Indian RailwaysFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about the organisation. For general information on railways in India, seeRail transport in India.[hide]This article has multiple issues.Please helpimprove itor discuss these issues on thetalk page.
This articlemay contain an excessive amount ofintricate detailthat may only interest a specific audience.(August 2015)
This articlemay be written from afan's point of view, rather than aneutral point of view.(August 2015)
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(August 2015)
Indian Railways
"Lifeline to the Nation"
TypePublic sector undertaking
IndustryRailways
Founded16April 1853(162 years ago)[1]
HeadquartersNew Delhi,India
Area servedIndia(also limited service toNepal,BangladeshandPakistan)
Key people Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu(Minister of Railways, 2014)
ServicesPassenger railwaysFreightservicesParcel carrierCatering andTourism ServicesParking lotoperationsOther related services
Revenue1634.5 billion(US$25billion) (201415)[2]
Profit157.8 billion(US$2.4billion) (201314)[2]
OwnerGovernment of India(100%)
Number of employees1.334 million (2014)[3]
ParentMinistry of RailwaysthroughRailway Board (India)
Divisions17 Railway Zones
Websitewww.indianrailways.gov.in
Indian Railways
Reporting markIR
LocaleIndia
Dates of operation16April1853Present
Track gauge1,676mm(5ft6in)1,000mm(3ft338in)762mm(2ft6in)610mm(2ft)
HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
Websitewww.indianrailways.gov.in
Indian Railways(reporting markIR) is anIndianstate-ownedenterprise, owned and operated by theGovernment of Indiathrough theMinistry of Railways. It is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising 115,000km (71,000mi) of track over a route of 65,808km (40,891mi) and 7,112 stations.[4]In 2014-15, IR carried 8.397 billion passengers annually or more than 23 million passengers a day (roughly half of whom were suburban passengers) and 1058.81 million tons of freight in the year.[3]In 20142015 Indian Railways had revenues of1634.50 billion(US$25billion) which consists of1069.27 billion(US$16billion) from freight and402.80 billion(US$6.1billion) from passengers tickets.[2]Railways were first introduced to India in the year 1853 fromMumbaitoThane. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit, the Indian Railways, becoming one of the largest networks in the world. IR operates bothlong distanceandsuburban rail systemson amulti-gaugenetwork ofbroad,metreandnarrowgauges. It also ownslocomotiveandcoachproduction facilities at several places in India and are assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power and type of operation. Its operations covertwenty nine states and seven union territoriesand also provides limited international services toNepal,BangladeshandPakistan.Indian Railways is the world'sseventh largest commercial or utility employer, by number of employees, with over 1.334 million employees as of last published figures in 2013 . As forrolling stock, IR holds over 245,267Freight Wagons, 66,392Passenger Coachesand 10,499Locomotives(43 steam, 5,633 diesel and 4,823 electric locomotives).[5]The trains have a 5 digit numbering system and runs 12,617 passenger trains and 7421 freight trains daily.[6]As of 31 March 2013, 21,614km (13,430mi) (32.8%) of the total 65,808km (40,891mi) route length was electrified.[7]Since 1960, almost all electrified sections on IR use 25,000 Volt AC traction through overhead catenary delivery.Contents[hide] 1History 2Organisational structure 3Railway zones 3.1Recruitment and training 4Rolling stock 4.1Locomotives 4.2Goods wagons 4.3Passenger coaches 4.4Freight 5Technical details 5.1Track and gauge 5.2Research and development 6Links to adjacent countries 7Types of passenger services 8Accommodation classes 9UNESCO world heritage sites 10Notable trains 10.1Tourist trains 10.2Other trains 11Problems and issues 12See also 13References 14Further reading 15External linksHistory[edit]Main article:History of rail transport in India
India's first train run betweenBombayandThane
The B.B. & C.I. Railway Head Offices, 1905
Extent of the railway network in 1909.
