 March 2012.

FreightIndian Railways earns about 70% of its revenues from the freight traffic (Rs. 686.2 billion from freight and Rs.

304.6 billion from passengers in 201112). Most of its profits come from movement of freight. It makes a loss

on passenger traffic. It deliberately keeps its passenger fares low and cross-subsidises the loss-making passenger

traffic with the profit-making freight traffic.

Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has stopped single-wagon consignments and provides only full rake freight

trains for goods. Most of its freight earnings come from movement of bulk goods such as coal, cement, food

grains and iron ore in full rakes. It is continually losing freight traffic to road.

Wagon types

Wagon types include:

BOXNHL

BOBYN

Technical details

Track and gauge

Indian railways uses four gauges, the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge which is wider than the

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge; the 1,000 mm (3 ft 338 in) metre gauge; and two narrow gauges,

762 mm (2 ft 6 in) and 610 mm (2 ft). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 75 to 160 km/h (47 to 99

mph).

The total length of track used by Indian Railways is about 115,000 km (71,000 mi) while the total route length

of the network is 65,000 km (40,000 mi).[19] About 23,541 km (14,628 mi) or 36% of the route-kilometre was

electrified as on 31 March 2013.[20]

Broad gauge is the predominant gauge used by Indian Railways. Indian broad gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)is

the most widely used gauge in India with 105,000 km (65,000 mi) of track length (91% of entire track length of

all the gauges) and 56,000 km (35,000 mi) of route-kilometre (86% of entire route-kilometre of all the gauges).

In some regions with less traffic, the metre gauge (1,000 mm/3 ft 3 38 in) is common, although the Unigauge

project is in progress to convert all tracks to broad gauge. The metre gauge has about 8,000 km (5,000 mi) of

track length (7% of entire track length of all the gauges) and 7,000 km (4,300 mi) of route-kilometre (10% of

entire route-kilometre of all the gauges).

The Narrow gauges are present on a few routes, lying in hilly terrains and in some erstwhile private railways (on

cost considerations), which are usually difficult to convert to broad gauge. Narrow gauges have 2,000 route-


0 7/4/2013


10/20

Indian gauge is the predominant gauge

used by Indian Railways.

Map of Indian Railways network with

population density

Narrow Gauge Train at Rajim,

Chhattisgarh

kilometre. The Kalka-Shimla Railway, the Kangra Valley Railway and

the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway are three notable hill lines that use

narrow gauge, but the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a metre gauge

track.[21] These four rail lines will not be converted under the Unigauge

project.

The share of broad gauge in the total route-kilometre has been steadily

rising, increasing from 47% (25,258 route-km) in 1951 to 86% in 2012

whereas the share of metre gauge has declined from 45% (24,185

route-km) to 10% in the same period and the share of narrow gauges has

decreased from 8% to 3%. However, the total route-kilometre has

increased by only 21% (by just 11,500 km from 53,596 route-km in

1951) in the last sixty years or about 200 km per year. This compares

very poorly with Chinese railways, which increased from about 27,000

route-km at the end of second world war to about 100,000 route-km in

2011, an increase of more than threefold. More than 28,000 route-km

(34% of the total route-km) of Chinese railway is electrified compared to

only about 21,500 route-km of Indian railways.

Sleepers (ties) are made up of prestressed concrete, or steel or cast iron

posts, though teak sleepers are still in use on a few older lines. The

prestressed concrete sleeper is in wide use today. Metal sleepers were

extensively used before the advent of concrete sleepers. Indian Railways

divides the country into four zones on the basis of the range of track

temperature. The greatest temperature variations occur in Rajasthan.

Railway links to adjacent countries

See also: Rail transport in India#International links

Existing rail links:

Nepal Break-of-gauge Gauge conversion under uni-gaugeprojectPakistan same Broad Gauge. Thar Express to Karachi and the

more famous Samjhauta Express international train from Lahore,Pakistan to Amritsar (Attari).

