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Indian Railways Essay | Essay on Indian Railways for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by sastry

Indian Railways Essay: Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks operated by the Government of India. Railways was first introduced in India in 1853. Today, its operations cover 29 states and 7 union territories, and also provides international services to its neighbours, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is also one of the busiest rail networks in the world, carrying about 18 million passengers daily. Moreover it is the world’s largest employer, providing jobs to millions.

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Short Essay on Indian Railways 200 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay on Indian Railways is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.

For a country so reliant on its trains, Indian Railways Vision 2020 envisages introduction of bullet trains. It will be a massive addition to its route network, with segregation of passenger and freight services into separate double-line corridors, raising the speeds of passenger trains from the current 130 kmph to 160-200 kmph on some routes, zero accidents and equipment failures and setting up of high-speed passenger corridors.

However, this vision would remain a difficult one to achieve, looking at the past and current situation of the railways. Inspite of being the largest and the busiest network, Indian Railways was never a sector to give good returns to the economy, (barring the time of Lalu Prasad Yadav). It faces a lot of problems, sometimes proving even a burden to the Indian Government. The age-old and crumbling infrastructure, low fares, lack of maintenance, mismanagement, lack of quality service deliverance etc are all the major issues with the railways. A sharp decline in the earnings and serious escalation in expenditure has posed even more problems for Indian Railways. Additionally, the ever increasing prices of fuel, coal, the number of accidents, cost of maintenance etc further increases the problems.

A significant change in the Indian Railways came after the year 2004. The 156 years old Indian Railways was regarded as a hopeless, loss making organisation, with too little revenue, too many problems. Steps were taken to increase the demand rather than the price. A team of experts proposed and applied some simple techniques effectively on a per train basis. Subsequently, fares were increased in line with the demand, giving the railways the much needed cash flow to improve its services. Thus with these efforts, Indian Railways was able to book profits. After 2010, the railways went back into problematic phase. The funds started shrinking, therefore improvement in passenger amenities could not be carried out.

However, the recently elected government has again brought in a ray of hope for the good days for ‘Indian Railways’. Surprisingly, Indian train fares are among the cheapest in the world. With such fares, Railways paced its steps well with the technological advancement. The e-ticketing for making reservations and mobile app system to track train schedule are some major breakthroughs.

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Essay on Indian Railways

Students are often asked to write an essay on Indian Railways in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Indian Railways

Introduction.

Indian Railways, a significant part of India’s transport system, is the world’s fourth-largest railway network. It is a primary mode of transport for millions of Indians daily.

Indian Railways started in 1853, during British rule. The first train ran between Bombay and Thane. Today, it has grown immensely, connecting different parts of the country.

Significance

Indian Railways plays a vital role in India’s economy. It transports goods and passengers across the nation, contributing significantly to India’s growth and development.

Indian Railways is a lifeline for many, providing affordable travel. It is a symbol of India’s progress and unity.

250 Words Essay on Indian Railways

Indian Railways, a state-owned national transporter, is among the world’s largest railway networks. It’s not just a mode of transportation, but a lifeline that connects the diverse geographical, cultural, and socio-economic regions of India.

Historical Overview

Established during the British Raj in 1853, Indian Railways has evolved into a robust network. Starting with 34 kilometers of line between Bombay and Thane, it now spans over 67,000 kilometers, encompassing around 7,300 stations across the country.

Significance and Impact

Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in India’s socio-economic development. It transports over 22 million passengers daily, facilitating commerce, tourism, and cultural exchange. It also provides employment to millions, directly and indirectly, thus contributing to poverty reduction.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite its importance, Indian Railways faces challenges like overcapacity, outdated infrastructure, and financial sustainability. However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation and modernization. Privatization and digitalization are potential avenues for improving efficiency, service quality, and financial health.

Indian Railways is more than a transportation network; it’s a symbol of India’s unity in diversity and progress. With strategic reforms and investments, it can overcome its challenges and continue to play a vital role in India’s development.

500 Words Essay on Indian Railways

Historical perspective.

The inception of Indian Railways dates back to 1853 during the British Raj, with the first passenger train running from Bombay to Thane. Since then, it has evolved into a vast network, connecting even the remotest corners of the country. This expansion symbolizes India’s journey from a colonial past to a technology-driven future.

Organizational Structure

Indian Railways is a government-owned entity, operating under the Ministry of Railways. It is divided into several zones for efficient management. Each zone is further divided into divisions, each headed by a Divisional Railway Manager. This hierarchical structure ensures smooth operations across the vast network.

Role in Economic Development

Technological advancements.

In the digital era, Indian Railways has embraced technology to enhance its operations and passenger experience. Online ticket booking through the IRCTC website, real-time tracking of trains, and digital payment options are a few examples. The introduction of high-speed trains like Vande Bharat Express signifies the railways’ commitment to modernization.

Despite its achievements, Indian Railways faces challenges like inadequate infrastructure, over-crowding, and financial sustainability. However, these challenges also present opportunities. The proposed introduction of private players could lead to competition, improving services and efficiency. Moreover, projects like Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) and bullet trains promise to revolutionize Indian Railways.

Sustainability Efforts

Indian Railways, with its extensive reach and impact, is more than just a transport network. It is a symbol of India’s unity in diversity, connecting people and places, cultures and traditions. As it navigates the challenges of the 21st century, Indian Railways continues to play a crucial role in shaping the country’s future. Through constant innovation and modernization, it strives to provide efficient, safe, and sustainable transport, embodying the spirit of a progressive India.

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Essay On Indian Railways: Connecting the Nation’s Heart and Soul

Discover the rich history and significance of Indian Railways in this insightful essay. Explore (Essay On Indian Railways) how this vast network connects the diverse tapestry of India, fostering national integration and economic growth. Read about the challenges faced and the promising future prospects, making Indian Railways the heart and soul of the nation

10 lines essay on Indian railways

• Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, spanning over 67,000 kilometers of tracks.
• Established in 1853, Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in connecting the entire nation.
• It serves as a lifeline, efficiently transporting millions of passengers and tons of goods every day.
• Indian Railways is known for its diversity, catering to people from all walks of life.
• The railways have been instrumental in promoting economic growth by facilitating trade and commerce.
• It is a significant employer, providing millions of jobs directly and indirectly.
• Over the years, Indian Railways has undergone modernization efforts, improving passenger comfort and safety.
• The introduction of e-ticketing and digital services has made rail travel more accessible and convenient.
• Indian Railways has played a crucial role in fostering national integration by connecting diverse regions and cultures.
• With its rich history and continued expansion, Indian Railways remains an indispensable part of India’s progress and identity.

Essay On Indian Railways

10 facts about Indian railway

• Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, covering more than 67,000 kilometers of tracks and serving nearly 23 million passengers every day.
• It is operated by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, and is divided into zones and divisions for efficient management.
• The first passenger train in India ran on April 16, 1853, between Mumbai and Thane, covering a distance of 34 kilometers.
• Indian Railways employs a massive workforce, making it one of the largest employers in the world, providing direct and indirect employment to millions of people.
• The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the “Toy Train,” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is renowned for its scenic beauty and unique narrow gauge track.
• The Vivek Express, running from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, holds the record for being the longest train journey in terms of both distance and travel time.
• Indian Railways introduced the first luxury tourist train, the “Palace on Wheels,” in 1982, offering travelers a royal experience of India’s rich heritage and culture.
• The Indian Railways operates the world’s highest railway station, Ghum, located in Darjeeling at an altitude of 2,258 meters above sea level.
• The famous Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai, formerly known as Victoria Terminus (VT), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is an architectural marvel.
• Indian Railways is continuously working on modernization and digitalization projects, including the introduction of high-speed trains and the implementation of Wi-Fi services on trains and at railway stations.

Essay on Indian railways in 200 words

Indian Railways: A Lifeline of India

Indian Railways, established in 1853, is the backbone of India’s transportation system. It is one of the largest and busiest railway networks in the world, covering over 67,000 kilometers of tracks and connecting the length and breadth of the country.

The significance of Indian Railways lies in its vast network and ability to bring people from different regions together. It plays a vital role in promoting national integration and cultural exchange. The railways have contributed significantly to the economic growth of the nation by facilitating the movement of goods and raw materials across the country.

Indian Railways is also a significant employer, providing direct and indirect employment to millions of people. It is a symbol of unity in diversity, serving as a lifeline for people from all walks of life.

Despite its remarkable contributions, Indian Railways faces several challenges, such as the need for modernization, safety improvements, and competition from other modes of transportation. However, with continuous efforts and investment, it has the potential to overcome these challenges and further enhance its services.

In conclusion, Indian Railways is an integral part of India’s identity and progress. Its role in connecting people, fostering economic growth, and promoting national integration cannot be overstated. As the nation continues to grow, Indian Railways will remain the lifeline that binds the diverse fabric of India together.

Essay on Indian Railways: Connecting the Nation’s Heart and Soul

Introduction: Indian Railways, fondly referred to as the “Lifeline of India,” is one of the largest and oldest railway networks in the world. With a rich history spanning over a century, it has been instrumental in shaping the socio-economic landscape of India. The vast expanse of this network, connecting remote villages to bustling metropolises, showcases its unwavering commitment to serving the people. This essay delves into the history, significance, challenges, and future prospects of Indian Railways.

Historical Background: The genesis of Indian Railways can be traced back to 1853 when the first passenger train chugged along the tracks from Mumbai to Thane. Over time, the network expanded exponentially under British rule, laying the foundation for modern transportation and trade. After India gained independence in 1947, the railways underwent considerable expansion and modernization efforts, becoming a pivotal component of nation-building and economic growth.

Vast Network and Connectivity: Indian Railways boasts a massive network, with over 67,000 kilometers of tracks, connecting virtually every corner of the country. From the northern Himalayas to the southern peninsular region, from the arid deserts of Rajasthan to the lush tea estates of Assam, the railway network binds India together like a seamless thread. This unparalleled connectivity ensures that no region is left isolated, facilitating the movement of people, goods, and resources.

Social and Economic Impact: The Indian Railways plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country. On the social front, it is a great unifier, bridging cultural gaps and promoting national integration. It brings people from diverse backgrounds together, fostering a sense of unity in diversity.

Economically, the railways are the backbone of India’s transportation and trade. It facilitates the movement of raw materials and finished products, promoting domestic and international commerce. The availability of affordable rail travel has encouraged tourism, allowing people to explore various regions and appreciate the country’s cultural heritage. Additionally, Indian Railways is a major employer, providing millions of jobs directly and indirectly.

Challenges Faced: Despite its illustrious history and commendable achievements, Indian Railways faces several challenges. One of the most pressing issues is the need for continuous modernization and upgradation of the infrastructure. Over time, the wear and tear of tracks, outdated signaling systems, and aging rolling stock demand significant investment and attention.

Safety is another crucial concern. While Indian Railways has made considerable strides in enhancing safety measures, accidents and derailments continue to pose a threat. Ensuring the well-being of passengers and the efficient movement of trains requires a constant focus on safety protocols.

Furthermore, the railways are confronted with competition from other modes of transportation, especially low-cost airlines and long-distance buses. To remain relevant, Indian Railways must continuously innovate and offer improved services, comfort, and efficiency.

Future Prospects: The future of Indian Railways is promising, with numerous initiatives aimed at modernizing and expanding the network. Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are being developed to improve the efficiency of cargo transportation, reducing transit times and costs. High-Speed Rail projects, such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, are set to revolutionize long-distance travel.

Additionally, the incorporation of technology and digitalization promises to enhance passenger experience and operational efficiency. The implementation of e-ticketing, real-time train tracking, and Wi-Fi services on trains has already started transforming the railway experience.

Conclusion: Indian Railways is an invaluable asset to the nation, embodying the essence of unity, diversity, and progress. As the railways continue to evolve, they must embrace innovation, prioritize safety, and cater to the evolving needs of passengers and freight. With effective planning and sustained efforts, Indian Railways will undoubtedly continue to serve as the lifeline of India, connecting its heart and soul for generations to come.

Extra Tips 4 Extra Marks :

Practice essay writing online, what good is happening in the country and railways essay.

In recent times, several positive developments have been taking place in India, especially concerning Indian Railways. These advancements are contributing to the overall growth and improvement of the country. Let’s explore some of the positive aspects:

• Modernization and Infrastructure Upgrades: Indian Railways has been actively investing in modernization efforts and upgrading its infrastructure. This includes the introduction of high-speed trains, dedicated freight corridors, and the adoption of new technologies to enhance safety and efficiency.
• Digitalization and E-Governance: Indian Railways has embraced digitalization, making ticket booking and other services more accessible through online platforms. The introduction of e-ticketing, mobile apps, and real-time train tracking has significantly improved the passenger experience.
• Enhanced Safety Measures: Safety has always been a top priority for Indian Railways. The implementation of advanced signaling systems, automatic train protection, and improved maintenance practices have contributed to a reduction in accidents and incidents.
• Employment Generation: Indian Railways continues to be a major employer, providing direct and indirect jobs to millions of people across various sectors, thereby contributing to economic growth and social development.
• Eco-Friendly Initiatives: Indian Railways is increasingly focusing on eco-friendly measures, such as using renewable energy sources, promoting electrification of tracks, and exploring green technologies to reduce its carbon footprint.
• Connectivity to Remote Areas: The railways have played a vital role in connecting remote and inaccessible areas of the country, bringing these regions into the mainstream and supporting their socio-economic development.
• Tourism and Cultural Promotion: The introduction of luxury tourist trains and themed railway journeys has promoted tourism and allowed travelers to experience the rich cultural heritage of India in a unique way.
• Infrastructural Development: The expansion and development of railway stations and facilities have improved passenger amenities, making rail travel more comfortable and enjoyable.
• Export and Trade Facilitation: Indian Railways plays a crucial role in the transportation of goods and raw materials, supporting domestic and international trade and contributing to India’s economic growth.
• Collaborations and International Partnerships: Indian Railways has been forging collaborations with foreign entities for technical know-how and expertise, resulting in knowledge exchange and further development of the railway sector.

In conclusion, Indian Railways continues to be a force for positive change in India, fostering economic growth, cultural exchange, and social development. With ongoing efforts towards modernization and sustainable practices, the railways are poised to contribute even more significantly to the progress and well-being of the nation.

मतदाता दिवस

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Here is a compilation of essays on the ‘Indian Railways’ for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on the ‘Indian Railways’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on the Indian Railways

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Major Recommendations of Expert Group on Indian Railways

1. Essay on the Introduction to Indian Railways:

Among all the transport systems of the country, Railways occupy the most important position as it carry nearly 80 per cent of total goods traffic and 70 per cent of the passenger traffic. Indian Railways had started its operation on April 16, 1853 with its first route of 22 miles (34 kms). But with the passage of time, the Indian Railway System has grown into such a big organisation that it has become Asia’s largest and World’s second largest organisation in terms of its route length.

Total route length of Indian Railways which was 53,600 kms in 1950-51, gradually rose to 65,800 kms in 2013-2014 out of which only 21,600 kms of route length is electrified. Out of the total route length, Broad Gauge covers 48,186 kms, Meter Gauge covers 13,290 kms and Narrow Gauge covers 3,124 kms.

Indian Railways completed Gauge Conversion works to the extent of 1,351 kms in 1992-93 and 1,619 kms in 1993-94, 1,805 kms in 1994-95, 1,000 kms in 1995-96, 1,364 kms in 1996-97, 847 kms in 1997-98 and 693 kms in 1998-99. It runs nearly 11,500 trains a day connecting 7,093 stations throughout the country. It is the largest single undertaking of the country with a capital investment of Rs 25,320 crores as on March 31, 1998.

With a staff strength of nearly 15.50 lakhs regular employees and nearly 3 lakh of casual employees, it carried nearly 839 crore of passengers andvl058 million tonnes of freight traffic during 2013-14. It is better to have some idea about the vastness of Indian Railways from the fact that it owns nearly 7,739 locomotives; 44,063 coaches and over 2.2 lakh wagons during 2002-03.

During the period covering from 1951 to 2002, Indian Railways have recorded a growth rate of 3.9 per cent per annum in respect of passenger traffic and 4.5 per cent per annum in respect of freight traffic. The railways employ about 16 lakh workers—the largest number of any undertaking in the country.

2. Essay on the Railway Development under the Five Year Plans :

Among all the modes of transport in India Railway transport is the most important one. Considering its importance the Government laid greatest emphasis on the development of Railways in the successive Five Year Plans of the country.

The main objective of the planning for the development of Railway Transport system in India was to expand Railway traffic in such a manner so as to avoid bottleneck in the entire production process and also to ensure an efficient and well developed rail transport system. In first six Five Year Plans, total outlay of Rs 12,000 crore was earmarked for the development of Railways.

Each Five Year Plan had finalised an outlay and special objective for the development of Railways in the following manner:

(a) First Plan:

Total outlay 217 crore; Special objective—rehabilitation, replacement and modernisation of over aged assets.

(b) Second Plan:

Total outlay Rs 723 crore; Special objective—to augment the line capacity and rolling stock through the preparation of Railways for carrying traffic generated by the new steel plants in India and increased volume of production of coal.

(c) Third Plan:

Total outlay Rs 1,763.6 crore; Special objective—to build up additional capacity for meeting additional traffic demand and to prevent bottlenecks.

(d) Fourth Plan:

Total outlay. Rs 1,420 crore; Special objective—Modernisation of rail transport system for improving its efficiency of operation.

(e) Fifth Plan:

Total outlay: Rs 2,350 crore; Special objective—Improvement of the existing transport capacity and to maximise the operational efficiency of Railways.

(f) Sixth Plan:

Total outlay—Rs 5,370 crore; Special objectives—To augment passenger and freight traffic capacity, modernisation of the system and to promote better utilisation of existing capacity.

(g) Seventh plan:

Total outlay- Rs 12,2212 dm, Special objective—Modernisation and technological up gradation; replacement of over-aged assets, development of rapid handling terminals and traction policy for the conversion from steam to diesel and electric traction by the year 2000.

(h) Eighth Plan:

Total outlay—Rs 55,926 crore; Special objectives—strengthening of rail transport system to support the growth process, modernisation and technical upgradation, conversion from steam to Diesel and electric traction by the year 2000 and conversion of metre gauge lines into broad gauge lines under the uni-gauge scheme.

Thus the thrust areas identified for the Eighth Plan period include replacement and renewal of over aged assets; augmentation of terminal and rolling stock capacities; gauge conversion and electrification. Indian Railways completed gauge conversion of 1,351 kms in 1992-93, 1,619 kms in 1993-94, 1,805 kms in 1994-95, 1,000 kms in 1995-96 and 1,364 kms in 1996-97.

Railway Development under Tenth Plan :

Tenth Plan emphasised on strengthening the capacity of the Railway system so as to develop it as a prime carrier of long distance bulk freight and passenger traffic. In order to achieve such strength railways during the Tenth Plan mostly concentrated on multiplexing and electrification of dense corridors, improving the reliability of its routine operations, containerization and optimisation of its entire operation systems.

In order to reverse the situation in favour of railways, Tenth Plan proposed certain effective steps for influencing the model choice through relative pricing mostly based on social costs and augmenting the capacity and improving the productivity of the entire railway system.

Investment strategy followed during the Tenth Plan were:

(i) Speedy completion of on-going projects to avoid time and cost over-runs;

(ii) Highest priority is given to multiplexing and electrification of the system related to its new projects;

(iii) Increasing productivity through improvements in its utilisation of assets;

(iv) Adopting overall cost control measures including employment restraint, inventory management etc.

(v) Upgrading safety infrastructure by infusing new technology, and

(vi) Speedy continuation of private sector participation by giving supports and offering projects such as gauge conversion, electrification, supply of rolling stock, doubling the single track, telecom and signal projects etc.

Railway Projects under Eleventh Plan and Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) :

During the Eleventh Plan, Railways is planning to undertake some important projects for building higher capacity and realising greater volume of traffic. The high-density network connecting the four metropolitan cities of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, including its diagonal popularly called the Golden Quadrilateral has got saturated at most of its locations.

Considering the present growth scenario, the Railways expect to carry 95 million tonnes incremental traffic per year and about 1,100 million tonnes revenue earning freight traffic by the end of Eleventh Plan. This requires large investment for capacity augmentation. Under this situation, development of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) for carrying additional traffic is very much essential considering the high growth in its demand. Therefore, under the Eleventh Plan, the Railways have proposed a 2,700 kilometre long railway line project.

This includes:

(i) Eastern Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni near Kolkata as Phase-I covering 1,839 kms and

(ii) Western Corridor from Jawaharlal Nehru-Port near Mumbai to Dadri/Tughlakabad covering 1,499 kms.

These DFCs along with the feed routes of Indian Railways will ensure availability of sufficient capacity in the face of rising demand for transport. This plan also proposed that the Eastern Corridor will be extended to the proposed Deep Sea Water Port near Kolkata as and when traffic builds up. Both the Eastern and Western Corridors will be made suitable for running of longer and heavier trains of 25 tonne axle load.

While the Eastern Corridor will be electrified, the Western Corridor will operate on diesel traction so as to permit Double Stack Container operation. Moreover, logistics parks are proposed to be developed on DFC. An SPV called Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFC-CIL) has also been formed for implementing this project.

Apart from Eastern and Western DFCs, a feasibility study has also been undertaken on four future freight corridors, viz., East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai), North-South Corridor (Delhi-Chennai), East Coast Corridor (Kharagpur-Vijayawada) and Southern Corridor (Goa-Chennai). A pre-feasibility study of the Chennai-Bangalore Freight Corridor is also being proposed.

After Commissioning of the Eastern and Western DFCs, it is planned to increase the speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph on the existing routes. A feasibility study for up-gradation of speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph on the existing Delhi-Mumbai route has been undertaken with the co-operation from the Government of Japan in 2012-13. Thus it is expected that after the implementation of DFCs projects, the quality of train services in terms of its speed is likely to improve considerably.

After completion of eleven full-term plans, Indian Railways has improved its condition both in terms of its assets and services rendered. Table 10.5 reveals some important fact regarding the development of Railways from 1950-51 to 2010-11.

Table 10.8 reveals that Indian Railways has achieved a good deal of modernisation since 1951. Although total route length has increased only from 53,600 kms in 1950-51 to 62,370 kms in 1990-91 but total electrified route length has increased substantially from 390 kms to 9,970 kms. Again in 2013-14 the total route length and electrified route length further rose to 65,800 kms and 21,680 kms respectively.

The steam engines are gradually being replaced by diesel and electric locomotives and their numbers have increased from 17 and 72 in 1951 to 4,800 and 3,065 respectively in 2005-06. Total numbers of coaches and wagons have also increased from 19,630 and 206 thousand in 1950-51 to 47,950 and 222 thousand in 2005-06 respectively. Diesel and electric locomotives are now carrying nearly 98 per cent of total goods traffic but in terms of their numbers, only 56 per cent of all locomotives are under operation.

Moreover, in respect of signaling and telecommunication, a good deal of modernisation and improvement programmes is gradually being undertaken. Due to all these efforts, passenger traffic has increased from 1,290 million in 1950-51 to 8,397 million in 2013- 14 and freight traffic has also increased from 93 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 1058 million tonnes in 2013-14.

3. Essay on the Beneficial Effects of Railways on Indian Economy:

Construction and expansion of a huge network of Railways in India has been creating a number of beneficial effects on the economy of the country.

Following are some of the beneficial effects of Railways on Indian economy:

(i) Benefit to Agriculture:

Indian agriculture is getting a lot of benefits from Indian Railways. In the absence of Railways, markets for agricultural commodities would have been restricted only to local areas. But the expansion of Railway network has made it possible to extend the area of the market for our agricultural products to the extreme corners of the country. Moreover, railways supplies basic inputs to agriculture in time. Railways has helped to maintain a better distribution of agricultural produce and bring about uniform prices of these goods throughout the country.

(ii) Benefit to Industry:

Railways transport is considered as an important factor behind the industrialization of a particular region. Indian railways have made valuable contributions towards the establishment of some important industries in India. Indian Railways provide easy and cheap transportation facilities for carrying fuels and raw materials to the industrial units and also to distribute their finished products into various distant markets.

Expansion of railways has resulted in the development of cotton textiles industry of Bombay, jute industry of Bengal, tea industry in Assam and Bengal etc.

(iii) Benefit to Trade:

A well developed network of railways has resulted in the expansion of trade in India particularly of bulky and perishable commodities. The markets for fruits, egg, fish, milk, vegetables etc. have expanded due to railway traffic. Moreover, Railways has also expanded external trade multiplying the volume of both exports and imports.

(iv) Social Benefits:

Indian railways have also contributed towards development of Indian society by reducing the isolation between villages, regions and also between various communities. Railways have removed the caste prejudices and have broken up the joint family system. Railways has united the country into a big one by raising the geographical mobility.

(v) Political and Administrative Benefits:

Indian railways are regularly rendering a lot of political and administrative benefits to a vast country like India. For maintaining internal security and external safety, quicker movement of police and army from one region to another region of the country has become possible through its well-developed network of railways. Railways are thus very much useful for maintaining sound administration in a vast country like India.

4. Essay on the Problems of Railway Transport in India:

Indian railways have been suffering from number of problems in recent years and this has resulted in persistent loss in this undertaking over the years.

Following are some of the important problems faced by Indian Railways in recent years:

(i) Impact of Inflation:

Continuous inflation at a higher rate created a serious impact on the financial condition of Indian Railways. While the prices of the inputs purchased by Railways (viz. Coal, Diesel, Iron and Steel, Cement etc.) are increasing at a very steeper rate due to inflation but fares and freight rates could not be increased to that proportion. This has led to a huge loss of this undertaking.

(ii) Social Responsibilities:

Being a public utility undertaking, Indian railways have to bear a huge social responsibility in the form of maintaining unremynerative lines, sub-urban and other traffic, low rated freight cargo for the transfer of essential commodities. All these have resulted in a huge loss of revenue to Indian Railways. In 1998-99 the estimated social burden on Indian railways was to the extent of Rs 2,500 crore.