Indian Railways headquarters,Delhi
Robert-Maitland-Brereton
Map of the completed and planned railway lines in India in 1871, thirteen years after the end of Company rule.The history of rail transport in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. The core of the pressure for building Railways In India came from London. In 1848, there was not a single kilometre of railway line in India. The country's first railway, built by theGreat Indian Peninsula Railway(GIPR), opened in 1853, between Bombay and Thane.[8]A British engineer,Robert Maitland Brereton, was responsible for the expansion of the railways from 1857 onwards. The Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line of theEast Indian Railwayhad been opened in June 1867. Brereton was responsible for linking this with the GIPR, resulting in a combined network of 6,400km (4,000mi). Hence it became possible to travel directly fromBombaytoCalcutta. This route was officially opened on 7 March 1870 and it was part of the inspiration for French writerJules Verne's bookAround the World in Eighty Days. At the opening ceremony, the Viceroy Lord Mayo concluded that"it was thought desirable that, if possible, at the earliest possible moment, the whole country should be covered with a network of lines in a uniform system".[9]By 1875, about 95 million were invested by British companies in India. Guaranteed railways.[10]By 1880 the network had a route mileage of about 14,500km (9,000mi), mostly radiating inward from the three major port cities ofBombay,MadrasandCalcutta. By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896, sent engineers and locomotives to help build theUganda Railways.In 1900, the GIPR became a government owned company. The network spread to the modern day states ofAhom Kingdom, Rajputhana andMadras Presidencyand soon various autonomous kingdoms began to have their own rail systems. In 1905, an early Railway Board was constituted, but the powers were formally vested underLord Curzon.[11]It served under the Department of Commerce and Industry and had a government railway official serving as chairman, and a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the company railways as the other two members. For the first time in its history, the Railways began to make a profit.In 1907 almost all the rail companies were taken over by the government. The following year, the first electric locomotive made its appearance. With the arrival ofWorld War I, the railways were used to meet the needs of the British outside India. With the end of the war, the railways were in a state of disrepair and collapse. Large scale corruption by British officials involved in the running of these railways companies was rampant. Profits were never reinvested in the development ofBritish colonial India.[12]In 1920, with the network having expanded to 61,220km (38,040mi),[13]a need for central management was mooted by Sir William Acworth. Based on the East India Railway Committee chaired by Acworth, the government took over the management of the Railways and detached the finances of the Railways from other governmental revenues.The period between 1920 and 1929, was a period of economic boom; there were 41,000mi (66,000km) of railway lines serving the country; the railways represented a capital value of some 687 million sterling; and they carried over 620 million passengers and approximately 90 million tons of goods each year.[14]Following theGreat Depression, the railways suffered economically for the next eight years. TheSecond World Warseverely crippled the railways. Starting 1939, about 40% of the rolling stock including locomotives and coaches was taken to the Middle East, the railways workshops were converted to ammunitions workshops and many railway tracks were dismantled to help the Allies in the war. By 1946, all rail systems had been taken over by the government.Organisational structure[edit]