Bangladesh Same Broad Gauge. The Maitri Express betweenDhaka and Kolkata started in April 2008 using the Gede-Darsanaroute, in addition to a Freight Train service from Singhabad andPetrapole in India to Rohanpur and Benapole in Bangladesh A

second passenger link between Agartala, India and Akhaura Upazila, Bangladesh was approved by the

Government of Bangladesh and India in September 2011.[22]

Under construction / Proposed links:

Bhutan railways under construction Same gaugeMyanmar Manipur to Myanmar (under construction)Vietnam On 9 April 2010, Former Union Minister of India, Shashi Tharoor announced that the central

government is considering a rail link from Manipur to Vietnam via Myanmar.[23]


20 7/4/2013


11/20

Thailand possible if Burma Railway is rebuilt.[24]

Types of passenger services

Trains are classified by their average speed.[25] A faster train has fewer stops ("halts") than a slower one and

usually caters to long-distance travel.

Rank Train Description

1 Duronto Express These are the non-stop (except for operational stops) point to point rail servicesintroduced for the first time in 2009. They connect the metros and major state capitals

of India and are faster than Rajdhani Express. They provide first AC, two-tier AC andthree-tier AC accommodation. Some of them provide Sleeper Class accommodation.

2 RajdhaniExpress

These are air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. They have highpriority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 130 km/h(82 mph). They have only a few stops.

3 Shatabdi Express The Shatabdi trains are air-conditioned intercity trains for travel during day. Theyhave seats and executive class seats. Some of them 3-tier AC berths. They are the

fastest trains in India, travelling at about 160 km/h.4 Garib Rath Air-conditioned no-frills trains with seats and 3-tier Economy AC berths. The

maximum speed is 130 km/h.

5 Jan ShatabdiExpress

Jan Shatabdi Express are a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, whichhave both AC and non-AC classes. The maximum speed is 130 km/h.

6 Intercity

Superfast

Express/Mail

These are trains that have an average speed greater than 80 km/h (50 mph). Ticketsfor these trains have an additional superfast surcharge.

7 Express These are the most common kind of trains in India. They have more stops than their

super-fast counterparts, but they stop only at relatively important intermediatestations.

8Passenger and

Fast Passenger

These are slow trains that stop at most stations along the route and are the cheapest

trains. The trains generally have unreserved seating accommodation but some nighttrains have sleeper and 3-tier AC compartments.

9 Suburban trains These trains operate in the urban areas of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai,Hyderabad, Pune and between Kanpur & Lucknow,usually stop at all stations and

have unreserved seating accommodation.

10 Metros andMonorails

These trains are designed for city transport in metro cities of India.

Accommodation classesIndian Railways has several classes of travel with or without airconditioning. A train may have just one or many

classes of travel. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating class whereas Rajdhani, Duronto and

Shatabdi trains have only airconditioned classes. The fares for all classes are different with unreserved seating

class being the cheapest. The fare of Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains includes food served in the train but

the fare for other trains does not include food that has to be bought separately. In long-distance trains a pantry

car is usually included and food is served at the berth or seat itself. Luxury trains such as Palace on Wheels

have separate dining cars but these trains cost as much as or more than a five-star hotel room.


20 7/4/2013


12/20

Delhi Duronto Express, as it rolls out

of Sealdah with a Ghaziabad WAP 7 in

Duronto livery

A standard passenger rake generally has four unreserved (also called

"general") compartments, two at the front and two at the end, of which

one may be exclusively for ladies. The exact number of other coaches

varies according to the demand and the route. A luggage compartment

can also exist at the front or the back. In some mail trains a separate mail

coach is attached. Lavatories are communal and feature both the Indian

style as well as the Western style.

The following table lists the classes in operation. A train may not have allthese classes.

Class[26]

Description[26][27]

1A First class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the

fares are almost at par with air fare. There are eight cabins(including two coupes) in the full AC First Class coach andthree cabins (including one coupe) in the half AC First Classcoach. The coach has an attendant to help the passengers.

Bedding is included with the fare in IR. This air conditioned

coach is present only on popular routes and can carry 18passengers (full coach) or 10 passengers (half coach). Thesleeper berths are extremely wide and spacious. The coachesare carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacyfeatures like personal coupes. This class is available on broad

gauge and metre gauge trains.