(iii) Increasing Inefficiency:

Another factor which are also responsible for such a huge loss to Indian Railways is the increasing inefficiency of this undertaking. With the passage of time, problems like irregularity regarding passenger and freight traffic, non-availability of wagons corruption in respect of allocation of wagons, loss of goods in transit, claims, collection of fares of running trains etc. sporadic and wild-cat strike by railways staff, inefficient and corrupt practices by management have badly affected the operation of Indian Railways. Deterioration in passenger services, loss of railways property are common features.

All these have led to a huge loss of revenue to Indian Railways in different years. The budgetary support to the Railways declined continuously from 75 per cent of the Railways Plan Outlay during the Fifth Plan to 42 per cent of outlay in the Seventh Plan and further to 23 per cent of the outlay during the last four years of the Eighth Plan. The declining budgetary support has adversely affected the Railway’s plan for acquisition of locomotives, coaches and wagons.

The alternative source for financing the Railway plans, including market borrowings, has also become uncertain and expensive. The Railways, therefore, have been forced to rely more on internal generation, which is estimated to be around 55 per cent in 1995-96.

Moreover, the administrative cost of the Indian Railways has been increasing rapidly. With nearly 1.55 million employees, the Indian Railways are the largest employer among public sector undertakings in the country. There is also a considerable burden of pension liabilities. The Railways have, therefore, drawn out an elaborate plan for right-sizing the manpower.

5. Essay on the Suggestions for the Improvement of Indian Railways:

In order to improve the quality of railway transport in India and to make it more efficient and useful, following suggestions are worth mentioning:

(i) Increase in Operational Efficiency:

The operational efficiency of Indian Railways should be improved by developing modern signaling and telecommunication devices along-with rational track management.

(ii) Improving Maintenance Activities:

The maintenance activities of railways should be improved. This includes the maintenance of track and bridges, maintenance of railway engines, wagons and passenger compartments. Maintenance workers engaged for these works should be motivated and activated to deliver the best services to the customers.

(iii) Avoiding Delay:

Railway services in India are subjected to unnecessary delay in its operations. Steps should be taken to avoid delay in forwarding goods by rail and also in implementing new schemes. Orthodox rules and procedures should be simplified to make it more transparent so that private sector can depend more on railway services.

(iv) Attaining Financial Viability:

Railway should try to attain financial viability by adopting a rational tariff structure. Rail fares and freight charges should be at least equal to its operational cost. Leakages of revenue in passenger traffic and claims as a result of corrupt practices adopted by some unscrupulous employees should be checked immediately for attaining revenue efficiency.

(v) Providing Door to Door Services:

Railways are recently utilizing the services of public sector enterprise like the Container Corporation of India for providing door to door services to its customers. Considering the inadequacy in its services, the services of private sector enterprises should be allowed to expand such door to door facilities in carrying containers.

Accordingly, the private entrepreneurs may be allowed purchase their own wagons for carrying their containers to the godowns of their customers in trucks.

(vi) Attaining Punctuality in Time Schedule:

Attaining punctuality in time schedule both for running passenger trains and container or goods trains is very important. Arrival and departure time of trains should be kept strictly on schedule and the same should be adhered to strictly.

In the busy railway tracks, provision be made for double tracking system and number of excess track in the stations for crossing, passing and smooth running of the important trains be made extensively.

(vii) Differentiated Railway Services:

In order to attain its commercial viability and also to maintain its Social Commitment, Railways should provide differentiated railway services to different categories of passengers. Accordingly, special services with rich amenities be provided to rich and executive class passenger at higher rate to augment sufficient revenue.

Moreover, to maintain its social commitments, passengers of lower income group should be provided the passenger services in ordinary class at a concessional rates in its fare.

(viii) Long Term Fund:

In order to attain capacity addition in its services, Railways should set up long term fund. For this purpose additional cess on higher class fare may be imposed for crediting the amount to such fund.

(ix) Commercial Lease of Land and Checking its Illegal Possession:

Railways should impose complete check on illegal possession of railway vacant land and maintain those land for future purposes. Commercial lands under the possession of railway may be leased out at rational rates for a specified period of time. The revenue so collected may be utilised for the expansion of railway traffic in the country.

(x) Attaining Commercial Viability of Railway Workshops:

Commercial viability of a number of railway workshops is being eroded which must be restored at any cost. Steps be taken to utilise the fullest capacity of these workshops. Workforce engaged in this workshop should be utilised to the fullest extent and if necessary the surplus work force should be restructured for its rational uses.

6. Essay on the Recent Strategy Adopted by Indian Railways for Meeting Challenges Posed by Economic Liberalisation:

Indian Railways is now facing challenges posed by economic liberalisation, rising staff costs, resource constraints for investment and also from stiff competition from other modes of transport. In order to meet those challenges, Railways has adopted some new strategies in recent years.

With over 15,50,000 employees, Railways is the largest employer among public sector undertakings in the country. Accordingly, a substantial portion of their gross expenditure is spent in staff costs for making payment of salaries and allowances including pension liabilities.

This liability has risen appreciably recently due to the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission. With a view to reducing the impact of rising staff costs, Railways have developed a two-pronged strategy.

A 10-year perspective plan for manpower planning has been drawn. Simultaneously, a large number of initiatives have been taken to improve staff productivity with a view to providing cost-effective services to customers.

Measures towards modernization of infrastructure and rolling stock, induction of computerization and information technology at an accelerated pace, enhanced manpower productivity and a significant improvement in work culture at all levels, are being adopted progressively for meeting the challenges posed by economic liberalisation and stiff competition from other modes of transport.

The Railways have been performing a unique and challenging role of functioning both as a commercial undertaking as well as provider of public utility service. The latter involves a measure of cross-subsidization of passenger service by freight revenues as well as operating certain uneconomic services like those in certain suburban sections and branch lines in order to provide cheap and affordable transport to the public at large.

Again, in order to face the resource constraints, the Railways have launched a number of schemes to mobilise extra-budgetary resources to meet the needs of growth and development. In order to supplement investment, partnerships with private sector and State Governments for specific projects are being forged.

In addition to Build-Own-Lease Transfer (BOLT) and Own Your Wagon Scheme (OYWS), other initiatives to attract private participation include setting up a private terminal and public-private partnership to provide railway connectivity to new upcoming ports.

Joint ventures with some State Governments for executing projects have also been envisaged. Two separate Memoranda of Understanding were signed with Government of Karnataka and Government of Andhra Pradesh to formalize their financial participation in certain railway projects in their respective states.

The MOU between Government of Karnataka and Ministry of Railways envisages formation of a joint-venture company, funded by the Central Government, the State Government, financial institutions and others. This company will be under-written by Government of Karnataka and will raise resources for early completion of certain identified railway projects.

Similarly, the MOU with Government of Andhra Pradesh envisages formation of a joint-venture company to plan and implement a model scheme of seamless Multi-modal Urban Transport System involving both rail and road.

An SPV with equity participation of Ministry of Railways and M/s. Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd. (GPPL) has been planned to provide Broad Gauge connectivity to the port of Pipavav on the West Coast of India by conversion of Surinderanagar—Rajula City (250 km) meter gauge line and a new line from Rajula City to the port of Pipavav.

Proposals to connect Mundra Port on the West Coast and Dharma Port on the East Coast to the Broad Gauge network of Indian Railways through a suitable framework are also under active consideration of the Ministry of Railways.

The Railways also expect to augment considerable amount of revenues from non-traditional sources, such as commercial publicity, commercial use of land and air space and utilisation of ‘right of way’ of optic fibre cable network. Parcel services of Indian Railways are also being improved with leasing of space in brake vans of passenger trains.

With fast growth in Cargo in private sector, it has become possible to offer better quality of service by guaranteed clearance of Cargo through regular train services.

Moreover, the government is seriously considering the entry of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into railways. Accordingly, the government is likely to FDI in high speed trains and other projects including development of rail lines between project sites and existing network.

However, the FDI will not be allowed in train operations and safety. As per the new proposal, foreign investment would also be allowed in sub­urban corridor, high-speed train systems and dedicated freight line projects implemented in PPP mode. It has also suggested widening the definition of ‘infrastructure’ by including railway line and railway sidings.

As per the new proposal, foreign investment would be allowed to pick-up 100 per cent stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will construct and maintain rail lines connecting ports mines and industrial hubs with the existing rail network.

Thus, the present move will help the railway in attracting more and more FDI which will assist in the development of infrastructure for industrial purposes and also help in smooth movement of raw materials from mines to ports or mines to new industrial projects.

7. Essay on the Major Recommendations of Expert Group on Indian Railways:

Indian Railways are facing the problem of upgradation and expansion of services. Accordingly, the Ministry of Railways.

Railway Board, had constituted an Expert Group on December 31, 1998 to study the railway sector in order to estimate the financing requirements of an expansion and upgrading programme for Indian Railways, to identify sources of funding of estimated investments over 15-year period, to study models of structure and ownership of rail transport facilities in developed countries and to recommend suitable regulatory arrangements that would facilitate orderly expansion of the system, promote the desired degree of competition and protect the users right to quality service. The Report of the Study Group is under examination.

Following are some of the key recommendations of the Expert Group:

1. The root cause of financial problem confronting the Indian Railways is found in lack of adequate productivity increases that are commensurate with real wages over time.

2. Indian Railways has to modernize and expand its capacity to serve the emerging needs of the growing economy.

3. Indian Railways has to adopt a “strategic perspective” to achieve high growth in both the passenger and freight segments.

4. Along with achievement of higher growth the Indian Railways will have to explore every avenue of reduction in costs,

5. The Expert Group has made detailed projections for the potential of passenger traffic and revenue growth. Among the possible investment strategies the panel has favored a “High Growth Strategy” which will require focused remunerative investment and corresponding organizational restructuring of Indian Railway internally and in relationship with government, including corporatization.

6. Higher profitability in freight segment through a long term Strategy of improved Speed of freight trains, up-gradation of rolling stock, specific commodity related investment, improved signaling and communication, setting up additional container depots, rationalization of the freight rates structure to remove distortions.

7. Un-remunerative investments must be stopped.

8. Key challenge for Indian Railways in the passenger traffic segments is to maintain its obligations on low price services while at the same time increasing both capacity and utilization in upper classes, through a strategy for higher growth in traffic as well as appropriate tariff rebalancing.

9. The Government of India should be in charge of setting policy direction. Indian Rail Regulatory Authority (IRRA) should be set up to regulate tariffs, Indian Railways must eventually be corporatized into “Indian Railways Corporation” (IRC).

10. Indian Railways Corporation (IRC) would be governed by a reconstituted Indian Railways Executive Board (IREB).

11. Restructuring of Indian Railways will require massive investment.

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Essay , Geography , India , Trasportation , Modes , Railways , Essay on the Indian Railways

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Connecting and transforming India: Railways' impact on society

By Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

Joydeep Dutta

“Inevitably, the railways had social consequences. Without them, the three great cities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras would have remained small colonial trading ports” - Mark Tully

A 19th century map of India's major railway lines Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

The beginning

India's love affair with the railways began in the summer of 1853.The British had brought the railways into India for their own benefit; and no one could have imagined that a transportation system would unite the states and bring them together to form a nation. They made railways an integral ingredient of the country's social fabric.

A view of present-day Howrah Station Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

The social impact of the railways emerged from the very beginning.  The railways made India mobile and opened up new vistas and opportunities for its people. It brought in new expertise and trades, new technology and above all, it gave the people a sense of freedom.

The front facade Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

A time of transformation

As the railways grew, their role transformed from a mere provider of transport to something significantly larger. It influenced trade and business in a remarkable way and in the larger cities the major markets grew in and around the main railway stations. New settlements developed alongside the railway since railways symbolised progress and people wanted to be a part of it. This deep link between Indian society and its railways is nowhere more visible than in Mumbai, our supreme quintessential railway city. The thriving suburban system that emanates out of the two great termini, Churchgate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai CST), constitutes the most fascinating and complex city railway in the world. The Mumbai suburban system, unlike other suburban systems, cuts through the heart of the city above the ground and not underground as with most Metro systems.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a city icon and a lifeline for Mumbaikars. Take a virtual tour around the station and zoom into its masterful architecture.

The Heritage Gallery at Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus is a separate section inside the main building where one can find information about the history of railways, especially the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. It houses miniatures of the station, trains and engines as they evolved from steam, diesel to electric. The gallery tells the story of the development of the railways and the city of Mumbai itself.

A monsoon view of a train passing through the Western Ghats Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

An important train that had a huge effect on the society in Mumbai and its neighboring city was the Deccan Queen. Way back in 1928, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway started the Deccan Queen as an inter-city train between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Poona (now Pune). This is perhaps the most iconic train to be run by the Indian Railways. It continues till today, 87 years later.

The Deccan Queen is not a train but an institution. Generations of people from Pune have used it to travel to Mumbai to work and return in the evening. Owing to the amount of time people spend in the train, friendships are forged, marriages are arranged and business deals sealed during the journey. Infact, such trains are more like social networks!

A view of Kurseong Railway Station Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

Another significant and vital social impact of the Indian Railways is witnessed in the hill railways.The most famous is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which winds up from Siliguri at the foot of the Himalayas to Darjeeling. Even 30 years ago, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the predominant form of transport in the Darjeeling hills. More than 3 trains used to operate out of New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling and the same number back and at least two trains operated out of Kurseong towards Darjeeling.

The Kurseong station, of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), is the headquarters of the DHR. The station also houses a museum with original artifacts and exhibits of the DHR.

The locomotive shed of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway at Kurseong.

The Darjeeling Toy train passing through Kurseong Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

For the school children around Kurseong, this small train was a trusted friend that took them to the doorstep of their schools. The amazing steam locomotive made its way through the market of Kurseong. Though the first hill railway in India to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it now runs only as a tourist railway with scaled down operations.

Take a walk around the Darjeeling railway station, zoom in on the different locomotives, and the hill top view of the station.

The Divisonal Railway Manager's office Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

Apart from influencing society in general, the Indian Railways brought in another social stratum into the country – the Railway Society. In general, a society is divided into two parts, namely, civil and defence. In India, there is this third strata. Railways have their own housing, clubs, institutes, cinema halls, etc; even their own hospitals. The British built several railway towns in India based on railway towns in England. Many of these towns thrive to this day.

An old picture of one of the first locomotives in India, journeying across the Thane creek. Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

The introduction of railways have changed India in unprecedented ways. Way back on 16th April 1853, when three steam locomotives - Sahib, Sultan and Sindh hauled a 14 coach train from Bori Bunder station, Bombay to Thane, they ushered in the rail era in India, changing the country and its people forever. And even a century and a half later, the railways continue to be a strong unifying force in India.

Railway bridges: The engineering that connected India

Heritage directorate, indian railways, a city icon, chhatrapati shivaji maharaj terminus, the people behind the fourth-largest railway network, inside the monument, chhatrapati shivaji maharaj terminus, mumbai, pathbreakers: women in the indian railways, their own worlds: the quirks of life in railway colonies, a cradle for glory: sporting traditions in the railways, crossing the chenab: the world's highest rail bridge, rail modeling: the greatest hobby.

Railways: A Major Public Transportation Contributing To Nation’s Growth

India, with its vast and diverse landscape, relies heavily on its robust transportation infrastructure to connect people, goods, and services across the nation. Among the various modes of transport, the Indian Railways stands tall as a symbol of efficiency and connectivity. Let’s explore the multifaceted contributions of the Indian Railways to the nation's growth and development.

Versatility of Indian Railways

The Indian Railways is not just a transportation system; it's a colossal network intricately woven into the fabric of the nation. As the fourth-largest national railway system globally, it boasts a massive track length of 128,305 km, with 60,451 km electrified. With over 1.2 million employees, it stands as the world's tenth-largest employer. The Indian Railways is increasingly becoming the backbone of the nation's GDP, emphasizing its vital role in the country's economic landscape.

Major Contribution of Indian Railways to Nation’s Growth

When it comes to addressing the contribution of Indian Railways to the nation's growth, we all just think about the revenue. But it is not just about revenue, rather it is more about contributing to different important segments of a nation, that includes economy as well as defense, transportation, travel, and employment. Following are the major contributions of the Indian Railways to the nation's growth. 

Transport Connectivity

The Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in ensuring seamless connectivity across the nation. On a daily basis, approximately 23 million passengers rely on the rail network, making it an indispensable mode of daily commuting. Moreover, efficient rail freight carriers move tons of goods, connecting different parts of the country to the national capital and major cities. Without the railways, the scale and efficiency of transportation in India would be unimaginable.

Revenue Generation

The direct revenue generated by the Indian Railways is a significant source of income for the government. This revenue not only sustains the railways but also contributes to the overall economic development of the nation.

Employment Generation

With a workforce exceeding a million, the Indian Railways stands as a major employer in the country, continually generating employment opportunities, especially for the youth. This not only supports livelihoods but also contributes to the socio-economic development of the nation.

Travel Experience

Beyond its utilitarian function, the Indian Railways offers an unparalleled travel experience through luxury trains like The Deccan Odyssey, Maharajas’ Express, The Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, and Palace on Wheels. While these journeys are expensive, they provide a remarkable experience to travelers, contributing not only revenue but also enhancing the nation's global reputation in luxury tourism.

Manufacturing Opportunities

The "Make in India'' initiative has found resonance in the Indian Railways, offering substantial opportunities to the country's manufacturing industry . The flagship Vande Bharat Express is a testament to this initiative, with every part and component supplied by local manufacturers and suppliers, boosting the domestic economy.

Image credit: Twitter

Special Services for Defence

Recognizing the critical role of defense, the Indian Railways provides special services dedicated to military goods transportation and the movement of defense personnel. This strategic support underscores the railways' commitment to support national security.

Successful Subsidiaries

In addition to the primary rail network, several successful subsidiary public sector undertakings (PSUs) operate under the Ministry of Railways. These entities, such as Rail Vikas Nigam, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, Container Corporation of India, Indian Railway Finance Corporation, and Ircon International, play crucial roles in enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Indian Railways.

MSL’s Contributions to Indian Railways

MSL stands as a premier manufacturer and supplier of parts and components for Indian Railways, playing a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Indian Railways. Our extensive contributions have been integral to numerous projects , with notable involvement in key initiatives at ICF Chennai, MCF-Raebareli, and RCF Kapurthala. A highlight of our commitment to excellence is the significant contribution made to the nation's pride, the " Vande Bharat " train. MSL's dedication to innovation and quality underscores our crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the Indian Railways system.

In conclusion, the Indian Railways is not just a means of transportation; it is an integral part of the nation's growth story. From facilitating connectivity and generating revenue to creating employment opportunities and contributing to the "Make in India" initiative, the Indian Railways continues to play a monumental role in shaping the trajectory of the nation's development. As we look ahead, it is imperative to recognize and appreciate the multifaceted contributions of the Indian Railways in steering India towards a more connected and prosperous future.

• Jan 19,2024

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English Essay on “The Indian Railways” Full-Length Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 Exam.

The Indian Railways

The railways of India are great engineering works. The constructors were confronted with enormous physical difficulties. Broad rivers had to be spanned and the mighty mountain wall of the Ghats had to be surmounted by the railroad before Mumbai could be brought into railway communication with Gujarat, Kolkata, and Chennai. Still greater are the natural obstacles that have been overcome in the construction of the military railways on the north-western frontier, for the protection of the country against foreign aggression.

No doubt it is a good policy to defend India by building railways, for strategic purposes. It is less expensive to add to our railway system than to increase the number of the army. A country with good railway communication has a great advantage from a military point of view. When a threatened frontier has no railways, all the practicable passes have to be defended by strong forces, as it cannot be known beforehand where the enemy will deliver his attack. But if the defenders have the command of railway leading to those passes, it is enough to assemble a strong army at some central point, from which troops can be rapidly conveyed in trains to the part of the frontier towards which the enemy is reported to be directing his march. Thus by the help of railways, an army of fifty thousand men may do the work that would otherwise require twice or thrice as large an army,

Also, the railways built for military purposes are not thereby debarred from being useful in times of peace, so that, even if there should be no war, the money spent upon them is far from being wasted. The railways, which would be a defense in war, are trade routes in peace, and so perform their more natural function.

How much Indian commerce has been increased by the introduction of railways can be seen in a numerical form by comparing the value of the export from India now with her foreign trade thirty years ago. The railways, by bringing the interior of India into easy communication with the great seaports and through them with foreign nations, have marvellously developed the productive industries of the country. A continual procession of heavily-laden trains carries into Mumbai and the other major ports like Kolkata, Cochin, Kandla, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam, from the interior of India, com, and cotton, that could never have found a market if the only means of communication had been by carts and riverboats. Thus it is mainly due to the power of the locomotive that Punjab and the adjoining regions have become great corn-producing districts that supply the deficiencies of European harvests.

Nor is material prosperity the only important effect produced Railways have a powerful influence in overcoming the barriers between different sections of the community and between man and man. Members of the different castes going on pilgrimage to Benares or Nasik, unless they are rich enough to afford reserved compartments, must either give up their pious intention or consent to come into close contact with one another in crowded railway carriages. Thus railways tend to do away with the exclusiveness of caste and promote the doctrine of the equality of mankind.

They also do much to educate the people of India by enabling them cheaply and with comfort to leave their native villages and visit the great cities that are the headquarters of civilization and progress. (See also the end of the preceding essay on railways and telegraphs.

Indian Railways is the biggest Government institution in India which gives more than 17 Latch people employment. Indian Railways is the biggest railway system in Asia and the second biggest railway system in the world. In India, the first …rain was run between Mumbai and Thane. Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India at that time the train was running by coal Railway Engine. The Britishers started the railway system to exploit the resources, of India and carry the raw material from different parts of India to the ports for export the material to England and when the manufactured goods came to the ports from England then disbursed these goods all over the country within a very short time.

During the freedom struggle, the freedom fighters opposed the extension of the railway network in the country because the railway system used by the Britishers for fulfilling and their interests were in the exploitation of India their own interests. After independence, there is a new chapter started in the development of the Railway Government of India established its separate Ministry of Railways. The total responsibility of Railways is on the Ministry of Railways.

The State Government has no authority to interfere in Railway Network. From the time of independence, the developing process of Railways is very rapidly moving now the old coal engines are almost finished and Diesel and electric engines are using and the Government is determinate to replace all diesel engines with electric engines. The Electric Engines cause no pollution and its performance is better than Diesel Engine. Now there are eleven zones in Railways. Now the total length of Indian Railways is about 65,000 kilometers long railway track of which almost 15,000 kilometers are electric lines.

About 12,000 trains go from one place to another every day Railway is like a lifeline to the people of India. The importance of Railway is known by the fact that every year just before the common budget of the Government of India a separate Railway budget is present in the parliament by the Railway Minister. The railway is regularly working for giving the good facilities of their Passengers. The government of India established a separate Paramilitary Force R.P.F. (Railway Protection Force). The main work of R.P.F. is to protect the property and passengers of the Railway.

The jawans of R.P.E are always traveled with express trains and mails. Railway has its different telephone department which is totally different from the Department of Telecom, Government of India. Railway has its separate audit department which audits all accounts of Indian Railways. This audit department of Railways is totally different from CAG (Controller and Auditor General of India). Railway provides Residence and Medical Aid to their employees. We easily see a residential colony and a dispensary near every Railway Station. There are almost 7,500 small and big Railway Stations in India. The railway is also helping the Indian people in their trade almost 30-40% of goods are carried by Railway in different parts of the country.

The railway also plays an important role during any national calamity and any accidents. Railway provides the food, medicines, doctors and other help in a very short time and very rapidly take the affected people towards the secure places at the time of any natural calamity. We saw that in floods, earthquakes, ocean storm the Railway provide full support to the people as much help as possible. The Railway has the facility for all segments of society. For the people of the economically weaker segment, there is a general class, above it, there is a second class in which people got the sleeping facility by reservation. Above them, there is first class. It is very costly because the seats of first-class are very big and comfortable and you can close your chamber and be free from any disturbance in the compartment.

The topmost facility provides by Indian Railways in Air Condition Compartments. In this compartment, the Railway provides a sleeping facility with a full bed to the passengers. The Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express are running on very big routes, which passengers travel in those trains the Railway provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the passengers. For the last five years, Indian Railways have run a separate luxury train, “Palace on Wheels” in Rajasthan with the support of the Ministry of Tourism Government of Rajasthan. This train has a facility equal to a five-star hotel by this train we can enjoy all places of historical and tourism importance of Rajasthan. So the facility is available for the people of every class. The railway is an essential part of the life of every Indian.

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How did railroads in the 1820s-1830s change the United States

The introduction of steam railroads in the 1820s and 1830s changed America in a number of ways. With the invention of steam locomotives, it was possible for railroads to start connecting cities and towns across the nation. This created a continental transportation system, allowing goods to be transported around the country in an efficient manner. By 1850s, most Americans had replaced horse-drawn carriages with trains as their primary mode of transportation.

In 1807, Robert Fulton revolutionized water travel with his steamboat 'Fulton's Clermont', and Americans developed steamboats that could travel along the deeper eastern rivers. The success of this new method of transportation was demonstrated when the boat made its initial voyage from New York City to Albany in less than 30 hours. This development had a huge impact on America and led to an increase in trade along the eastern seaboard. The Erie Canal, built between 1817-1825, was one of the longest canals ever built at 363 miles long and it provided a crucial connection between Albany and Buffalo.

The first American railroad companies emerged in the 1820s and 1830s, although it wasn't until the 1850s when they began to expand their network across the continent. This expansion of transportation infrastructure was made possible by the Erie Canal and other early canals that opened up western trade. It also enabled states like Ohio to launch its own Ohio Railroad, which connected Cleveland, Toledo, Cincinnati and Columbus. With this came stiff competition between railroads as they raced to serve more towns and cities. This competition was beneficial for consumers as prices were driven down but hurt American railroad companies’ profits. The growth of America's railroad network in the 1850s had a significant impact on America's economy at large. Not only did it open up new markets for farmers' goods from Midwestern states like Illinois, Indiana and Ohio but it also encouraged rapid growth in manufacturing industries such as steel production in Pittsburgh or locomotive building in Schenectady.