Indian Railway zonal map.Main article:Indian Railway organisational structureRailway zones[edit]Further information:Zones and divisions of Indian RailwaysIndian Railways is divided into 16 zones,[15]which are further sub-divided intodivisions. The number of zones in Indian Railways increased from six to eight in 1951, nine in 1952 and seventeen in 2003.[16][17]Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of sixty-eight divisions.[18][19]Each zone is headed by a general manager, who reports directly to the Railway Board. The zones are further divided into divisions, under the control of divisional railway managers (DRM). The divisional officers, of engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal and telecommunication, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial, security and safety branches, report to the respective Divisional Manager and are in charge of operation and maintenance of assets. Further down the hierarchy tree are the station masters, who control individual stations and train movements through the track territory under their stations' administration.SrNameAbbr.Date EstablishedRoute kmHeadquartersDivisionsImage
1SouthernSR14 April 19515098ChennaiChennai,Tiruchirappalli,MaduraiandSalem,[20]Palakkad,Thiruvananthapuram
2CentralCR5 November 19513905MumbaiMumbai CST,Bhusawal,Pune,SolapurandNagpur
3WesternWR5 November 19516182MumbaiMumbai Central,Ratlam,Ahmedabad,Rajkot,Bhavnagar,Indore,SurendranagarandVadodara
4EasternER14 April 19522414KolkataHowrah,Sealdah,AsansolandMalda Town
5NorthernNR14 April 19526968DelhiDelhi,Ambala,Firozpur,Lucknow,MoradabadandUdhampur
6North EasternNER14 April 19523667GorakhpurIzzatnagar,LucknowandVaranasi
7South EasternSER19552631KolkataAdra,Chakradharpur,KharagpurandRanchi
8Northeast FrontierNFR15 January 19583907GuwahatiAlipurduar,Katihar,Rangia,LumdingandTinsukia
9South CentralSCR2 October 19665951SecunderabadVijayawada,Secunderabad,Guntakal,Guntur,HyderabadandNanded
10East CentralECR1 October 20023628HajipurDanapur,Dhanbad,Mughalsarai,SamastipurandSonpur
11North WesternNWR1 October 20025459JaipurJaipur,Ajmer,BikanerandJodhpur
12East CoastECoR1 April 20032677BhubaneswarKhurda Road,SambalpurandVisakhapatnam
13North CentralNCR1 April 20033151AllahabadAllahabad,AgraandJhansi
14South East CentralSECR1 April 20032447BilaspurBilaspur,RaipurandNagpur
15South WesternSWR1 April 20033177HubliHubli,BangaloreandMysore
16West CentralWCR1 April 20032965JabalpurJabalpur,BhopalandKota
Apantographon an IR train.Recruitment and training[edit]Main article:Centralised Training Institutes of the Indian RailwaysStaff are classified into gazetted (Group 'A' and 'B') and non-gazetted (Group 'C' and 'D') employees.[21]The recruitment of Group 'A' gazetted employees is carried out by theUnion Public Service Commissionthrough exams conducted by it.[22]The recruitment to Group 'C' and 'D' employees on the Indian Railways is done through 20Railway Recruitment Boardsand Railway Recruitment Cells which are controlled by theRailway Recruitment Control Board(RRCB).[23]The training of allcadresis entrusted and shared between six centralised training institutes.Sapt Kranti Expresswaiting for departure toAnand Vihar TerminalatMuzaffarpur Junction
CLWmade WAP-5 30022(CLW made WAP-5 locos don't have fluted body shell) rests at Bhopal
WDP4 Diesel LocomotiveBaazwhich is now at New Jalpaiguri
Sapt Kranti ExpressWDP-4Bat 110 kmph.Rolling stock[edit]Locomotives[edit]Main article:Locomotives in India
Two historicalsteam enginesat water refilling station at Agra station
A Beyer Garratt 6594 Engine seen at theNational Rail MuseumLocomotivesinIndiaconsist ofelectricanddiesel locomotives. The world's first CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) locomotives are also being used.[24]Steam locomotivesare no longer used, except inheritage trains. InIndia,locomotivesare classified according to theirtrack gauge, motive power, the work they are suited for and their power or model number. The class name includes this information about the locomotive. It comprises 4 or 5 letters. The first letter denotes the track gauge. The second letter denotes their motive power (Diesel or Alternating - on Electric) and the third letter denotes the kind of traffic for which they are suited (goods, passenger, Multi or shunting). The fourth letter used to denote locomotives' chronological model number. However, from 2002 a new classification scheme has been adopted. Under this system, fornewer diesellocomotives, the fourth letter will denote theirhorsepowerrange. Electric locomotives don't come under this scheme and even all diesel locos are not covered. For them this letter denotes their model number as usual.A locomotive may sometimes have a fifth letter in its name which generally denotes a technical variant or subclass or subtype. This fifth letter indicates some smaller variation in the basic model or series, perhaps