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Indian Railways
Indian Railways (reporting mark IR) is a State owned national transporter, responsible for
rail transport in India. It is owned and operated by the Government of India through the
Ministry of Railways. It is the fourth largest railway network in the world comprising 119,630
kilometres (74,330 mi) of total track and 92,081 km (57,216 mi) of running track over a
route of 66,687 km (41,437 mi) with 7,216 stations at the end of 2015-16. In 2015-16, IR
carried 8.107 billion passengers annually or more than 22 million passengers a day and
1.101 billion tons of freight annually. As of the end of 2015-16, of the total 68,525 km
(42,579 mi) route length, 28,327 km (17,602 mi) or 45% were electrified and 28,371 km
(17,629 mi) or 37% were double or multiple line routes. The railway network is
predominantly a broad gauge network. Small stretches of the network use metre and
narrow gauges. All the electrified lines use 25 kV AC electric traction.
IR operates both long distance and suburban rail systems. Indian Railways ran on average
13,313 passenger trains daily in 2015-16. The trains have a five-digit numbering system.
Mail or express trains, the most common types, run at an average speed of 50.9 km/hr. As
of the end of 2015-16, IR's rolling stock comprised over 251,256 freight wagons, 70,241
passenger coaches and 11,122 locomotives (39 powered by steam, 5,869 by diesel fuel and
5214 by electricity). It also owns locomotive and coach production facilities at several places
in India.
Indian Railways is the world's eighth biggest employer and had 1.331 million employees at
the end of 2015-16. In 2015–2016 Indian Railways had revenues of ₹1.683 trillion
(US$26 billion), consisting of ₹1.069 trillion (US$17 billion) freight earnings and ₹442.83
billion (US$6.9 billion) passengers earnings. It had an operating ratio of 90.5% in 2015-16.
History of Indian Railway
The history of rail transport in India began in the early nineteenth century.
1832-1852: Industrial railways
The first proposals for railways in India were made in Madras in 1832. The first train in India
ran from Red Hills to Chintadripet bridge in Madras in 1837. It was called Red Hill Railway. It
was hauled by a rotary steam engine locomotive manufactured by William Avery. It was
built by Sir Arthur Cotton. It was mainly used for transporting granite stones for road
building work in Madras. In 1845, a railway was built at Dowleswaram in Rajahmundry. It
was called Godavari Dam Construction Railway. It was also built by Arthur Cotton. It was
used to supply stones for construction of a dam over Godavari. On May 8 1945, Madras
Railway was incorporated. In the same year East India Railway company was incorporated.
On 1 August 1849, Great Indian Peninsular Railway was incorporated by an Act of
Parliament. "Guarantee System" providing free land and guaranteed rates of return (5%) to
the private English companies willing to work on building railways was finalized on August
17, 1849. In 1851, a railway was built in Roorkee. It was called Solani Aqueduct Railway. It
was hauled by steam locomotive Thomason, named after a British officer in-charge of samename. It was used for transporting construction materials for building of aqueduct over Solani river. In 1852, the "Madras Guaranteed Railway Company" was incorporated. 1853-1924: Passenger railways and expansion India's first passenger train between Bombay and Thane in 1853 The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay (Bori Bunder) and Thane on April 16, 1853. The 14-carriage train was hauled by three steam locomotives, Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. It ran for about 34 km between these two cities carrying 400 people. The line was built and operated by GIPR. This railway line was built in 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, which became the standard for the railways in the country. In the same year, Madras Railway was re-incorporated. The first passenger railway train in eastern India ran from from Howrah to Hoogly, for distance of 24 miles, on 15 August 1854. The line was built and operated by EIR. In May 1854, the Bombay-Thane line was extended to Kalyan by building bridge over "Dapoorie viaduct" over Ulhas river. This was also the first railway bridge in India. In the same year GIPR started its first workshops in Byculla. In 1855, BB&CI Railway was incorporated. In August 1855, EIR 'Express' and Fairy Queen steam locomotives start hauling trains. The first passenger train in South India ran from Royapuram / Veyasarapady (Madras) to Wallajah Road (Arcot) on Jul 1, 1856, for a distance of 60 miles. It was built and operated by Madras Railway. In the same year, first workshop was set up by the Madras Railway at Perambur, near Madras. The Bombay-Thane line was extended to Khopoli in same year. In 1858, Eastern Bengal Railway was incorporated. On Feb 24, 1873, the first tramway (a horse-drawn tramway) opens in Calcutta between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street, a distance of 3.8km. GSIR and Carnatic Rly. merge to form the South Indian Railway. On May 9, 1874, horse-drawn tramway begin operations in Bombay between Colaba and Parel. In 1880, Calcutta Tramways Company incorporated is incorporated. In 1890 East Coast State Railway is incorporated. In 1897, Lighting in passenger coaches was introduced by many railway companies. The Jodhpur Railway became the first to introduce electric lights as standard fixtures. 1925-1950: Electrification and further expansion On Feb 3, 1925, first electric passenger train ran between Victoria terminus and Kurla. It ran on 1500V DC overhead traction. Cammell Laird and Uerdingenwagonfabrik companies provided the locomotives for the same. In the same year VT-Bandra section is also electrified and electric services begin there too, with an elevated platform at Sandhurst Road. Oudh and Rohilkhund Railway is merged with EIR. First railway budget was presented. East Indian Railway Company taken over by the state on January 1; Great Indian Peninsular Railway taken over on June 30. Wagon pooling was made a practice for all railways. In 1926, Kurla-Kalyan section is electrified 1500 V DC. Electrification to Poona and Igatpuri (both 100V DC) over the Bhore and Thal Ghats was also completed in the same year. Charbagh