2A AC-Two tier: These air-conditioned coaches have sleeping

berths across eight bays. Berths are usually arranged in twotiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach and two

berths longways on the other side of the corridor, with curtainsalong the gangway or corridor. Bedding is included with the

fare. A broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers (fullcoach) or 20 passengers (half coach). This class is available on

broad gauge and metre gauge trains.

FC First class: Same as 1AC but without air conditioning. Nobedding is available in this class. The berths are wide and

spacious. There is a coach attendant to help the passengers.This class has been phased out on most of the trains and is

rare to find. However narrow gauge trains to hill stations havethis class.

3A AC three tier: Air conditioned coaches with 64 sleepingberths. Berths are usually arranged as in 2AC but with three

tiers across the width and two longways as before giving eightbays of eight. They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no

reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is includedwith fare. It carries 64 passengers in broad gauge. This class is

available only on broad gauge.

3E AC three tier (Economy): Air conditioned coaches with

sleeping berths, present in Garib Rath Trains. Berths areusually arranged as in 3AC but with three tiers across thewidth and three longways. They are slightly lesswell-appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off


20 7/4/2013


13/20

Seen here is the Mumbai Rajdhani

Express. Rajdhanis are long-distance

high-speed and high-priority trains

connecting major state capitals with

New Delhi

Seen here is the Secunderabad

Yeshwanthpur Garib-Rath Express.

Garib-Rath's are low cost A/c trains

gangways. Bedding is not included with fare.

CC AC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total offive seats in a row used for day travel between cities.

EC Executive class chair car: An air-conditioned coach withlarge spacious seats and legroom. It has a total of four seats ina row used for day travel between cities. This class of travel is

only available on Shatabdi Express trains.

SL Sleeper class: The sleeper class is the most common coach onIR, and usually ten or more coaches could be attached. Theseare regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically

stacked. In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach.

2S Seater class: same as AC Chair car, but with bench style seatsand without the air-conditioning. These may be reserved in

advance or may be unreserved.

UR Unreserved: The cheapest accommodation. The seats are

usually made up of pressed wood in older coaches butcushioned seats are found in new coaches. These coaches areusually over-crowded and a seat is not guaranteed. Tickets are

issued in advance for a minimum journey of more than 24hours. Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same routeif boarded within 24 hours of buying the ticket.

At the rear of the train is a special compartment known as the guard's

cabin. It is fitted with a transceiver and is where the guard usually gives

the all clear signal before the train departs.

Notable trains and achievements

There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites on IR the ChatrapatiShivaji Terminus[28] and the Mountain Railways of India. The latter

consists of three separate railway lines located in different parts of

India:[29]

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow gauge railway in West

Bengal.Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a metre gauge railway in the Nilgiri Hillsin Tamil Nadu.Kalka-Shimla Railway, a narrow gauge railway in the Shivalik

mountains in Himachal Pradesh. In 2003 the railway was featuredin the Guinness Book of World Records for offering the steepest

rise in altitude in the space of 96 kilometre.[30]

Maharaja Railways (Gwalior Light Railway), a narrow gauge lineof just 610mm width from Gwalior to Sheopur of 198 km. in length

is world's longest narrow gauge railway line is in the UNESCOworld heritage tentative list.

Neral-Matheran Railway, a narrow gauge railway connectingMatheran is also a historic line.Palace on Wheels is a specially designed train, frequently hauledby a steam locomotive, for promoting tourism in Rajasthan. On the


20 7/4/2013


14/20

Interior of a First Class(1A)

compartment in the Rajdhani Express

Air-conditioned Chair Car (CC)

coaches in an Shatabdi Express.

Interior of an air-conditioned Chair

Car coach(CC) in an Jan Shatabdi

Express.

