RRB Exam: Interesting Facts About Indian Railway

Facts about indian railway

Indian Railway is the fourth-largest railway network in the world (after those of the United States, Russia, and China).

  • Indian Railway is the world’s eighth largest employer.
  • World’s longest railway platform: Gorakhpur railway station, Uttar Pradesh, India:1,366.33 m
  • First Metro train started in India: Calcutta Metro, 24 October 1984
  • First suburban rail in India: Mumbai Suburban Railway
  • First Monorail network in India: Mumbai monorail
  • Bogibeel river bridge: It is the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India measuring 4.94 kilometres over the Brahmaputra river.
  • Indian Railway launched the website on February 2000
  • Online Reservation and ticketing started on August 2002
  • Tatkal ticketing extended to ordinary train on 26 September 2013
  • Locomotive(Engine) in India Largely consists of Diesel and Electric.
  • Steam locomotives are used only in a heritage train
  • 92% of total route network tracks are the broad gauge, approx. 61680 km
  • Width of the broad gauge: 1676 mm or 1.67 meter
  • Width of the meter gauge track: 1000 mm or 1 meter(5% of total route network)
  • Width of the narrow gauge track: either 762 mm or 610 mm(3% of total route network)

First Passenger Train in India from Bori Bunder, Mumbai to Thane
On 16 April 1853
Distance: 34 Km
Number of Passenger: 400

The fastest train in India: Vande Bharat Express
Started on: February 15, 2019
Running Between: Delhi to Varanasi
Speed: Approx. 180 Km/hour

The second Fastest train in India: Gatimaan Express
Running between: Delhi to Jhansi
Started on: 1 April 2018
Speed: Approx. 160 Km/hour

Slowest Train in India: Nilgiri Mountain Express
Running between: Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam (Ooty)
It’s the only meter gauge, rack railway in India.
Distance covered: 46 Km

Speed: approx. 10 km/hour

Longest distance running train in India: Vivek Express, from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari
Started on: 2013, the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Distance covered: 4273 Km in 79 hours.

The oldest steam engine train of the world: Fairy Queen
Started on: 1855
Running between: New Delhi and Alwar
It has 2 a/c coaches with an accommodation capacity of 50 people

One of the world’s most expensive luxury train in India: Maharajas Train
It runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra

Science Express
The Science Express is a mobile scientific exhibition for children mounted on a train which travels across India.
Inaugurated on: 30 October 2007
2007 – 2011: Focused on “micro and macro cosmos”
2012 – 2014: “Biodiversity Special”
2015 – 2017 : “Climate Change”

  • Lifeline Express Or Jeevan Rekha Express
  • It is a hospital train that runs in India since 1991
  • It is an outreach program for inaccessible rural areas where medical services are not available

Red Ribbon Express
It is an AIDS/HIV awareness campaign train by the Indian Railways.
The motto of the Red Ribbon Express is “Embarking on the journey of life”

Samjhauta express(Currently stopped services)
Running between Delhi and Lahore(Pakistan)
Thar Express(Currently stopped services)
Running between Jodhpur and Karachi(Pakistan)
Maitree Express
Running between Kolkata and Dhaka(Bangladesh)
Bandhan Express
Running between Kolkata and Khulna (Bangladesh)

Longest railway tunnel: Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel or Banihal railway tunnel
Length of the tunnel: 11.215 Km
Location: Pir Panjal Range of the middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir

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