railway station is built. On Jan 1928 Bandra-Virar section was electrified with 1500V DC. The Frontier Mail made its inaugural run between Bombay VT and Peshawar. First automatic colour-light signals became operational in India, on GIPR's lines between Bombay VT and Byculla. Kanpur Central and Lucknow stations were inaugurated. The Grand Trunk Express begins running between Peshawar and Mangalore. Punjab Limited Express begins to run between Mumbai and Lahore. Automatic colour-light signalling was extended to the Byculla- Kurla section. On June 1 1930, the Deccan Queen begins running, hauled by a WCP-1 (No. 20024, old number EA/1 4006) and with 7 coaches, on the GIPR's electrified route from Bombay VT to Poona (Pune). Hyderabad Godavary Valley Rly. was merged into Nizam's State Rly. In the same year, the route of the Grand Trunk Exp. is changed to Delhi - Madras. 1951-1980: Zonal re-organisation and further developments The re-organisation of railways in India into regional zones began in 1951. On 14th April, Southern Railway is created. On 5th November, Central Railway and Western Railway are created. The post of Chief Commissioner of Railways is abolished; the Railway Board now adopts the practice of making the seniormost member Chairman of the board. The government of West Bengal enters into an agreement with the Calcutta Tramways Co. to take over many of its administrative functions. On April 14, 1952, Northern Railway, Eastern Railway and North-Eastern Railway are created. In the same year, fans and lights mandated for all compartments in all classes of passenger accommodation. In the same year, sleeping accommodation is introduced in coaches. On August 1, Eastern Railway was split to form a new South-Eastern Railway. In 1956, divisional system of administration is set up or planned for the various regional zones. The first fully air-conditioned train is introduced between Howrah and Delhi. In 1957, after successful trials in France, SNCF propes 25kV AC electrification for Indian railways. Indian railways adopts a decision to adopt 25kV AC electrification and chooses SNCF as technical consultant. An organisation, Main Line Electrification Project (which later became the Railway Electrification Project and still later the Central Organization for Railway Electrification) is established. The North-Eastern Railway splits to form a new Northeast Frontier Railway. The Raj Kharswan - Dongoposi section became the first section to be electrified with 25kV AC traction. The first scheduled train using 25kV AC traction ran on Raj Kharswan - Dongoposi section on August 11, 1960. In 1966, first containerized freight services started, between Bombay and Ahmedabad. In the same year, electrification of many suburban tracks around Delhi, Madras and Calcutta was completed with the 25 kV AC system. In 1979, Main Line Electrification Project was reconstituted into Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE). 1984-present: Later developments Gatiman Express, India's fastest train
In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservation is introduced in India, for the first time, at
New Delhi. In 1988, the first Shatabdi Express is introduced in the country between New
Delhi and Jhansi (later extended to Bhopal), and also became the fastest train at the time.
On January 16, 1995, first regularly scheduled services on trains hauled by locos using the
2*25kV 'dual' system of traction started on Bina-Katni. In September 1996, CONCERT system
of computerized reservations fully deployed at New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The
complete networked nationwide system became operational on April 18. Coupon Validating
Machines (CVMs) introduced at Mumbai CST. South East Central is constituted. Credit cards
started being accepted for booking tickets and reservations in some stations. In February
2000, Indian Railways web site was deployed. In 1990, first Self-Printing Ticket Machine
(SPTM) was introduced, at New Delhi. In 1993, AC 3-tier coaches were introduced for the
first time in India. Sleeper Class was introduced on IR for the first time, separate from
Second Class. On July 6, the East Coast, South Western, South East Central, North Central,
and West Central zones were created. On August 3, IR began online train reservations and
ticketing over the Internet. On Dec 1, Internet ticket booking extended to many cities. On
Feb. 5, 2012, WR switches to 25kV AC traction for Mumbai area, ending its use of 1.5kV DC
traction. On Sep. 26, 2013, Tatkal system of ticketing extended to ordinary trains. On April 5,
2016, Gatiman Express, India's fastest train with the maximum speed of 160 km/h, made its
maiden journey from Delhi to Agra. On April 11, 2016, CR completely switched to 25 kV AC
traction, ending the use of DC traction completely in Mumbai area. On March 31, 2017, IR
announced that the entire rail network in the country will be electrified by 2022.
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RAILWAYS SECTOR (TODAY)
Introduction
The Indian Railways is among the world’s largest rail networks. The Indian Railways network
is spread over 115,000 km, with 12,617 passenger trains and 7,421 freight trains each day
from 7,172 stations plying 23 million travellers and 3 million tonnes (MT) of freight daily.
India's railway network is recognised as one of the largest railway systems in the world
under single management.
The railway network is also ideal for long-distance travel and movement of bulk
commodities, apart from being an energy efficient and economic mode of conveyance and
transport.
The Government of India has focused on investing on railway infrastructure by making
investor-friendly policies. It has moved quickly to enable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in
railways to improve infrastructure for freight and high-speed trains. At present, several
domestic and foreign companies are also looking to invest in Indian rail projects.Market size
During FY 2016-17, the passenger traffic of Indian Railways grew 0.8 per cent to 8,219.38
million, with passenger revenue growth of 4.6 per cent at Rs 47,449.75 crore (US$ 7.37
billion). The overall revenue of Indian Railways grew 8.7 per cent year-on-year to Rs
15,884.58 crore (US$ 2.47 billion) during March 2017. The passenger earnings grew 10.1 per
cent to Rs 4,205.29 crore (US$ 652.90 million) and the freight earnings grew 4.1 per cent to
Rs 10,273.20 crore (US$ 1.60 billion) during March 2017.
The revenue generated by the Railways is expected to grow at 10 per cent in the fiscal year
2017-18. The Union Budget 2017-18 has estimated that the overall earnings will rise to Rs
189,498.37 crore (US$ 28.42 billion) in 2017-18, compared to Rs 172,305 crore (US$ 25.84
billion) in the fiscal year 2016-17.