The early railroads in the 1820s and 1830s changed America in many ways. By replacing river travel as the primary means of long-distance transportation, railroads moved travelers quickly and reliably between towns and cities. The first rivers to experience this shift were those along the East Coast, where a small number of railroad tracks had already been laid before the Civil War. By 1890, an extensive system of more than thirty thousand miles connected almost every corner of the United States.

The early railroads of the 1820s-1830s transformed America by offering a fast and efficient mode of transportation that was much faster than previous transportation modes. Railroads replaced trafficked waterways, navigable rivers, and intracoastal ocean traffic with turnpikes, canals, railways, steamships, and trains. These new technologies allowed people to travel across the country in days rather than months. The development of these railroads also allowed for increased trade between East and West Coast cities along these waterways as well as access to distant markets through more efficient transportation systems.

This new mode of transportation changed the way Americans viewed their nation, giving them an optimistic view of the future. With the development of new steam locomotives, technological progress was made possible and railroads soon became the dominant mode of transportation. This surpassed canals which were previously used as a means for trade and travel in America. As a result, Americans were able to move goods and services more quickly than ever before and access markets that were previously inaccessible to them due to distance.

The Ohio Railroad was one of the first to make a mark, connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River in 1832. This enabled merchants to quickly transport goods from the Great Lakes region to New Orleans and beyond. The American Railroad Mania followed shortly afterward as entrepreneurs sought to capitalize on this new form of transportation. The Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, for example, was incorporated in 1833 and began work on a canal system that would connect Charleston, South Carolina with Cincinnati, Ohio via the Catawba River Valley. The longest steam railroad at that time was Philadelphia's main line which ran from Harrisburg all the way down to Philadelphia in 1834. This opened up even more opportunities for trade between cities and regions as people could now travel further than ever before.

Cited Sources

- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory1os2xmaster/chapter/on-the-move-the-transportation-revolution/ 2

- https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h67.html 3

- https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-beginnings-of-american-railroads-and-mapping/ 5

- https://www.american-rails.com/beginning.html 6

- https://www.ushistory.org/us/25b.asp 8

- https://pressbooks-dev.oer.hawaii.edu/ushistory/chapter/on-the-move-the-transportation-revolution/ 9

- https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/passagetounion.htm 10

Essay on Railways in India

Essay on Railways in India!

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Railway Finances in India

Essay # 1. Railways under the Plans:

On the eve of India’s First Five Year Plan, Indian railways were in a state of serious disrepair. This may be seen from the fact that 1640 locomotives, 5120 coaches, and 25,000 wagons were due for replacement. There were also large arrears of renewals of track while speed restrictions were in force over large parts.

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The main task of the First Plan, therefore, was “the rehabilitation of the railways which had been subjected to severe strain on account of the war and the Partition.” In order to fulfill this and other tasks, the railways spent about Rs. 423 crores during the plan of which rolling stock alone accounted for Rs. 242 crores.

While meeting the large requirements of repair and renewals with imported equipment, steps were also taken to make the railways self-sufficient in respect of even larger requirements during the subsequent plans. Towards this end, a locomotive factory at Chittaranjan and a coach-building factory at Madras were set up in the public sector.

Along with the programme of rehabilitation for which major portion of allotment was utilised, a number of works including doubling of track, yard modeling’s, new crossing stations, additional loops, improved sig­nalling devices and increased repair facilities were also undertaken to cater to increased traffic demands.

The main objectives of the Railway’s Second Plan, during which an expenditure of Rs. 1043.69 crores, was made, were:

(1) To continue the rehabilitation of track, bridges, and rolling stock;

(2) To create adequate capacity to suit the planned requirements of heavy industries like coal, steel, cement, and other com­modities.

The three steel plants set up and those whose capacity had been expanded, had to be regularly supplied with their raw material requirements, including coal, all by rail route. For this purpose, it was necessary to create large additional capacity in the eastern region.

Accordingly, all the loops on the trunk route were brought up to the standard length and heavier freight trains hauled by double-headed diesel or electric locomotives were introduced. In addition to about 1512 kms of doublings, about 1311 kms of new lines, mainly confined to the requirements of coal and steel, were also completed and opened during the plan.

Railway’s Third Plan was framed to meet an estimated freight traffic of 245 million tons and 15% increase in passenger traffic over the level of the Second Plan. Even though initially allotted 1325 crores which was later raised, actual expenditure during the plan came to Rs. 1685.8 crores.

The increase was largely due to rise in prices of materials of construction, government levies, increase in the cost of labour etc., and the additional construction undertaken in the Assam region to meet strategic needs.

Apart from opening 1801 kms of new lines and doubling of 3228 kms of the track, expansion of yards, introduction of modern signalling techniques, all of which went into creating additional capacity, the main task of the railways during the Third Plan was the modernisation of traction, including a switchover from steam to diesel and electric traction.

This was necessary in view of the rapid industrialisation of the country with higher production targets in basic industries.

From a modest beginning made in the Second Plan, when only 5.3% of traffic was carried on diesel and 3.6% on electric traction, modernisation made rapid strides so that by the end of 1965-66, 20.6% of the traffic was carried on diesel and 12.4% on electric traction.

And with a view to providing for even larger requirement of diesel and electric traction in the future, a diesel locomotive factory was set up at Varanasi, while Chittaranjan works were equipped for the manufacture of electric locomotives also.

Taking the three plans as a whole, railways made significant progress in several directions. The capital at large increased more than three times from Rs. 832.2 crores to Rs. 2680.3 crores; freight traffic rose by more than 2 times from 93 million tons to 204 million tons and passengers originating increased by 60% from Rs. 1307.8 million to 2104 million.

Gross traffic receipts went up from Rs. 263 crores to Rs. 733.6 crores —an increase of 179%.

Significantly, the route kilometers increased by a bare 6% from 54932 in 1950-51 to 58399 in 1965- 66 and this despite investment of over Rs. 3000 crores. Of course, it can be argued that most of the required railway network had already been laid by the time the British left and that, therefore, the problem was one of carrying more of passengers and goods over the same route net work rather than expanding the mileage.

There is certainly force in the argument but it may be pointed out that large areas of the country in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh were still without the necessary railway facilities. Also, the railways were still characterised by a variety of gauges which enormously added to the cost of railway transport.

Essay # 2. Effects of Railway Development:

The Railway Development had far-reaching effects on the life and economy of the Indian people. In the official view, “the benefits conferred by railways were at all time great” and that they were “an all powerful agent in the promotion of the material and social advancement of the people.”

Indian leaders, on the other hand, holding that railways had proved detrimental to India’s industrial activity, condemned them ‘as a many—sides evil’ which prevented “a healthy material advance along normal lines.” Let us consider the facts.

ADVERTISEMENTS: (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Essay # 3. Economic Benefits of Railways :

The value of railways was best appreciated in times of famines. The major cause of famines in the past was the absence of an easy and quick means of transporting food from the surplus to the scarcity areas. Railways changed the entire picture.

Being quick, food could now be transported from one part to another and relief operations conducted with greater efficiency. That is why the Famine Commission of 1880 found the highest famine-mortality in areas where transport facilities were most scanty. It, therefore, pleaded for the immediate construction of new lines including 3000 miles for ‘protective purposes.’

The railways greatly facilitated the commercialisation of agriculture. They broke the traditional self-sufficiency of the Indian village and brought it face to face with markets inside and outside the country. It remained no more necessary for the cultivator to meet his varied needs from his own land.

Instead, he began to specialise in particular crops and turned to the newly developed markets for the disposal of his produce and purchase of his requirements.

Railways brought about the expansion of the trade of Indian —internal as well as external. Rice and wheat, especially wheat, began to be exported in larger quantities while the exports of tea, coffee, Hides and skins, oil-seeds, raw-jute, and raw cotton grew rapidly. At the same time, railways helped foreign machine- made goods to penetrate into the interior of the country.

As a result, the total value of India’s foreign trade, which amounted to a bare Rs. 32 crores in 1851-52, rose to Rs. 180.43 crores in 1900-1 —an increase of more than 5.5 times. Railways gave a large impetus to internal trade as well. A network of markets grew up all over the country and minor food grains like millets and pulses began to emerge as important commodities in the internal trade of the country.

Railways also helped in the process of industrialisation of the country. The plantation industries, the coal industry, the cotton and jute mill Industries developed, Pari Passu, with the construction of railways. Coal industry actually began with railway development. The railways not only created a demand for Indian coal but also made coal available in the far flung parts of the country.

Similarly, railways helped in the rise of the cotton mill industry at Bombay by bringing quick and cheap supplies of raw-cotton from the interior. The Iron and steel industry received a great stimulus as railways began to purchase rails and other railway material in India.

The railways benefitted the government, both directly as well as indirectly. With the beginning of the 20th century, railways began to yield profits and were able to directly contribute to the revenues of the government.

Indirectly, the ex­pansion of railways and the consequent development of trade and industry lent buoyancy to government revenues. The gross revenues of India increased from Rs. 61.97 crores in 1877-78 to Rs. 114.51 crores in 1901-1902.

Railways were instrumental in the leveling of prices, especially of food grains, throughout India. Before the commencement of the railways, areas of acute scarcity and plenty co-existed side by side with the result that prices varied and fluctuated widely.

According to Prof. Brij Narain, in 1860, barley was sold in Panipat (Haryana) at 18 seers a rupee but, about 150 miles away, in Mamdot (Punjab) it sold at 101 seers a rupee.Railways abolished the distance barrier and transformed the country into one big market. It became possible now to move supplies quickly from one to another place thereby reducing wide price-disparities and violent fluctuations.

Another very significant effect of railway development was the creation of employment opportunities, especially for the agricultural labourers and the poorer classes of cultivators who were able to supplement their earnings in the off-season by working on railway construction. “Acute immobility of labour and serfdom wire now partially broken and a sense of dignity in employment was brought to railway workers.”

Apart from employment offered in construction, railways directly engaged lakhs of people as clerks, accountants, firemen, and subsequently, even in senior capacities. In 1965-66, 13,52,302 persons were employed by the railways in various capacities.

Political Effects :

Railway converted India from ‘a mere geographical expression’ to a ‘well-knit and consolidated political unit.’ Very long distances and the absence of transport facilities had been the major impediments in the growth of cultural and political cohesion in the country.

By removing these obstacles, railways led to the establishment of a modern central administration. Travel, being cheap, became frequent. This, in turn, promoted a sense of national unity.

The efficiency of the civil administration improved immensely for now it became possible for the government to watch development in different parts of the country and take prompt appropriate measures to deal with them.

Railways gave valuable assistance in transporting men and material in the First and Second World Wars. The Kashmir and Hyderabad operations, after Independence, once again emphasised the important role of railways in the scheme of national defence.

Social Effects :

Railways were, so to say, the evangelists of a new social order in India. They carried new light to the superstitious, custom-bound, conservative villages.

Frequent travelling and inter-mixing, which became unavoidable in railway travel, broke the caste barriers or at least created a greater tolerance of lower castes. In the words of Sanyal , “Social relationships between persons living widely apart multiplied, and parents had no hesitation in marrying their children at distant places.”

Adverse Effects :

However, railways were not an unmixed blessing. As Thorner explains, they were built for strategic and commercial reasons and had no organic relation­ship with the growth-needs of India. By enabling the cheap machine-made products of England to undersell in India, railways brought about the decline of the in­digenous handicraft industries ‘in an astonishingly short space of time’.

According to G.S.Iyer, “every additional mile of railway constructed in this country drove a fresh nail into the coffin of one industry or another.”

One can’t accept Dr. Ansteys assertion that “railways can’t, by themselves, be held responsible for the destruction of these industries — the indigenous in­dustries suffered the most during the first three quarters of the 19th century —that is before the railway network had opened up India.”

While it is true that the decline of cottage industries had started before the railway era began, but this process was slow, confined to certain industries only and had not spread to the interior of the country. Railways, by opening up the country- side to foreign manufac­turers, hastened the final eclipse of certain industries and directly killed the Iron smelting, Glass, and paper industries.

While the railways enabled the cheap machine-made goods of England to undersell and thus destroy the indigenous handicraft industries, they did not usher in the Industrial Revolution experienced by Japan, the United States of America and Western Europe. These countries could develop their Iron and steel and other basic industries because railway construction generated the demand for their products.

In India, however, railways failed to bring about the ‘Take-off’ despite the fact that their construction, involving enormous investment in a relatively short period of time, was in the nature of a ‘Big push.’ There are several reasons for it.

The first and fore-most was that complementary investments in coal, Iron and steel, machinery manufacture, which Marx thought would follow railway development, were extremely slow or were not allowed to proceed at all.

Railway development combined with the growth of the jute industry did promote a slow development of a coal mining industry. But that was about all. No effort was made to encourage the steel industry.

Even attempts made by Indians were outright discouraged. Nor was any progress made towards the manufacture of locomotives and other basic railway equipment except the partial fabrication of wagons and coaches for nearly a century after the establishment of the railway system. The authorities, instead, preferred to import all their requirements from England.

Only a fraction of expenditure was spent in India, and the firms, which benefitted, were almost always controlled by Europeans. In the words of Beumont, “Next to Australia, India was the largest customer we (England) had for locomotives. We supplied all the material and all the equipment and built the railways—.”

Therefore, the Multiplier Effects of railway investments in terms of income, employ­ment, technical knowledge, and growth of external economies were largely exported back to England. That is the reason why rail building in India failed to give birth to a flood of ‘satellite innovations’ and destroyed more occupational opportunities than it opened up.

Fearing that railways might after all encourage Indian industries, a complex system of rates and fares was introduced which stimulated goods traffic from sea-ports into the interior but hampered internal trade and industry.

Rates were lower on goods to and from the ports and high on goods traffic inside the country. Even as late as 1918, the Indian Industrial Commission quoted the case of hides: the port rate was 50% less than internal rates which discouraged Indian Tanning industry.

Thirdly, the trunk lines ran from the big sea-ports to regions rich in raw-materials which also became markets for Britain’s manufactured goods. Built to exploit the country’s natural resources, such railway construction “aided Europe in becoming the manufacturer of India rather than India in becoming the manufac­turer for her self. ”

The fourth was the multi-gauge railway system which impeded traffic between the provinces. The trunk lines were often of one standard gauge while branch lines were of another.

A commodity, moving from one part of the country to another, had to be transferred several times, and each transfer involved the payment of a high tariff. It was often cheaper, as a result, to import coal from Britain than to bring it from a neighbouring province.

The decline and decay of cottage industries rendered a large mass of people unemployed who shifted to agriculture, thereby leading to increased ruralisation of the country.

Famines, therefore, brought hunger and suffering to ever increasing numbers which necessitated larger expenditure on famine relief. Thus, railways, though helpful in preventing the occurrence of famines, were also responsible for increasing the volume and expense of the famine-relief work.

Railways encouraged the export of food-grains from the country. The old practice of storing grains as insurance against future calamities was given up. Also, by encouraging the cultivation and export of commercial crops, railways were responsible for diverting land from food to cash crops thereby causing shortage of food in the country.

A major point of criticism against Indian railways was that they were in­strumental in draining wealth out of India. They were built with foreign capital and administered by a host of foreign employees. This involved remittance of large funds in the form of interest, salaries, profits, payments for the important materials and railway stores.

Payments on account of interest were common to other countries also but extra charges were peculiar to India alone. According to Tiwari, total loss borne by the state, on account of the old guaranteed com­panies at 4% per annum compound interest amounted to Rs. 300 crores up to 1919-1920.

One dangerous political consequence of railway construction was the crea­tion of a powerful foreign aristocracy of shareholders whose interest conflicted with those of the Indian nation. In this sense, Railways added to the already powerful foreign vested interests which often operated to the disadvantage of India.

Railway construction led to the depletion of the meagre forest resources of the country. Trees were recklessly cut denuding large areas of all vegetation. This created the problem of soil erosion.

The railway tracks, at places, were built at a higher level which obstructed the free flow of water. This caused floods at certain places. The construction of railways aggravated malaria in certain districts, although there is a difference of opinion regarding its cause. Popular view is that pits dug for embankment purposes later got filled with rain water.

These small pools of stagnant water fostered the breeding of mosquitoes. Dr. Anstey, however, believes that collies, employed for railway construction, brought new strains of malaria to which the local popula­tion was less immune.

Railways, by encouraging the import of cheap luxury articles, greatly changed the spending habits of the Indian peasants. Their expenditure increased beyond their earning capacity with the result that savings disappeared and many got involved in debt.

By opening up new employment opportunities at far off places and by facilitat­ing mobility of labour, railways dealt a severe blow to the joint family system which had held together the Hindu Society for a long time. People were no longer inclined to stay together and railways enabled them to move out easily and quickly, to wherever employment was available.

According to Gadgil, “one of the most important factors determining the growth of towns in India was railway construction,” While they created new centres of trade as well as enhanced the importance of the old once, railways at certain places bypassed the old towns whose importance declined.

The advent of the railways dealt a severe below to inland navigation also. Even the Industrial Commission was forced to admit that “the vested interests of the railways — prevented water-ways in India from receiving the attention that has been given to them in other countries with such satisfactory results.” The importance of the once famous river port of Broach declined as a result of railway development.

Perhaps, some of the adverse consequence were the ‘inevitable price’ of railway development. They could not have been avoided although their injurious effects could have been minimised by a suitable policy. And it is here that the foreign government totally failed the country.

Essay # 4. Railway Rates in India :

The rates and fares which the railways charge have a vital bearings on the overall economic development of the country as well as their own financial position. Un-reasonably high rates discourage traffic and divert it to other modes of transport, raise costs of production, check development, and distort the location as well as the pattern of industries.

It is, therefore, necessary that the rates and fares are carefully designed so as to ensure a sound financial position for the railways and rapid economic development of the country. The structure of railway rates in India before 1948 did not satisfy this criterion and, therefore, was subjected to severe criticism.

The most striking feature of the railway rates was their ‘individualistic’ char­acter. Each railway operated as an independent commercial unit guided solely by its own individual interests. Accordingly, each railway company fixed its charges according to its own convenience without any consideration for the economic interests of the country as a whole.

Even those lines, which were directly managed by the Railway Board, were treated, in matters of rate-making, as separate systems. For example, the G.I.P. railway rate on cotton from Pachora to Bombay, a distance of 232 miles, was about 0.95 rupee per maund whereas the B.B.C.I. railway rate from Itola to Bombay, 234 miles, was only about 0.44 rupee per maund.

Such a policy might have had some justification when the Indian railways were owned and managed by companies, and the government could not exercise adequate control over their rates policy. Its continuance, however, after the railways had come under the control and management of the State, was hardly defensible.

This policy affected internal trade in particular because while the ports were linked with the inland trade centres by direct lines of usually the same company, the long distance internal traffic as a rule had to pass over more than one railway and was, therefore, made a victim of the ‘complicated and irrational’ rate structure of different railway companies.

This discouraged the setting up of industries away from the sources of raw materials even if other factors favoured it.

What is more, the rating system was very complicated and irrational. Statistical data was often not available and, therefore, no railway ever made an attempt to scientifically group the commodities into different classes and simplify the rate structure.

Every railway had its own schedule with the result that the same com­modity found itself placed in a different schedule on different railway systems. Grains and pulses were, for example, placed in different schedules and had to pay different rates in different parts of the country.

Another complaint was that the rates fixed were very high. The companies never cared to create or attract traffic as was done in America; instead, they tried to earn maximum return “with the minimum of carriage and effort, conveying a small volume of high class traffic at high rates.” Several committees highlighted this fact.

As early as 1856-57, Col Pears strongly refuting the arguments of the railway companies who were trying to raise their charges, held that the main reason for the disappointing traffic on the railways was that the charges were not sufficiently attractive. In 1872, Mr. Randal attributed the failure of traffic to rise up to expectations to the heavy fares.

To many, the rates charged by the Indian railways did not seem high. The Government, in fact, claimed that they were the lowest in the world. Even Mr. Robertson, reporting in 1903, found that, “in money terms, rates in India were lower than in England.”

However, considering the actual circumstances of the two countries, the low value of the commodities, long distance over which they were conveyed and the general poverty prevailing in the country, even he felt compelled to recommend a 30-60% reduction in goods-rates and 18-40% in passenger fares. It need not be emphasised that high rates imposed an undue strain on costs of production.

The Government, under pressure from England, did periodically demand a reduction in rates and freights. In the 40’s and 50’s of the last century, England was crying aloud for the cotton of India. In the 70’s and 80’s, the demand was made for the cheap supply of India wheat for the markets of Europe.

The American railway rates were much cheaper and, consequently, those interested in the export of Indian wheat raised a demand for special wheat rates. The railways obliged by lowering their freight charges in respect of agricultural commodities such as rice, wheat, oil-seeds, raw cotton and jute.

The British manufacturer, who needed cheap supplies of raw materials, benefitted but at the expense of a lop sided development of the Indian economy. As Anstey explains, India became “an exporter of food stuffs, raw materials and plantation products, when she depended upon imports for a large part of her clothing and for an immense range of misce­llaneous manufactures.”

The most serious objection was that the rates were ‘inequitable’ unfair and unjust.’ As the Fiscal Commission (1921 — 1922) pointed out, they were framed to encourage traffic to and from the ports at the expense of internal traffic. This, in effect, meant an encouragement to the export of raw-materials from India and the import of foreign manufactured goods.

Indian industries suffered the double handicap of having to pay more for the transport of raw-materials obtained from various parts of India and also for the distribution of their finished goods in various inland markets. Foreign manufacturers, using Indian raw-materials and selling in Indian markets, enjoyed an advantage in so far as they had to pay less for transportation charges.

It, in effect, “amounted to Indian manufacturers subsidizing their foreign competitors.” To take an example from the cotton trade, the rate charged from Multan to Karachi, a distance of 576 miles, was Rs. 1.05 per maund while from Multan to Delhi, a distance of 454 miles, a higher rate of Rs. 1.19 per maund was charged.

In sugar, special rates were quoted for imported sugar from ports, irrespective of weight and at railway risk. Distance for distance, these rates were, in many cases, lower than the rates even for wagon loads of indigenous sugar carried at owners’ risk.

Mr. Ghosh rightly says that by charging lower rates on imported sugar, railways not merely reduced their own earnings but also added to the profits of the foreign manufacturers.

Similarly, for Delhi, lower rates were quoted on imported matches from Bombay and higher rates from Ahmedabad even though Ahmedabad is about 300 miles nearer. In the case of leather, “the grant of port rates nearly 50% less than the internal rates —discouraged Indian Tanning industry.”

Despite the recommendation of the Industrial Commission that “internal traffic should be rated as nearly as possible on an equality with traffic of the same class and over similar distances to and from ports,” the railways continued to persist with their policy of discriminatory rates.

A consequence of these preferential rates was to encourage the establishment of industries in the port towns of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. This led to the present day con­gestion and over-crowding in these cities and their problems of housing, labour, and sanitation.

Yet another objectionable feature of the rates policy was the use of the ‘Block- rates’. The object of Block rates was to retain traffic on the line on which it originated and block it from passing, after a short lead, on to a rival route.

For this purpose, higher mileage charges for short lengths were imposed on traffic moving from the one railway system to another. In some case, this method was ruthlessly used in killing competition of other means of communications, e.g.. the B.B.C.I. used these rates to kill the shipping industry at Broach.

Even when using ‘Scale’ or ‘Tapering Rates’ which involved a progressive reduction of fares with the length of the distance travelled, each railway company treated the length on its own system as the sole basis for its charges, irrespective of the total distance which the consignment covered.

The result was that a con­signment, which divided a journey of 300 miles between three railways, only obtains the milage rate applicable to a journey of 100 miles. Terminal charges were also sometimes used to extract as much as possible from the traffic which, it was feared, might travel a greater distance over a rival line.

In addition, there were the transshipment and Ghat charges, adjusted class rates, short distance charges which every railway company levied. The multiplicity of these charges and variations in their rates on different systems made the railway rate structure so very com­plicated that even experienced members of the railway staff found it difficult to calculate them.

Whatever their justification, these rates often affected traffic undesirably, increased inequalities and, on the whole, tended to operate to the disadvantage of internal traffic and Indian industries.

As T.R. Sharma explains, these rates meant discrimination even between different regions of the interior and led to concentration of industries in a comparatively small number of towns and cities, e.g. Kanpur and Nagpur, which happened to be important inland transport centres.

Unfortunately, there was no active and alert authority to regulate and control the rates policy in the public interest. The Railway Board was reluctant to modify the rate structure built upon the basis of separate organisations.

Notwithstanding the public demand and the recommendation of the Acworth Committee for the appointment of a Railway Rates Tribunal, the government only set up the Railway Rates Advisory Committee in April 1926.

The Committee did some useful work but failed to go far enough. It was, what Mr. R.D. Tiwari likes to call, a compromise, halfway measure and, as such, its powers and functions were seriously limited. The members lacked judicial powers while the fear that the government might not accept their recommendations failed to create confidence in commercial circles.

Some of these defects in the railway rates structure were removed when a new system of telescopic class rates on a continuous mileage basis was introduced in 1948. Further changes were introduced in 1952 when the practice of charging rates on the basis of inflated mileage was given up; the concessional rates on the transport of sugar to the South and special rates for Iron and Steel were withdrawn.

The telescopic class rates were further modified in 1955 when class rates for the first 300 miles were increased; for 301-600 miles were left undisturbed, while those beyond 600 miles were reduced. The Railway Freight Structure Enquiry Committee of 1957, which investigated the question again, found that the 1948 rating scheme was no more useful.

With a view to enabling the railways to maintain their financial stability and also carry the additional traffic generated during the Second Plan, the committee recommended a regular and progressive increase in rates.

In the committee’s opinion, the most satisfactory method of achieving this increase was to have a standard rate called class 100 rate, and to express all other rates as a percentage of this rate so as to form an integrated scale covering the rates both by class of goods and by wagon loads.

