Rail Transport System in India

Rail Transport System in India

Overview of Indian Railways
The Indian Railways have been a great integrating force for more than 171 years.

From a very modest beginning in 1853, Indian Railways has grown into a vast network of 7,308 stations spread over a route length of 68,043 km.

With a fleet of 13,215 locomotives, 74,744 passenger service vehicles, 10,103 other coaching vehicles, and 3,18,896 wagons.

About 74.06% of the route kilometres, 80.38% of running track kilometers, and 78.46% of total track kilometers are electrified.

[Source: INDIA 2024]

Zones and Network Structure
The network is divided into 17 Zones.

Indian Railway network is the largest in Asia and the world's third largest under one management.

Historical Background
The first rail in India started on April 16, 1853, between Bori Bunder, Mumbai, and Thane (34 km or 21 miles).

Indian Railway Board was established in March 1905.

Deccan Queen: The train was introduced on 1st June, 1930 to run between Pune and Mumbai. It celebrated its 90th birthday in 2020.

Major Rail and Road Routes through Passes (India)
Thai Ghat Pass: Mumbai-Nagpur-Kolkata Rail and Road Route

Bhor Ghat: Mumbai-Pune-Belgaum-Chennai Rail and Road Route

Pal Ghat: Calicut-Thrissur-Coimbatore-Indore Rail and Road Route

Performance Overview (Economic Survey 2022-23)
According to Economic Survey 2022-23:
Being the third largest network in the world under single management and with over 68,103 route kms, Indian Railways (IR) strives to provide a safe, efficient, competitive, and world-class transport system.

The Indian Railways (IR), with over 68,103 route kms, is the fourth largest network in the world under single management.

Passenger traffic originating in IR was 809 crore during the pre-COVID-19 period (2019-20), but dipped to 125 crore in 2020-21.

It has since recovered to 351.9 crore in 2021-22. During the current financial year, passenger traffic has seen further strong growth, with the number of originating passengers already hitting 418.4 crore (up to November 2022).

During FY22-23 (up to November 2022), Indian Railways carried 976.8 million tonnes of revenue-earning freight traffic (excluding KRCL), as against 901.7 million tonnes during the corresponding period in FY21-22 (excluding KRCL), which translated into an increase of 8.3%.

Till 12 December 2022, IR has already completed 2022 Track Kilometres (TKM), which includes

109 TKM of New Line,

102 TKM of Gauge Conversion,

and 1811 TKM of multi-tracking projects.

From FY2014-22, across

Gauge Conversion and

11,151 km doubling

A total of 20,628 km sections (including 3,970 km New Line, 5,507 km Gauge Conversion) have been commissioned at an average of 2,579 km/year.

[Source: Economic Survey 2022-23)

Cleanliness Campaign
Special Cleanliness Campaigns under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan were launched by Indian Railways on 2nd October 2014.

Vande Bharat Express
The Vande Bharat Express is a semi-high-speed intercity train.

As an excellent example of the 'Make in India' success story, the Indian Railways launched India's first indigenous train, the Vande Bharat Express.

It is considered to be India's first engine-less train and the fastest train in the country.

The first Vande Bharat Express train was inaugurated in 2019, and its very first route was between Delhi to the holy city of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).

[Source: INDIA 2024]

Types of Rail Gauges in India
There are three types of rail lines in India:
Broad Gauge

Meter Gauge

Narrow Gauge

Gauge (Space between two tracks of rail)
Broad Gauge (1.676 mts)

Meter Gauge (1.000 mts)

Narrow Gauge (0.762 and 0.610 mts)

Light Rail-Based Transit System
The board of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved a corridor for a 'Light Rail-Based Transit System'.

One such system was also approved by the Government of Maharashtra for Nashik.

In Delhi, the proposed Metrolite project, also being referred to as Metro Neo, is to serve as a feeder service to the conventional metro network.

In Nashik, it will be the primary metro project.

Administration and Governance
The management and governance of the Indian Railways are in the hands of the Railway Board.

The Indian Railways network is divided into 17 Zones.

Kolkata Metro Zone (17th zone) was established on 29 December 2010.

National Rail Plan (NRP)
The Ministry of Railways has developed NRP, which aims to develop adequate rail infrastructure by 2030 to cater to the projected traffic requirements up to 2050.

The Objective is to increase the modal share of rail in freight from the current level of 26-27% to 40-45%.

[Source: ES 2021-2022]

Divisions and Headquarters of the Zonal Railways
Zones that started functioning on 1st April, 2003
Zone
Headquarter
Divisions
East Coast Railway

Bhubaneshwar

Khurda Road, Waltair, and Sambalpur divisions of SER

South Western Railway

Hubli

Bangalore and Mysore divisions of SR reorganized the Hubli division of SCR, including Hospet-Toraagal.

West Central Railway

Jabalpur

Jabalpur and Bhopal divisions of CR reorganized the Kota division of WR

North Central Railway

Prayagraj

Reorganized divisions: Allahabad of NR, Jhansi of CR, and the new Agra division

South East Central Railway

Bilaspur

Nagpur division and reorganized the Bilaspur division of SER, new Raipur division

Zones Created on 10th October, 2002
Zone
Headquarter
Divisions
North Western Railway

Jaipur

Jodhpur division and reorganized Bikaner division of NR, reorganized Jaipur and Ajmer divisions of WR.

East Central Railway

Hajipur

Sonpur and Samastipur divisions of NER, Danapur, Mughalsara, and Dhanbad divisions of ER

Old Zones as they are after April 2003
Zone
Headquarter
Divisions
Western Railway

Mumbai CST

Bhavnagar, Mumbai Central, Ratlam, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad divisions

Eastern Railway

Kolkata

Howrah I & II, Malda, Sealdah, Asansol, Chitranjan, Kolkata Metro divisions

Central Railway

Mumbai

Bhusawal, Nagpur, Mumbai CST and Sholapur, and Pune divisions (including Pune and Kolhapur)

Southern Railway

Chennai

Chennai, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, and Madurai divisions

Northern Railway

Baroda House, Delhi

Ferozpur, Ambala, Lucknow, and Moradabad divisions reorganized Delhi I & II divisions.ns

North Eastern Railway

Gorakhpur

Lucknow, Varanasi, DLW, and reorganized Izzatnagar divisions

South Central Railway

Secunderabad

Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Guntakal (including Bellary-Guntakal and Bellary-Rayadurg), Vijayawada, Guntur, Nanded

South Eastern Railway

Kolkata

Kharagpur, Adra and Chakradharpur, and Ranchi divisions

North-East Frontier Railway

Maligaon (Guwahati)

Katihar, Lumding, Tinsukia divisions, reorganized Alipurduar division a nd a new Rangiy division.n

The Metro Railway

Kolkata

Kolkata

Final Thoughts
India’s rail transport system is a vital pillar of the country's connectivity, economy, and unity. With a network of over 68,000 route kilometers and annual service to over 418 crore passengers, Indian Railways stands as a symbol of both heritage and innovation.

The division into 17 operational zones ensures better management and coverage across the nation. The introduction of modern trains like the Vande Bharat Express reflects India’s push towards indigenous, high-speed rail solutions under the ‘Make in India’ mission.

Efforts in electrification, freight growth, and the implementation of the National Rail Plan showcase a commitment to sustainable and future-ready infrastructure. The addition of light rail systems in urban areas like Delhi and Nashik further underlines the focus on urban mobility. With continued investment and modernization, Indian Railways is poised to become a world-class transport system, connecting people, goods, and opportunities across the nation.