Investments/Developments
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into Railways related components from April 2000 to
March 2017 were US$ 798.55 million.
Following are some of the major investments and developments in India’s railways sector:
An Electronic Interlocking and Yard Remodelling has been commissioned at Dadri
Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh in a record time of only 150 minutes, which is
expected to improve mobility in train operations on the Delhi Howrah section of
Indian Railway network.
Union Ministry of Railways plan to cover the length and breadth of Arunachal
Pradesh by rail network requiring an initial investment of around Rs 50,000–70,000
crore (US$ 7.76-10.87 billion) at an elevation range of 500 to 9,000 feet.
A Universal Rail Mill worth Rs 1,200 crore (US$ 180 million) was inaugurated at Steel
Authority of India's (SAIL’s) Bhilai Steel Plant by Mr Birender Singh, Union Minister of
Steel, which will produce world’s longest single rail of 130 meters.
The Indian Railways plans to set up a US$ 5 billion Railways of India Development
Fund (RIDF) for investments of it projects.
The Indian Railways is looking to award six tenders worth Rs 8,000 crores (US$ 1.2
billion), for setting up a country-wide electricity transmission network, as part of a
strategy to reduce electricity bills.
Mr Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, has stated
that India will likely collaborate with Germany for projects worth Rs 1 trillion (US$ 15
billion), aimed at enhancing railway connectivity of Indian ports and identifying
environment-friendly technology for scrapping of old vehicles.
Mr Suresh Prabhu, Railway Minister of India, has unveiled Mission 41k initiative,
aimed at saving Rs 41,000 crore (US$ 6.15 billion) on the Indian Railways'
expenditure on energy consumption over the next 10 years by doubling the annual
rate of electrification from 2,000 km to 4,000 km in the next two years.Government Initiatives:
Mr Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister of India, announced the following reforms in the Railway
sector in the Union Budget 2017-18.
The Government will provide Rs 55,000 crore (US$ 8.25 billion) towards capital and
development expenditure of Railways
A fund named Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh worth Rs 100,000 crore (US$ 15 billion)
will be created, which will be directed towards passenger safety
All the coaches of the Indian Railways will be fitted with bio toilets by the year 2019
Railway lines of 3,500 kms will be commissioned in 2017-18.
The other initiatives taken up by the Government are:
The Ministry of Railways is working on building the world’s highest railway bridge
over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crore (US$
170.79 million), which is expected to be 359 meters (m) above the river bed, 35 m
taller than the Eiffel Tower.
The Indian Railways has introduced various initiatives to improve passenger travel
experience, which include finalisation of first reservation chart at least 4 hours
before departure, and numerous online booking facilities like wheelchair and
disposable bedrolls through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC) website, among other initiatives
The Railway Minister of India has launched the first phase of station redevelopment
programme, covering commercial redevelopment of 23 out of 400 A1 and A category
stations across the country.
Union Ministry of Railways plan to cover the length and breadth of Arunachal
Pradesh by rail network requiring an initial investment of around Rs 50,000 – 70,000
crore (US$ 7.4 - 10.4 billion)at an elevation range of 500 to 9,000 feet.
The Ministry of Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
the Ministry of Urban Development, under which railway stations in each city
included in the SMART Cities and AMRUT scheme will be redeveloped to create an
integrated public transit hub around the railway stations and encourage transit
oriented development.
The Government of India and The World Bank have signed a US$ 650 million loan
agreement for the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor-III (EDFC-III) project, which is
expected to enhance railway transport capacity, improve service quality and boost
freight carriage on the 401-km- long Ludhiana-Khurja section of the EDFC, along with
developing institutional capacity of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India
Ltd (DFCCIL) to build, maintain and operate the entire network.
Road Ahead
The Indian Railway network is growing at a healthy rate. In the next five years, the Indian
railway market will be the third largest, accounting for 10 per cent of the global market.
According to Mr Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways, Government of India, the Goods and
Services Tax (GST) will bring a lot of opportunities to the railway sector in India. With theGST leading to an increase in inter-state transfers, railways will have advantage on long
distance transportation.
Exchange Rate Used: INR 1 = US$ 0.0155 as of April 17, 2017.
References: Press Releases, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Press
information Bureau, Media Reports, Railways Budget 2016-17
Importance of Indian Railways
Introduction: Indian Railways has one of the largest networks in the world criss-crossing the
nation from North to South and East to West.
This large network is supported by the Railway Stations which serve the dual purpose of
providing tickets and allowing passengers to embark and board on the trains.
The process of trains coming and going or crossing the station is one which continues at all
hours of the day and night. The result is that the staff keeps working in shifts round the
clock.
Importance of Indian Railways:
The communication network of Indian Railways, is in one manner the life line of the nation.
Reliable: Goods produced elsewhere, like vegetables and fruits not grown locally are
made available through this reliable mode of transport.
Economical: This economical transport system enables the local growers to get adequate
returns for the efforts from extended markets. Because the freight charges are very
reasonable therefore the cost factor added to these produce for transport do not increase
the cost beyond reasonable limits. The same may be considered for the produce grown in
abundance locally.
Regular: We must also consider the fact that due to its regular services, the Railways
play an important part in making available the products, even in places which are
arid where the Railway Station is the unloading point.
Huge communication network: Manufactured goods from factories set up at huge
costs at different places in the country are transported through railways. The goods
are available even at the furthest point and remote sections due to this huge
communication network.
Postal network: Communication is not limited to transport of goods only. The
system also carried the post regularly and is a vital cog in the network of the Posts
and Telegraph infrastructure of the country. Post Cards and letters sent to even, outof the way rural areas are made available through the Railway Stations. The trains
drop the posts at the nearest station from where it is sorted and sent to their
destination. It is a matter of vital importance that persons living at extreme points of
the country are in touch with each others.