A typical sleeper class coach

Science Express, a joint

Indo-German multimedia exhibition

A tight loop (Agony Point) on the

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West

Bengal

same lines, the Maharashtragovernment introduced the

Deccan Odyssey coveringvarious tourist destinations inMaharashtra and Goa, and wasfollowed by the Government of

Karnataka which introduced theGolden Chariottrain connecting

popular tourist destinations inKarnataka and Goa. However,neither of them has been able toenjoy the popular success of the

Palace on Wheels.Samjhauta Express is a train thatruns between India and Pakistan.However, hostilities between thetwo nations in 2001 saw the line

being closed. It was reopenedwhen the hostilities subsided in

2004. Another train connectingKhokhrapar (Pakistan) andMunabao (India) is the TharExpress that restarted operations

on 18 February 2006; it wasearlier closed down after the1965 Indo-Pak war.Lifeline Express is a special trainpopularly known as the"Hospital-on-Wheels" which

provides healthcare to the rural

areas. This train has a carriagethat serves as an operating room,a second one which serves as a

storeroom and an additional twothat serve as a patient ward. The

train travels around the country,staying at a location for abouttwo months before movingelsewhere.

Among the famous locomotives, theFairy Queen is the oldest operating locomotive in the world today,though it is operated only for specials between Delhi and Alwar.John Bull, a locomotive older than Fairy

Queen, operated in 1981 commemorating its 150th anniversary. Kharagpur railway station also has thedistinction of being the world's longest railway platform at 1,072 m (3,517 ft). The Ghum station along theDarjeeling Toy Train route is the second highest railway station in the world to be reached by a steam

locomotive.[31] The MumbaiPune Deccan Queen has the oldest running dining car in IR.Vivek Express, between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on

Indian Railways network. It covers 4,286 km (2,663 mi) in about 82 hours and 30 minutes.Himsagar Express, between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, has the second longest run in terms ofdistance and time on Indian Railways network. It covers 3,715 km (2,308 mi) in about 69 hours and 30minutes. TheBhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India today having a maximum speed of

150 km/h (93 mph) on the FaridabadAgra section. The fastest speed attained by any train is 184 km/h


20 7/4/2013


15/20


16/20

these projects are not profitable and do not get completed within the scheduled time. As on 31 March 2011, 347

projects including new lines, doubling and gauge conversion were pending and their costs have skyrocketed to

1,472 billion (US$25 billion).[37] However, the railway budget for 201213 provided only 130 billion

(US$2.2 billion) for the projects.

Sexual harassment of women on trains has risen alarmingly. The menace is more harsh in the metropolitan areas

of north, south and western regions. There have been several cases of railway officials themselves indulging in

sexual offences instead of being saviours of the women under attack. [38]

Indian Railways & Children

On a petition filed by Social Scientist Khushboo Jain, Delhi High Court has directed Ministry of Railways to

undertake following steps regarding care and protection of children arriving and staying at railway stations, to

take following steps:[39]

1) As soon as a child is found sitting at a Railway Station, RPF, GRP/Station Master shall try to obtain name,

address and other particulars of his parents/guardian/relatives from the child, the concerned Station Master shall

make announcement on the public address system of the railway station with respect to the child found there

and inform the local police station/police post as well as the parents/guardian/relatives of the child about his/her

being found at the Railway Station. A copy of such intimation shall forthwith be sent to the Police Station in

urisdiction of which the parents/ guardian/ relative of the child live, with a request to locate the

parents/guardian/relatives of the child and inform him/her about the child having been found at the Railway

Station.

(2) the children who arrive and stay at Railway Stations shall be produced by RPF, GRP or Railway employees

before the Child Welfare Committee constituted under the aforesaid Act, at the earliest possible and in any case

within 24 hours of such a child being found at a Railway station.

(3) the address and telephone numbers of the Committee shall be prominently displayed on the Railway Station,so as to enable the parents/guardian/ relative of the child to approach the Committee alongwith the information

that the children who arrive and stay at the Railway Station, are produced before the Committee.

(4) every Station Superintendent/Station Master shall maintain a register in which he shall record the particulars

including name, parents name, age and address of the children who arrive and stay at his Railway Station. He

shall also get such a child photographed and place his photograph in the aforesaid Register, against his name, so

that his/her parents are able to identify and locate him/her without any difficulty. (

5) Till the child is produced before the Committee in terms of this order, he shall remain in safe custody of the

RPF, GRP/Station Masters and shall be given adequate care and attention including meals.

