India's Railway transport system is one of the most fascinating to learn more about. Railways carry us all, without discrimination, to know and explore our country and cultures. There are a lot of interesting facets to the Indian Railways.
This carrier of people and freight is also loaded with amazing facts. Today, we will tell 10 fascinating facts about the Indian Railways.
169 years old Heritage
The Indian Railways came into existence on April 16, 1853. The first passenger train ran between Mumbai’s Bori Bandar to Thane, covering 34 kilometers.
Indian Railways has its own mascot
Indian Railways has its own mascot, a 'Shubhankar’ named Bholu. Bholu, an elephant dressed as a railway guard, was created in 2002 by the National Institute of Design on the 150th anniversary of railways.
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World's 4th largest rail network
Indian Railways is the world’s 4th largest railway network with the entire track covering a route length of 67,368 km. The first three are the US, China, and Russia. The Indian Railways' track is spread across a massive 115,000 km and is the world's second-largest network operated under a single management.
Indian Railways owns 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites
Indian Railways owns four UNESCO recognised world heritage sites - Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (inscribed in 1999), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai (inscribed in 2004), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (inscribed in 2005), and Kalka Shimla Railway (Inscribed in 2008).
Indian Railways has the world's longest platform
Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Junction also known as SSS Hubballi Junction, is a railway junction station in Hubli, Karnataka. Platform number 1 of Hubli Junction has a length of 1,505 metres, making it the longest railway platform in the world as of March 2021.
Provides luxury rides
Indian Railways proudly owns 5 royal trains - Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Palace on Wheels, The Golden Chariot, The Maharajas’ Express, and The Deccan Odyssey.
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The longest and shortest train ride in India
The longest train ride is from Kanyakumari to Dibrugarh with Vivek Express. It covers 4189 kilometers with 56 stops in 82 hours and 30 minutes.
While the shortest train ride is from Nagpur to Ajni, covering only 3 kilometers.
Indian Railways has 2 stations at the same location
In Ahmednagar, Srirampur and Belapur stations are located at the same spot but on opposite sides of the track.
World's highest rail bridge
India holds the world's highest railway bridge called the Chenab Rail Bridge in Dharot, Jammu, and Kashmir.
Nagpur's famous diamond crossing
One of the astonishing sights in India is the Diamond Crossing in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Named by Indian Railways, the Diamond Crossing has two railway tracks, going towards North-South, and another two lines, going towards East-West. They look like a square-like Diamond shape.