Preferred means of communication for rural people: The other major point is that
in a large country like ours, people go thousands of miles away from their native
village or town to get employment and earn their livelihood. Their only means of
coming back during leave is the Railways. Imagine the times when there was no
railways system, people used to travel by horses or bullock-carts. It took them
several days and months to go from one place to another. Today it is just a matter of
hours before they reach their station.
All the above points proves the importance of Indian railways.
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Railway Transportation
Rail transport is an important mode of long-distance transport in India, especially for
passenger travel. As on 31 March 2016, the rail network traverses the length and breadth of
the country, comprising 119,630 km of track over a route of 66,687 km and 7,216 stations. It
is the fourth largest railway network in the world (after USA, Russia and China), It is one of
the busiest networks in the world transporting 8.107 billion passengers and over 1.108
billion tonnes of freight annually, as of 2016.
Almost all rail operations in India are handled by Indian Railways, a state-owned
organization of the Ministry of Railways. The urban rail transit systems across the country
are operated independently of Indian railways. Indian Railways is the world's largest
commercial or utility employer, with more than 1.4 million employees. As to rolling stock, IR
owns over 200,000 (freight) wagons, 50,000 coaches and 8,000 locomotives.
Railways and Roadways are the only means of transportation over land. Railways have an
advantage over roadways that, they can carry a large number of passengers as well as heavy
loads to a long distances. Also the journey by train is more comfortable and economical.
India has a large network of railways throughout the country, and have trains from one
corner to other corner of India. In India, the total length of railway tracks is about 63000 km,
with 7800 trains carrying 11 million passengers to there destinations every day. The Indian
Railway Network is the largest in Asia and second largest in world. Indian trains also
transport about 6 lac tonnes of goods from one place to other every day.Nodes and Links
For the convenience of administration the Indian Railways have been divides into nine zones
viz Northern, Western, Eastern, Central, Southern, South-Eastern, North Eastern, North-East
Frontier and South-Central railways. All these have three types of tracks like:
Broad Gauge
Meter Gauge and
Narrow Gauge
Most of the railway tracks are of broad gauge, whose tracks are 1.69 metre wide. In desert
areas and other difficult areas, broad gauge tracks are difficult to be laid, so at that places
metre gauge tracks are laid. They are one metre wide, that’s why these tracks are known as
metre gauge. Narrow gauge tracks are 77 cm wide, which are laid in hilly and mountainous
areas like Kalka, Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Mettupalayam.
Passenger trains are again categorised into four types, as per the speed of trains.
Its types are: Super fast trains, Mail trains, Express trains and Ordinary passenger trains.
Most of the people likes fast travelling, therefore some fast moving trains are introduced,
which ran at a speed of 100 to 150 km/hour. Shatabdi express, Rajdhani are some example
of super fast trains. Few big cities like Delhi, Mumbai have local trains. In Kolkata local trains
are the underground railways known as Metro Railways.
As Delhi serves a national capital of India, it requires a tremendous railway transportation,
with best facilities. There are total 5 main railway stations at Delhi, and all of them are
providing good facilities both for passengers and goods transportation. Due to all these
features both domestic and international passengers are desiring for best and comfortable
Hotels In Delhi Near Railway Station for staying.
Rail links with adjacent countries
Rail links between India and neighbouring countries are not well-developed. Two trains
operate to Pakistan—the Samjhauta Express between Delhi and Lahore, and the Thar
Express between Jodhpur and Karachi. Bangladesh is connected by a biweekly train, the
Maitree Express that runs from Kolkata to Dhaka. Two rail links to Nepal exist—passenger
services between Jaynagar and Bijalpura, and freight services between Raxaul and Birganj.Indian and Bangladeshi governments will start work late by December or early by January 2015 on a new rail link to ease surface transport. India will build a 15-km railway tracks linking Tripura's capital Agartala with Bangladesh's southeastern city of Akhaura, an important railway junction connected to Chittagong port, resource-rich Sylhet and Dhaka. An agreement to implement the railway project was signed between India's former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India in January 2010. Total cost of the proposed project is estimated at Rs.252 crore. The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) would lay the new railway tracks on both sides of the border. Of the 15 km rail line, five km of tracks fall in the Indian territory. The NFR is now laying tracks to connect Tripura's southernmost border town Sabroom, 135 km south of here. From Sabroom, the Chittagong international sea port is just 72 km. No rail link exists with Myanmar but a railway line is to be built through from Jiribam (in Manipur) to Tamu through Imphal and Moreh.[58] The construction of this missing link, as per the feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs through RITES Ltd, is estimated to cost ₹29.41 billion (US$460 million). An 18 km railway link with Bhutan is being constructed from Hashimara in West Bengal to Toribari in Bhutan. No rail link exists with either China or Sri Lanka.