(6) If a child arriving and staying at a Railway Station is a girl, till the time she is produced before the

Committee in terms of this order, she shall be kept in the safe custody of a responsible female member of RPF,

GRP/Railways.

(7) Every Station Master shall provide appropriate separate space for male and female children arriving and

staying at his railway station, till they are produced before the Committee in terms of this order.

(8) if the Child Welfare Committee is not sitting, the child shall be produced before the single member of the

Committee in terms of Rule 27(4) of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2007 and in

case the single member is also not accessible or the child is found at odd hours, he/she shall be dealt with in


20 7/4/2013


17/20

terms of Rule 27 of the aforesaid Rules till the time of production before the Committee.

(9) the articles, if any, found with the child shall be kept in safe custody of the Station Master after preparing

inventory of such articles and those articles shall be forwarded to the Committee along with the child. A copy of

the inventory shall be placed in the register to be maintained in terms of this direction, against the name of child

in question.

(10) The whole of the information in respect of such children, including their photographs, to the extent

publication of such particulars and/or photographs is not prohibited under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice(Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 or any other law for the time being in force, along with information

relating to his/her being produced before the Child Welfare Committee, shall be made available on the website

of Indian Railways, in a searchable format, so that the parents/guardian of such children are able to identify

them and seek their custody. (11) The respondents shall give wide publicity in leading English and vernacular

newspapers, with respect to the availability of the information, on the website of Indian Railways, in respect of

such children, in terms of this order. The writ petition stands disposed of in terms of these directions. CHIEF

JUSTICE V.K. JAIN, J [40]

See also

All India Station Masters' Association (AISMA)Bilaspur-Mandi-Leh RailwayList of countries by rail transport network sizeList of railway stations in India

List of named passenger trains of India

References

^ "Times of India" (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-04-15/patna/28138504_1_ecr-railway-week-indian-railways). The Times of India (India). 15 April 2010.1.

^ a b "Railways Fiscal Budget 2012" (http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate

/finance_budget/Budget12-13/Railway%20Revenue%20Receipts%20%26%20Expenditure%202012-13.pdf).

Retrieved 15 March 2012.

2.

^ a bIndian Railways Year Book (20092010) (http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate

/stat_econ/Stat_0910/Year%20Book%202009-10-Sml_size_English.pdf). Ministry of Railways, Government of

India. 2011. p. 13. Retrieved 26 August 2008.

3.

^ http://ehitavada.com/News_Paper_Images/2013/04/07/news_images/news_213499.jpg4.

^ "R.P. Saxena, Indian Railway History Timeline" (http://irse.bravehost.com/IRHTML.htm). Irse.bravehost.com.

Retrieved 2012-12-15.

5.

^British investment in Indian railway reaches 100m by 1875 (http://books.google.com

/books?id=aMIkcVsGi_gC&pg=PA17&dq=india+railway+1900&lr=&as_brr=1&ei=VK_CR7nxC4aUzATL6unRCg&sig=fbfn3T1A59hcMvBjAw1Iq_T56yY#PPA54,M1). Books.google.com.

Retrieved 2012-12-15.

6.

^ "History of Indian Railways" (http://www.irfca.org/~mrinal/history_ir.html). Irfca.org. Retrieved 2012-12-15.7.

^ Sandes, Lt Col E.W.C. (1935). The Military Engineer in India, Vol II. Chatham: The Institution of Royal

Engineers.

8.

^ http://www.indianrail.gov.in/ir_zones.pdf9.

^ Singh, Vijay Pratap (27 February 2010). "SMS complaint system: A Northern Railway brainwave spreads"

(http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sms-complaint-system-a-northern-railway-brainwave-spreads/585107/0).

Indian Express. Retrieved 2012-01-19.

10.

^ "Zones and their Divisions in Indian Railways" (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/ir_zones.pdf). Indian Railways.11.


20 7/4/2013


18/20

Retrieved 26 August 2011 format=PDF.

^ "Salem railway division formed (in 2005)" (http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/14/stories/2007101454340400.htm).

http://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in/. Retrieved 2012-10-07.

12.

