Indian RailwayThe Indian Railways has been a great integrating force during the last more than 150 years. It has bound the economic life of the country and helped in accelerating the development of industry and agriculture. From a very modest beginning in 185! when the first train steamed off from "umbai to Thane! a distance of # $ilometers Indian Railways has grown into a vast networ$ of %!&0& stations spread over a route length of %!'( $ilometers with a fleet of 8!15 locomotives! #5!50 passengers service vehicles! 5!&05 other coaching vehicles and '!0(!(1& wagons as on 1st "arch! '00(. The growth of Indian Railways in the 150 years of its e)istence is thus phenomenal. It has played a vital role in the economic! industrial and social development of the country. The gauge*wise route and trac$lengths of the systems as on 1st "arch! '00( are as under+*Gauge Route in Km Running Track in Km Total Tack in Km,orad -uage .1.%(% mm/ #&!8'0 (1!015 &!8%"eter -uage .1.000 mm/ 10!%'1 11!#8( 1!#1'0arrow -uage .(%' mm and %10 mm/ '!88% '!888 !1&81bout '8 percent of the route $ilometer! & per cent of running trac$ $ilometer and #1 per cent of total trac$ $ilometer is electrified.The networ$is dividedinto 1%2ones.3ivisionsarebasicoperatingunits. The1% 2ones aretheirrespective head4uarters are given below.Zonal Railways Headquarters5entral "umbai 56T7astern 8ol$ata0orthern 0ew 3elhi0orthern*7astern -ora$hpur0orth*7ast Frontier "aligaon .-uwahati/6outhern 5hennai6outh 5entral 6ecunderabad6outh*7astern 8ol$ata9estern 5hurch -ate! "umbai7ast 5entral Railway :a;ipur7ast 5oast Railway ,hubaneshwar0orth 5entral Railway 1llahabad0orth 9estern Railway ser?s 5onsultative 5ommittees.Public UndertakingsThere are ten public underta$ings under the administrative control of the "inistry of Railways! vi2.1. Rail India Technical @ 7conomic 6ervices Aimited .RIT76/'. Indian Railway 5onstruction .IR5B0/ International Aimited. Indian Railways Finance 5orporation Aimited .IRF5/#. 5ontainer 5orporation of India Aimited .5B05BR/5. 8on$an Railway 5orporation Aimited .IR5T5/%. Indian Railway 5atering @ Tourism 5orporation Aimited .IR5T5/(. Railtel 5orporation of India Aimited .Rail Tel/8. "umbai Rail Ci$as 0igam Aimited ."RC0A/&. Rail Ci$as 0igam Aimited .RC0A/10. 3edicated Freight 5orridor 5orporation of India Aimited .3F55IA/The 5enter for Railway Information 6ystem .5RI6/ was set up as a registered society to design and implement various railway computeri2ation pro;ects.Research & DevelopmentThe Research! 3esign and 6tandards Brgani2ation .R36B/ at Auc$now is the R @ 3 wing of Indian Railways. It functions as a consultant to the Indian Railways in technical matters. It also provides consultancy to other organi2ations connected with railway manufacture and design. Following are the some of the important Indian Railway Facts The total distance covered by the 1#!00 trains on the Indian Railways everyday! e4uals three@ half times the distance to moon The first train on Indian soil ran between ,ombay and Thane on the 1%th of 1pril 185 IR has about %!0'8 route $ms. of trac$ IR employs about 1.55 million people It carries over 1 million passengers @ 1. million tones of freight everyday It runs about 1#!00 trains daily IR has about (!000 railway stations The longest platform in the world is at 8haragpur and is '!( ft. in length 0ehru 6etu on 6one River is the longest Railway bridge #' Railway companies operated in the country before independence 7lectric Aocomotives are manufactured at 5hittaran;an Aocomotive 9or$s! 5hittaran;an 5oaches are manufactured at I5FD5hennai! R5FD8apurthala and ,7"AD,angaluru The national Rail "useum at 0ew 3elhi was set*up in 1&(( Eeople 7mployed in Indian Railway are about 1.% million 6tations across 6tate Aines are 0avapur ."aharashtraand-u;arat/ and ,hawani "andi."adhya Eradesh and Ra;asthan/ 5lasses of travel on Indian Railway+ Ist 15! 'nd 15! rd 15! 15 5hair 5ar IInd sleeper @ IIndordinary Railway 6tation with all the Three -auges is 6iliguri Railway 6tationFirst/Longest/Oldest in Indian RailwaysFirst Eassenger Train Ran Bn 1%th 1pril 185 .between ,ombay to Thane/First Railway ,ridge 3apoorie Ciaduct on the "umbai*Thane routeFirst Rail Tunnel Earsi$ TunnelFirst -hats 5overed by the Rail lines Thal and ,hore -hatsFirst >nderground Railway 5alcutta "7TRBFirst 5omputeri2ed Reservation 6ystemstarted in0ew 3elhi .1&8%/First 7lectric Train ran on rd Feb? 1&'5 .between ,ombay CT and 8urla/Toilets on Trains were introduced in 18&1 .1st 5lass/ @ 1&0( .lower classes/6hortest 6tation 0ame Ib .Brissa/Aongest 6tation 0ame 6ri Cen$atanarasimhara;uvariapeta .Tamil 0adu/,usiest Railway 6tation Auc$now .%# trains everyday/Aongest Run .Time/ Cive$ 7)press .(15 $m in 1ppro) (1 hrs/6hortest Run Route between 0agpur to 1;ni .$m/Aongest Run for 3aily Train 8erala 7)press .05# $m in #'.5 hrs/Aongest 0on*6top Run .3istance/ Trivandrum Ra;dhani .5'8 $m in %.5 hrs/Aongest Railway Elatform in the 9orld 8haragpur .'!( ft in length/Aongest Railway ,ridge 0ehru 6etu on 6one River .100##ft in length/Aongest Tunnel8arbude Bn 8on$an Railway between "on$ey hill @8handala .%.5 $m/Bldest Ereserved Aocomotive Fairy Fueen .1855/! still in wor$ing orderIndian Railway?s Fastest Train ,hopal*6hatabdi .runs at a speed up to 1#0 8mDph/Train with "a)imum 0umber of :alts :owrah*1mritsar 7)press .115 halts/