The Indian Railways is organised broadly by functional groups of Indian Railway Service. This is traditionally how the co-operation is organised. The Indian Railways perhaps has been less adventurous. It has largely kept up what it has, as a legacy, since the British era. Railway Board The apex management organisation is the Railway Board, also called the Ministry of Railways. The board is headed by a Chairman who reports to the Minister of Railways. The board has five other members in addition to the chairman. The General Managers of the zonal railways and the production units report to the board. Functional branches The various Group A cadres are as below: Non Technical Services recruitment through Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC IRTS - Indian Railway Traffic Service IRPS - Indian Railway Personnel Service IRAS - Indian Railway Accounts Service RPF - Railway Protection Force Technical Services recruitment through Indian Engineering Services Examination conducted by UPSC IRSE - Indian Railway Service of (Civil) Engineers IRSEE - Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers IRSME - Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers IRSS - Indian Railway Stores Service IRSSE - Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers Medical Services recruitment through Combined medical Examination conducted by UPSC IRMS - Indian Railway Medical Service India's vast rail system, the third largest in the world, is managed by regional levels. Indian Railways has divided itself into seventeen zonal railways. Each zone, headed by a General Manager, is semi-autonomous and this creates a matrix organisation where the functional branches are under dual control viz. Operational Control at Zonal level Functional Policy & Guidance from the Railway Board Zonal management Indian Railway zonal map
The current 16 zones of the Indian Railways are
Name Abbr. Headquarters
Central Railway CR Mumbai
Eastern Railway ER Kolkata
East Central Railway ECR Hajipur
East Coast Railway ECoR Bhubaneswar
Northern Railway NR Delhi
North Central Railway NCR Allahabad
North Western Railway NWR Jaipur
North Eastern Railway NER Gorakhpur
Northeast Frontier Railway NFR Maligaon(Guwahati)
Southern Railway SR Chennai
South Central Railway SCR Secunderabad
South Eastern Railway SER Kolkata
South East Central Railway SECR Bilaspur, CG
South Western Railway SWR Hubli
Western Railway WR Mumbai
West Central Railway WCR Jabalpur
Divisional organisation
The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) heads the organisation at the division level. There
are currently 71 divisions on the system nationwide. The divisions are primarily involved
with train running but may have loco sheds (repair shops for locomotives), coaching depots
(repair home bases for passenger trains) and wagon depots (repair and maintenance points
for freight stock).
Each division has all the functional (both line and staff) organisations. The heads of these
functional groups report to the DRM for administrative purposes but rely on guidance from
the railway board and the zonal headquarters for policy guidelines.
Types of Travel
In India there are many different types of trains and different types of seats available for
sale. So many options in both trains and seat types sometimes become confusing. In thisarticle we will try to explain what are these different types of trains and the type of seats available on them so that you know what to expect. The Indian Railways provide its passengers various types of trains which are unique in the type of journey it performs. Some are fast luxury trains where as some are normal trains; some are fast trains with limited stops whereas some are slow trains with stops in each and every village on the way. In the following section we cover these different types of trains and their uniqueness. Passenger service Interior of a First Class(1A) compartment in the Rajdhani Express Interior of a 3-tier AC(3AC) compartment of the Dakshin Express Interior of an air-conditioned Chair Car (CC) coach in an Jan Shatabdi Express. Indian Railways has several classes of travel with or without air conditioning. A train may have just one or many classes of travel. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating class whereas Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Garib Rath,Duronto,Double Decker, tejas,humsafar and Yuva trains have only air-conditioned 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. From September 2016, the Indian Railways have introduced dynamic fares for all accommodation classes for Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains(except 1AC and EC classes) to shore up revenue.[67] In long-distance trains a pantry car is usually included and the 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.
A standard passenger rake 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 all these classes.
Class Description
1A First class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the fares are almost at par with
airfare. There are eight cabins (including two coupes) in the full AC First Class coach and
three cabins (including one coupe) in the half AC First Class coach. The coach has an
attendant to help the passengers. Bedding is included with the fare. This air conditioned
coach is present only on popular routes and can carry 18 passengers (full coach) or 10
passengers (half coach). The sleeper berths are extremely wide and spacious. The coaches
are carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacy features like personal
coupes.
2A AC two tier: These air-conditioned coaches have sleeping berths across eight bays. Berths
are usually arranged in two tiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach and two
berths longways on the other side of the corridor, with curtains along the gangway or
corridor. Bedding is included with the fare. A coach can carry 48 passengers (full coach) or
20 passengers (half coach).
FC First class: Similar as 1A, but without air conditioning. No bedding 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 completely. However, heritage railways to hill stations have this
class.
3A AC three tier: Air conditioned coaches with 64 sleeping berths. Berths are usually arranged
as in 2AC but with three tiers across the width and two longways as before giving eight
bays of eight. They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained
off gangways. Bedding is included with fare. It carries 64 passengers.
3E AC three tier (Economy): Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, present in Garib
Rath Express trains. Berths are usually arranged as in 3A but with three tiers across the
width and three longways. They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no reading lights
or curtained off gangways. Bedding is not included with fare.
EC Executive class chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with large spacious seats and
legroom. It has a total of four seats in a row used for day travel between cities. This class
of travel is only available on Shatabdi Express and Tejas Express trains.
CC AC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used forday travel between cities. AC Double Deck sitter coaches are used in Double Decker
Express.
SL Sleeper: The sleeper class is the most common coach on the Indian Railways, and usually
ten or more coaches of SL arebe attached to a train rake. These are regular sleeping
coaches with three berths vertically stacked, without air conditioning. It carries 72
passengers per coach. The new LHB Sleeper coaches can carry up to 80 passengers.
2S Second Seater: similar as CC, without the air-conditioning. These may be reserved in
advance or may be unreserved. Non-AC Double Deck sitter was introduced to few
Mumbai-Pune trains and the Flying Ranee. However, Flying Ranee and Valsad Passenger
are only the trains that use Non-AC Double Decker sitter coaches.
GEN General: This is the cheapest accommodation. These coaches are usually over-crowded,
and a seat is not guaranteed. Tickets are issued in advance for a minimum journey of more
than 24 hours. Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same route if 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.
Types of passenger trains
Gatiman Express. A semi high speed train
Mumbai Rajdhani Express. Rajdhanis are long-distance high-speed and high-priority trains
connecting major state capitals with New DelhiSecunderabad Yeshwanthpur Garib-Rath Express. Garib-Raths are low cost A/C trains
Trains are sorted into various categories that dictate the number of stops along their route,
the priority they enjoy on the network, and the fare structure. Each express train is
identified by a five-digit number, the first digit as 1 and 2 for long-distance Express trains. If
the first digit is 0, then the train is a Special. The first digit as 5 denotes a passenger train.
The second digit indicates the zone that operates the train, the third the division within the
zone that controls the train and is responsible for its regular maintenance and cleanliness,
and the last two digits are the train's serial number. The system was changed from four
digits from 20 December 2010, to accommodate an increasing number of trains.