^ "Railway Board Directorates" (http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section.jsp?lang=0&

id=0,1,388).INDIAN RAILWAY ESTABLISHMENT CODE. Indian Railways.

13.

^ "Indian Railways level which constitutes the Governing Council of Association" (http://www.irts.org.in

/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,409). irts.org.in.

14.

^ "Indian Railways Establishment Manual" (http://rrcb.gov.in/rrbs.html). rrcb.gov.in.15.

^ "administrative control of the railways" (http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard

/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,388). indianrailways.

16.

^ "set up as a registered society to design and implement various railway computerization projects."

(http://cris.org.in/CRIS/Home/Home). CENTRE FOR RAILWAY INFORMATION SYSTEMS.

17.

^ http://in.news.yahoo.com/indian-railways-joins-1-billion-tonne-club-freight-051556968.html18.

^ compiled and edited by Research, Reference and Training Division. (2011).India Yearbook 2011. Publications

Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India. ISBN 978-81-230-1674-0. Unknown parameter

|unused_data= ignored (help)

19.

^ http://ehitavada.com/News_Paper_Images/2013/04/07/news_images/news_213499.jpg20.

^ "Toy Trains of India" (http://www.triptoindia.com/toy-trains-of-india-royal-train-tours-of-india-calling-tours-

trip-to-india.html). Our Trips Royal Train Tours. India Calling Tours (P) Limited. Retrieved 12 May 2007.

21.

^ "India approves new railway link with Bangladesh" (http://twocircles.net/2011sep21

/india_approves_new_railway_link_bangladesh.html). TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 2012-12-15.

22.

^ "Rail link from Manipur to Vietnam on cards: Tharoor" (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-04-09

/india/28123011_1_rail-link-trilateral-highway-project-link-roads). The Times of India (India). 9 April 2010.

23.

^ "Neighbours to the west get closer | Bangkok Post: news" (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/281905

/neighbours-to-the-west-get-closer). Bangkok Post. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-15.

24.

^ "railway operations I" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-ops.html).IRFCA.org. Indian Railways Fan Club.

Retrieved 11 June 2007.

25.

^ a b "General Information on travelling by IR" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-travel.html).IRFCA.org. Indian

Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 3 June 2007.

26.

^ "Class of Travel" (http://www.indiarail.co.uk/indrail.htm). indiarail.co.uk. S.D.Enterprises Ltd. Retrieved 3 June

2007.

27.

^ "Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus)" (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/945). World Heritage

List. World Heritage Committee. 2004. Retrieved 5 January 2009.

28.

^ "Mountain Railways of India" (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/944/). World Heritage List. World Heritage

Committee. 1999. Retrieved 5 January 2009.

29.

^ "100 years of pine-scented travel" (http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031108/windows/main1.htm). Retrieved

14 February 2009.

30.

^ "Hill trains" (http://web.archive.org/web/20080822150546/http://www.indianrail.gov.in/dm_hill.html). Archived

from the original (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/dm_hill.html) on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2009.

31.

^ Manish Umbrajkar (8 July 2009). "Old-timers recollect double-decker days"

(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-07-08/pune/28183410_1_double-decker-coaches-pune-and-

mumbai-local-trains). Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2012-12-15.

32.

^ "The curious case of Vijay Mallya Yahoo! News" (http://in.news.yahoo.com/video/national-22564751

/passengers-excited-about-india-s-first-26800744.html). In.news.yahoo.com. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-20.

33.

^ "Indian Railways, Lifeline to the nation SouLSteer Magazine" (http://soulsteer.com/indian_railways/).

SouLSteer.com. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-16.

34.

^Nikita Peer (17 December 2012). "Meals-On-Wheels: Rail passengers order meals online"

(http://www.moneycontrol.com/smementor/mentorade/special-reports/meals-on-wheels-rail-passengers-order-meals-

online-796293.html).Moneycontrol.com (New Delhi). Retrieved 2013-06-29.

35.

^ "Fare Increase (2013)" (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bansal-train-fares-to-be-hiked-from-jan-

21/article4290576.ece).

36.