different motors, or a different manufacturer. With the new scheme for classifying diesel locomotives (as mentioned above) the fifth item is a letter that further refines the horsepower indication in 100hp increments: 'A' for 100hp, 'B' for 200hp, 'C' for 300hp, etc. So in this scheme, a WDM-3A refers to a 3100hp loco, while a WDM-3D would be a 3400hp loco and WDM-3F would be 3600hp loco.Note: This classification system doesnotapply tosteam locomotivesin India as they have become non-functional now. They retained their original class names such as M class orWP class.Diesel Locomotives are now fitted with Auxiliary Power Units which saves nearly 88% of Fuel during the idle time when train is not running.[25]Goods wagons[edit]The number ofgoods wagonswas 205,596 on 31 March 1951 and reached the maximum number 405,183 on 31 March 1980 after which it started declining and was 239,321 on 31 March 2012. The number is far less than the requirement and the Indian Railways keeps losing freight traffic to road. Indian Railways carried 93 million tonnes of goods in 195051 and it increased to 1010 million tonnes in 201213.[26]However, its share in goods traffic is much lower than road traffic. In 1951, its share was 65% and the share of road was 35%. Now the shares have been reversed and the share of railways has declined to 30% and the share of road has increased to 70%.Passenger coaches[edit]Indian railways has several types of passenger coaches.Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) coaches are used for suburban traffic in large cities mainlyMumbai,Chennai,Delhi,Kolkata,Pune,HyderabadandBangalore. These coaches numbered 7,793 on 31 March 2012. They have second class and first class seating accommodation.The coaches used in Indian Railways are produced atIntegral Coach Factory,Rail Coach Factory.Now,they are producing newLHBcoaches.Passenger coaches numbered 46,722 on 31 March 2012. Other coaches (luggage coach, parcel van, guard's coach, mail coach, etc.) numbered 6,560 on 31 March 2012.Freight[edit]Indian Railways earns about 70% of its revenues from freight traffic (686.2 billion from freight and 304.6 billion from passengers in 201112). Most of its profits come from transporting freight, and this makes up for losses on passenger traffic. It deliberately keeps its passenger fares low and cross-subsidises the loss-making passenger traffic with the profit-making freight traffic.Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has stopped single-wagon consignments and provides only full rake freight trainsWagon types include:[27] BOXNHL BOBYN BCN BCNHLTechnical details[edit]Track and gauge[edit]Indian railways uses four gauges, the1,676mm(5ft6in)broad gaugewhich is wider than the1,435mm(4ft812in)standard gauge; the1,000mm(3ft338in)metre gauge; and twonarrow gauges,762mm(2ft6in) and610mm(2ft). Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 75 to 160km/h (47 to 99mph).The total length of track used by Indian Railways is about 115,000km (71,000mi) while the total route length of the network is 65,000km (40,000mi).[28]About 24,891km (15,467mi) or 38% of the route-kilometre was electrified, as of 31 March 2014.[29]
Narrow Gauge Train at Rajim, ChhattisgarhBroad gaugeis the predominantgaugeused by Indian Railways.Indian broad gauge1,676mm(5ft6in)is the most widely used gauge in India with 105,000km (65,000mi) of track length (91% of entire track length of all the gauges) and 56,000km (35,000mi) of route-kilometre (86% of entire route-kilometre of all the gauges).In some regions with less traffic, the metre gauge (1,000mm(3ft338in)) is common, although theUnigauge projectis in progress toconvertall tracks to broad gauge. The metre gauge has about 8,000km (5,000mi) of track length (7% of entire track length of all the gauges) and 7,000km (4,300mi) of route-kilometre (10% of entire route-kilometre of all the gauges).The Narrow gauges are present on a few routes, lying in hilly terrains and in some erstwhile private railways (on cost considerations), which are usually difficult to convert to broad gauge. Narrow gauges have 2,000 route-kilometre. TheKalka-Shimla Railway, theKangra Valley Railwayand theDarjeeling Himalayan Railwayare three notablehill linesthat use narrow gauge, but the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a metre gauge track.[30]These four rail lines will not be converted under the Unigauge project.
