Indian Railways don’t need an introduction as most people travel by train on a daily basis. It is a very important part of our country because the Indian Railway is a statutory body that works under the ownership of the Railway Ministry of the Government of India that operates the railway system of our country. Indian Railway is popularly known as the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second-largest rail network. Words are not enough to describe the importance of Indian Railways in the country because the Indian Railway is known as the backbone of our country.
In this blog , I am going to discuss the Indian railways facts that only a few people know. So, grab a seat and read it till the last.
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Railways are known as the best mode of transportation if you are travelling on a long route because it provides ultimate comfort to the passenger. The Railway network is very vast because they have a network of about 7,112 stations spread over a route length of 66,687 km with a fleet of 11,122 locomotives, 70,241 passenger coaches, and 2,54,000 wagons. Being a prime mode of transportation, a large number of people prefer Indian Railways for all kinds of travelling purposes. Indian Railways is the largest public sector undertaking in the country. Hence, railways play a very important role in national integration and the growth and development of our country by introducing high technology and superfast trains every year.
History of Indian Railways
Indian Railways has its own history that defines the arrival and growth of railways in our country. The Indian Railway is not new to us because its foundation was laid during the British Empire period. The history of Indian Railways started 160 years ago on 16th April 1853. Do you know which was the first train and how much distance they covered? On the 16th of April 1853, the first passenger train was introduced and that train ran between Bori Bunder (Bombay) to Thane by covering a distance of 34 km. The train was operated by three locomotives Sahib, Sultan and Sindh respectively.
The seeds of the Indian Railway were sown in the British colonial period as Lord Dalhousie in 1843 had conceived the possibility of opening up an Indian Railway network all over the country. We all know that Lord Dalhousie served as the Governor-General of India from the year 1848 to 1856 and he is regarded as the Father of Indian Railways. In India, a large number of people depend on Indian Railways for their travelling purposes but still, they don’t know about the interesting Indian Railways facts.
Also, read: History of Indian Railways and First Train of India
Amazing Indian Railways Facts You Must Know
Let us some of the intriguing and amazing Indian railways facts and ponder whether you have read about them before.
Bihar is the First State to Establish Railway Workshop
The state of Bihar is popularly known for its incredible history from the mediaeval to the modern period. Indian Railways was also a part of Bihar’s history because the first ever Railway workshop of the British government was set up at Jamalpur, near Munger district, Bihar. The first ever workshop was established before Indian Independence on 8th February 1862. The Munger district area was not industrially developed during the establishment of the Railway workshop so the workshop established its own iron and steel foundry and became self-sustaining.
Bholu is the Mascot of the Indian Railways
Do you know Bholu? If you don’t know him then let me tell you that he is an Indian Railway “Shubhankar” or mascot and his name is Bholu. It is a cartoon of holding a lamp and well-dressed in a railway guard uniform. This mascot was designed for Indian Railway for their 150th-anniversary commemoration event and was officially accepted in 2003 as the permanent mascot of the Indian Railway. Bholu the cartoon elephant gives us the message of being responsible, sincere and stable.
Indian Railways Runs 5 Luxury Trains
Indian Railway proudly owns 5 luxury trains that provide ultimate comfort and royal feeling to the passengers. These super luxury trains give the feeling of a 5-star hotel because they have all top-notch facilities like bars, restaurants, cafes, laundry services, spa services etc. If you want to experience a royal feeling while travelling on a train then you should travel on these trains once in your life. The name of these luxury trains is mentioned below.
- The Maharaja’s Express
- Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
- Palace on Wheels
- The Golden Chariot
- The Deccan Odyssey
Railway Junction Having Most Number of Platforms
Do you know that the Howrah junction in Kolkata is popularly known as the busiest railway station in India? When it comes to the number of platforms then Howrah Junction in Kolkata is known as one of the biggest Railway stations having 23 platforms on the station. Due to the large number of platforms compared to other stations, more than a million passengers pass through the station every day. It is quite interesting that more than 600 passenger trains make use of the 23 platforms of the station.
4th Largest Rail Network in the World
Do you know that the Indian railway is popularly known as the world’s largest railway network because it is spread over 68,525 kilometres? Presently it has over 45 thousand kilometres of electrified rail network. Apart from that Indian Railway is also known for having the world’s 8th largest employer.
Diamond Crossing in Indian Railways
The Diamond Crossing is a name crossing in Indian Railways and is a place where trains go to East, West, North and South by crossing on the same railway line. Basically, a diamond crossing is a point where two railway lines cross and cut each other and make a diamond shape but not at a right angle. Two tracks move towards East and West and the other two North and South. This one is a very rare railway crossing at present situated in Nagpur.
Listed in 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Do you know that Indian Railways proudly owns 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites? This is a very proud thing for our country that India Railways is popular all over the world. The popular world heritage sites are Kalka Shimla Railway (2008), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005), Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai (2004).
Suggested read: Do you know what the 5-digit no on the train indicates?
Shortest and the longest train ride in India
We Indians totally agree with the fact that we love travelling and the journey becomes more memorable if we travel via train. You will be amazed to know that now you can travel from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari which covers a total distance of 4286 Km from Vivek Express and this is known as the longest train journey. If we talk about the shortest train journey then in Maharashtra the distance from Nagpur to Ajni is just 3 Km and it takes only 9 minutes to reach the desired railway station.
Slowest and the most Fastest Train in India
Indian Railways use to introduce a variety of trains every year hence, one of the slowest trains in India is the Mettupalayam-Ooty Nilgiri passenger train that runs at the speed of 10 Km per hour. On the other hand, one of the fastest trains in Indian Railways is Vande Bharata Express which runs at the speed of 180 Km per hour.
Longest Platform in the World
Have you ever heard about the longest platform in the world? If not then let me tell you that the Hubballi railway station has the longest railway station in the world. The Hubballi railway station in Karnataka has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest platform whose length is 15,07 metres long. This iconic platform was inaugurated by our honourable prime minister Narendra Modi.
These are some of the most interesting Indian Railways facts that you should know if you are a regular train traveller. Hence, the Indian Railway is a very big statutory body and it contains unlimited facts and rules that everyone should know before travelling. There are some interesting rules that so many people don’t know but these rules are quite useful if you are a regular train traveller. Here, in this blog, I am going to mention some of the interesting rules about Indian Railways.
Interesting Rules of Indian Railways
- If a single woman is travelling with a child either a boy or a girl without a ticket then TTE cannot release them from the train at night because it is the rule of the Indian Railway for female and child protection
- If due to any circumstances you miss your train you can easily catch it from the next two stations.
- The Indian Railway has a limit on carrying luggage or baggage. It is mentioned in one of the rules of Indian railways that you cannot carry more than 70 kg of luggage per person on the train.
- Do you know about the Indian Railway middle berth rule? If not then let me tell you that there is a middle berth rule in Indian Railways where sleeping time is fixed. According to this rule, the sleeping time is fixed from 10 PM to 6 AM and you have to take the seat down after 6 AM.
- As we all know that a large number of our population use to travel via train so for everybody’s safety it is mentioned in one of the rules of Indian Railways that you cannot listen to loudspeakers from your phone. Audio or video after 10 PM because it may disturb other passengers.
- If you are a regular train traveller then this information can be useful for you because according to the Indian Railway rules no local vendor can charge more than MRP mentioned on the product or anything.
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Indian Railways is popularly known as the backbone of our country because it plays a major role in our country’s growth and development. A large number of people use Indian Railways as their mode of transportation because of various reasons tickets are generally cheap in pricing compared to flight tickets and a train journey also feels comfortable and relaxing compared to a flight journey. Hence, next time whenever you plan to travel via train then do not forget to order your meal from RailRecipe.
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