In addition, the committee recommended the abolition of the terminal charges, the transshipment and Ghat charges, and of additional short-distance charge.

The proposed structure had one main defect in that it favoured long distance goods traffic while penalizing the short distance one. Therefore, while introducing a new freight structure towards the end of 1958, government modified the recom­mendations of the committee and introduced two norms, instead of one recom­mended by the Freight Committee, for the percentage system of increase.

Passenger fares were also changed and revised. In 1948, passenger fares were standardised on a uniform mileage basis. After seven years, the authorities, however, realised that the changes adversely affected long distance passengers. Consequently, passenger fares were also fixed on the basis of telescopic fare structure.

With this, many of the anomalies, which characterised the rate structure before Independence, were removed. Export and import traffic was treated at par with internal traffic; classification of goods and freight rates was simplified; coordination between the railway and roads was secured; and con­centration of industries near the sources of raw materials was prevented.

The greatest achievement, however, was that the railway rates were now so designed as to help in the industrialisation of the country and serve the overall needs of the economy.

Essay # 5. Railway Finances in India:

Before April 1925, railway finances were a part of the general finances of the government. Any surplus earned by the railways was transferred to the govern­ment, and deficit, if any, was met out of the government’s general revenues. This mixing of the finances made the railways entirely dependent on the government for all their financial requirements.

Availability of funds depended upon the ex­igencies of the time. Schemes of urgent repairs and improvements and even ‘works in the process of execution’ had to wait because the government, having more pressing things on hand, could not spare the necessary funds. Even otherwise, the financial methods of the government were not suited to the requirements of a commercial undertaking like the railways.

The control of the Finance Member, who is always constrained to economise, could not make for any bold policy. The system of ‘allotments’ which could be suddenly increased or suspended, together with the system of ‘lapse’ at the end of the financial year, often led to extravagance, and never secured steady and economical working.

The way in which each railway administration submitted its ‘programme’ of both capital and special revenue expenditure, the various stages through which the estimates had to pass, and the manner in which the final grant was received, not only sapped all initiative to careful estimate in the construction of projects, but also caused a great deal of delay.

No provision existed for depreciation or a replacement reserve. The result was a terrible underfeeding of the railways. There were numerous complaints of drawbacks and lack of capacity the inevitable result of a ‘paralyzing’ system which was not adapted and developed to meet the requirements of commercial service.

The AcWorth Committee found that the government could neither attain the standard of expenditure of Rs. 18.75 crores recommended by the Mackay Com­mittee nor could adhere, over a period of time, to any uniform rate. Between 1908-1909 to 1919-1920, a maximum of Rs. 18 crores was reached only once against the annual average of Rs. 11.2 crores.

The climax was reached during the First World War when all expenditure, including that for maintenance and repairs, was deliberately kept down. But, instead of carrying the money so underspent to a reserve for future renewals, it was treated as part of the increased revenues to the government.

Thus, while the net profits to the State from railways increased from 4.5% in 1914 to a little over 7% in 1918-19, the maintenance of railway property was sadly neglected. “The financial system which produced such results stood self condemned.”

A point worthy of note is that this arrangement conferred no benefit on the government either. She could not be sure about railway profitability or loss in a particular year and, even in years of profits, she could never correctly anticipate the surplus with any measure of confidence. This imparted uncertainty to govern­ment finances which made proper budgeting difficult.

This problem of railway finance had been noticed at a fairly early stage. Major Conway-Gordon had proposed, as a remedy, the separation of the railway finances from the general revenues of the country to the Parliamentary Select Committee of 1884. In 1900, Lord Curzon wrote a Minute on this question generally favouring the separation.

In 1906, the commerce member of the Viceroy’s Council raised the question again but the Mackay Committee gave their opinion against it.

It was the AcWorth Committee which examined this question in detail and having been impressed by the ‘remarkable results’ of the separation in such countries as France, Italy, Belgium, and Japan , firmly and finally concluded that Indian railways could not be “modernized, improved and enlarged so as to give India the service of which it was in crying need at that time nor could the railways yield to the Indian Public the financial return which they were entitled to — until the whole financial methods were radically reformed.”

The Committee, therefore, recommended two major reforms:

(a) “The complete separation of the railway budget from the general budget of the country” and

(b) “The eman­cipation of the railway management for the control of the Finance Department.”

The terms on which railway budget was separated from the general budget rested upon a convention agreed to by the Central Assembly in September, 1924.

The provisions of the Railway Finance Separation Convention were:

1. That railway finances would be separated from the general finances;

2. In addition to the interest on the capital-at-charge, the railways would contribute one per cent on the capital on commercial lines (excluding capital contributed by companies and Indian States) at the end of the financial year plus 1/5 of surplus profits.

3. That the interest on capital-at-charge of strategic lines and loss in their working would be borne by the Government;

4. That, if after payment of this contribution, the amount available for transfer to Railway Reserve Fund exceeded Rs. 3 crores, 1/3 of the excess over Rs. 3 crores would be paid to the government revenues;

5. That this Reserve Fund would be used to secure the payment of the annual contribution, to provide for areas of depreciation and generally to strengthen the financial position of the railway;

6. That, a standing Finance Committee consisting of members of the Assembly, would be constituted to consider the estimates of railway expenditure;

7. That the Railway Budget would be presented to the Assembly in advance of the General Budget, and that the Member-in-charge of railways and not finance, would present the same.

The convention also provided for the setting up of a Depreciation Fund based on the cost and estimated life of the assets. This Fund was to finance the replacement of worn-out rolling stock and lines.

The separation of the Railway Budget was “the most important reform in­troduced during the present century in connection with the administration of Indian Railways.” It made railways independent of the vagaries of the annual general budget. It now became possible for the railways to build adequate reserves for the further and also plan and undertake schemes of development without any let or hindrance.

However, as Tiwari explains, the value of this salutory change was impaired by the rigid provision for contribution of 1% to the general finance even for years when railways experienced loss. It prevented the railways from giving any relief to the public by way of lower rates and fares or better facilities.

The six years following the adoption of the convention in 1924, were very satisfactory from the point of view of railway finances. They accumulated Rs. 41.5 crores in their Depreciation fund and also contributed Rs. 42 crores to the general revenues. The picture, however, changed with the onset of the depression and the decline in trade, both internal and external.

The situation was further aggravated by disturbed political conditions, increasing competition from road and river transport and falling wheat exports. As a consequence, surpluses turned into deficits and railways not only did not make any contribution to general revenues, but, apart from withdrawing Rs. 31.34 crores from the depreciation fund, practically finished their Reserve Fund also.

Conditions started improving after 1936-37 though real prosperity came only during the Second world war. The unprecedented increase in traffic, goods as well as passenger, led to an enormous rise in railway earnings so that the railway were able to replenish their Reserve Fund and also repay all arrears of contributions to the general revenues.

The war also imposed a heavy strain on the government’s finances which, apart from being stretched to the maximum, were too meagre to meet the demand made upon them. It was accordingly decided to revise the 1924 convention. By a resolution passed by the Central Assembly in March 1943, the convention of 1924 became inoperative from 1 April, 1943.

The most important provisions of the new convention were:

(a) That, after repaying any outstanding loan from the Depreciation Fund, any surplus on commercial lines was to be shared with the government in the ratio of three to one, i.e., 75% to the government and 25% to the railways;

(b) That further surplus on commercial lines were to be shared between the railways and the general revenues according to the needs of each. Following the adoption of this convention, railway earnings were shared according to adhoc agreements reached between the government and the railways.

The attainment of independence changed the entire picture and priorities in the country.

Accordingly, the Railway convention was revised in December, 1949, by a Resolution of the Constituent Assembly which provided:

1. That general and railway finances would continue to be separated;

2. That, from 1950-51, general revenues would receive, for five years, a fixed 4% on the capital invested in railways provided that no dividend was payable on the capital invested out of general revenues in unremunerative strategic lines;

3. That this arrangement would be reviewed, at the expiry of 5 years, by a committee of Parliament which would also suggest any adjustment in the rate of dividend;

4. That a Railway Development Fund would be constituted for financing expenditure on employees’ welfare, necessary but non- paying projects, and provisions of amenities to passengers ;

5. That, for the next five years, a fixed sum of Rs. 15 crores a years would be transferred to the Depreciation Fund;

6. That a standing Finance Committee and a Central Advisory Council for railways would be constituted so as to associate the public with railway administration.

With the adoption of the new formula, the old complicated arrangement was discarded. Rules for allocation of funds to the capital and revenue account were simplified, thereby raising the standards of efficiency and amenities. Likewise, allocation to the Depreciation Fund enabled the railways to quickly replace worn- out equipment. The exemption of payment of dividend on strategic lines was another welcome relief to the railways.

The quantum of contribution by railways to the general revenues was again reviewed by Parliamentary convention committees in 1954, 1960 and 1965 when the rate of dividend payable was suitable revised.

According to the recommen­dations of the Railway Convention Committee, 1965 and approved by the Parlia­ment, the rate of dividend on capital invested up to 31 March, 1964 was increased to 5.5% and on capital invested after that date to 6%. The new rates came into force from April, 1966.

It may, however, he noted that the separation of railway finance from general finance is a hangover from Pre-Independence days when the motives of the separa­tion were not strictly economic but political. It had no relevance in the Post-Independence period when the railways, though still worked as a commercial enterprise, were, in-fact, run as a government department.

The railways themselves did not generate sufficient savings to meet what the Planning Commission called “the minimum obligation of the railways as a public utility concern.” Rather, the bulk of the expenditure was met from out of the general revenues.

This may be seen from the fact that the railways provided, from their own resources, only Rs. 1286 crores —a bare 40.7% out of the total outlay of Rs. 3153 crores incurred on the railways during the first three plans.

While railways thus became de­pendent, their revenue and expenditure were often adjusted to meet the needs of the government. It happened, for example, in 1951 when railway fares were increased to provide ‘assistance’ to the general budget.

This made a farce of the so-called Railway convention. A separate budget for railways, therefore, was no more justified than for the river-valley projects or the public sector steel undertakings.

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No. 1 UPSC IAS Platform for preparation

How did the railways contribute to the growth of Indian Nationalism? (250 W)

Mentors Comment:

In order to answer this question, mix the negatives of Railways under British government and subsequent Indian National Movement. We all know that while British claimed that they introduced railways for the benefits of Indian people, in contrary it only helped the prolongation of British rule and misery for people of subcontinent. Therefore, take cue from this theme and base your answer.

There can be many points to discuss like railways making it easy for leaders to meet and discuss, getting newspapers cheap and distributed to far off areas, showing Indian the reality of racial profiling by British, angering the peasants, artisans and industrialists by hampering their economy, becoming easy targets for revolutionaries etc. These all issues were raised by nationalist leaders and it helped in the arousal of nationalism among people.

Model Answer:

The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853. The political condition and the economic trend of the 19th century India induced the British to construct railways all over India. Railways, it was believed, would assist the economic development of India and provide both a market for British goods and a source of raw materials. It would also be helpful in the administration and protection of India by facilitating the movement of troops within the subcontinent. Under the guise of nation-building, the railways were primarily tools of economic exploitation and moral policing. But unknowing to British at that time, railways in India started contributing in the growth of Indian nationalism.

Connected Indians:

• The railways was blessing in disguise because it connected people from hitherto unknown lands and they mixed with one another. Regional feelings began to disappear.
• It took only a journey by train to remind Indians of the hostile treatment meted out to train-travelling Indians by the colonial administration and European passengers, as though they were second- or third-class citizens in their own country.
• At the same time, with this connectivity, people gradually realised that all along Indian sub continent, British rule was responsible for the plundering of land and no area was exception to their loot.

Connected national leaders:

• With railways, all educated nationalists, living in different parts of the sub-continent, came in contact with one another. They exchanged their ideas and discussed their problems which they were facing under the foreign rule.
• The Indian National Congress used the railways as the umbrella to connect members from the “Indian intelligentsia and ascendant professional classes across the subcontinent.

Helped Vernacular Press:

• Press played an important role in mobilising public opinion and growth of national consciousness.
• The vernacular press got impetus because with railways, now they could penetrate the interiors of sub continent and their ideas and critique of British rule could be read by common people as well.
• Also, because transportation with railways became easy, the newspapers became cheaper and in the reach of common people.

Provided easy targets for revolutionaries:

• For anti-British sabotage the trains became the most symbolic as well as practical recourse.
• The railways being both the substance of state power and the instrument of that power, attempts to isolate them from sites of insurgency was the chief terrorist strategy.

Mobilisation point for the movement:

• The railway stations had transformed into sites of mass-nationalism.
• In the 1920s and 1930s, the railway station was integral to familiarizing Indians with the ethics and politics of swaraj and satyagraha.
• The railways were used for truly secular purposes by Gandhi. He had no qualms about seeking donations, aboard them, or on platforms for the satyagraha movement.

Economic Critique of British Government policies:

• Railways ruined India’s traditional handicrafts industry which increased Anti-British feelings among artisans
• Tariff policies of railways hampered Indian industries because they had conscious policy of charging higher rates for products of Indian industries and artisans.
• The British government decided that guaranteed profits to the investors should be paid by an extra tax on the local peasantry. This angered the already poor peasantry.
• The peasant called the railway as the devil’s engine and saw in it an instrument for riveting more firmly the bond of a hated alien rule.
• The railways actually caused a huge drain on India’s finances and its resources and as the beneficiaries were British investors, nationalists like Dada Bhai Naoroji used the question of Railway to show drain of wealth theory.
• In the long run, the railways under British rule did not alter the basic structure of the Indian economy. It was not until independence, when economic development became a conscious policy, that the railways began to realise their potential for assisting in the transformation of indian economy.

The invention that did most to keep the Indians in check proved to be double-edged, stimulating the nationalistic forces which eventually triumphed. If the British had nurtured the skills of their Indian workers and used the economic clout of the railways to stimulate the Indian economy, and if the companies had treated their third-class as customers rather than as chattels, much of the anger towards the colonial power might have been allayed. That is not to say independence would not have happened, as clearly decolonization was an irresistible historic force, but the horrors of Britain’s rapid departure might have been avoided.

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Railways will soon reach almost every corner of India

But the country’s rail system remains a long way behind china’s.

By Tom Easton: Mumbai bureau chief, The Economist

I N 1853 A British-built steam engine with 14 small carriages left a temporary station near the tip of the Bombay peninsula on India’s west coast and proceeded north to the intersection with the mainland at Thane, a journey of 34km (21 miles) that could take several days by oxcart. Within just a few years, the new railway would provide the cotton to feed the growth of a dynamic textile industry. But despite benefits that would soon seem obvious, the challenges of erecting the initial line were so severe that it is a wonder it was ever built. As many as 10,000 inexperienced workers struggled with novel techniques in the midst of brutal heat and monsoon floods to create a stable foundation in swamps full of poisonous snakes.

It was the start of what would, over the following decades, become a national rail system. During 2022 that system will be connected to some of India’s most remote areas, almost completing the connection of every state. The final touches will be put to stations at Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, both cities tucked away in north-east India between Bangladesh and Myanmar. In December 2022 the world’s highest railway bridge, rising 360 metres above the Chenab river, will open, enabling rail transit into the Kashmir valley for the first time.

Over the past decade China has laid track equivalent to 90% of India’s system

That will allow trains to run from Kanyakumari Station, located within walking distance of the beach at India’s southern tip, to the country’s extreme north. Once the current spate of projects is completed, only two of India’s 28 states will remain unconnected to the train network: tiny Sikkim, in part because of its particularly difficult terrain, and tiny Meghalaya, in part because of lingering political resistance.

The Indian rail system’s growth has never been smooth. Momentum accelerated in the first half of the 20th century, with the length of track quadrupling to some 59,000km. After independence, the pace slowed and the total is now just shy of 100,000km. Connectivity was hindered by states’ autonomy, which resulted in tracks of incompatible gauges, whose only shared characteristic was obsolete steam power. Once a standard gauge was adopted, usage exploded. The number of tickets sold annually rose from 1.3bn in 1950 to 8.4bn in 2018 and freight tonnage hauled from 73m to 1.2bn.

Reworking of the system’s core components continues. Dedicated freight corridors, begun in 2006, linking Mumbai to Delhi and Kolkata to Punjab, will open in 2022 or 2023, alleviating crippling congestion.

Other improvements are proceeding slowly. (Over the past decade China has laid track equivalent to 90% of India’s system, much of it high-speed lines.) Several factors explain India’s slowness. Acquiring land is hard. The country’s topography—with wide rivers, high mountains and harsh weather—is unkind to surface transport. Some 200 rail tunnels are currently being bored, and the Chenab bridge is designed to withstand winds of 266kph. All this increases costs, in a poor country with urgent competing needs.

Philosophical opposition looms as well. In his book “Hind Swaraj” (“India Home Rule”), Mahatma Gandhi saw the railways as perpetuating the British Raj and providing services that corroded the atavistic, autarkic village culture he championed. Railways enabled the spread of plague and deepened famines by facilitating the export of grains, he claimed. “Good travels at a snail’s pace,” Gandhi famously wrote. “It can, therefore, have little to do with the railways.”

Some Gandhian sentiment remains. It may explain the lack of a connection with Meghalaya. But other ideas are gaining force. The original Nehruvian idea of India as an independent nation now requires strengthening the logistical sinews of the state, says Devesh Kapur of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. That means an emphasis on connectivity through roads, broadband, water pipelines and especially railways.

Wide support now exists for this approach. Attacks on railways, not uncommon in the past, have ceased. Gandhi’s reasoning still carries some weight, but the slow process of construction has given Indians time to move beyond his conclusions and embrace the advantages of rail. Despite the costs, many realise that a diverse nation, with many constituencies that are often at odds, is healthier when better connected.

Tom Easton: Mumbai bureau chief, The Economist ■

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition of The World Ahead 2022 under the headline “Slow train coming”

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Essay on “Indian Railways” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Indian Railways

Synopsis: The history of Indian Railways goes back to 1853.  Since then it has grown into a vast network.  It is the single largest employer in the world.  But there are many challenges before it including tough competition from private sector in transportation by roads.  It has undertaken the ‘Project Unigauge’ on a large scale.  By 2004 all of its existing metre and narrow gauge will be turned into broad gauge.  Similarly, route-electrification has been undertaken.  It has introduced many new, innovative and progressive schemes and yet it has to cover a long distance in the matters of safely, punctuality, sanitation, consumer satisfaction, reservations, behavior of staff etc.  Corruption is rampant in the railways and it needs to be checked immediately.  It needs mass restricting in many areas.

          The history of Indian Railways goes back to the year 1853 when the first train steamed off from Bombay to Thane, a distance of 34 km.  Since then Indian Railways has grown into a vast network of 7,043 stations spread over a route length of 62,600km, with a fleet of 7,806 locomotives, 39,929 coaches, 3,444 electric multiple units and 3,46,394 wagons in 1993.  The growth of Indian Railways during these years can be said to be really phenomenal.  The network runs multi-gauge operations including Broad Gauge, Metre Gauge and Narrow Gauge. The railways in India provide the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers.  It brings people together from the farthest, sightseeing, pilgrimage and education. India railways have been a great integrating force during the last 100 years.  It has integrated the economic life of the country and helped in accelerating the development of industry and agriculture.

          Indian Railways is the single largest employer in the world with about 2 lakh employees. It handles 70-75% of the bulk movement and contributes about 2.6% of the G.D.P, and its sales revenue is equivalent of 8% of G.D.P.  Its engine efficiency is 92% and it boasts the highest asset utilization rate in the world.  But on the minus side 40% of its wagons movement is empty.  It offers over 104 types of concessions to its travelers—so much so that almost half the passengers on a train are discount passengers.  During 1995-96 the Indian railways incurred loss of Rs.12.16 billion in passenger service and transportation of essential goods.  It is divided into 9 zones and further sub-divided into 59 divisions.  Divisions are the basic operating units.

          The main objective of railway planning has been to develop the transport infrastructure to carry the projected quantum of traffic and meet the development needs of the economy.  So far Indian railways have implemented Eight Five Year Plans, apart from Annual Plans in some years. During the plan-periods, the emphasis has been on a comprehensive programme of system modernization. During the decade 1991-2000, about 60% increase in total traffic is anticipated.  With most of the hard-core routes nearly saturated, it is going to be the most challenging to maintain viability in the face of rising costs and competition from the private section in transportation by roads.  To meet these challenges, it would be necessary to improve staff productivity, efficiency, reliability, safety etc. with adoption of appropriate technologies like more power and energy-efficient locomotives and also to make substantial investment for network development wherever the existing line capacity is under strain.

          The ‘Project Unigauge’ was launched in 1992-93 and under it the Indian Railways is determined to transform the existing metre and narrow gauge into broad gauge by 2004.  About 12,000 km. of lines has been identified for conversion by 1997, the end of the 8 th Five Year Plan.  The gauge conversion during 1950-92 has been 3,100 km.  Between electrification was done.  With this, out of 62,600 route km, 12,875 route km. has been electrified.  The target for 1996-97 is 634 km, with which the Eighth-Plan target of 2,700 km. will be achieved.

          The Indian Railways has done many significant things in regard to the services offered which include introduction of second class sleeper coaches, A.C sleeper and Chair Cars, dieselization and electrification, introduction of direct trains connecting several additional pairs of cities, superfast trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Expresses. But still there are many areas where the customer satisfaction is not there.  For example, as regards safety, punctuality, sanitation, amenities on trains is still much to be done and improved.  Corruption is rampant in railways and the number of accidents is on the increase. The cases of bomb-explosions, robberies, thefts etc. are also increasing.

          The Indian Railways needs a massive restricting and re-orientation to customize to the needs of the customers.  The falling share of the railways traffic is another point of concern.  In 1950s, it carried over 80% of both passenger and freight traffic.  Today, its share of originating passenger traffic is just 20% and that of freight 35%.  The plain support for the railways has also fallen from 80% to about 15% of the total capital expenses during the last 5 years. Yet the monolith Railways carries over 70-75% of the bulk traffic and 80% of the long distance passenger traffic.

          The A.F. Ferqusson report has made many suggestions and recommendations to affect mass restructuring. In regard to passenger traffic,  cargo movement and organizational matters.  Some of these recommendations are- reduction in transit time, strengthening customer interface facilities, introduction of schemes like overnight/frequent traveler scheme’ inter-modal transport facilities, capacity addition, rotation of menus, improvement of hygiene, offering communication facilities on the trains etc.

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Essay on the Indian Railways

Indian Railways is the biggest Government institution of India which gives more than 17 Lakh people employment. Indian Railways is the biggest railway system of Asia and the second biggest railway system of the world. In India the first train was run between Mumbai and Thane.

Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General of India at that time the train was running by coal Railway Engine.

The Britishers started the railway system to exploit the resources of India and carry the raw material from different ports of India to the ports for export the material to England and when the manufactured goods came to the ports from England then disbursed these goods all over the country within a very short time.

During the freedom struggle the freedom fighters apposed the extension of railway network in the country because the railway system used by the Britishers for fulfilling and their interests were in the exploitation of India their own interests.

After independence there is a new chapter started in the development of Railway Government of India established its separate Ministry of Railways. The total responsibility of Railways is on the Ministry of Railways.

Image Source: indiatransportportal.com

The State Government have no authority to interfere in Railway Network. From the time of independence the developing process of Railways is very rapidly moving now the old coal engines are almost finished and Diesel and electric engines are using and the Government is determinate to replace all diesel engines with electric engines.

The Electric Engines cause no pollution and its performance is better than Diesel Engine. Now there are eleven zones in Railways. Now total length of Indian Railways is about 65,000 kilometers long railway track in which almost 15,000 kilometers are electric lines.

About 12,000 trains go one place to another everyday. Railway is like a life line to the people of India. The importance of Railway is known by the fact that every year just before the common budget of Government of India a separate Railway budget is present in the parliament by the Railway Minister.

Railway is regularly working for giving the good facilities of their Passengers. Government of India established a separate Paramilitary Force R.P.F. (Railway Protection Force). The main working of R.P.F. is to protect the property and passengers of the Railway.

The jawans of R.P.F. are always travelled with express trains and mails. Railway has its different telephone department which is totally different from Department of Telecom, Government of India.

Railway has their separate audit departments which audit all accounts of Indian Railways. These audits department of Railways is totally different from CAG (Controller and Auditor General of India).

Railway provides Residence and Medical Aid to their employees. We easily see a residential coloney and a dispensary near every Railway Station. There are almost 7,500 small and big Railway Stations in India. Railway is also help the Indian people in their trade almost 30-40% goods are carried by Railway in different parts of country.

Railway is also play important role during any national calamity and any accidents. Railways provides the food, medicines, doctors and other help in very short time and very rapidly take the affected people towards the secure places at the time of any natural calamity.

We saw that in floods, earthquakes, ocean storm the Railway provide full support to the people as much help as possible. The Railway have the facility for all segments of society.

For the people of economic weaker segment there is a general class, above it there is a second class in which people got the sleeping facility by reservation. Above them there is first class. It is very costly because the seat of first class is very big and comfortable and you can close your chamber and free from any disturbance in the compartment.

The top most facility provide by Indian Railways in Air Condition Compartments. In this compartment the Railway provide sleeping facility with full bed to the passengers.

The Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express who are running on very big routes, which passengers travel in those trains the Railway provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to the passengers. From the last five years Indian Railways run a separate luxury train, “Palace on Wheels” in Rajasthan with the support of Ministry of Tourism Government of Rajasthan.

This train have the facility equal to five star hotel by this train we can enjoy all places of historical and tourism importance of Rajasthan. So the facility is available for the people of every class. Railway is the essential part of the life of every Indian.

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The Transcontinental Railroad

Written by: john steele gordon, independent historian, by the end of this section, you will:.

• Explain the causes and effects of the settlement of the West from 1877 to 1898

Suggested Sequencing

Use this Narrative alongside The Brooklyn Bridge Narrative to highlight the infrastructure innovations of the Gilded Age.