Map of Indian Railways network with population densityThe share of broad gauge in the total route-kilometre has been steadily rising, increasing from 47% (25,258 route-km) in 1951 to 86% in 2012 whereas the share of metre gauge has declined from 45% (24,185 route-km) to 10% in the same period and the share of narrow gauges has decreased from 8% to 3%. About 24,891 route-km of Indian railways is electrified.Sleepers(ties) are made up ofprestressed concrete, or steel or cast iron posts, thoughteaksleepers are still in use on a few older lines. The prestressed concrete sleeper is in wide use today. Metal sleepers were extensively used before the advent of concrete sleepers. Indian Railways divides the country into four zones on the basis of the range of track temperature. The greatest temperature variations occur inRajasthan.Research and development[edit]Indian Railways has a full-fledged organisation known as Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), located at Lucknow for all research, designs and standardisation tasks.In August 2013, Indian Railways entered into a partnership with Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) to develop technology to tap solar energy for lighting and air-conditioning in the coaches. This would significantly reduce the fossil fuel dependency for Indian Railways.[31]Recently it developed and tested the Improved Automated Fire Alarm System in Rajdhani Express Trains. It is intended that the system be applied to AC coaches of all regular trains.[32]Links to adjacent countries[edit]See also:Rail transport in India International linksExisting rail links: NepalBreak-of-gauge Gauge conversion underuni-gauge project Pakistan same Broad Gauge.Thar ExpresstoKarachiand the more famousSamjhauta Expressinternational train fromLahore, Pakistan toAmritsar(Attari). Bangladesh Same Broad Gauge. TheMaitri ExpressbetweenDhakaandKolkatastarted in April 2008 using the Gede-Darsana route, in addition to a Freight Train service fromSinghabadandPetrapolein India to Rohanpur andBenapolein Bangladesh. A second passenger link betweenAgartala, India andAkhaura Upazila, Bangladesh was approved by the Government of Bangladesh and India in September 2011.[33]Under construction / Proposed links: Bhutan railways under construction Same gauge Myanmar Manipur to Myanmar (under construction) Vietnam On 9 April 2010, Former Union Minister ofIndia,Shashi Tharoorannounced that the central government is considering a rail link from Manipur toVietnamviaMyanmar.[34] Thailand possible ifBurma Railwayis rebuilt.[35]Types of passenger services[edit]Trains are classified by their average speed.[36]A faster train has fewer stops ("halts") than a slower one and usually caters to long-distance travel.RankTrainDescription
1Duronto ExpressThese 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 are faster than Rajdhani Express. They provide first AC, two-tier AC and three-tier AC accommodation. Some of them provide Sleeper Class accommodation.
2Rajdhani ExpressThese are air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. They have high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at an average speed of 130km/h (82mph). They have only a few stops. In the Railway budget of 2014, it was proposed that the speed of Rajdhani express, and Shatabdi Expresses would be increased up to 200km/h.
3AC SF ExpressThese 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 130km/h (82mph). They have only a few stops.
4AC ExpressThese 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 130km/h (82mph). They have only a few stops.
5Double Decker ExpressThese are fully air-conditioned two floor express trains. They have high priority and are considered among fast trains in India.
6Shatabdi ExpressThe Shatabdi trains are air-conditioned intercity trains for travel during daytime. They have seats and executive class seats. Some of them have 3-tier AC berths. They are the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 130160km/h. India Railway is planning to introduce wi-fi faciltiy for New Delhi - Kalka Shatabdi Express.[37]
7Yuva ExpressThese 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.
8Garib RathAir-conditioned no-frills trains with seats and 3-tier Economy AC berths. The maximum speed is 130km/h. Some of them have AC Chair cars also.
9Jan Shatabdi ExpressJan Shatabdi Express are a more affordable variety of the Shatabdi Express, which have both AC and non-AC classes. The maximum speed is 130km/h.
10Sampark Kranti ExpressThese are a series of trains which provide super fast Express-like connectivity to the national capital Delhi. These trains have higher priority than Super Express / Mail.
11Intercity Superfast Express/MailThese trains travel at a speed greater than 100120km/h (60-75mph). Tickets for these trains have an additional superfast surcharge.
12Kavi Guru ExpressThese trains were introduced in honour ofRavindra Nath Tagore. Currently four pairs of these trains operate on the Indian Railways network.
13Vivek ExpressThese trains were introduced to commemorate the 150th birth Anniversary ofSwami Vivekanandin 2013. Currently four pairs of Vivek Express run in the country.
14Rajya Rani ExpressThese trains were introduced to connect state capitals to important cities in that state.
15ExpressThese 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.
16PassengerandFast PassengerThese are slow trains that stop at most or every station along the route and 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 kmh.
17Suburban trainsThese trains operate in the urban areas ofMumbai,Delhi,Kolkata,Chennai,Hyderabad,Ahmedabad,Puneand betweenKanpurandLucknow, usually stop at all stations and have unreserved seating accommodation.
18MetroThese trains are designed for city transport. Indian Railway constructedKolkata Metrofor the city ofKolkata.
18Tourist TrainsIndian Railways also operate luxurious tourist trains likePalace on Wheels,Maharaja Express,The Golden Chariot,Royal Rajasthan on Wheelsetc.Fairy Queenhas also gained tourist attraction because it is the oldest steam engine in operation hauling a luxurious train from Delhi toAlwar.
