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Bhartiya railway |
The history of Indian Railways dates back to the 19th century when the first train ran in India in 1853. The Indian railways system is the fourth largest in the world, spanning over 67,000 kilometers of track, serving more than 8,000 stations, and transporting over 23 million passengers every day. Here is a detailed timeline of the history of Indian Railways:
1832: The idea of a railway network in India was first proposed by the British Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck. He proposed the construction of a railway line between Calcutta (now Kolkata) and the Hooghly River.
1844: A survey was conducted for the proposed railway line between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane.
1851: A railway line was proposed between Howrah and Raniganj in West Bengal.
1852: The first railway company in India, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR), was established. The GIPR was responsible for the construction of the first railway line in India between Bombay and Thane.
1853: On April 16, the first train in India, the "Red Hill Railway," ran between Bombay and Thane, covering a distance of 34 kilometers.
1854: The East India Company decided to take control of the Indian railways and established the Indian Railways Company.
1857: The Indian Mutiny, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, broke out. The railways played a crucial role in the suppression of the rebellion by providing quick transportation of troops and supplies.
1862: The East Indian Railway (EIR) was established, responsible for building the railway lines from Calcutta to Delhi and from Calcutta to Mumbai.
1869: The first passenger train in South India ran between Royapuram and Wallajah Road (now Chennai) in Tamil Nadu.
1870: The first railway bridge across the River Ganges was opened, connecting the cities of Allahabad and Kanpur.
1881: The Bengal-Nagpur Railway (BNR) was established, responsible for building the railway lines from Howrah to Nagpur and from Nagpur to Mumbai.
1889: The first electric train in India ran between Bombay and Kurla.
1900: The first railway workshop in India was established in Jamalpur, Bihar.
1903: The first railway line connecting India and Pakistan, the North Western Railway, was established.
1924: The Indian Railways Board was established to oversee the development of the railway network in India.
1951: The Indian Railways was nationalized, and all the existing railway companies were merged to form a single entity.
1984: The first metro train service in India was launched in Kolkata.
1998: The Konkan Railway, a 760-kilometer-long railway line along the western coast of India, was completed.
2014: The Indian Railways launched the first semi-high speed train, the Vande Bharat Express.
2016: The first bullet train project in India, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, was launched.
2019: The Indian Railways launched the first private train, the Tejas Express.
The Indian Railways has come a long way since its inception in 1853, and today it is a vital part of the country's transportation infrastructure. The railways have played a crucial role in the economic development of India, providing affordable and efficient transportation for people and goods.
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