From First Train In 1853 To Online Bookings Via IRCTC, Indian Railways Covered A Long Distance In Its 165 Years
On April 16, Indian Railways commemorated its 165th birthday. On April 16, 1853 country's first passenger train ran between BoriBandar and Thane with 400 passengers. BoriBandar station was rebuilt as Victoria Terminus in 1888 which was later changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Since then, the railways has grown to become the largest public transporter and largest employer of the country by carrying more than 2.3 crore passengers daily and employing almost 13 lakh people, respectively. Railways' total running track stood at 93,902 kms with 7,349 stations and 2,77,987 wagons as on March 31, 2017, according to Indian Railways official website.
165-Year Journey Of Indian Railways: Here's What You Need To Know:
In 1861, Churchgate station opened by Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BBCI) Railways as its new terminus for Bombay.
In 1864, Delhi Junction, the oldest station in Delhi city was established near Chandni Chowk for train operations between Delhi- Howrah/Calcutta.
In 1867, first rail line from Lucknow to Kanpur was built.
In 1964, Taj Express from New Delhi to Agra was introduced to allow tourists to visit Agra and return to New Delhi the same day. In 1965, Fast Freight services were introduced on several routes.