^ "Railways rapped for tardy progress in laying new lines" (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

/2012-07-27/news/32889414_1_tardy-progress-cost-escalation-railways). Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com.

27 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-15.

37.

^ Balchand, K (28 April 2013). "Alarming rise in sexual harassment of women on trains" (http://www.thehindu.com38.


20 7/4/2013


19/20

/todays-paper/tp-national/alarming-rise-in-sexual-harassment-of-women-on-trains/article4662015.ece). The Hindu

(New Delhi). Retrieved 2013-04-29.

^ http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/notice-to-governments-over-child-rights/5403139.

^ http://cryeastvols.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/a-welcome-step-towards-care-and-protection-of-children-at-railway-

stations/

40.

Scholarly studies

Aguiar, Marian. Tracking Modernity: India's Railway and the Culture of Mobility (2011)Bear, Laura.Lines of the Nation: Indian Railway Workers, Bureaucracy, and the Intimate Historical Self

(Columbia University Press, 2007); 360 pp. ISBN 978-0-231-14002-7.Tiwari, Ramswarup D.Railways In Modern India (1941) excerpt and text search

(http://www.amazon.com/Railways-Modern-India-Ramswarup-Tiwari/dp/1406748129/)V.M. Govind KrishnanNMR (Nilgiri Mountain Railway)- From Lifeline to Oblivion

External links

Check PNR Status (http://www.epnrstatus.co.in/)PNR Status (http://epnrstatus.net/)http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/Resources on rail transport (http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/rail-transport)

Popular sources

"Indian Railways FAQ" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/).Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 18 June 2006."IR History: Early Days" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-hist.html).Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved19 June 2005.

"Railway Zones" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-geog.html).Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 19 June

2005."Famous Trains" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-seltrain.html).Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 19June 2005."Freight Trains" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-freight.html).Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 19 June2005.

"Miscellaneous material on Indian Railways" (http://www.irfca.org/docs/).Indian Railways Fan Club.Retrieved 18 June 2006.

"Trivia" (http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-trivia.html).Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 19 June 2005."Salient Features of Indian Railways" (http://web.archive.org/web/20050618234536/http://www.indianrail.gov.in/abir.html).Indian Railways. Archived from the original(http://www.indianrail.gov.in/abir.html) on 18 June 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2005.

"Indian Railway takes the E-route" (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-06-19/india/27844911_1_low-occupancy-trains-passenger-railway-board-chairman).Times of India (India). 19 June

2005. Retrieved 19 June 2005."The Rediff Interview" (http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jul/03inter.htm).Redif f.com. Retrieved 19June 2005."Indian Railways" (http://etrain.info/in). etrain.info. Retrieved 27 June 2011.

"A poor track record" (http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2015/stories/20030801006911900.htm).Frontline magazine online . Retrieved 19 June 2005.

Various authors (2004). Guinness Book of World Records-2005. Guinness World Records Ltd.ISBN 0-85112-192-6.


20 7/4/2013


20/20

"Railway Budget 20102011" (http://indiarailinfo.com/railbudget).India Rail Info. Retrieved 25 February2010.

"5 digit Train Numbering" (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-19/india/28231073_1_digit-train-management-of-train-information-dissemination-and-management). The Times ofIndia (India). 19 December 2010."Meals on Wheels highlights" (http://www.moneycontrol.com/smementor/mentorade/special-reports

/meals-on-wheels-rail-passengers-order-meals-online-796293.html).Moneycontrol. 17-Dec-12."Rail Budget (201213) highlights" (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/budget-2012/rail-

budget). TOI. 14-Mar-12."Rail budget: How much your ticket will cost now" (http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-budget-2012-railway-how-much-your-ticket-will-cost-now/20120314.htm). Rediff.com.Retrieved 15-Mar-12.

"Indian Railways" (http://trainspy.com/). trainspy.com. Retrieved 12 May 2013.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_Railways&oldid=562547887"

Categories: Indian Railways Airport rail links in India Companies based in New Delhi

Government-owned companies of India Rail transport in India Railway companies of India

Transport systems 1853 establishments in India

This page was last modified on 2 July 2013 at 14:14.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms mayapply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.


indian railways - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Documents