History of Indian Railway

Railways in India are the largest railroad in Asia and with the world’s second largest management. A huge workforce of 1.65 million, it runs 11,000 trains daily with 7,000 passenger trains.

First Railway Company In India:

The bill to incorporate India’s first railway company, the Great Indian Peninsular Railway Company [G.I.P.R] (later it was rechristened as Peninsula), came up before the British Parliament twice. First in March 1847 and later in 1849.

First Trains Indian Railways:

1. Red Hill Railway:

In 1832, the first railway proposal of India was made in Madras. The country’s first train, Red Hill Railway, moved from Red Hills to Chintrapripet Bridge in 1837 in Madras.
It was operated by a rotary steam engine manufactured by William Avery.On August 1, 1849, the Great Indian Peninsular Railway was included by an Act of Parliament. The rate of 5 percent guaranteed to return the “guarantee system”, free land and private British companies wishing to make the railway was finalized on August 17, 1849.

2. Roorkee to Piran Kaliyar:

on December 22, 1851, between Roorkee and Piran Kaliyar the second train was moved. The book titled `Report on Ganga Canal’ said in order to solve the irrigation problems of farmers of the area, British engineers devised a plan to construct a canal on the Ganga. For this purpose, a large quantity of clay was required which was available in Piran Kaliyar area, 10 km away from Roorkee. The necessity to bring clay compelled the engineers to think of the possibility of running a train between the two points.

3. Boribandar to Thane :

On April 16, 1853, the country’s first passenger train, between Bombay’s Boribandar sub-station and Thane, was dedicated by Lord Dalhousie. The 14-carriage train was delivered by three steam locomotives Travel 34 kilometers, 400 people were taken to the train. The passenger line was constructed and operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR). It was built in 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 inch) broad gauge, which became the standard for the railway.

*NOTE – In official record, the first train of India is Boribandar to Thane 16 April 1853, because it is the first passanger train.

First railway bridge in India:

Thane route is the first railway bridge in India. On April 16, 1853, the first passenger train of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway left Boree Bunder station in Bombay (present day Mumbai) to Tannah (present day Thane). The train took fifty-seven minutes to reach Tannah.

First Electric Train in India:

The First Electric Train Bombay (Victoria Terminus) Kurla 3 Feb 1925, train gives a service between Bombay VT and Kurla Harbour on 3rd Feb 1925 on the ex-GIP Railway system. The section was electrified on 1500 Volt DC.

Some more trains which are introduced for the first time: