Indian Railways

Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India that operates India's national railway system. As of 2023, it manages the fourth largest national railway system by size with a running track length of 104,647 km (65,025 mi) and route length of 68,426 km (42,518 mi) of which 60,451 km (37,563 mi) is electrified. With more than 1.2 million employees, it is the world's ninth-largest employer and India's second largest employer.

Native name = Indian Railways

Company type = Statutory Body Industry Rail transport

Founded = 12 September 1837 (186 years ago)

Headquarters = Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, India

Area served = India

Key people = Ashwini Vaishnaw (Minister for Railways)

Jaya Varma Sinha, IRTS (Chairperson and CEO)[1]

Services = Passenger railway.

Rail freight transport.

Parcel carrier.

Catering.

Tourism.

Parking lot operations.

Other related services.

Revenue = Increase ₹240,000 crore (US$30 billion)[2] (2022–23)

Net income = Increase ₹4,464 crore (US$560 million)[2] (2022–23)

Owner = Ministry of Railways, Government of India

Number of employees = 1,212,882[3] (31 March 2022)

Divisions = 17 operational and 1 non-operational zones

Southern Railway

Central Railway

Western Railway

Eastern Railway

Northern Railway

North Eastern Railway

South Eastern Railway

Northeast Frontier Railway

South Central Railway

Metro Railway, Kolkata

East Central Railway

South East Central Railway

North Western Railway

East Coast Railway

North Central Railway

South Western Railway

West Central Railway

South Coast Railway

Subsidiaries List

Braithwaite and Company

Container Corporation of India

Centre for Railway Information Systems

Central Organisation for Railway Electrification

Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Limited

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation

Indian Railway Finance Corporation

Ircon International

Konkan Railway Corporation

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation

National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited

Pipavav Railway Corporation Limited

Rail India Technical and Economic Service

Rail Vikas Nigam

RailTel

       Technical 

Line length = 68,426.35 km (42,518.16 mi)

Track length = 128,305 km (79,725 mi)

Track gauge = 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)

1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)

762 mm (2 ft 6 in)

610 mm (2 ft)

Electrification = 60,451 km (37,563 mi)[4]

Website = www.indianrailways.gov.in

The first steam operated railway operated in 1837 in Madras with the first passenger operating in 1853 between Bombay and Thane. In 1925, the first electric train ran in Bombay on DC traction. The first locomotive manufacturing unit was commissioned in 1950 at Chittaranjan with the first coach manufacturing unit set-up at Madras in 1955. Various companies operating railways across the country were re-organised into six regional zones in 1951, which were gradually expanded to 19 zones.

Indian Railways runs various classes of express, passengers and suburban trains. In 2018–19, it operated 13,523 trains on average daily covering 7,325 stations and carried 8.44 billion passengers. Indian Railways also operates different classes of rail freight transport. In 2022–23, it operated 8,479 trains on average daily and transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight. Indian Railways operates multiple classes of rolling stock, manufactured by self-owned coach-production facilities. As of March 2022, Indian Railways' rolling stock consisted of 318,196 freight wagons and 84,863 passenger coaches. As of December 2023, Indian Railways had 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives amongst others.

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