For super-fast trains, the second digit is always 2 (the first remains 1 or 2), the third digit is
the zone, the fourth is the division and only the last digit is the serial number within the
division. Trains travelling in opposite directions along the same route are usually labelled
with consecutive numbers. However, there is considerable variation in train numbers and
some zones, such as Central Railway, has a less systematic method for numbering trains.
Most express trains also have a unique name that is usually exotic and taken from
landmarks, famous people, rivers and so on. Trains are classified by their average speed. A
faster train has fewer stops ("halts") than a slower one and usually caters to long-distance
travel.
S.no Train Description
1 Gatimaan It is a semi high speed train that runs between Delhi and Agra in India. It
Express operates at a speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and is the fastest train in India. The
train takes a travel time of 100 minutes to cover 188 km (117 mi) journey
from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantonment railway stations.
2 Shatabdi The Shatabdi trains are air-conditioned, intercity trains for travel during
Express daytime. Unlike the Rajdhani or Duronto Expresses, all Shatabdi expresses, it
makes a round trip on same day. The Bhopal Shatabdi Express (Train no:
12001/12002) is one of the fastest train in India, between New Delhi and Agra
cantonment, this train travels at an average speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) and
touches top speed of 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph). They have seats and
executive class seats, Some also have 3-tier AC berth. They have limited stops.
It has on board Wi-fi facility.
3 Rajdhani These are air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. They haveExpress high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at a maximum
speed of around 130–140 km/h (81–87 mph). They have limited stops. In the
Railway budget of 2014, it was proposed that the speed of Rajdhani express,
and Shatabdi Expresses would be increased up 180 km/h (110 mph).
4 Duronto Express These are the non-stop (except for technical halts) point to point rail services
introduced for the first time in 2009. They connect the metros and major
state capitals of India and were introduced to travel as fast or faster than the
Rajdhani Express. They provide first AC, two-tier AC and three-tier AC
accommodation. Some of them provide non air-conditioned Sleeper Class
accommodation.
5 AC Express These are fully air-conditioned trains linking major cities in the country. They
have high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at about
130 km/h (81 mph). They have limited stops.
6 Tejas Express Same as Shatabdi Express, these are fully air-conditioned single floor express
trains. They have high priority and have limited stops.These trains are more
comfortable chair car trains used for long distance hauling.
7 Double Decker Same as Shatabdi Express, these are fully air-conditioned two floor express
Express trains. They have high priority and are among fast trains in India. They have
limited stops. These trains are used for daytime travel.
8 Uday Express Same as Double Decker Express, these are fully air-conditioned two floor
express trains. They have high priority and have limited stops. These trains
have berth facility and are used for night travel.
9 Jan Shatabdi Jan Shatabdi Express are more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express,
Express which have both AC and non-AC classes. The maximum speed is 110 km/h
(68 mph). They have fewer stops.
10 Garib Rath Air-conditioned no-frills trains with seats and 3-tier Economy AC berths. The
maximum speed is 130 km/h (81 mph). Some of them have AC Chair cars also.
11 Humsafar These are fully AC 3 tier coaches trains. It is also called semi-luxury train.
Express These train provide so many facilities like LED screen display to show
information about stations and train speed, Speakers for announcement
system, Vending machines for tea and coffee, Charging ports for charging
electronic devices such as mobiles and laptops, Bio toilets in compartments,
Safety measures in compartments such as introduction of smoke alarms and
CCTV cameras, Heating chamber as well as a refrigerating box for keeping
food, curtains to maintain privacy, Providing with new khadi bed rolls etc.
12 Sampark Kranti These are a series of trains which provide super fast Express-like connectivity
Express to the national capital Delhi. These trains have higher priority than SuperExpress / Mail.
13 Yuva Express These trains were started along with Duronto Express trains to provide air
conditioned travel to youth of the country. Sixty percent of the seats of these
trains were reserved for passengers between 18 – 45 years of age. These
trains did not enjoy much success. Today these trains only operate on the
Delhi - Howrah and Delhi - Mumbai routes.
14 Kavi Guru These trains were introduced in honor of Rabindranath Tagore. Currently four
Express pairs of these trains operate on the Indian Railways network.
15 Vivek Express These trains were introduced to commemorate the 150th birth Anniversary of
Swami Vivekananda in 2013. Currently four pairs of Vivek Express run in the
country.
16 Superfast These trains travel at a speed greater than 100–110 km/h (62–68 mph).
Express/Mail Tickets for these trains have an additional superfast surcharge.
17 Intercity Express These trains were introduced to connect important cities for short routes.
These appear in both Superfast Express speed and Express speed category.
Some of the famous legendary Intercity Express are Deccan Queen and Flying
Ranee.
18 Rajya Rani These trains were introduced to connect state capitals to important cities in
Express that state.
19 Express/Mails 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
intermediate stations.
20 Fast Passenger These are slow trains that stop at most or every station along the route and
and Passenger are the cheapest trains. The trains generally have unreserved seating
accommodation but some night trains have sleeper and 3-tier AC
compartments. These trains travel at about 40–80 km/h (25–50 mph).
21 Suburban trains These trains operate in the urban areas of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai,
Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune and between Kanpur and Lucknow, usually
stop at every stations and have unreserved seating accommodation.
22 Metro These trains are designed for city transport. Indian Railway constructed the
first Kolkata Metro for the city of Kolkata. Now metro railway services are
found in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur and Gurgaon also.
23 Antyodaya These are fully non reserved SUPERFAST TRAINS. Antyodaya Express operates
Express on peak routes. These trains are run to reduce the pressure on other trains on
that route.24 Mahamana It is the new version of coaches of Indian Railways with modern benefits and
Express facilities. The livery of the train is also different from other train. It is a tri-
weekly superfast train service which runs between the city of Varanasi and
New Delhi via Jaunpur, Sultanpur, Lucknow and Moradabad.
