RAIL INDIA HERITAGE BERAUE
History of
Indian Railways
The Indian
Railways is a Government of India body which is responsible for the maintenance
and operation of the entire rail network in India. As far as rail transport in
India is concerned, it enjoys total monopoly. More than 17 million passengers
avail the transport facilities offered by the Indian Railways.
History of
Railway in India- Important Years
• 1832- Plans were proposed to introduce a
rail network in India.
• 1844- Private entrepreneurs set up a
private rail system in India.
• 1851- Trains became operational.
• 1853- Passenger trains were introduced.
• 1875- 95 million pounds were invested
into Indian railways by British companies.
• 1895- Indian locomotives began to operate
in the country.
• 1901- A Railway Board was established.
• 1907- The government obtained total
control over most of the rail companies.
• 1908- First electric locomotive was
introduced.
• 1947- 40% of the railway network came
under Pakistan's possession.
History of
Indian Railways- Important Years
After India
obtained independence from the British, the rail network in the country was
christened as the Indian Railways.
• 1951- Nationalization of the rail system
in India took place.
• 1952- Six railway zones were introduced.
• 1995- Steam locomotives became obsolete.
Only diesel and electric locomotives were operational.
• 1987-1995- The Indian Railways
reservation system was computerised.
The Indian
Railways now operates one of the world's largest rail networks. On an annual basis,
more than 17 million passengers avail the transport services offered by the
Indian Railways. The employment opportunities generated by the Indian Railways
is also quite remarkable. Over 1.6 million employees work under the payrolls of
the Indian Railways.
World Heritage
Sites in Indian Railways
World Heritage
Sites in Indian Railways – an Introduction
World Heritage
Sites are the sites that are included on the list maintained by International
World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
These heritage sites have outstanding cultural or natural importance to the
common heritage of humanity. Indian Railways also has a few sites that have
been declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. Just even a few days back,
there has been three World Heritage Sites in Indian Railways, which include (i)
Mumbai ChhatrapatiShivaji Terminus (CST), (ii) Darjeeling Himalayan Railway,
and (iii) Nilgiri Mountain Railway. But on 7th July, 2008, UNESCO included
Kalka – Shimla Mountain Railway into the list of World Heritage Site to make
the number of World Heritage Sites in Indian Railways to four.
Mumbai
ChhatrapatiShivaji Terminus (CST)
ChhatrapatiShivaji
Terminus (CST) is a historic railway station in Mumbai. Formerly known as
Victoria Terminus, or Bombay VT, it is one of the busiest railway stations in
India and the headquarters of the Central Railways. One of the World Heritage
Sites in Indian Railways, this historic station was designed by Frederick
William Stevens in 1887-1888, and it took Rs. 16.14 lakh at that time to build
it. This terminus took ten years to complete and was named after the reigning
Queen Victoria.
Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway
Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway is another World Heritage Sites in Indian Railways, nicknamed
as the “Toy Train”. It is a narrow-gauge railway (610mm) that runs from
Siliguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, this 86 km
long railway, powered by a steam engine, ascend from 100m at Siliguri to about
2,200m at Darjeeling. This railway has been listed in the World Heritage Site
in 1999.
Nilgiri
Mountain Railway
Nilgiri
Mountain Railway is another World Heritage Sites in Indian Railways that runs
between Mettupalayam and the hill station of Udagamandalam. The only rack
railway in India, Nilgiri Mountain Railway runs on the Nilgiri Hill, in Tamil
Nadu, South India. One of the oldest mountain railways in India, this railway
was opened by the British in 1899. It was included in the World Heritage Site
in July, 2005.
Kalka – Shimla
Mountain Railway
Kalka – Shimla
Mountain Railway is the latest entrants in the World Heritage Sites in Indian
Railways. On 7th July, 2008, UNESCO enlisted it on the list of World Heritage
Sites. Constructed in 1903, Kalka – Shimla Mountain Railway is one of the
significant railways in India. This 96.6 km railway stretches from Kalka to
Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
For more
information on World Heritage Sites in Indian Railways, please go through the
site www.headlinesindia.com.
