Top 10 Facts That You Should Know About Indian Railways:
1. 169 Years Old Heritage
The Indian railways came into existence long back in 1853 on 16 April. Its first passenger train ran between Mumbai’s Bori Bandar to Thane, covering 34 kilometers. The train was operated by three locomotives called Sahib, Sultan, and Sindh. The train had 30 wagons.
2. Indian Railways Has Its Mascot
It is fascinating that the railway has its ‘Shubhankar’ named Bholu. Bholu, an elephant dressed as a railway guard, was created in 2002 by the National Institute of Design on the 150th anniversary of railways. Railways officially accepted this cheerful, ethical, responsible, sincere, and stable elephant artwork as its mascot in 2003.
3. First Railway Workshop Established in Bihar
Did you know that the first railway workshop of the British government was established at Jamalpur, near Munger, Bihar? It was established before Indian independence in 1862. The place gradually turned into one of India’s important central industrial units, with iron and steel foundries, rolling mills, and more
4. World’s 4th Largest Rail Network
With over 68 thousand kilometers, the Indian Railways is the world’s 4th largest railway network, followed by the US, China, and Russia. As of now, it has over 45 thousand kilometers of the electrified rail network. Besides that, the railway is also the most significant rail route globally, operated by a single government.
5. Railways Owns 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Indian Railways owns four UNESCO-recognized world heritage sites. They are Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (inscribed in 1999), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai (inscribed in 2004), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (inscribed in 2005), and Kalka Shimla Railway (Inscribed in 2008). Soon, it may get the congruence for two more UNESCO sites, namely Matheran Light Railway and Kangra Valley Railway.
6. 34 Operational Rail Museums, Heritage Gallery, Art Gallery, and Heritage Park
To showcase the vast history of the nation’s lifeline, Indian Railways have 34 operational and 3 under construction Rail Museums, Heritage Gallery, Art Gallery, and Heritage Park in different cities of India. These sites preserve and promote rail tourism. Delhi Rail Museum is the first railway museum in India, also known as the National rail museum of India.
7. Indian Railways Has World’s Longest Platform
India possesses the world’s longest platform, 1,366 meters in length, at the Gorakhpur Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh. However, this title of Gorakhpur station will soon be transferred to Hubli Junction Railway Station, Karnataka, officially known as Shri Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station, UBL. The under-construction platform is 1,505 meters in length.
8. Provides Luxurious Rides
Indian Railways proudly owns 5 royal trains named Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Palace on Wheels, The Golden Chariot, The Maharajas’ Express and The Deccan Odyssey. Among them, the Palaces on Wheels is the oldest luxurious train. However, the tariff of these trains is not affordable for all.
9. Longest and Shortest Train Ride
In India, you can take the longest train ride from Kanyakumari to Dibrugarh with Vivek Express. It covers 4189 kilometers with 56 stops in 82 hours and 30 minutes. Whereas, it is a fun fact that the shortest train ride in India can be taken from Nagpur to Ajni, covering only 3 kilometers.
10. Indian Railways Has Two Different Stations at the Same Location
Isn’t it surprising that there are two railway stations at the exact location? But it is a fact about railways. In Ahmednagar, Srirampur and Belapur stations are located at the same spot but on opposite sides of the track.
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