When California was admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, it was separated from the settled parts of the country by some 1,500 miles. Ships sailing around Cape Horn from the East Coast, even the fastest of the new clipper ships, required at least three months to reach San Francisco. Making the trip via Panama took 40 days. The overland route took three months.

Thus, the commercial and communications ties between California and the rest of the country were tenuous at best. With the new state’s population rapidly increasing and its gold production soaring, it became a priority of the federal government to improve those ties as quickly as possible.

The Pony Express, which began in 1860 as a series of riders who carried the mail, reduced the communication time to about ten days, although at first it charged $5.00 a week’s wage for an unskilled worker to deliver a half-ounce letter. Two years later, a telegraph line was strung to California, putting the Pony Express out of business.

But although communications were important, what was needed, everyone realized, was a transcontinental railroad to carry passengers and freight quickly, safely, and cheaply across the vast unsettled parts of the country and to tie California firmly to the Union.

Although a transcontinental railroad had been proposed as early as 1832, it was only in the 1850s that it was given serious consideration. In 1853, thinking a southern route might be the easiest to build, the government bought a large tract of land from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase, in what is now southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico. That route was later completed in 1881 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. A northern route through Montana was also considered, but it was thought that snow and the terrain would be a problem. That route was later completed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883.

Southern states pushed for the southern route, but after they rebelled in 1861, Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act in 1862. This called for a route that followed the Platte River in Nebraska and then used the South Pass in southwest Wyoming (already used by the California, Oregon, and Mormon Trails) to cross the Rocky Mountains. The eastern terminal was to be Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, and the western terminal Sacramento.

Two companies were founded to build the line. The Central Pacific was to head east from Sacramento and was formed by four California entrepreneurs: Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Collis P. Huntington, and Mark Hopkins. The Union Pacific Railroad was to build west from the Missouri River. This railroad was dominated, at first, by investor Thomas C. Durant.

The Union Pacific Railroad was considered the short, quick, and safe line to all points west.

Earlier American railroads had been built through settled areas whose inhabitants began using them immediately, bringing in revenue even before the railways were completed. But the transcontinental railroad had to be built through largely unsettled country, areas where there were no customers. This greatly complicated the financing of both lines.

The federal government issued bonds, at 6 percent interest, and agreed to pay the two railroads $16,000 for each mile of track laid on level ground, $32,000 for track laid in foothills, and $48,000 per mile for track laid in mountainous areas. To encourage investment in the stock and bonds issued by the railroads, the federal government also granted vast areas of land to the railroads along the rights of way. These included 200 feet on each side of the tracks and sections ten miles square (6,400 acres) alternating on each side of the tracks, creating a checkerboard pattern.

The Railroad Land Grant checkerboard: an example of a railroad land grant. The original idea was that presence of the railroad would increase the value of all adjoining land. Much of the land retained by the federal government was given to settlers through the Homestead Act of 1862.

To build the railroads, the management of both lines established construction companies owned by their board members, who profited handsomely by paying themselves generously. The Union Pacific construction company, Crédit Mobilier, was later implicated in one of the nineteenth century’s biggest political scandals. Crédit Mobilier bribed many members of Congress by giving them stock in return for laws and regulatory policies favorable to the company.

The Central Pacific began construction on January 8, 1863. Because California then had almost no manufacturing, all the rails, rolling stock, and heavy construction equipment had to be shipped from East Coast ports, either around Cape Horn or overland via Panama. The railroad was able to recruit British and Canadian engineers with experience in road and bridge construction. But finding manual laborers was a big problem because most workers in California were miners or farmers. So the Central Pacific hired Chinese immigrant laborers and was soon recruiting them in China itself. They were paid $30 a month, which was a good wage at the time.

The Central Pacific Railroad had to take on the tough part of its 690-mile route first, ascending from Sacramento at 40 feet above sea level to the top of the Donner Pass at 7,000 feet in only about 90 miles. Regardless, the grade exceeded a steep 2 percent only over a three-mile section. Crews were sent ahead to work on the challenging bridges and tunnels. There were 11 tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, seven of them in just three miles, near the Donner summit. The engineers drilled a 125-foot shaft down to the middle point of the summit tunnel to allow work on four faces to proceed simultaneously. The spoil, the dirt and rock removed from the tunnel, was lifted up the shaft using an old locomotive steam engine for power.

The rough terrain of the mountains required the laying of complex tracks for the Central Pacific Railroad.

In five years, the Central Pacific had advanced only 132 miles, to Reno, Nevada. But after that it was able to move quickly across the rest of the state and into Utah, reaching Promontory Point, 590 miles east of Reno, in just one year.

The Union Pacific did not begin construction until July 1865, due to difficulties it encountered in raising funds and finding labor. Only after the Civil War had ended could engineers, including former members of the Army Corps of Engineers, be found. Laborers on this railroad included men discharged from the Union Army and Irish immigrants. The latter faced a great deal of discrimination.

Scouting parties went ahead to determine the exact route. Behind them teams prepared the roadbed, and then the tracks were laid. In 1865, the Union Pacific had managed to lay only about 40 miles of track along with ten miles of roadbed. But the next year, with former Union general Jack Casement as the new chief engineer, the pace increased markedly. Casement fitted up several rail cars as dormitories for the workers and another as a galley car to prepare meals. He even had a herd of cattle driven along as the road crept westward to supply fresh meat, and many buffalo were slaughtered by hunting parties. Construction picked up in 1866 and often completed a mile per day.

The route that ran along the North Platte River and then through the South Pass had been ideal for wagon trains, which needed to be in river valleys for water and pasturage, and it was the lowest pass possible through the mountains. But the route of the emigrant trails was not as good for the railroad. It was farther from rapidly growing Denver, Colorado, and 250 miles longer than a path that used the Evans Pass, named for James Evans, a surveyor and engineer for the railroad.

The line reached Cheyenne, in what is now Wyoming, in December 1867, having advanced 270 miles that year. The next spring it intended to push through the Evans Pass at 8,247 feet, the highest point on the transcontinental railroad.

Many serious engineering challenges had to be met and overcome, including the Dale Creek Bridge in Wyoming, 650 feet long and 125 feet above the creek. The approaches to the bridge had to be cut through granite for nearly a mile on each end. The bridge timbers were prefabricated in Chicago and then shipped on the railroad to the site.

By December 1868, the Union Pacific had laid an additional 360 miles of track, including across the Green River, the last major waterway on the route. When the line crossed into the Utah Territory, it hired many Mormon workers to complete the line (and tried to cheat them on their wages).

Finally, on May 10, 1869, the two railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah, and a golden spike was driven in by Leland Stanford to commemorate one of the great engineering feats of the nineteenth century. (The spike was quickly removed and is on display at Stanford University, named for the railroad magnate’s son.)

California was now firmly tied to the Union and the world had shrunk markedly. Only four years later, Jules Verne published Around the World in 80 Days . In the novel, Phineas Fogg boards a transcontinental train from San Francisco to New York, demonstrating how the railroad had captured the popular imagination. Thanks to the transcontinental railroad (and the Suez Canal, also completed in 1869), the time frame imagined by Verne was now possible.

The building of the railroad network in the United States contributed to the growth of a nationwide market economy in which goods were transported more quickly and cheaply, helping improve the quality of life by raising incomes and reducing prices. Improved transportation linked sources of raw materials, farms, factories, and consumers from different parts of the country, and a new national economy facilitated the rise of big business and smaller business for local, niche markets.

Review Questions

1. The most significant reason for building the transcontinental railroad was

• to complete a very profitable project
• to increase settlement in the trans-Mississippi west
• to tie California more closely to the rest of the country
• to strengthen the military for the entire United States

2. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in what state/territory?

3. Along with the Chinese, another group of immigrants who helped to build the railroad and suffered discrimination was the

• Eastern European Jews

4. The main reason for the Gadsden Purchase was to provide

• a faster route to California by way of Conestoga wagon
• a southern route for the transcontinental railroad
• a relatively easier route for the Pony Express
• a safe trail for migrants to California

5. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 was easily passed by Congress as a result of the

• encouragement of investments by California entrepreneurs
• fact that southern states had seceded from the Union
• strong support of President Abraham Lincoln
• investment of millions of dollars by the federal government

6. A significant difference between the construction of the transcontinental railroad and that of railroads that already existed in the United States was that the transcontinental railroad was

• supported only by private funds
• built by union labor
• built through sparsely populated areas
• owned by the federal government

Free Response Questions

• Analyze the reasons for building the transcontinental railroad during the second half of the nineteenth century.
• Explain the reasons for the eventual selection of the first route of the transcontinental railroad.

AP Practice Questions

“The centrality of railroads in the expansion and development of the United States was used morally and politically to justify the suspension of the laws of laissez-faire and the direct involvement of both federal and state governments in their construction. Similar arguments had been used to justify the National Road. States were involved in promoting and facilitating rail construction right from the start. The federal government began its participation in 1850 by helping the Illinois Central. The real subsidies began, however . . . in 1862, as a result of the Civil War, during which it began to seem lawful and natural for Washington to be involved in everything.”

A History of the American People , Paul Johnson, 1997

Refer to the excerpt provided.

1. Which of the following events had the most significant impact on the development described in the excerpt?

• Construction of the National Road in Illinois
• The admission of California to the Union
• Border disputes between California and Mexico
• The industrial revolution

2. According to this author, what event made it seem natural and lawful for the federal government to be broadly involved in promoting economic growth?

• The need for more trade with foreign countries
• The Civil War
• The spread of slavery
• The Frontier Thesis

“It could neither be surmounted nor doubled, and so they tunneled what looks like a bank-swallow’s hole from a thousand feet below. Powder enough was expended in persuading the iron crags and cliffs to be a thoroughfare to fight half the battles of the Revolution. It was in its time the topmost triumph of engineering nerve and skill in all the world. It stitched the East and the West lovingly together, and who shall say that we are not a United States? . . . The blows that sent home the spikes of silver and gold securing the last rail in the laurel were repeated by lightning at Washington and San Francisco, in the length of a heart-beat; blow for blow, from the Potomac to the Pacific. Think of echo answering echo through a sweep of more than three thousand miles! All in all, after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it was the most impressive and thoughtful ceremony that ever graced the continent. It was electric with the spirit of the New Era.”

Between the Gates , Benjamin F. Taylor, 1878

3. What event does the author describe in this passage?

• Inauguration of the Pony Express connecting east and west
• Joining of two railroads to complete the first transcontinental railroad
• Christening of a riverboat on the Potomac River, celebrated with fireworks
• Completion of the Golden Gate Bridge, opening the west to Asian immigrants

4. According to this author, the only event in American history more exciting than the ceremony he describes was

• the colonies’ commitment to break away from England
• the completion of the Constitution
• the celebration of victory after the Revolutionary War
• the New Era that began following the Civil War

Primary Sources

“East and West. Completion of the Great Line Spanning the Continent.” New York Times . May 10, 1869. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2015/05.11.1869EastMeetsWestLN.pdf

Williams, Henry T. The Pacific Tourist . New York: H.T. Williams, 1876. https://archive.org/details/pacifictourist1881will

Suggested Resources

Ambrose, Stephen E. Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad . New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Gordon, John Steele. An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power . New York: Harper, 2004.

Klein, Maury. Union Pacific: Birth of a Railroad, 1862-1893 . Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. 1987.

Related Content

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

In our resource history is presented through a series of narratives, primary sources, and point-counterpoint debates that invites students to participate in the ongoing conversation about the American experiment.

Essay on Railway Station

500 words essay on  railway station.

A railway station is a facility that has railway tracks or lines for trains to carry passengers or goods from one place to another. There are different kinds of railways stations, some are above ground while some are underground as well. You will always see interesting sights on railways stations as they are full of life and activities.

A Typical Day at the Railway Station

A typical day at the railway station is full of exciting activities and sights. You will find the stations crowded with autos, taxis, cars, buses, rickshaws, and more. Similarly, there is a lot of commotion there.

People are present in large crowds there. Some have come to drop off someone while others are waiting for passengers to arrive. The coolies and porters keep eyeing you to carry your luggage for you so they can earn well.

Another interesting sight and sound are that of people quarrelling and bargaining. One of the most relaxing sights is that of the brick and mortar shops selling books and newspapers . You will see people peacefully reading them in a corner.

There are also food stalls, canteens, and street vendors that sell delicious food items and snacks to passengers. They shout out to attract people and sell their items. There are vendors who roam around with their items to sell them.

The waiting rooms, ticketing booths and even restrooms are often crowded at the railway station too. The people sit on the cemented benches or their own suitcases while they wait for the train to arrive.

People sleeping on bed sheets or mats on the floor is not a rare sight. Not just passengers but people who are homeless or poor also sleep at the railway station. As a result, a lot of addicts lurk on empty tracks or isolated corners.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Main Highlight of a Railway Station

The main highlight has to be when the train is arriving at the railway station. You will see people getting excited and waiting impatiently to board the train. They stand at the platform while waiting for the train to arrive.

On the other hand, the ones who have to deboard the train are eagerly standing at the gates of the train to get down quickly. There is a lot of commotion at this time as the ones who have to board and others who have to deboard, both do it at the same time.

There is no order to let the other one pass first. Thus, chaos and confusion take place at this time. People rush to their seats while the ones exiting want to get down as soon as possible.

There are many pickpockets as well that wait for this time to do their job. Often, people get hurt as well in all this commotion. However, despite all the commotion, it is wholesome to see friends and relatives receive and welcome their loved ones.

To sum it up, the railway station is an interesting place that is bustling with excitement and activities. We get to witness so many wholesome scenes and watch people in a hurry. It is an experience in itself to visit the railway station.

FAQ on Essay on Railway Station

Question 1: What is the importance of a railway station?

Answer 1: The railway stations are important as they are a cheap mode of transport in comparison to other modes of transport. Similarly, they also help you reach the destination in lesser time. The prices are fixed and so are the routes making it easier for passengers.

Question 2: Why is the railway called national transport?

Answer 2: Railways are the national transportation as they have the widest network in India. Moreover, they are also vital for transporting coal, iron, steel, etc.

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Government should spend money on railways rather than roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

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Use cohesive linking words accurately and appropriately

Linking words are very important in your essay.

To score effectively on your IELTS exam, you should make an effort to implement short concise sentences coupled with linking words.

Almost every sentence in your essay should have a linking word of some sort.

In fact, the only sentences that can omit linking words are your background sentence and thesis.

Linking word examples:

• in additional
• for example
• for instance
• even though

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• environmental footprint
• cost-effectiveness
• economic development
• accessibility
• public transportation
• air pollution
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• last-mile connectivity
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Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., unhealthy eating has a negative effect on both individuals and the society in which they live. some people think that the government should tax unhealthy foods while others believe that a ‘fat tax’ is unfair and unnecessary. discuss both these views and give your own opinion. give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., nowadays, distant-learning programs have gained in popularity, but some people argue that online courses can never be as good as those taken at a college or university in person. to what extent do you agree or disagree, some people think that individuals today are more dependent on each other. other believe people have become independent.discuss both views and give your opinion.

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Indian Railways Essay | Essay on Indian Railways for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by sastry

Indian Railways Essay: Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks operated by the Government of India. Railways was first introduced in India in 1853. Today, its operations cover 29 states and 7 union territories, and also provides international services to its neighbours, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is also one of the busiest rail networks in the world, carrying about 18 million passengers daily. Moreover it is the world’s largest employer, providing jobs to millions.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Short Essay on Indian Railways 200 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay on Indian Railways is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.

For a country so reliant on its trains, Indian Railways Vision 2020 envisages introduction of bullet trains. It will be a massive addition to its route network, with segregation of passenger and freight services into separate double-line corridors, raising the speeds of passenger trains from the current 130 kmph to 160-200 kmph on some routes, zero accidents and equipment failures and setting up of high-speed passenger corridors.

However, this vision would remain a difficult one to achieve, looking at the past and current situation of the railways. Inspite of being the largest and the busiest network, Indian Railways was never a sector to give good returns to the economy, (barring the time of Lalu Prasad Yadav). It faces a lot of problems, sometimes proving even a burden to the Indian Government. The age-old and crumbling infrastructure, low fares, lack of maintenance, mismanagement, lack of quality service deliverance etc are all the major issues with the railways. A sharp decline in the earnings and serious escalation in expenditure has posed even more problems for Indian Railways. Additionally, the ever increasing prices of fuel, coal, the number of accidents, cost of maintenance etc further increases the problems.

A significant change in the Indian Railways came after the year 2004. The 156 years old Indian Railways was regarded as a hopeless, loss making organisation, with too little revenue, too many problems. Steps were taken to increase the demand rather than the price. A team of experts proposed and applied some simple techniques effectively on a per train basis. Subsequently, fares were increased in line with the demand, giving the railways the much needed cash flow to improve its services. Thus with these efforts, Indian Railways was able to book profits. After 2010, the railways went back into problematic phase. The funds started shrinking, therefore improvement in passenger amenities could not be carried out.

However, the recently elected government has again brought in a ray of hope for the good days for ‘Indian Railways’. Surprisingly, Indian train fares are among the cheapest in the world. With such fares, Railways paced its steps well with the technological advancement. The e-ticketing for making reservations and mobile app system to track train schedule are some major breakthroughs.

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Essay On Indian Railways: Connecting the Nation’s Heart and Soul

Discover the rich history and significance of Indian Railways in this insightful essay. Explore (Essay On Indian Railways) how this vast network connects the diverse tapestry of India, fostering national integration and economic growth. Read about the challenges faced and the promising future prospects, making Indian Railways the heart and soul of the nation

10 lines essay on Indian railways

• Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, spanning over 67,000 kilometers of tracks.
• Established in 1853, Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in connecting the entire nation.
• It serves as a lifeline, efficiently transporting millions of passengers and tons of goods every day.
• Indian Railways is known for its diversity, catering to people from all walks of life.
• The railways have been instrumental in promoting economic growth by facilitating trade and commerce.
• It is a significant employer, providing millions of jobs directly and indirectly.
• Over the years, Indian Railways has undergone modernization efforts, improving passenger comfort and safety.
• The introduction of e-ticketing and digital services has made rail travel more accessible and convenient.
• Indian Railways has played a crucial role in fostering national integration by connecting diverse regions and cultures.
• With its rich history and continued expansion, Indian Railways remains an indispensable part of India’s progress and identity.

Essay On Indian Railways

10 facts about Indian railway

• Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, covering more than 67,000 kilometers of tracks and serving nearly 23 million passengers every day.
• It is operated by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, and is divided into zones and divisions for efficient management.
• The first passenger train in India ran on April 16, 1853, between Mumbai and Thane, covering a distance of 34 kilometers.
• Indian Railways employs a massive workforce, making it one of the largest employers in the world, providing direct and indirect employment to millions of people.
• The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the “Toy Train,” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is renowned for its scenic beauty and unique narrow gauge track.
• The Vivek Express, running from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, holds the record for being the longest train journey in terms of both distance and travel time.
• Indian Railways introduced the first luxury tourist train, the “Palace on Wheels,” in 1982, offering travelers a royal experience of India’s rich heritage and culture.
• The Indian Railways operates the world’s highest railway station, Ghum, located in Darjeeling at an altitude of 2,258 meters above sea level.
• The famous Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai, formerly known as Victoria Terminus (VT), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is an architectural marvel.
• Indian Railways is continuously working on modernization and digitalization projects, including the introduction of high-speed trains and the implementation of Wi-Fi services on trains and at railway stations.

Essay on Indian railways in 200 words

Indian Railways: A Lifeline of India

Indian Railways, established in 1853, is the backbone of India’s transportation system. It is one of the largest and busiest railway networks in the world, covering over 67,000 kilometers of tracks and connecting the length and breadth of the country.

The significance of Indian Railways lies in its vast network and ability to bring people from different regions together. It plays a vital role in promoting national integration and cultural exchange. The railways have contributed significantly to the economic growth of the nation by facilitating the movement of goods and raw materials across the country.

Indian Railways is also a significant employer, providing direct and indirect employment to millions of people. It is a symbol of unity in diversity, serving as a lifeline for people from all walks of life.

Despite its remarkable contributions, Indian Railways faces several challenges, such as the need for modernization, safety improvements, and competition from other modes of transportation. However, with continuous efforts and investment, it has the potential to overcome these challenges and further enhance its services.

In conclusion, Indian Railways is an integral part of India’s identity and progress. Its role in connecting people, fostering economic growth, and promoting national integration cannot be overstated. As the nation continues to grow, Indian Railways will remain the lifeline that binds the diverse fabric of India together.

Essay on Indian Railways: Connecting the Nation’s Heart and Soul

Introduction: Indian Railways, fondly referred to as the “Lifeline of India,” is one of the largest and oldest railway networks in the world. With a rich history spanning over a century, it has been instrumental in shaping the socio-economic landscape of India. The vast expanse of this network, connecting remote villages to bustling metropolises, showcases its unwavering commitment to serving the people. This essay delves into the history, significance, challenges, and future prospects of Indian Railways.

Historical Background: The genesis of Indian Railways can be traced back to 1853 when the first passenger train chugged along the tracks from Mumbai to Thane. Over time, the network expanded exponentially under British rule, laying the foundation for modern transportation and trade. After India gained independence in 1947, the railways underwent considerable expansion and modernization efforts, becoming a pivotal component of nation-building and economic growth.

Vast Network and Connectivity: Indian Railways boasts a massive network, with over 67,000 kilometers of tracks, connecting virtually every corner of the country. From the northern Himalayas to the southern peninsular region, from the arid deserts of Rajasthan to the lush tea estates of Assam, the railway network binds India together like a seamless thread. This unparalleled connectivity ensures that no region is left isolated, facilitating the movement of people, goods, and resources.

Social and Economic Impact: The Indian Railways plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country. On the social front, it is a great unifier, bridging cultural gaps and promoting national integration. It brings people from diverse backgrounds together, fostering a sense of unity in diversity.

Economically, the railways are the backbone of India’s transportation and trade. It facilitates the movement of raw materials and finished products, promoting domestic and international commerce. The availability of affordable rail travel has encouraged tourism, allowing people to explore various regions and appreciate the country’s cultural heritage. Additionally, Indian Railways is a major employer, providing millions of jobs directly and indirectly.

Challenges Faced: Despite its illustrious history and commendable achievements, Indian Railways faces several challenges. One of the most pressing issues is the need for continuous modernization and upgradation of the infrastructure. Over time, the wear and tear of tracks, outdated signaling systems, and aging rolling stock demand significant investment and attention.

Safety is another crucial concern. While Indian Railways has made considerable strides in enhancing safety measures, accidents and derailments continue to pose a threat. Ensuring the well-being of passengers and the efficient movement of trains requires a constant focus on safety protocols.

Furthermore, the railways are confronted with competition from other modes of transportation, especially low-cost airlines and long-distance buses. To remain relevant, Indian Railways must continuously innovate and offer improved services, comfort, and efficiency.

Future Prospects: The future of Indian Railways is promising, with numerous initiatives aimed at modernizing and expanding the network. Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) are being developed to improve the efficiency of cargo transportation, reducing transit times and costs. High-Speed Rail projects, such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, are set to revolutionize long-distance travel.

Additionally, the incorporation of technology and digitalization promises to enhance passenger experience and operational efficiency. The implementation of e-ticketing, real-time train tracking, and Wi-Fi services on trains has already started transforming the railway experience.

Conclusion: Indian Railways is an invaluable asset to the nation, embodying the essence of unity, diversity, and progress. As the railways continue to evolve, they must embrace innovation, prioritize safety, and cater to the evolving needs of passengers and freight. With effective planning and sustained efforts, Indian Railways will undoubtedly continue to serve as the lifeline of India, connecting its heart and soul for generations to come.

Extra Tips 4 Extra Marks :

Practice essay writing online, what good is happening in the country and railways essay.

In recent times, several positive developments have been taking place in India, especially concerning Indian Railways. These advancements are contributing to the overall growth and improvement of the country. Let’s explore some of the positive aspects:

• Modernization and Infrastructure Upgrades: Indian Railways has been actively investing in modernization efforts and upgrading its infrastructure. This includes the introduction of high-speed trains, dedicated freight corridors, and the adoption of new technologies to enhance safety and efficiency.
• Digitalization and E-Governance: Indian Railways has embraced digitalization, making ticket booking and other services more accessible through online platforms. The introduction of e-ticketing, mobile apps, and real-time train tracking has significantly improved the passenger experience.
• Enhanced Safety Measures: Safety has always been a top priority for Indian Railways. The implementation of advanced signaling systems, automatic train protection, and improved maintenance practices have contributed to a reduction in accidents and incidents.
• Employment Generation: Indian Railways continues to be a major employer, providing direct and indirect jobs to millions of people across various sectors, thereby contributing to economic growth and social development.
• Eco-Friendly Initiatives: Indian Railways is increasingly focusing on eco-friendly measures, such as using renewable energy sources, promoting electrification of tracks, and exploring green technologies to reduce its carbon footprint.
• Connectivity to Remote Areas: The railways have played a vital role in connecting remote and inaccessible areas of the country, bringing these regions into the mainstream and supporting their socio-economic development.
• Tourism and Cultural Promotion: The introduction of luxury tourist trains and themed railway journeys has promoted tourism and allowed travelers to experience the rich cultural heritage of India in a unique way.
• Infrastructural Development: The expansion and development of railway stations and facilities have improved passenger amenities, making rail travel more comfortable and enjoyable.
• Export and Trade Facilitation: Indian Railways plays a crucial role in the transportation of goods and raw materials, supporting domestic and international trade and contributing to India’s economic growth.
• Collaborations and International Partnerships: Indian Railways has been forging collaborations with foreign entities for technical know-how and expertise, resulting in knowledge exchange and further development of the railway sector.

In conclusion, Indian Railways continues to be a force for positive change in India, fostering economic growth, cultural exchange, and social development. With ongoing efforts towards modernization and sustainable practices, the railways are poised to contribute even more significantly to the progress and well-being of the nation.