25 Jan Sadharan These are fully non reserved EXPRESS TRAINS. Jan Sadharan Express operates
Express on peak routes. These trains are run to reduce the pressure on other trains on
that route.
26 Luxury Trains Indian Railways also operate luxurious trains like Palace on Wheels, Maharaja
Express, The Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels etc. Fairy Queen has
also gained tourist attraction because it is the oldest steam engine in
operation hauling a luxurious train from Delhi to Alwar.
27 Mountain These are narrow gauge railways that run in hilly regions in India. These lines
Railways of were combined declared a World Heritage site as Mountain Railways of India
India by UNESCO.
Luxury trains
Palace on Wheels is a specially designed luxury tourist train service, frequently hauled by a steam
locomotive, for promoting tourism in Rajasthan.[78] The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary, it
departs from New Delhi (Day 1), and covers Jaipur (Day 2), Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh (Day
3), Udaipur (Day 4), Jaisalmer (Day 5), Jodhpur (Day 6), Bharatpur and Agra (Day 7), return to Delhi
(Day 8).
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels a luxury tourist train service covers various tourist destinations in
Rajasthan. The train takes tourists on a 7-day/8-night tour through Rajasthan. The train starts from
New Delhi's Safdarjung railway station (Day 1), and has stops at Jodhpur (Day 2), Udaipur and
Chittaurgarh (Day 3), Ranthambore National Park and Jaipur (Day 4), Khajuraho (Day 5), Varanasi and
Sarnath (Day 6), Agra (Day 7) and back to Delhi (Day 8).[79]
Maharaja Express a luxury train operated by IRCTC runs on five circuits[80] covering more than 12
destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered around Rajasthan between the
months of October to April.Deccan Odyssey luxury tourist train service covers various tourist destinations in Maharashtra and
Goa. The 7 Nights / 8 Days tour starts from Mumbai (Day 1) and covers Jaigad Fort, Ganapatipule
and Ratnagiri (Day 2), Sindhudurg, Tarkarli and Sawantwadi (Day 3), Goa (Day 4), Kolhapur and Pune
(Day 5), Aurangabad and Ellora Caves (Day 6), Ajanta Caves and Nashik (Day 7), and back to Mumbai
(Day 8).
The Golden Chariot luxury train runs on two circuits Pride of the South and Splendor of the South.
Mahaparinirvan Express an a/c train service also known as Buddhist Circuit Train which is run by
IRCTC to attract Buddhist pilgrims. The 7 nights/8 Days tour starts from New Delhi (Day 1) and covers
Bodh Gaya (Day 2), Rajgir and Nalanda (Day 3), Varanasi and Sarnath (Day 4), Kushinagar and
Lumbini (Day 5 and 6), Sravasti (Day 7), Taj Mahal (Agra) (Day 8) before returning to New Delhi on
(Day 8).
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Indian Railway Tourism
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. has been set up by the Ministry
of Railways with the basic purpose of hiving off entire catering and tourism activity of
the railways to the new Corporation so as to professionalize and upgrade these services
with public-private participation. Rail based Tourism in India will be the specific vehicle
for achieving high growth in coordination with state agencies, tour operators, travel
agents and the hospitality industry. A dynamic marketing strategy in association with
public and private agencies, tour operators, transporters, hoteliers and local tour
promoters is on the anvil. Indian Railways span global volumes in hospitality and
catering sectors with services provided to 13 million passengers every day.
Mission :
"Enhance customer services and facilitation in railway catering, hospitality, travel and
tourism with best industry practices".
Objectives :
(1) To be a customer friendly company through constant innovation, technology driven
and human resource development.
(2) Optimize resources, increase manpower productivity through quality product
vending and innovative marketing strategies.
(3) Upgrade and consolidate catering services in the organized sector.
(4) Expand areas of core competencies, enhance business opportunities through
efficient public - private partnerships to maximize generation of resources.
(5) Imbibe strong and ethical work culture through teamwork, build and reposition
Indian Railways in the emerging services sector.
(6) Evolve high standards of business ethics, quality management and effective cost
control measures.