Accommodation classes[edit]
Air-conditioned Chair Car (CC) coaches in anShatabdi Express.Main article:Indian Railways coaching stockIndian Railways has several classes of travel with or without airconditioning. A train may have just one or many classes of travel. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating class whereas Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi, garib rath and yuva trains have only airconditioned 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. In long-distance trains apantry caris usually included and 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 generally 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[38]Description[38][39]
1AFirst class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the fares are almost at par with air fare. 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 in IR. 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. This class is available on broad gauge and metre gauge trains.
2AAC-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 broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers (full coach) or 20 passengers (half coach). This class is available on broad gauge and metre gauge trains.
FCFirst class: Same as 1AC 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 on most of the trains and is rare to find. However narrow gauge trains to hill stations have this class.
3AAC 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 in broad gauge. This class is available only on broad gauge.
3EAC three tier (Economy): Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, present in Garib Rath Trains. Berths are usually arranged as in 3AC 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.
CCAC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used for day travel between cities.
ECExecutive class chair car: An air-conditioned 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 trains.
SLSleeper class: The sleeper class is the most common coach on IR, and usually ten or more coaches could be attached. These are regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically stacked. In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach.
2SSeater class: same as AC Chair car, but with bench style seats and without the air-conditioning. These may be reserved in advance or may be unreserved.
URUnreserved: The cheapest accommodation. The seats are usually made up of pressed wood in older coaches but cushioned seats are found in new coaches. 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.
Seen here is theMumbai Rajdhani Express. Rajdhanis are long-distance high-speed and high-priority trains connecting major state capitals with New Delhi
Seen here is the Secunderabad Yeshwanthpur Garib-Rath Express. Garib-Rath's are low cost A/c trains
Interior of a First Class(1A) compartment in theRajdhani Express
Interior of an air-conditioned Chair Car coach(CC) in anJan Shatabdi Express.
Inside a 3-tier AC Compartment of the Dakshin Express
A typical sleeper class coachAt the rear of the train is a special compartment known as theguard's cabin. It is fitted with atransceiverand is where the guard usually gives the all clear signal before the train departs.UNESCO world heritage sites[edit]There are two UNESCOWorld Heritage Siteson Indian Railways. TheChatrapati Shivaji Terminus[40]and theMountain Railways of India. The latter consists of three separate railway lines located in different parts of India:[41]
A tight loop (Agony Point) on theDarjeeling Himalayan Railwayin West Bengal Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, anarrow gauge railwayinWest Bengal. Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a1,000mm(3ft338in)metre gaugerailway in theNilgiri HillsinTamil Nadu. Kalka-Shimla Railway, a narrow gauge railway in theShivalikmountains inHimachal Pradesh. In 2003 the railway was featured in theGuinness Book of World Recordsfor offering the steepest rise in altitude in the space of 96 kilometre.[42]Notable trains[edit]Tourist trains[edit] Palace on Wheelsis a specially designed luxury tourist train service, frequently hauled by a steam locomotive, for promoting tourism inRajasthan. The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary, it departs fromNew Delhi(Day 1), and coversJaipur(Day 2),Sawai MadhopurandChittaurgarh(Day 3),Udaipur(Day 4),Jaisalmer(Day 5),Jodhpur(Day 6),BharatpurandAgra(Day 7), return to Delhi (Day 8).[43] Royal Rajasthan on Wheelsa 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 fromNew Delhi's Safdarjung railway station (Day 1), and has stops atJodhpur(Day 2),UdaipurandChittaurgarh(Day 3),Ranthambore National ParkandJaipur(Day 4),Khajuraho(Day 5),VaranasiandSarnath(Day 6),Agra(Day 7) and back to Delhi (Day 8).