मतदाता दिवस

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Essay on Indian Railways

Students are often asked to write an essay on Indian Railways in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Indian Railways

Introduction.

Indian Railways, a significant part of India’s transport system, is the world’s fourth-largest railway network. It is a primary mode of transport for millions of Indians daily.

Indian Railways started in 1853, during British rule. The first train ran between Bombay and Thane. Today, it has grown immensely, connecting different parts of the country.

Significance

Indian Railways plays a vital role in India’s economy. It transports goods and passengers across the nation, contributing significantly to India’s growth and development.

Indian Railways is a lifeline for many, providing affordable travel. It is a symbol of India’s progress and unity.

250 Words Essay on Indian Railways

Indian Railways, a state-owned national transporter, is among the world’s largest railway networks. It’s not just a mode of transportation, but a lifeline that connects the diverse geographical, cultural, and socio-economic regions of India.

Historical Overview

Established during the British Raj in 1853, Indian Railways has evolved into a robust network. Starting with 34 kilometers of line between Bombay and Thane, it now spans over 67,000 kilometers, encompassing around 7,300 stations across the country.

Significance and Impact

Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in India’s socio-economic development. It transports over 22 million passengers daily, facilitating commerce, tourism, and cultural exchange. It also provides employment to millions, directly and indirectly, thus contributing to poverty reduction.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite its importance, Indian Railways faces challenges like overcapacity, outdated infrastructure, and financial sustainability. However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation and modernization. Privatization and digitalization are potential avenues for improving efficiency, service quality, and financial health.

Indian Railways is more than a transportation network; it’s a symbol of India’s unity in diversity and progress. With strategic reforms and investments, it can overcome its challenges and continue to play a vital role in India’s development.

500 Words Essay on Indian Railways

Historical perspective.

The inception of Indian Railways dates back to 1853 during the British Raj, with the first passenger train running from Bombay to Thane. Since then, it has evolved into a vast network, connecting even the remotest corners of the country. This expansion symbolizes India’s journey from a colonial past to a technology-driven future.

Organizational Structure

Indian Railways is a government-owned entity, operating under the Ministry of Railways. It is divided into several zones for efficient management. Each zone is further divided into divisions, each headed by a Divisional Railway Manager. This hierarchical structure ensures smooth operations across the vast network.

Role in Economic Development

Technological advancements.

In the digital era, Indian Railways has embraced technology to enhance its operations and passenger experience. Online ticket booking through the IRCTC website, real-time tracking of trains, and digital payment options are a few examples. The introduction of high-speed trains like Vande Bharat Express signifies the railways’ commitment to modernization.

Despite its achievements, Indian Railways faces challenges like inadequate infrastructure, over-crowding, and financial sustainability. However, these challenges also present opportunities. The proposed introduction of private players could lead to competition, improving services and efficiency. Moreover, projects like Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) and bullet trains promise to revolutionize Indian Railways.

Sustainability Efforts

Indian Railways, with its extensive reach and impact, is more than just a transport network. It is a symbol of India’s unity in diversity, connecting people and places, cultures and traditions. As it navigates the challenges of the 21st century, Indian Railways continues to play a crucial role in shaping the country’s future. Through constant innovation and modernization, it strives to provide efficient, safe, and sustainable transport, embodying the spirit of a progressive India.

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Here is a compilation of essays on the ‘Indian Railways’ for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on the ‘Indian Railways’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on the Indian Railways

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Major Recommendations of Expert Group on Indian Railways

1. Essay on the Introduction to Indian Railways:

Among all the transport systems of the country, Railways occupy the most important position as it carry nearly 80 per cent of total goods traffic and 70 per cent of the passenger traffic. Indian Railways had started its operation on April 16, 1853 with its first route of 22 miles (34 kms). But with the passage of time, the Indian Railway System has grown into such a big organisation that it has become Asia’s largest and World’s second largest organisation in terms of its route length.

Total route length of Indian Railways which was 53,600 kms in 1950-51, gradually rose to 65,800 kms in 2013-2014 out of which only 21,600 kms of route length is electrified. Out of the total route length, Broad Gauge covers 48,186 kms, Meter Gauge covers 13,290 kms and Narrow Gauge covers 3,124 kms.

Indian Railways completed Gauge Conversion works to the extent of 1,351 kms in 1992-93 and 1,619 kms in 1993-94, 1,805 kms in 1994-95, 1,000 kms in 1995-96, 1,364 kms in 1996-97, 847 kms in 1997-98 and 693 kms in 1998-99. It runs nearly 11,500 trains a day connecting 7,093 stations throughout the country. It is the largest single undertaking of the country with a capital investment of Rs 25,320 crores as on March 31, 1998.

With a staff strength of nearly 15.50 lakhs regular employees and nearly 3 lakh of casual employees, it carried nearly 839 crore of passengers andvl058 million tonnes of freight traffic during 2013-14. It is better to have some idea about the vastness of Indian Railways from the fact that it owns nearly 7,739 locomotives; 44,063 coaches and over 2.2 lakh wagons during 2002-03.

During the period covering from 1951 to 2002, Indian Railways have recorded a growth rate of 3.9 per cent per annum in respect of passenger traffic and 4.5 per cent per annum in respect of freight traffic. The railways employ about 16 lakh workers—the largest number of any undertaking in the country.

2. Essay on the Railway Development under the Five Year Plans :

Among all the modes of transport in India Railway transport is the most important one. Considering its importance the Government laid greatest emphasis on the development of Railways in the successive Five Year Plans of the country.

The main objective of the planning for the development of Railway Transport system in India was to expand Railway traffic in such a manner so as to avoid bottleneck in the entire production process and also to ensure an efficient and well developed rail transport system. In first six Five Year Plans, total outlay of Rs 12,000 crore was earmarked for the development of Railways.

Each Five Year Plan had finalised an outlay and special objective for the development of Railways in the following manner:

(a) First Plan:

Total outlay 217 crore; Special objective—rehabilitation, replacement and modernisation of over aged assets.

(b) Second Plan:

Total outlay Rs 723 crore; Special objective—to augment the line capacity and rolling stock through the preparation of Railways for carrying traffic generated by the new steel plants in India and increased volume of production of coal.

(c) Third Plan:

Total outlay Rs 1,763.6 crore; Special objective—to build up additional capacity for meeting additional traffic demand and to prevent bottlenecks.

(d) Fourth Plan:

Total outlay. Rs 1,420 crore; Special objective—Modernisation of rail transport system for improving its efficiency of operation.

(e) Fifth Plan:

Total outlay: Rs 2,350 crore; Special objective—Improvement of the existing transport capacity and to maximise the operational efficiency of Railways.

(f) Sixth Plan:

Total outlay—Rs 5,370 crore; Special objectives—To augment passenger and freight traffic capacity, modernisation of the system and to promote better utilisation of existing capacity.

(g) Seventh plan:

Total outlay- Rs 12,2212 dm, Special objective—Modernisation and technological up gradation; replacement of over-aged assets, development of rapid handling terminals and traction policy for the conversion from steam to diesel and electric traction by the year 2000.

(h) Eighth Plan:

Total outlay—Rs 55,926 crore; Special objectives—strengthening of rail transport system to support the growth process, modernisation and technical upgradation, conversion from steam to Diesel and electric traction by the year 2000 and conversion of metre gauge lines into broad gauge lines under the uni-gauge scheme.

Thus the thrust areas identified for the Eighth Plan period include replacement and renewal of over aged assets; augmentation of terminal and rolling stock capacities; gauge conversion and electrification. Indian Railways completed gauge conversion of 1,351 kms in 1992-93, 1,619 kms in 1993-94, 1,805 kms in 1994-95, 1,000 kms in 1995-96 and 1,364 kms in 1996-97.

Railway Development under Tenth Plan :

Tenth Plan emphasised on strengthening the capacity of the Railway system so as to develop it as a prime carrier of long distance bulk freight and passenger traffic. In order to achieve such strength railways during the Tenth Plan mostly concentrated on multiplexing and electrification of dense corridors, improving the reliability of its routine operations, containerization and optimisation of its entire operation systems.

In order to reverse the situation in favour of railways, Tenth Plan proposed certain effective steps for influencing the model choice through relative pricing mostly based on social costs and augmenting the capacity and improving the productivity of the entire railway system.

Investment strategy followed during the Tenth Plan were:

(i) Speedy completion of on-going projects to avoid time and cost over-runs;

(ii) Highest priority is given to multiplexing and electrification of the system related to its new projects;

(iii) Increasing productivity through improvements in its utilisation of assets;

(iv) Adopting overall cost control measures including employment restraint, inventory management etc.

(v) Upgrading safety infrastructure by infusing new technology, and

(vi) Speedy continuation of private sector participation by giving supports and offering projects such as gauge conversion, electrification, supply of rolling stock, doubling the single track, telecom and signal projects etc.

Railway Projects under Eleventh Plan and Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) :

During the Eleventh Plan, Railways is planning to undertake some important projects for building higher capacity and realising greater volume of traffic. The high-density network connecting the four metropolitan cities of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, including its diagonal popularly called the Golden Quadrilateral has got saturated at most of its locations.

Considering the present growth scenario, the Railways expect to carry 95 million tonnes incremental traffic per year and about 1,100 million tonnes revenue earning freight traffic by the end of Eleventh Plan. This requires large investment for capacity augmentation. Under this situation, development of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) for carrying additional traffic is very much essential considering the high growth in its demand. Therefore, under the Eleventh Plan, the Railways have proposed a 2,700 kilometre long railway line project.

This includes:

(i) Eastern Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni near Kolkata as Phase-I covering 1,839 kms and

(ii) Western Corridor from Jawaharlal Nehru-Port near Mumbai to Dadri/Tughlakabad covering 1,499 kms.

These DFCs along with the feed routes of Indian Railways will ensure availability of sufficient capacity in the face of rising demand for transport. This plan also proposed that the Eastern Corridor will be extended to the proposed Deep Sea Water Port near Kolkata as and when traffic builds up. Both the Eastern and Western Corridors will be made suitable for running of longer and heavier trains of 25 tonne axle load.

While the Eastern Corridor will be electrified, the Western Corridor will operate on diesel traction so as to permit Double Stack Container operation. Moreover, logistics parks are proposed to be developed on DFC. An SPV called Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFC-CIL) has also been formed for implementing this project.

Apart from Eastern and Western DFCs, a feasibility study has also been undertaken on four future freight corridors, viz., East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai), North-South Corridor (Delhi-Chennai), East Coast Corridor (Kharagpur-Vijayawada) and Southern Corridor (Goa-Chennai). A pre-feasibility study of the Chennai-Bangalore Freight Corridor is also being proposed.

After Commissioning of the Eastern and Western DFCs, it is planned to increase the speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph on the existing routes. A feasibility study for up-gradation of speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph on the existing Delhi-Mumbai route has been undertaken with the co-operation from the Government of Japan in 2012-13. Thus it is expected that after the implementation of DFCs projects, the quality of train services in terms of its speed is likely to improve considerably.

After completion of eleven full-term plans, Indian Railways has improved its condition both in terms of its assets and services rendered. Table 10.5 reveals some important fact regarding the development of Railways from 1950-51 to 2010-11.

Table 10.8 reveals that Indian Railways has achieved a good deal of modernisation since 1951. Although total route length has increased only from 53,600 kms in 1950-51 to 62,370 kms in 1990-91 but total electrified route length has increased substantially from 390 kms to 9,970 kms. Again in 2013-14 the total route length and electrified route length further rose to 65,800 kms and 21,680 kms respectively.

The steam engines are gradually being replaced by diesel and electric locomotives and their numbers have increased from 17 and 72 in 1951 to 4,800 and 3,065 respectively in 2005-06. Total numbers of coaches and wagons have also increased from 19,630 and 206 thousand in 1950-51 to 47,950 and 222 thousand in 2005-06 respectively. Diesel and electric locomotives are now carrying nearly 98 per cent of total goods traffic but in terms of their numbers, only 56 per cent of all locomotives are under operation.

Moreover, in respect of signaling and telecommunication, a good deal of modernisation and improvement programmes is gradually being undertaken. Due to all these efforts, passenger traffic has increased from 1,290 million in 1950-51 to 8,397 million in 2013- 14 and freight traffic has also increased from 93 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 1058 million tonnes in 2013-14.

3. Essay on the Beneficial Effects of Railways on Indian Economy:

Construction and expansion of a huge network of Railways in India has been creating a number of beneficial effects on the economy of the country.

Following are some of the beneficial effects of Railways on Indian economy:

(i) Benefit to Agriculture:

Indian agriculture is getting a lot of benefits from Indian Railways. In the absence of Railways, markets for agricultural commodities would have been restricted only to local areas. But the expansion of Railway network has made it possible to extend the area of the market for our agricultural products to the extreme corners of the country. Moreover, railways supplies basic inputs to agriculture in time. Railways has helped to maintain a better distribution of agricultural produce and bring about uniform prices of these goods throughout the country.

(ii) Benefit to Industry:

Railways transport is considered as an important factor behind the industrialization of a particular region. Indian railways have made valuable contributions towards the establishment of some important industries in India. Indian Railways provide easy and cheap transportation facilities for carrying fuels and raw materials to the industrial units and also to distribute their finished products into various distant markets.

Expansion of railways has resulted in the development of cotton textiles industry of Bombay, jute industry of Bengal, tea industry in Assam and Bengal etc.

(iii) Benefit to Trade:

A well developed network of railways has resulted in the expansion of trade in India particularly of bulky and perishable commodities. The markets for fruits, egg, fish, milk, vegetables etc. have expanded due to railway traffic. Moreover, Railways has also expanded external trade multiplying the volume of both exports and imports.

(iv) Social Benefits:

Indian railways have also contributed towards development of Indian society by reducing the isolation between villages, regions and also between various communities. Railways have removed the caste prejudices and have broken up the joint family system. Railways has united the country into a big one by raising the geographical mobility.

(v) Political and Administrative Benefits:

Indian railways are regularly rendering a lot of political and administrative benefits to a vast country like India. For maintaining internal security and external safety, quicker movement of police and army from one region to another region of the country has become possible through its well-developed network of railways. Railways are thus very much useful for maintaining sound administration in a vast country like India.

4. Essay on the Problems of Railway Transport in India:

Indian railways have been suffering from number of problems in recent years and this has resulted in persistent loss in this undertaking over the years.

Following are some of the important problems faced by Indian Railways in recent years:

(i) Impact of Inflation:

Continuous inflation at a higher rate created a serious impact on the financial condition of Indian Railways. While the prices of the inputs purchased by Railways (viz. Coal, Diesel, Iron and Steel, Cement etc.) are increasing at a very steeper rate due to inflation but fares and freight rates could not be increased to that proportion. This has led to a huge loss of this undertaking.

(ii) Social Responsibilities:

Being a public utility undertaking, Indian railways have to bear a huge social responsibility in the form of maintaining unremynerative lines, sub-urban and other traffic, low rated freight cargo for the transfer of essential commodities. All these have resulted in a huge loss of revenue to Indian Railways. In 1998-99 the estimated social burden on Indian railways was to the extent of Rs 2,500 crore.

(iii) Increasing Inefficiency:

Another factor which are also responsible for such a huge loss to Indian Railways is the increasing inefficiency of this undertaking. With the passage of time, problems like irregularity regarding passenger and freight traffic, non-availability of wagons corruption in respect of allocation of wagons, loss of goods in transit, claims, collection of fares of running trains etc. sporadic and wild-cat strike by railways staff, inefficient and corrupt practices by management have badly affected the operation of Indian Railways. Deterioration in passenger services, loss of railways property are common features.

All these have led to a huge loss of revenue to Indian Railways in different years. The budgetary support to the Railways declined continuously from 75 per cent of the Railways Plan Outlay during the Fifth Plan to 42 per cent of outlay in the Seventh Plan and further to 23 per cent of the outlay during the last four years of the Eighth Plan. The declining budgetary support has adversely affected the Railway’s plan for acquisition of locomotives, coaches and wagons.

The alternative source for financing the Railway plans, including market borrowings, has also become uncertain and expensive. The Railways, therefore, have been forced to rely more on internal generation, which is estimated to be around 55 per cent in 1995-96.

Moreover, the administrative cost of the Indian Railways has been increasing rapidly. With nearly 1.55 million employees, the Indian Railways are the largest employer among public sector undertakings in the country. There is also a considerable burden of pension liabilities. The Railways have, therefore, drawn out an elaborate plan for right-sizing the manpower.

5. Essay on the Suggestions for the Improvement of Indian Railways:

In order to improve the quality of railway transport in India and to make it more efficient and useful, following suggestions are worth mentioning:

(i) Increase in Operational Efficiency:

The operational efficiency of Indian Railways should be improved by developing modern signaling and telecommunication devices along-with rational track management.

(ii) Improving Maintenance Activities:

The maintenance activities of railways should be improved. This includes the maintenance of track and bridges, maintenance of railway engines, wagons and passenger compartments. Maintenance workers engaged for these works should be motivated and activated to deliver the best services to the customers.

(iii) Avoiding Delay:

Railway services in India are subjected to unnecessary delay in its operations. Steps should be taken to avoid delay in forwarding goods by rail and also in implementing new schemes. Orthodox rules and procedures should be simplified to make it more transparent so that private sector can depend more on railway services.

(iv) Attaining Financial Viability:

Railway should try to attain financial viability by adopting a rational tariff structure. Rail fares and freight charges should be at least equal to its operational cost. Leakages of revenue in passenger traffic and claims as a result of corrupt practices adopted by some unscrupulous employees should be checked immediately for attaining revenue efficiency.

(v) Providing Door to Door Services:

Railways are recently utilizing the services of public sector enterprise like the Container Corporation of India for providing door to door services to its customers. Considering the inadequacy in its services, the services of private sector enterprises should be allowed to expand such door to door facilities in carrying containers.

Accordingly, the private entrepreneurs may be allowed purchase their own wagons for carrying their containers to the godowns of their customers in trucks.

(vi) Attaining Punctuality in Time Schedule:

Attaining punctuality in time schedule both for running passenger trains and container or goods trains is very important. Arrival and departure time of trains should be kept strictly on schedule and the same should be adhered to strictly.

In the busy railway tracks, provision be made for double tracking system and number of excess track in the stations for crossing, passing and smooth running of the important trains be made extensively.

(vii) Differentiated Railway Services:

In order to attain its commercial viability and also to maintain its Social Commitment, Railways should provide differentiated railway services to different categories of passengers. Accordingly, special services with rich amenities be provided to rich and executive class passenger at higher rate to augment sufficient revenue.

Moreover, to maintain its social commitments, passengers of lower income group should be provided the passenger services in ordinary class at a concessional rates in its fare.

(viii) Long Term Fund:

In order to attain capacity addition in its services, Railways should set up long term fund. For this purpose additional cess on higher class fare may be imposed for crediting the amount to such fund.

(ix) Commercial Lease of Land and Checking its Illegal Possession:

Railways should impose complete check on illegal possession of railway vacant land and maintain those land for future purposes. Commercial lands under the possession of railway may be leased out at rational rates for a specified period of time. The revenue so collected may be utilised for the expansion of railway traffic in the country.

(x) Attaining Commercial Viability of Railway Workshops:

Commercial viability of a number of railway workshops is being eroded which must be restored at any cost. Steps be taken to utilise the fullest capacity of these workshops. Workforce engaged in this workshop should be utilised to the fullest extent and if necessary the surplus work force should be restructured for its rational uses.

6. Essay on the Recent Strategy Adopted by Indian Railways for Meeting Challenges Posed by Economic Liberalisation:

Indian Railways is now facing challenges posed by economic liberalisation, rising staff costs, resource constraints for investment and also from stiff competition from other modes of transport. In order to meet those challenges, Railways has adopted some new strategies in recent years.

With over 15,50,000 employees, Railways is the largest employer among public sector undertakings in the country. Accordingly, a substantial portion of their gross expenditure is spent in staff costs for making payment of salaries and allowances including pension liabilities.

This liability has risen appreciably recently due to the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission. With a view to reducing the impact of rising staff costs, Railways have developed a two-pronged strategy.

A 10-year perspective plan for manpower planning has been drawn. Simultaneously, a large number of initiatives have been taken to improve staff productivity with a view to providing cost-effective services to customers.

Measures towards modernization of infrastructure and rolling stock, induction of computerization and information technology at an accelerated pace, enhanced manpower productivity and a significant improvement in work culture at all levels, are being adopted progressively for meeting the challenges posed by economic liberalisation and stiff competition from other modes of transport.

The Railways have been performing a unique and challenging role of functioning both as a commercial undertaking as well as provider of public utility service. The latter involves a measure of cross-subsidization of passenger service by freight revenues as well as operating certain uneconomic services like those in certain suburban sections and branch lines in order to provide cheap and affordable transport to the public at large.

Again, in order to face the resource constraints, the Railways have launched a number of schemes to mobilise extra-budgetary resources to meet the needs of growth and development. In order to supplement investment, partnerships with private sector and State Governments for specific projects are being forged.

In addition to Build-Own-Lease Transfer (BOLT) and Own Your Wagon Scheme (OYWS), other initiatives to attract private participation include setting up a private terminal and public-private partnership to provide railway connectivity to new upcoming ports.

Joint ventures with some State Governments for executing projects have also been envisaged. Two separate Memoranda of Understanding were signed with Government of Karnataka and Government of Andhra Pradesh to formalize their financial participation in certain railway projects in their respective states.

The MOU between Government of Karnataka and Ministry of Railways envisages formation of a joint-venture company, funded by the Central Government, the State Government, financial institutions and others. This company will be under-written by Government of Karnataka and will raise resources for early completion of certain identified railway projects.

Similarly, the MOU with Government of Andhra Pradesh envisages formation of a joint-venture company to plan and implement a model scheme of seamless Multi-modal Urban Transport System involving both rail and road.

An SPV with equity participation of Ministry of Railways and M/s. Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd. (GPPL) has been planned to provide Broad Gauge connectivity to the port of Pipavav on the West Coast of India by conversion of Surinderanagar—Rajula City (250 km) meter gauge line and a new line from Rajula City to the port of Pipavav.

Proposals to connect Mundra Port on the West Coast and Dharma Port on the East Coast to the Broad Gauge network of Indian Railways through a suitable framework are also under active consideration of the Ministry of Railways.

The Railways also expect to augment considerable amount of revenues from non-traditional sources, such as commercial publicity, commercial use of land and air space and utilisation of ‘right of way’ of optic fibre cable network. Parcel services of Indian Railways are also being improved with leasing of space in brake vans of passenger trains.

With fast growth in Cargo in private sector, it has become possible to offer better quality of service by guaranteed clearance of Cargo through regular train services.

Moreover, the government is seriously considering the entry of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into railways. Accordingly, the government is likely to FDI in high speed trains and other projects including development of rail lines between project sites and existing network.

However, the FDI will not be allowed in train operations and safety. As per the new proposal, foreign investment would also be allowed in sub­urban corridor, high-speed train systems and dedicated freight line projects implemented in PPP mode. It has also suggested widening the definition of ‘infrastructure’ by including railway line and railway sidings.

As per the new proposal, foreign investment would be allowed to pick-up 100 per cent stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will construct and maintain rail lines connecting ports mines and industrial hubs with the existing rail network.

Thus, the present move will help the railway in attracting more and more FDI which will assist in the development of infrastructure for industrial purposes and also help in smooth movement of raw materials from mines to ports or mines to new industrial projects.

7. Essay on the Major Recommendations of Expert Group on Indian Railways:

Indian Railways are facing the problem of upgradation and expansion of services. Accordingly, the Ministry of Railways.

Railway Board, had constituted an Expert Group on December 31, 1998 to study the railway sector in order to estimate the financing requirements of an expansion and upgrading programme for Indian Railways, to identify sources of funding of estimated investments over 15-year period, to study models of structure and ownership of rail transport facilities in developed countries and to recommend suitable regulatory arrangements that would facilitate orderly expansion of the system, promote the desired degree of competition and protect the users right to quality service. The Report of the Study Group is under examination.

Following are some of the key recommendations of the Expert Group:

1. The root cause of financial problem confronting the Indian Railways is found in lack of adequate productivity increases that are commensurate with real wages over time.

2. Indian Railways has to modernize and expand its capacity to serve the emerging needs of the growing economy.

3. Indian Railways has to adopt a “strategic perspective” to achieve high growth in both the passenger and freight segments.

4. Along with achievement of higher growth the Indian Railways will have to explore every avenue of reduction in costs,

5. The Expert Group has made detailed projections for the potential of passenger traffic and revenue growth. Among the possible investment strategies the panel has favored a “High Growth Strategy” which will require focused remunerative investment and corresponding organizational restructuring of Indian Railway internally and in relationship with government, including corporatization.

6. Higher profitability in freight segment through a long term Strategy of improved Speed of freight trains, up-gradation of rolling stock, specific commodity related investment, improved signaling and communication, setting up additional container depots, rationalization of the freight rates structure to remove distortions.

7. Un-remunerative investments must be stopped.

8. Key challenge for Indian Railways in the passenger traffic segments is to maintain its obligations on low price services while at the same time increasing both capacity and utilization in upper classes, through a strategy for higher growth in traffic as well as appropriate tariff rebalancing.

9. The Government of India should be in charge of setting policy direction. Indian Rail Regulatory Authority (IRRA) should be set up to regulate tariffs, Indian Railways must eventually be corporatized into “Indian Railways Corporation” (IRC).

10. Indian Railways Corporation (IRC) would be governed by a reconstituted Indian Railways Executive Board (IREB).

11. Restructuring of Indian Railways will require massive investment.

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Essay , Geography , India , Trasportation , Modes , Railways , Essay on the Indian Railways

Privacy Overview

Connecting and transforming India: Railways' impact on society

By Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

Joydeep Dutta

“Inevitably, the railways had social consequences. Without them, the three great cities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras would have remained small colonial trading ports” - Mark Tully

A 19th century map of India's major railway lines Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

The beginning

India's love affair with the railways began in the summer of 1853.The British had brought the railways into India for their own benefit; and no one could have imagined that a transportation system would unite the states and bring them together to form a nation. They made railways an integral ingredient of the country's social fabric.