(7) Concern for the environment and heritage.Tourism : Railway Tourism has seen excellent growth in India. Right from IRCTC's inception, we have undertaken dynamic marketing strategy with major tour operators and State Tourism as our partners for providing exclusive tour packages across the country. IRCTC arranges for full train charters, coaches as well as reserved berth programmes through regular trains for tourism purposes. During this short period we have been able to provide such facilities to over 50,000 persons. Other services : Internet Rail Reservation : There has been a latent demand in the country for ticket availability at the door-step. IRCTC has already developed this facility at Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai. Very soon the facility will spread to Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. After consolidation at these centers, further development in the major towns will take place. IRCTC web enabled reservation site is www.irctc.co.in Food Plazas : IRCTC has firmed up plans to set up over 50 multi-cuisine food plazas at major railway stations throughout the country during the current year. The Food plazas will have contemporary decor, air conditioned ambience and round the clock operation to suit passenger convenience with market driven competitive pricing. Call Center : IRCTC has recently inaugurated a Call Center. A customer can dial 139 from anywhere in the country and get all information from Indian Railways. Rail Neer : Packaged Drinking Water is purified and bottled at State of Art Plants located at Nangloi (Delhi) and Danapur (Bihar). Rail Neer is using processes that guarantee safe drinking water that is crystal clear, low in dissolved solids and free from all pathogenic bacteria and viruses as well as other harmful contaminants like fluoride, arsenic, nitrate or iron and conforming to the exacting Bureau of Indian Standards specifications. Rail Tourism
India by rail offers a fascinating odyssey through time and space, cultures and history offering magical glimpses of unity amidst diversity, shrouded in enchanting, mystery colours that captures the heart while soothing the soul. No one offers the multi-dimensional magic of the real India more excitingly than the Indian Railways – the second largest railway system in the world covering around 64,000 km. of track laid across around 7,000 stations, running around 12,000 trains everyday. The convenient, well connected routes offer to the passengers hassle-free tours to some of the most exotic places in the world. Indian Railways is the life line of the nation whether it is for movement of passenger or for goods. The Railways contribute tremendously towards tourism as the prime mode of transport for all kinds of tourists from both domestic and international sector. In addition to offering simple train journeys from point to point to the tourists as well as general public, the Indian Railways offers some exclusive tourist trains as under: Luxury Tourist Trains Mahaparinirvan Express Bharat Darshan Trains Punj Takht Train Steam train In addition, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, provides a large number of specialized tourism products and also facilitate specific tourism requirements. Luxury Tourist trains The Indian Railways operate luxury tourist trains in association with Indian Railway tourism Catering Corporation or State Tourism Corporations. The major part of operation and maintenance of the trains is undertaken by the Railways while the off-board / on-board services and marketing is done by the respective State Tourism Corporations. Presently, the following trains are in operation and for detailed information regarding the itinerary, days of operation, tariff, and availability, etc. Palace on Wheels Deccan Odyssey Golden Chariot Royal Rajasthan on Wheels Maharajas’ Express
Mahaparinirvan Express As the name suggests, it is a special train on a popular Buddhist circuit, operated by Indian Railways in association with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. It offers an all inclusive one week package covering major destinations related to the life of Lord Buddha like Budhgaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Varanasi, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Sravasti & Agra, with flexibility to modify the packages in case of group bookings. While the operation of the train is undertaken by the Railways, the on-board / off-board services, marketing, etc. is managed by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. For detailed information regarding the itinerary, days of operation, tariff, availability, etc. Bharat Darshan Train The Bharat Darshan trains envisage taking a number of tourists from a particular region and taking them to tourist destinations in other regions of the country at an economic cost. The destinations are mainly of historic, religious and other tourism importance. The trains operate on a number of different itineraries across the country. The itinerary also keeps on changing from time to time. The package includes rail travel, road transfer, meals, accommodation as well as sight seeing and comes at an affordable cost. While the operation of the train is undertaken by the Railways, the on-board / off-board services, ticketing, etc. is managed by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. For detailed information regarding the itinerary, days of operation, tariff, availability, etc Punj Takht Train As an endeavor to facilitate rail travel to important places of Sikh pilgrimage, this train connects the five takhs at Amritsar, Aanadpur Saheb, Bhatinda, Nanded and Patna and offers all inclusive package covering train journey, accommodation, local transport meals etc. at affordable rate. While the operation of the train is undertaken by the Railways, the on-board / off-board services, ticketing, etc. is managed by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. For detailed information regarding the itinerary, days of operation, tariff, availability, etc. Steam Train A Steam train between Delhi to Alwar and back operate fortnightly during the winter months. The operation of the train is undertaken by the Railways; the on-board services, ticketing, etc. is managed by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and off- board services at Sariska is managed by Rajasthan Tourism Development corporation. For detailed information regarding the itinerary, days of operation, tariff, availability, etc.
Ticketing India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and passenger traffic is heavily subsidised by more expensive higher class fares. Until the late 1980s, Indian Railway ticket reservations were done manually. In late 1987, the Railways started using a computerised ticketing system. The entire ticketing system went online in 1995 to provide up to date information on status and availability. Today the ticketing network is computerised to a large extent, with the exception of some remote places. Computerized tickets can be booked for any two points in the country. Tickets can also be booked through the internet and via mobile phones, though this method carries an additional surcharge. Discounted tickets are available for senior citizens (above sixty years) and some other categories of passengers including the disabled, students, sports persons, persons affected by serious diseases, or persons appearing for competitive examinations. One compartment of the lowest class of accommodation is earmarked for ladies in every passenger carrying train. Some berths or seats in sleeper class and second class are also earmarked for ladies. Season tickets permitting unlimited travel on specific sections or specific trains for a specific time period may also be available. Foreign tourists can buy an Indrail Pass, which is modelled on the Eurail Pass, permitting unlimited travel in India for a specific time period. For long-distance travel, reservation of a berth can be done for comfortable travel up to 120 days before the date of intended travel. Details such as the name, age and concession (if eligible) are required and are recorded on the ticket. The ticket price usually includes the base fare, which depends on the classification of the train (example: super-fast surcharge if the train is classified as a super-fast), the class in which one wishes to travel and the reservation charge for overnight journeys. If a seat is not available, then the ticket is given a wait listed number; else the ticket is confirmed, and a berth number is printed on the ticket. A person receiving a wait listed ticket must wait until there are enough cancellations to enable him to move up the list and obtain a confirmed ticket. If his ticket is not confirmed on the day of departure, he may not board the train. Some of the tickets are assigned to the RAC or Reservation against Cancellation, which is between the waiting list and the confirmed list. These allow the ticket holder to board the train and obtain an allotted seat decided by a ticket collector, after the ticket collector has ascertained that there is a vacant (absentee) seat. Reserved Railway Tickets can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. and also through mobile Phones and SMS. Tickets booked through this site are categorised into iTickets and eTickets. iTickets are booked by a passenger and then printed and delivered to the passenger for carrying during journey. eTickets are printed by the passenger and carried while travelling. While travelling on an eTicket, one must carry one of the authorised valid Photo Identity Cards. Cancellation of eTickets are also done online, without the requirement for the passenger to go to any counter. Unreserved tickets are available for purchase on the platform at any time before departure. An unreserved ticket holder may only board the general compartment class. All suburban networks issue unreserved tickets valid for a limited time period. For frequent commuters, a season pass (monthly or quarterly) guarantees unlimited travel between two stops.
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