[44] Maharaja Expressa luxury train operated byIRCTCruns on five circuits[45]covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered aroundRajasthanbetween the months of October to April. Deccan Odysseyluxury tourist train service covers various tourist destinations inMaharashtraandGoa. The 7 Nights / 8 Days tour starts fromMumbai(Day 1) and coversJaigad Fort,GanapatipuleandRatnagiri(Day 2),Sindhudurg,TarkarliandSawantwadi(Day 3),Goa(Day 4),KolhapurandPune(Day 5),AurangabadandEllora Caves(Day 6),Ajanta CavesandNashik(Day 7), and back toMumbai(Day 8).[46] The Golden Chariotluxury train runs on two circuitsPride of the South[47]andSplendor of the South.[48] Mahaparinirvan Expressan a/c train service also known as Buddhist Circuit Train which is run byIRCTCto attract Buddhist pilgrims. The 7 nights/8 Days tour starts from New Delhi (Day 1) and coversBodh Gaya(Day 2),RajgirandNalanda(Day 3),VaranasiandSarnath(Day 4),KushinagarandLumbini(Day 5 and 6),Sravasti(Day 7),Taj Mahal (Agra)(Day 8) before returning to New Delhi on (Day 8).[49]Other trains[edit] Samjhauta Expressis a train that runs between India and Pakistan. However, hostilities between the two nations in 2001 saw the line being closed. It was reopened when the hostilities subsided in 2004. Another train connectingKhokhrapar(Pakistan) andMunabao(India) is theThar Expressthat restarted operations on 18 February 2006; it was earlier closed down after the1965 Indo-Pak war. Lifeline Expressis a special train popularly known as the "Hospital-on-Wheels" which provides healthcare to the rural areas. This train has a carriage that serves as an operating room, a second one which serves as a storeroom and an additional two that serve as a patient ward. The train travels around the country, staying at a location for about two months before moving elsewhere.
A view of thePamban Railway Bridgethat linksRameshwaramto the mainland Fairy Queenis the oldest operating locomotive in the world today, though it is operated only for specials between Delhi and Alwar.John Bull, a locomotive older than Fairy Queen, operated in 1981 commemorating its 150th anniversary.Gorakhpurrailway station also has the distinction of being the world's longest railway platform at 4,483ft (1,366m). The Ghum station along the DarjeelingToy Trainroute is the second highest railway station in the world to be reached by a steam locomotive.[50]The MumbaiPuneDeccan Queenhas the oldest running dining car in IR. Vivek Express, betweenDibrugarhandKanyakumari, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on Indian Railways network. It covers 4,286km (2,663mi) in about 82 hours and 30 minutes. Bhopal ShatabdiExpressis the fastest train in India today having a maximum speed of 160km/h (99mph) on theFaridabadAgrasection. The fastest speed attained by any train is 184km/h (114mph) in 2000 during test runs. Special Trainsare those trains started by Indian Railways for any specific event or cause which includes Jagriti Yatra trains,[51]Kumbh Mela Trains.,[52]emergency trains, etc. Double-deckerAC trains have been introduced in India. The first double decker train was Pune-Mumbai Sinhagad express plying betweenPuneandMumbai[53]while the first double-decker AC train in the Indian Railways was introduced in November 2010, running between theDhanbadandHowrahstations having 10 coaches and 2 power cars.[54]On 16 April 2013, Indian Railways celebrated its 160 years of nationwide connectivity with a transportation of 23 million passengers in a day.[55]Problems and issues[edit]Indian Railways is cash strapped and reported a loss of30,000crores(300bn) in the passenger segment for the year ending March 2014.Operating ratio, a key metric used by Indian railways to gauge financial health, is 91.8% in the year 2014-15. Railways carry a social obligation of over20,000 crores (200bn $3.5bn). The loss per passenger-km increased to 23paiseby the end of March 2014. Indian Railways is left with a surplus cash of just690 crores (6.9bn $115mn) by the end of March 2014.[56]It is estimated that over5 lakh crores (5 trillion) (about $85 bn at 2014 exchange rates) is required to complete the ongoing projects alone. The railway is consistently losing market share to other modes of transport both in freight and passengers.[57]New railway line projects are often announced during theRailway Budgetannually without securing additional funding for them. In the last 10 years,[when?]99 New Line projects worth60,000 crore (600bn) were sanctioned out of which only one project is complete till date, and there are four projects that are as old as 30 years, but are still not complete for one reason or another.[6]Sanjay Dina Patila member of theLok Sabhain 2014 said that additional tracks, height of platforms are still a problem and rise in tickets, goods, monthly passes has created an alarming situation where the common man is troubled.[58]