A view of present-day Howrah Station Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

The social impact of the railways emerged from the very beginning.  The railways made India mobile and opened up new vistas and opportunities for its people. It brought in new expertise and trades, new technology and above all, it gave the people a sense of freedom.

The front facade Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

A time of transformation

As the railways grew, their role transformed from a mere provider of transport to something significantly larger. It influenced trade and business in a remarkable way and in the larger cities the major markets grew in and around the main railway stations. New settlements developed alongside the railway since railways symbolised progress and people wanted to be a part of it. This deep link between Indian society and its railways is nowhere more visible than in Mumbai, our supreme quintessential railway city. The thriving suburban system that emanates out of the two great termini, Churchgate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai CST), constitutes the most fascinating and complex city railway in the world. The Mumbai suburban system, unlike other suburban systems, cuts through the heart of the city above the ground and not underground as with most Metro systems.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a city icon and a lifeline for Mumbaikars. Take a virtual tour around the station and zoom into its masterful architecture.

The Heritage Gallery at Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus is a separate section inside the main building where one can find information about the history of railways, especially the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. It houses miniatures of the station, trains and engines as they evolved from steam, diesel to electric. The gallery tells the story of the development of the railways and the city of Mumbai itself.

A monsoon view of a train passing through the Western Ghats Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

An important train that had a huge effect on the society in Mumbai and its neighboring city was the Deccan Queen. Way back in 1928, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway started the Deccan Queen as an inter-city train between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Poona (now Pune). This is perhaps the most iconic train to be run by the Indian Railways. It continues till today, 87 years later.

The Deccan Queen is not a train but an institution. Generations of people from Pune have used it to travel to Mumbai to work and return in the evening. Owing to the amount of time people spend in the train, friendships are forged, marriages are arranged and business deals sealed during the journey. Infact, such trains are more like social networks!

A view of Kurseong Railway Station Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

Another significant and vital social impact of the Indian Railways is witnessed in the hill railways.The most famous is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which winds up from Siliguri at the foot of the Himalayas to Darjeeling. Even 30 years ago, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the predominant form of transport in the Darjeeling hills. More than 3 trains used to operate out of New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling and the same number back and at least two trains operated out of Kurseong towards Darjeeling.

The Kurseong station, of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), is the headquarters of the DHR. The station also houses a museum with original artifacts and exhibits of the DHR.

The locomotive shed of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway at Kurseong.

The Darjeeling Toy train passing through Kurseong Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

For the school children around Kurseong, this small train was a trusted friend that took them to the doorstep of their schools. The amazing steam locomotive made its way through the market of Kurseong. Though the first hill railway in India to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it now runs only as a tourist railway with scaled down operations.

Take a walk around the Darjeeling railway station, zoom in on the different locomotives, and the hill top view of the station.

The Divisonal Railway Manager's office Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

Apart from influencing society in general, the Indian Railways brought in another social stratum into the country – the Railway Society. In general, a society is divided into two parts, namely, civil and defence. In India, there is this third strata. Railways have their own housing, clubs, institutes, cinema halls, etc; even their own hospitals. The British built several railway towns in India based on railway towns in England. Many of these towns thrive to this day.

An old picture of one of the first locomotives in India, journeying across the Thane creek. Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways

The introduction of railways have changed India in unprecedented ways. Way back on 16th April 1853, when three steam locomotives - Sahib, Sultan and Sindh hauled a 14 coach train from Bori Bunder station, Bombay to Thane, they ushered in the rail era in India, changing the country and its people forever. And even a century and a half later, the railways continue to be a strong unifying force in India.

Railway bridges: The engineering that connected India

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Railways: A Major Public Transportation Contributing To Nation’s Growth

India, with its vast and diverse landscape, relies heavily on its robust transportation infrastructure to connect people, goods, and services across the nation. Among the various modes of transport, the Indian Railways stands tall as a symbol of efficiency and connectivity. Let’s explore the multifaceted contributions of the Indian Railways to the nation's growth and development.

Versatility of Indian Railways

The Indian Railways is not just a transportation system; it's a colossal network intricately woven into the fabric of the nation. As the fourth-largest national railway system globally, it boasts a massive track length of 128,305 km, with 60,451 km electrified. With over 1.2 million employees, it stands as the world's tenth-largest employer. The Indian Railways is increasingly becoming the backbone of the nation's GDP, emphasizing its vital role in the country's economic landscape.

Major Contribution of Indian Railways to Nation’s Growth

When it comes to addressing the contribution of Indian Railways to the nation's growth, we all just think about the revenue. But it is not just about revenue, rather it is more about contributing to different important segments of a nation, that includes economy as well as defense, transportation, travel, and employment. Following are the major contributions of the Indian Railways to the nation's growth. 

Transport Connectivity

The Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in ensuring seamless connectivity across the nation. On a daily basis, approximately 23 million passengers rely on the rail network, making it an indispensable mode of daily commuting. Moreover, efficient rail freight carriers move tons of goods, connecting different parts of the country to the national capital and major cities. Without the railways, the scale and efficiency of transportation in India would be unimaginable.

Revenue Generation

The direct revenue generated by the Indian Railways is a significant source of income for the government. This revenue not only sustains the railways but also contributes to the overall economic development of the nation.

Employment Generation

With a workforce exceeding a million, the Indian Railways stands as a major employer in the country, continually generating employment opportunities, especially for the youth. This not only supports livelihoods but also contributes to the socio-economic development of the nation.

Travel Experience

Beyond its utilitarian function, the Indian Railways offers an unparalleled travel experience through luxury trains like The Deccan Odyssey, Maharajas’ Express, The Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, and Palace on Wheels. While these journeys are expensive, they provide a remarkable experience to travelers, contributing not only revenue but also enhancing the nation's global reputation in luxury tourism.

Manufacturing Opportunities

The "Make in India'' initiative has found resonance in the Indian Railways, offering substantial opportunities to the country's manufacturing industry . The flagship Vande Bharat Express is a testament to this initiative, with every part and component supplied by local manufacturers and suppliers, boosting the domestic economy.

Image credit: Twitter

Special Services for Defence

Recognizing the critical role of defense, the Indian Railways provides special services dedicated to military goods transportation and the movement of defense personnel. This strategic support underscores the railways' commitment to support national security.

Successful Subsidiaries

In addition to the primary rail network, several successful subsidiary public sector undertakings (PSUs) operate under the Ministry of Railways. These entities, such as Rail Vikas Nigam, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, Container Corporation of India, Indian Railway Finance Corporation, and Ircon International, play crucial roles in enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Indian Railways.

MSL’s Contributions to Indian Railways

MSL stands as a premier manufacturer and supplier of parts and components for Indian Railways, playing a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Indian Railways. Our extensive contributions have been integral to numerous projects , with notable involvement in key initiatives at ICF Chennai, MCF-Raebareli, and RCF Kapurthala. A highlight of our commitment to excellence is the significant contribution made to the nation's pride, the " Vande Bharat " train. MSL's dedication to innovation and quality underscores our crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the Indian Railways system.

In conclusion, the Indian Railways is not just a means of transportation; it is an integral part of the nation's growth story. From facilitating connectivity and generating revenue to creating employment opportunities and contributing to the "Make in India" initiative, the Indian Railways continues to play a monumental role in shaping the trajectory of the nation's development. As we look ahead, it is imperative to recognize and appreciate the multifaceted contributions of the Indian Railways in steering India towards a more connected and prosperous future.

• Jan 19,2024

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English essay on “the indian railways” full-length essay, paragraph, speech for class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 exam..

The Indian Railways

The railways of India are great engineering works. The constructors were confronted with enormous physical difficulties. Broad rivers had to be spanned and the mighty mountain wall of the Ghats had to be surmounted by the railroad before Mumbai could be brought into railway communication with Gujarat, Kolkata, and Chennai. Still greater are the natural obstacles that have been overcome in the construction of the military railways on the north-western frontier, for the protection of the country against foreign aggression.

No doubt it is a good policy to defend India by building railways, for strategic purposes. It is less expensive to add to our railway system than to increase the number of the army. A country with good railway communication has a great advantage from a military point of view. When a threatened frontier has no railways, all the practicable passes have to be defended by strong forces, as it cannot be known beforehand where the enemy will deliver his attack. But if the defenders have the command of railway leading to those passes, it is enough to assemble a strong army at some central point, from which troops can be rapidly conveyed in trains to the part of the frontier towards which the enemy is reported to be directing his march. Thus by the help of railways, an army of fifty thousand men may do the work that would otherwise require twice or thrice as large an army,

Also, the railways built for military purposes are not thereby debarred from being useful in times of peace, so that, even if there should be no war, the money spent upon them is far from being wasted. The railways, which would be a defense in war, are trade routes in peace, and so perform their more natural function.

How much Indian commerce has been increased by the introduction of railways can be seen in a numerical form by comparing the value of the export from India now with her foreign trade thirty years ago. The railways, by bringing the interior of India into easy communication with the great seaports and through them with foreign nations, have marvellously developed the productive industries of the country. A continual procession of heavily-laden trains carries into Mumbai and the other major ports like Kolkata, Cochin, Kandla, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam, from the interior of India, com, and cotton, that could never have found a market if the only means of communication had been by carts and riverboats. Thus it is mainly due to the power of the locomotive that Punjab and the adjoining regions have become great corn-producing districts that supply the deficiencies of European harvests.

Nor is material prosperity the only important effect produced Railways have a powerful influence in overcoming the barriers between different sections of the community and between man and man. Members of the different castes going on pilgrimage to Benares or Nasik, unless they are rich enough to afford reserved compartments, must either give up their pious intention or consent to come into close contact with one another in crowded railway carriages. Thus railways tend to do away with the exclusiveness of caste and promote the doctrine of the equality of mankind.

They also do much to educate the people of India by enabling them cheaply and with comfort to leave their native villages and visit the great cities that are the headquarters of civilization and progress. (See also the end of the preceding essay on railways and telegraphs.

Indian Railways is the biggest Government institution in India which gives more than 17 Latch people employment. Indian Railways is the biggest railway system in Asia and the second biggest railway system in the world. In India, the first …rain was run between Mumbai and Thane. Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India at that time the train was running by coal Railway Engine. The Britishers started the railway system to exploit the resources, of India and carry the raw material from different parts of India to the ports for export the material to England and when the manufactured goods came to the ports from England then disbursed these goods all over the country within a very short time.

During the freedom struggle, the freedom fighters opposed the extension of the railway network in the country because the railway system used by the Britishers for fulfilling and their interests were in the exploitation of India their own interests. After independence, there is a new chapter started in the development of the Railway Government of India established its separate Ministry of Railways. The total responsibility of Railways is on the Ministry of Railways.

The State Government has no authority to interfere in Railway Network. From the time of independence, the developing process of Railways is very rapidly moving now the old coal engines are almost finished and Diesel and electric engines are using and the Government is determinate to replace all diesel engines with electric engines. The Electric Engines cause no pollution and its performance is better than Diesel Engine. Now there are eleven zones in Railways. Now the total length of Indian Railways is about 65,000 kilometers long railway track of which almost 15,000 kilometers are electric lines.

About 12,000 trains go from one place to another every day Railway is like a lifeline to the people of India. The importance of Railway is known by the fact that every year just before the common budget of the Government of India a separate Railway budget is present in the parliament by the Railway Minister. The railway is regularly working for giving the good facilities of their Passengers. The government of India established a separate Paramilitary Force R.P.F. (Railway Protection Force). The main work of R.P.F. is to protect the property and passengers of the Railway.

The jawans of R.P.E are always traveled with express trains and mails. Railway has its different telephone department which is totally different from the Department of Telecom, Government of India. Railway has its separate audit department which audits all accounts of Indian Railways. This audit department of Railways is totally different from CAG (Controller and Auditor General of India). Railway provides Residence and Medical Aid to their employees. We easily see a residential colony and a dispensary near every Railway Station. There are almost 7,500 small and big Railway Stations in India. The railway is also helping the Indian people in their trade almost 30-40% of goods are carried by Railway in different parts of the country.

The railway also plays an important role during any national calamity and any accidents. Railway provides the food, medicines, doctors and other help in a very short time and very rapidly take the affected people towards the secure places at the time of any natural calamity. We saw that in floods, earthquakes, ocean storm the Railway provide full support to the people as much help as possible. The Railway has the facility for all segments of society. For the people of the economically weaker segment, there is a general class, above it, there is a second class in which people got the sleeping facility by reservation. Above them, there is first class. It is very costly because the seats of first-class are very big and comfortable and you can close your chamber and be free from any disturbance in the compartment.

The topmost facility provides by Indian Railways in Air Condition Compartments. In this compartment, the Railway provides a sleeping facility with a full bed to the passengers. The Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express are running on very big routes, which passengers travel in those trains the Railway provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the passengers. For the last five years, Indian Railways have run a separate luxury train, “Palace on Wheels” in Rajasthan with the support of the Ministry of Tourism Government of Rajasthan. This train has a facility equal to a five-star hotel by this train we can enjoy all places of historical and tourism importance of Rajasthan. So the facility is available for the people of every class. The railway is an essential part of the life of every Indian.

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How did railroads in the 1820s-1830s change the United States

The introduction of steam railroads in the 1820s and 1830s changed America in a number of ways. With the invention of steam locomotives, it was possible for railroads to start connecting cities and towns across the nation. This created a continental transportation system, allowing goods to be transported around the country in an efficient manner. By 1850s, most Americans had replaced horse-drawn carriages with trains as their primary mode of transportation.

In 1807, Robert Fulton revolutionized water travel with his steamboat 'Fulton's Clermont', and Americans developed steamboats that could travel along the deeper eastern rivers. The success of this new method of transportation was demonstrated when the boat made its initial voyage from New York City to Albany in less than 30 hours. This development had a huge impact on America and led to an increase in trade along the eastern seaboard. The Erie Canal, built between 1817-1825, was one of the longest canals ever built at 363 miles long and it provided a crucial connection between Albany and Buffalo.

The first American railroad companies emerged in the 1820s and 1830s, although it wasn't until the 1850s when they began to expand their network across the continent. This expansion of transportation infrastructure was made possible by the Erie Canal and other early canals that opened up western trade. It also enabled states like Ohio to launch its own Ohio Railroad, which connected Cleveland, Toledo, Cincinnati and Columbus. With this came stiff competition between railroads as they raced to serve more towns and cities. This competition was beneficial for consumers as prices were driven down but hurt American railroad companies’ profits. The growth of America's railroad network in the 1850s had a significant impact on America's economy at large. Not only did it open up new markets for farmers' goods from Midwestern states like Illinois, Indiana and Ohio but it also encouraged rapid growth in manufacturing industries such as steel production in Pittsburgh or locomotive building in Schenectady.

The early railroads in the 1820s and 1830s changed America in many ways. By replacing river travel as the primary means of long-distance transportation, railroads moved travelers quickly and reliably between towns and cities. The first rivers to experience this shift were those along the East Coast, where a small number of railroad tracks had already been laid before the Civil War. By 1890, an extensive system of more than thirty thousand miles connected almost every corner of the United States.

The early railroads of the 1820s-1830s transformed America by offering a fast and efficient mode of transportation that was much faster than previous transportation modes. Railroads replaced trafficked waterways, navigable rivers, and intracoastal ocean traffic with turnpikes, canals, railways, steamships, and trains. These new technologies allowed people to travel across the country in days rather than months. The development of these railroads also allowed for increased trade between East and West Coast cities along these waterways as well as access to distant markets through more efficient transportation systems.

This new mode of transportation changed the way Americans viewed their nation, giving them an optimistic view of the future. With the development of new steam locomotives, technological progress was made possible and railroads soon became the dominant mode of transportation. This surpassed canals which were previously used as a means for trade and travel in America. As a result, Americans were able to move goods and services more quickly than ever before and access markets that were previously inaccessible to them due to distance.

The Ohio Railroad was one of the first to make a mark, connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River in 1832. This enabled merchants to quickly transport goods from the Great Lakes region to New Orleans and beyond. The American Railroad Mania followed shortly afterward as entrepreneurs sought to capitalize on this new form of transportation. The Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, for example, was incorporated in 1833 and began work on a canal system that would connect Charleston, South Carolina with Cincinnati, Ohio via the Catawba River Valley. The longest steam railroad at that time was Philadelphia's main line which ran from Harrisburg all the way down to Philadelphia in 1834. This opened up even more opportunities for trade between cities and regions as people could now travel further than ever before.

Cited Sources

- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory1os2xmaster/chapter/on-the-move-the-transportation-revolution/ 2

- https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h67.html 3

- https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-beginnings-of-american-railroads-and-mapping/ 5

- https://www.american-rails.com/beginning.html 6

- https://www.ushistory.org/us/25b.asp 8

- https://pressbooks-dev.oer.hawaii.edu/ushistory/chapter/on-the-move-the-transportation-revolution/ 9

- https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/passagetounion.htm 10

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Growth in Indian railways

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• Civil Aviation in India
• Communication Infrastructure in India
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• Infrastructural reforms taken in the above sectors
• An objective analysis of the present infrastructure in the country
• Measures to further improve infrastructure in the country
• Concept of social sector and social infrastructure
• Development of Education In India
• Health and Family Welfare and The Development of Health Infrastructure
• Indian agriculture at the time of independence
• Land reforms
• Indian agriculture under the five year plans
• Food security in India
• Organization of agricultural credit in India
• Agriculture Marketing and Warehousing
• Agricultural labour
• Agriculture and Food processing industries
• Growth trajectory
• Issues plaguing Indian agriculture
• Programmes and policies introduced in India in recent times to address the issues
• Some more measures or recommendations made by the committee to improve agricultural growth in India
• Indian industry at the eve of independence
• Industrial growth under five year planning
• Major Industrial policies introduced in India since independence
• Basic characteristics of Indian industries in the present times
• Measures taken in recent times to increase the industrial growth in the country
• Issues plaguing industrial growth in India despite the measures
• Suggestions and recommendations given by various committees to increase the industrial growth in the country
• Present foreign trade of India
• Foreign trade policies
• Impact of globalization on Indian economy
• India’s balance of payments
• GATT, WTO and India’s foreign trade
• IMF and World Bank
• Recent reforms taken by Indian in this domain
• Definition of Poverty
• Classification of Poverty
• Poverty in India at the eve of Independence
• Growth of Industry in India
• Poverty Alleviation Programmes since Independence
• Impact of LPG reform on reducing poverty in India
• Reasons why poverty still exists in India
• Actions required to address the above issues
• Definition of Unemployment
• Types of unemployment
• Measurement of Unemployment in India
• Unemployment Trends in India
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• Programmes, policies and measures taken to address Unemployment in India since Independence

Home » Economy » Infrastructure » Growth in Indian railways

The Indian Railways is the lifeline of India. With its vast network across the length and breadth of India, it is not just a mere transporter of passengers and goods but also a social welfare organization.

Indian Railways (IR) has the  4 th  longest rail network  in the world. It is a network of 70,000 km and runs about 21,000 trains, carrying 23 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of freight per day.

• Railways stretch their hands in conducting activities like business, sightseeing, pilgrimage along with transportation of goods.
• It is easier for long-distance travel.
• Plays a vital role in national integration.
• Railways hold a major hand in the economy of the country
• It strengthens the development of the industry and agriculture.
• Railways are the most preferred transport.
• They have the capacity to carry huge loads and bulky goods for long and short distances.

Government Initiatives

The government has set a vision of making railways a 100% safe, fast and reliable mode of transport for passengers and freight.

• Rising passenger & freight traffic

Increasing urbanization, rising incomes (both rural and urban), growing industrialization across the country along with private sector participation

• Increasing freight traffic

Growing industrialization across the country

• Dedicated freight corridor

Six high-capacity, high-speed dedicated freight corridors

• Freight Business Development Portal

One-stop cargo solution for seamless goods transportation

• Diamond Quadrilateral network of high-speed rail

Connecting major metros and growth centers of the country

Reforms in Railways

Speed and changes

While raising the maximum running speed to 160 kmph is welcome measure, accomplishing this in the timeframe given will be difficult. Nearly all trunk routes in the existing network are speed limited to 110 kmph (maximum speed); very few permit speeds of upto 120-130 kmph.

To raise it to 160 kmph, as proposed, there has to be

• track strengthening,
• elimination of curves and level crossing gates and
• strengthening of bridges.
• track fencing especially in densely populated areas.

From the timings for different trains given by the Railway Board, there is no appreciable reduction in transit time for most trains when compared with the timings of the fastest train now operating on that route. This requires a critical review.

Privatization of Railways

Acc. To Government, the “objective of the initiative was to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world-class travel experience to passengers, and also reduce the demand-supply deficit in the passenger transportation sector

• Improved Infrastructure– It will lead to better infrastructure which in turn would lead to improved amenities for travelers.
• Balancing Quality of Service with High Fares– The move would foster competition and hence lead to overall betterment in the quality of services.
• Lesser Accidents– Because private ownership is synonymous with better maintenance, supporters of privatization feel that it will reduce the number of accidents, thus resulting in safe travel and higher monetary savings in the long run.
• Coverage Limited to Lucrative Sectors – An advantage of Indian Railways being government-owned is that it provides nationwide connectivity irrespective of profit. This would not be possible with privatization since routes that are less popular will be eliminated, thus having a negative impact on connectivity. It will also render some parts of the country virtually inaccessible and omit them from the process of development.
• Fares – Given that a private enterprise runs on profit, it is but natural to assume that the easiest way of accruing profits in Indian Railways would be to hike fares, thus rendering the service out of reach for lower-income groups. This will defeat the entire purpose of the system which is meant to serve the entire population of the country irrespective of the level of income.
• Accountability – Private companies are unpredictable in their dealings and do not share their governance secrets with the world at large. In such a scenario it would be difficult to pin the accountability on a particular entity, should there be a discrepancy.
• Fixing responsibility in case of an accident – The responsibility of the private investor ends with investment in the procurement and maintenance of coaches. Train operation, safety, and dealing with everyday problems rests with the Railways. In case of an unfortunate event, how do we fix responsibility when the coaches are owned by the investor but operated by the Railways and its staff? The provision of an independent regulator to resolve the disagreement, discords, and disputes will not solve day-to-day problems of dichotomy unless the basic issue is resolved.
• In the private sector, operations are run with an eye on staff costs which can endanger safety. Also, the private investor is not bound to follow reservation regulations in employment, in turn depriving employment opportunities for those who are on the margins of society.

There should be no need for the government to take a dual role of a facilitator as well as a participant.

In the case of the metro railway services (Hyderabad, for example), an ideal PPP project, the concessionaire is solely responsible for daily maintenance, operation, passenger amenities, and staff issues. The State government steps in when it comes to land, power, permissions, law, and order, etc. Fare determination is in consultation with the government.

Railways or government have no role in fixing passenger fares. Full liberty is being given to the concessionaire to unilaterally fix fares for these proposed trains that are on a par with air and air-conditioned bus fares. It will be beyond the common man’s reach. Fare concessions extended to several categories of people will not be made available by the private investor. The very objective of commissioning the Railways as a public welfare transport organization is defeated.

Restructuring of the Railway Board and Unification of Railway services into a single Cadre

Initial System in Railways

The Indian Railways is governed by a pool of officers, among whom engineers are recruited after the Indian Engineering Service Examination, and civil servants through the Civil Services Examination. The civil servants are in the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) and Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS). The engineers are in five technical service cadres — Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE), Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE), Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE) and the Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS).

Until the 1950s, the Railways system was run by officers from just three main streams: Traffic, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical. The other streams emerged as separate services over time.

It has led to inter-departmental rivalry. The government wants to end inter-departmental rivalries, which it says have been hindering growth for decades.  Departments were working “in silos”.

Unification has been recommended by several committees—

• Prakash Tandon (1994),
• Khanna  (1998),
• Rakesh Mohan (2001),
• Sam Pitroda (2012)
• Bibek Debroy (2015).
• Bibek Debroy committee in 2015 has noted that “departmentalism” is a major problem in the system.  Most committees have said merger of the services in some form would be a solution.  It recommended merging of all services to create two distinct services: Technical and Logistics.
• A separate exam under the Union Public Service Commission is proposed to be instituted in 2021 to induct IRMS officers.

Restructured Board:

• The Board will now consist of  five members – Chairman, who will act as a CEO, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock, and finance.
• There will also be a  Directorate-General – Human Resources (DG – HR)  under the Chairman. The Board will also have some independent members, who will be highly distinguished professionals.
• The  eight railway services  will be  integrated  into a central service called the  Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS). All employees at the management level will come into the Railways through one service — the IRMS.

The Indian Railways is organized into service departments such as traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical, signal & telecom, stores, personnel, and accounts.

Restructured Board

• The Railways will also  upgrade the 27 General Managers (GMs) working at zonal levels to secretary-level grade – highest in the government of India.
• The integration of service departments will  cut the clutter in decision making and  organize the working of the Railway Board and its zones along more commercial lines. This will also  end departmentalism.

The lack of coordination between the maintenance and traffic staff is said to have played a role in the Khatauli rail mishap near Muzaffarnagar in August 2017.

It will streamline railway operations and provide flexibility to the way Railways deploy people. It is a step towards corporatization.

• Merging all 8,400 officers in the eight services — five technical and three non-technical — to prepare a common seniority list and a general pool of posts, especially in higher managerial ranks.
• Those protesting the government’s decision say that the merger is unscientific and against established norms because it proposes to merge two fundamentally dissimilar entities, with multiple disparities.
• First, the civil servants come from all walks of life after clearing the Civil Services Examination. The engineers usually sit for the Engineering Services Examination right after getting an engineering degree. Various studies have noted that engineers join the Railways around the age of 22-23, while the civil servants join when they are around 26, barring exceptions. The age difference starts to pinch at the later stages of their careers when higher-grade posts are fewer. There are more engineers than civil servants.
• Protesters are also saying that the merger is against the service conditions which civil servants sign up for while choosing an alternative if they cannot make it to IAS.

Issues in Railways

Service Quality is not up to the mark

• Cross Subsidization issue

The working of Indian Railways is caught up between making it a self-sufficient organization and serving it as a transport system for the poor. The result being no rise in passenger fares and new trains and routes being decided on non-commercial reasons. The passenger fares usually remain static for years, burdening the Union Budget. In order to keep finances in check, freight charges have been raised in the past. But the discrepancy between freight charges and passenger fares seem to distort the Railways’ performance.

• Overburdening of the Railway infrastructure due to heavy passenger load. There laying of new tracks is at slow speed. There is little capital expenditure on the railways.
• The number of stranded projects are also high in Railways.
• Quality of food served to passengers by the Indian railways is not satisfying.
• Dirty Blankets for AC compartments
• There are rising complaints over unclean toilets and sanitation accessories provided to the passengers.
• Charges – Railways were levying a surcharge for journey on “superfast” trains when these often ran late.
• Redressal mechanism – The complaints raised by passengers on different issues are not addressed properly by the authorities.

Measures proposed

• Freight – New operational setups in logistics like private players will improve the business.
• Smaller cargoes need to be targeted and door-to-door delivery with the cooperation of logistics companies will help.
• Dedicated freight corridors will simultaneously address both the needs of freight and passenger traffic.
• Tariffs – The passenger services should be made affordable by raising Industrial freight rates.
• There is a need for a regulator to recommend fare rises and pricing decisions.
• Food – To immediately address the issue of poor quality food, food can be made optional so passengers can bring their own food and get a discount.
• Amenities – On blankets, a pilot has been launched to raise minimum temperatures under air conditioning and stop supplying blankets.
• There are also reports that the National Institute of Fashion Technology will design light blankets which can be cleaned easily but the immediate reaction is to downgrade the product.

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Essay on Railways in India

Essay on Railways in India!

• Essay on the Railway Finances in India

Essay # 1. Railways under the Plans:

On the eve of India’s First Five Year Plan, Indian railways were in a state of serious disrepair. This may be seen from the fact that 1640 locomotives, 5120 coaches, and 25,000 wagons were due for replacement. There were also large arrears of renewals of track while speed restrictions were in force over large parts.

The main task of the First Plan, therefore, was “the rehabilitation of the railways which had been subjected to severe strain on account of the war and the Partition.” In order to fulfill this and other tasks, the railways spent about Rs. 423 crores during the plan of which rolling stock alone accounted for Rs. 242 crores.

While meeting the large requirements of repair and renewals with imported equipment, steps were also taken to make the railways self-sufficient in respect of even larger requirements during the subsequent plans. Towards this end, a locomotive factory at Chittaranjan and a coach-building factory at Madras were set up in the public sector.

Along with the programme of rehabilitation for which major portion of allotment was utilised, a number of works including doubling of track, yard modeling’s, new crossing stations, additional loops, improved sig­nalling devices and increased repair facilities were also undertaken to cater to increased traffic demands.

The main objectives of the Railway’s Second Plan, during which an expenditure of Rs. 1043.69 crores, was made, were:

(1) To continue the rehabilitation of track, bridges, and rolling stock;

(2) To create adequate capacity to suit the planned requirements of heavy industries like coal, steel, cement, and other com­modities.

The three steel plants set up and those whose capacity had been expanded, had to be regularly supplied with their raw material requirements, including coal, all by rail route. For this purpose, it was necessary to create large additional capacity in the eastern region.

Accordingly, all the loops on the trunk route were brought up to the standard length and heavier freight trains hauled by double-headed diesel or electric locomotives were introduced. In addition to about 1512 kms of doublings, about 1311 kms of new lines, mainly confined to the requirements of coal and steel, were also completed and opened during the plan.

Railway’s Third Plan was framed to meet an estimated freight traffic of 245 million tons and 15% increase in passenger traffic over the level of the Second Plan. Even though initially allotted 1325 crores which was later raised, actual expenditure during the plan came to Rs. 1685.8 crores.

The increase was largely due to rise in prices of materials of construction, government levies, increase in the cost of labour etc., and the additional construction undertaken in the Assam region to meet strategic needs.

Apart from opening 1801 kms of new lines and doubling of 3228 kms of the track, expansion of yards, introduction of modern signalling techniques, all of which went into creating additional capacity, the main task of the railways during the Third Plan was the modernisation of traction, including a switchover from steam to diesel and electric traction.

This was necessary in view of the rapid industrialisation of the country with higher production targets in basic industries.

From a modest beginning made in the Second Plan, when only 5.3% of traffic was carried on diesel and 3.6% on electric traction, modernisation made rapid strides so that by the end of 1965-66, 20.6% of the traffic was carried on diesel and 12.4% on electric traction.

And with a view to providing for even larger requirement of diesel and electric traction in the future, a diesel locomotive factory was set up at Varanasi, while Chittaranjan works were equipped for the manufacture of electric locomotives also.

Taking the three plans as a whole, railways made significant progress in several directions. The capital at large increased more than three times from Rs. 832.2 crores to Rs. 2680.3 crores; freight traffic rose by more than 2 times from 93 million tons to 204 million tons and passengers originating increased by 60% from Rs. 1307.8 million to 2104 million.

Gross traffic receipts went up from Rs. 263 crores to Rs. 733.6 crores —an increase of 179%.

Significantly, the route kilometers increased by a bare 6% from 54932 in 1950-51 to 58399 in 1965- 66 and this despite investment of over Rs. 3000 crores. Of course, it can be argued that most of the required railway network had already been laid by the time the British left and that, therefore, the problem was one of carrying more of passengers and goods over the same route net work rather than expanding the mileage.

There is certainly force in the argument but it may be pointed out that large areas of the country in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh were still without the necessary railway facilities. Also, the railways were still characterised by a variety of gauges which enormously added to the cost of railway transport.

Essay # 2. Effects of Railway Development:

The Railway Development had far-reaching effects on the life and economy of the Indian people. In the official view, “the benefits conferred by railways were at all time great” and that they were “an all powerful agent in the promotion of the material and social advancement of the people.”

Indian leaders, on the other hand, holding that railways had proved detrimental to India’s industrial activity, condemned them ‘as a many—sides evil’ which prevented “a healthy material advance along normal lines.” Let us consider the facts.

ADVERTISEMENTS: (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Essay # 3. Economic Benefits of Railways :

The value of railways was best appreciated in times of famines. The major cause of famines in the past was the absence of an easy and quick means of transporting food from the surplus to the scarcity areas. Railways changed the entire picture.

Being quick, food could now be transported from one part to another and relief operations conducted with greater efficiency. That is why the Famine Commission of 1880 found the highest famine-mortality in areas where transport facilities were most scanty. It, therefore, pleaded for the immediate construction of new lines including 3000 miles for ‘protective purposes.’

The railways greatly facilitated the commercialisation of agriculture. They broke the traditional self-sufficiency of the Indian village and brought it face to face with markets inside and outside the country. It remained no more necessary for the cultivator to meet his varied needs from his own land.

Instead, he began to specialise in particular crops and turned to the newly developed markets for the disposal of his produce and purchase of his requirements.

Railways brought about the expansion of the trade of Indian —internal as well as external. Rice and wheat, especially wheat, began to be exported in larger quantities while the exports of tea, coffee, Hides and skins, oil-seeds, raw-jute, and raw cotton grew rapidly. At the same time, railways helped foreign machine- made goods to penetrate into the interior of the country.

As a result, the total value of India’s foreign trade, which amounted to a bare Rs. 32 crores in 1851-52, rose to Rs. 180.43 crores in 1900-1 —an increase of more than 5.5 times. Railways gave a large impetus to internal trade as well. A network of markets grew up all over the country and minor food grains like millets and pulses began to emerge as important commodities in the internal trade of the country.

Railways also helped in the process of industrialisation of the country. The plantation industries, the coal industry, the cotton and jute mill Industries developed, Pari Passu, with the construction of railways. Coal industry actually began with railway development. The railways not only created a demand for Indian coal but also made coal available in the far flung parts of the country.

Similarly, railways helped in the rise of the cotton mill industry at Bombay by bringing quick and cheap supplies of raw-cotton from the interior. The Iron and steel industry received a great stimulus as railways began to purchase rails and other railway material in India.

The railways benefitted the government, both directly as well as indirectly. With the beginning of the 20th century, railways began to yield profits and were able to directly contribute to the revenues of the government.

Indirectly, the ex­pansion of railways and the consequent development of trade and industry lent buoyancy to government revenues. The gross revenues of India increased from Rs. 61.97 crores in 1877-78 to Rs. 114.51 crores in 1901-1902.

Railways were instrumental in the leveling of prices, especially of food grains, throughout India. Before the commencement of the railways, areas of acute scarcity and plenty co-existed side by side with the result that prices varied and fluctuated widely.

According to Prof. Brij Narain, in 1860, barley was sold in Panipat (Haryana) at 18 seers a rupee but, about 150 miles away, in Mamdot (Punjab) it sold at 101 seers a rupee.Railways abolished the distance barrier and transformed the country into one big market. It became possible now to move supplies quickly from one to another place thereby reducing wide price-disparities and violent fluctuations.

Another very significant effect of railway development was the creation of employment opportunities, especially for the agricultural labourers and the poorer classes of cultivators who were able to supplement their earnings in the off-season by working on railway construction. “Acute immobility of labour and serfdom wire now partially broken and a sense of dignity in employment was brought to railway workers.”

Apart from employment offered in construction, railways directly engaged lakhs of people as clerks, accountants, firemen, and subsequently, even in senior capacities. In 1965-66, 13,52,302 persons were employed by the railways in various capacities.

Political Effects :

Railway converted India from ‘a mere geographical expression’ to a ‘well-knit and consolidated political unit.’ Very long distances and the absence of transport facilities had been the major impediments in the growth of cultural and political cohesion in the country.

By removing these obstacles, railways led to the establishment of a modern central administration. Travel, being cheap, became frequent. This, in turn, promoted a sense of national unity.

The efficiency of the civil administration improved immensely for now it became possible for the government to watch development in different parts of the country and take prompt appropriate measures to deal with them.

Railways gave valuable assistance in transporting men and material in the First and Second World Wars. The Kashmir and Hyderabad operations, after Independence, once again emphasised the important role of railways in the scheme of national defence.

Social Effects :

Railways were, so to say, the evangelists of a new social order in India. They carried new light to the superstitious, custom-bound, conservative villages.

Frequent travelling and inter-mixing, which became unavoidable in railway travel, broke the caste barriers or at least created a greater tolerance of lower castes. In the words of Sanyal , “Social relationships between persons living widely apart multiplied, and parents had no hesitation in marrying their children at distant places.”

Adverse Effects :

However, railways were not an unmixed blessing. As Thorner explains, they were built for strategic and commercial reasons and had no organic relation­ship with the growth-needs of India. By enabling the cheap machine-made products of England to undersell in India, railways brought about the decline of the in­digenous handicraft industries ‘in an astonishingly short space of time’.

According to G.S.Iyer, “every additional mile of railway constructed in this country drove a fresh nail into the coffin of one industry or another.”

One can’t accept Dr. Ansteys assertion that “railways can’t, by themselves, be held responsible for the destruction of these industries — the indigenous in­dustries suffered the most during the first three quarters of the 19th century —that is before the railway network had opened up India.”

While it is true that the decline of cottage industries had started before the railway era began, but this process was slow, confined to certain industries only and had not spread to the interior of the country. Railways, by opening up the country- side to foreign manufac­turers, hastened the final eclipse of certain industries and directly killed the Iron smelting, Glass, and paper industries.

While the railways enabled the cheap machine-made goods of England to undersell and thus destroy the indigenous handicraft industries, they did not usher in the Industrial Revolution experienced by Japan, the United States of America and Western Europe. These countries could develop their Iron and steel and other basic industries because railway construction generated the demand for their products.

In India, however, railways failed to bring about the ‘Take-off’ despite the fact that their construction, involving enormous investment in a relatively short period of time, was in the nature of a ‘Big push.’ There are several reasons for it.

The first and fore-most was that complementary investments in coal, Iron and steel, machinery manufacture, which Marx thought would follow railway development, were extremely slow or were not allowed to proceed at all.

Railway development combined with the growth of the jute industry did promote a slow development of a coal mining industry. But that was about all. No effort was made to encourage the steel industry.

Even attempts made by Indians were outright discouraged. Nor was any progress made towards the manufacture of locomotives and other basic railway equipment except the partial fabrication of wagons and coaches for nearly a century after the establishment of the railway system. The authorities, instead, preferred to import all their requirements from England.

Only a fraction of expenditure was spent in India, and the firms, which benefitted, were almost always controlled by Europeans. In the words of Beumont, “Next to Australia, India was the largest customer we (England) had for locomotives. We supplied all the material and all the equipment and built the railways—.”

Therefore, the Multiplier Effects of railway investments in terms of income, employ­ment, technical knowledge, and growth of external economies were largely exported back to England. That is the reason why rail building in India failed to give birth to a flood of ‘satellite innovations’ and destroyed more occupational opportunities than it opened up.

Fearing that railways might after all encourage Indian industries, a complex system of rates and fares was introduced which stimulated goods traffic from sea-ports into the interior but hampered internal trade and industry.

Rates were lower on goods to and from the ports and high on goods traffic inside the country. Even as late as 1918, the Indian Industrial Commission quoted the case of hides: the port rate was 50% less than internal rates which discouraged Indian Tanning industry.

Thirdly, the trunk lines ran from the big sea-ports to regions rich in raw-materials which also became markets for Britain’s manufactured goods. Built to exploit the country’s natural resources, such railway construction “aided Europe in becoming the manufacturer of India rather than India in becoming the manufac­turer for her self. ”

The fourth was the multi-gauge railway system which impeded traffic between the provinces. The trunk lines were often of one standard gauge while branch lines were of another.

A commodity, moving from one part of the country to another, had to be transferred several times, and each transfer involved the payment of a high tariff. It was often cheaper, as a result, to import coal from Britain than to bring it from a neighbouring province.

The decline and decay of cottage industries rendered a large mass of people unemployed who shifted to agriculture, thereby leading to increased ruralisation of the country.

Famines, therefore, brought hunger and suffering to ever increasing numbers which necessitated larger expenditure on famine relief. Thus, railways, though helpful in preventing the occurrence of famines, were also responsible for increasing the volume and expense of the famine-relief work.

Railways encouraged the export of food-grains from the country. The old practice of storing grains as insurance against future calamities was given up. Also, by encouraging the cultivation and export of commercial crops, railways were responsible for diverting land from food to cash crops thereby causing shortage of food in the country.

A major point of criticism against Indian railways was that they were in­strumental in draining wealth out of India. They were built with foreign capital and administered by a host of foreign employees. This involved remittance of large funds in the form of interest, salaries, profits, payments for the important materials and railway stores.

Payments on account of interest were common to other countries also but extra charges were peculiar to India alone. According to Tiwari, total loss borne by the state, on account of the old guaranteed com­panies at 4% per annum compound interest amounted to Rs. 300 crores up to 1919-1920.

One dangerous political consequence of railway construction was the crea­tion of a powerful foreign aristocracy of shareholders whose interest conflicted with those of the Indian nation. In this sense, Railways added to the already powerful foreign vested interests which often operated to the disadvantage of India.

Railway construction led to the depletion of the meagre forest resources of the country. Trees were recklessly cut denuding large areas of all vegetation. This created the problem of soil erosion.

The railway tracks, at places, were built at a higher level which obstructed the free flow of water. This caused floods at certain places. The construction of railways aggravated malaria in certain districts, although there is a difference of opinion regarding its cause. Popular view is that pits dug for embankment purposes later got filled with rain water.

These small pools of stagnant water fostered the breeding of mosquitoes. Dr. Anstey, however, believes that collies, employed for railway construction, brought new strains of malaria to which the local popula­tion was less immune.

Railways, by encouraging the import of cheap luxury articles, greatly changed the spending habits of the Indian peasants. Their expenditure increased beyond their earning capacity with the result that savings disappeared and many got involved in debt.

By opening up new employment opportunities at far off places and by facilitat­ing mobility of labour, railways dealt a severe blow to the joint family system which had held together the Hindu Society for a long time. People were no longer inclined to stay together and railways enabled them to move out easily and quickly, to wherever employment was available.

According to Gadgil, “one of the most important factors determining the growth of towns in India was railway construction,” While they created new centres of trade as well as enhanced the importance of the old once, railways at certain places bypassed the old towns whose importance declined.

The advent of the railways dealt a severe below to inland navigation also. Even the Industrial Commission was forced to admit that “the vested interests of the railways — prevented water-ways in India from receiving the attention that has been given to them in other countries with such satisfactory results.” The importance of the once famous river port of Broach declined as a result of railway development.

Perhaps, some of the adverse consequence were the ‘inevitable price’ of railway development. They could not have been avoided although their injurious effects could have been minimised by a suitable policy. And it is here that the foreign government totally failed the country.

Essay # 4. Railway Rates in India :

The rates and fares which the railways charge have a vital bearings on the overall economic development of the country as well as their own financial position. Un-reasonably high rates discourage traffic and divert it to other modes of transport, raise costs of production, check development, and distort the location as well as the pattern of industries.

It is, therefore, necessary that the rates and fares are carefully designed so as to ensure a sound financial position for the railways and rapid economic development of the country. The structure of railway rates in India before 1948 did not satisfy this criterion and, therefore, was subjected to severe criticism.

The most striking feature of the railway rates was their ‘individualistic’ char­acter. Each railway operated as an independent commercial unit guided solely by its own individual interests. Accordingly, each railway company fixed its charges according to its own convenience without any consideration for the economic interests of the country as a whole.

Even those lines, which were directly managed by the Railway Board, were treated, in matters of rate-making, as separate systems. For example, the G.I.P. railway rate on cotton from Pachora to Bombay, a distance of 232 miles, was about 0.95 rupee per maund whereas the B.B.C.I. railway rate from Itola to Bombay, 234 miles, was only about 0.44 rupee per maund.

Such a policy might have had some justification when the Indian railways were owned and managed by companies, and the government could not exercise adequate control over their rates policy. Its continuance, however, after the railways had come under the control and management of the State, was hardly defensible.

This policy affected internal trade in particular because while the ports were linked with the inland trade centres by direct lines of usually the same company, the long distance internal traffic as a rule had to pass over more than one railway and was, therefore, made a victim of the ‘complicated and irrational’ rate structure of different railway companies.

This discouraged the setting up of industries away from the sources of raw materials even if other factors favoured it.

What is more, the rating system was very complicated and irrational. Statistical data was often not available and, therefore, no railway ever made an attempt to scientifically group the commodities into different classes and simplify the rate structure.

Every railway had its own schedule with the result that the same com­modity found itself placed in a different schedule on different railway systems. Grains and pulses were, for example, placed in different schedules and had to pay different rates in different parts of the country.

Another complaint was that the rates fixed were very high. The companies never cared to create or attract traffic as was done in America; instead, they tried to earn maximum return “with the minimum of carriage and effort, conveying a small volume of high class traffic at high rates.” Several committees highlighted this fact.

As early as 1856-57, Col Pears strongly refuting the arguments of the railway companies who were trying to raise their charges, held that the main reason for the disappointing traffic on the railways was that the charges were not sufficiently attractive. In 1872, Mr. Randal attributed the failure of traffic to rise up to expectations to the heavy fares.

To many, the rates charged by the Indian railways did not seem high. The Government, in fact, claimed that they were the lowest in the world. Even Mr. Robertson, reporting in 1903, found that, “in money terms, rates in India were lower than in England.”

However, considering the actual circumstances of the two countries, the low value of the commodities, long distance over which they were conveyed and the general poverty prevailing in the country, even he felt compelled to recommend a 30-60% reduction in goods-rates and 18-40% in passenger fares. It need not be emphasised that high rates imposed an undue strain on costs of production.

The Government, under pressure from England, did periodically demand a reduction in rates and freights. In the 40’s and 50’s of the last century, England was crying aloud for the cotton of India. In the 70’s and 80’s, the demand was made for the cheap supply of India wheat for the markets of Europe.

The American railway rates were much cheaper and, consequently, those interested in the export of Indian wheat raised a demand for special wheat rates. The railways obliged by lowering their freight charges in respect of agricultural commodities such as rice, wheat, oil-seeds, raw cotton and jute.

The British manufacturer, who needed cheap supplies of raw materials, benefitted but at the expense of a lop sided development of the Indian economy. As Anstey explains, India became “an exporter of food stuffs, raw materials and plantation products, when she depended upon imports for a large part of her clothing and for an immense range of misce­llaneous manufactures.”

The most serious objection was that the rates were ‘inequitable’ unfair and unjust.’ As the Fiscal Commission (1921 — 1922) pointed out, they were framed to encourage traffic to and from the ports at the expense of internal traffic. This, in effect, meant an encouragement to the export of raw-materials from India and the import of foreign manufactured goods.

Indian industries suffered the double handicap of having to pay more for the transport of raw-materials obtained from various parts of India and also for the distribution of their finished goods in various inland markets. Foreign manufacturers, using Indian raw-materials and selling in Indian markets, enjoyed an advantage in so far as they had to pay less for transportation charges.

It, in effect, “amounted to Indian manufacturers subsidizing their foreign competitors.” To take an example from the cotton trade, the rate charged from Multan to Karachi, a distance of 576 miles, was Rs. 1.05 per maund while from Multan to Delhi, a distance of 454 miles, a higher rate of Rs. 1.19 per maund was charged.

In sugar, special rates were quoted for imported sugar from ports, irrespective of weight and at railway risk. Distance for distance, these rates were, in many cases, lower than the rates even for wagon loads of indigenous sugar carried at owners’ risk.

Mr. Ghosh rightly says that by charging lower rates on imported sugar, railways not merely reduced their own earnings but also added to the profits of the foreign manufacturers.

Similarly, for Delhi, lower rates were quoted on imported matches from Bombay and higher rates from Ahmedabad even though Ahmedabad is about 300 miles nearer. In the case of leather, “the grant of port rates nearly 50% less than the internal rates —discouraged Indian Tanning industry.”

Despite the recommendation of the Industrial Commission that “internal traffic should be rated as nearly as possible on an equality with traffic of the same class and over similar distances to and from ports,” the railways continued to persist with their policy of discriminatory rates.

A consequence of these preferential rates was to encourage the establishment of industries in the port towns of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. This led to the present day con­gestion and over-crowding in these cities and their problems of housing, labour, and sanitation.

Yet another objectionable feature of the rates policy was the use of the ‘Block- rates’. The object of Block rates was to retain traffic on the line on which it originated and block it from passing, after a short lead, on to a rival route.

For this purpose, higher mileage charges for short lengths were imposed on traffic moving from the one railway system to another. In some case, this method was ruthlessly used in killing competition of other means of communications, e.g.. the B.B.C.I. used these rates to kill the shipping industry at Broach.

Even when using ‘Scale’ or ‘Tapering Rates’ which involved a progressive reduction of fares with the length of the distance travelled, each railway company treated the length on its own system as the sole basis for its charges, irrespective of the total distance which the consignment covered.

The result was that a con­signment, which divided a journey of 300 miles between three railways, only obtains the milage rate applicable to a journey of 100 miles. Terminal charges were also sometimes used to extract as much as possible from the traffic which, it was feared, might travel a greater distance over a rival line.

In addition, there were the transshipment and Ghat charges, adjusted class rates, short distance charges which every railway company levied. The multiplicity of these charges and variations in their rates on different systems made the railway rate structure so very com­plicated that even experienced members of the railway staff found it difficult to calculate them.

Whatever their justification, these rates often affected traffic undesirably, increased inequalities and, on the whole, tended to operate to the disadvantage of internal traffic and Indian industries.

As T.R. Sharma explains, these rates meant discrimination even between different regions of the interior and led to concentration of industries in a comparatively small number of towns and cities, e.g. Kanpur and Nagpur, which happened to be important inland transport centres.

Unfortunately, there was no active and alert authority to regulate and control the rates policy in the public interest. The Railway Board was reluctant to modify the rate structure built upon the basis of separate organisations.

Notwithstanding the public demand and the recommendation of the Acworth Committee for the appointment of a Railway Rates Tribunal, the government only set up the Railway Rates Advisory Committee in April 1926.

The Committee did some useful work but failed to go far enough. It was, what Mr. R.D. Tiwari likes to call, a compromise, halfway measure and, as such, its powers and functions were seriously limited. The members lacked judicial powers while the fear that the government might not accept their recommendations failed to create confidence in commercial circles.

Some of these defects in the railway rates structure were removed when a new system of telescopic class rates on a continuous mileage basis was introduced in 1948. Further changes were introduced in 1952 when the practice of charging rates on the basis of inflated mileage was given up; the concessional rates on the transport of sugar to the South and special rates for Iron and Steel were withdrawn.

The telescopic class rates were further modified in 1955 when class rates for the first 300 miles were increased; for 301-600 miles were left undisturbed, while those beyond 600 miles were reduced. The Railway Freight Structure Enquiry Committee of 1957, which investigated the question again, found that the 1948 rating scheme was no more useful.

With a view to enabling the railways to maintain their financial stability and also carry the additional traffic generated during the Second Plan, the committee recommended a regular and progressive increase in rates.

In the committee’s opinion, the most satisfactory method of achieving this increase was to have a standard rate called class 100 rate, and to express all other rates as a percentage of this rate so as to form an integrated scale covering the rates both by class of goods and by wagon loads.

In addition, the committee recommended the abolition of the terminal charges, the transshipment and Ghat charges, and of additional short-distance charge.

The proposed structure had one main defect in that it favoured long distance goods traffic while penalizing the short distance one. Therefore, while introducing a new freight structure towards the end of 1958, government modified the recom­mendations of the committee and introduced two norms, instead of one recom­mended by the Freight Committee, for the percentage system of increase.

Passenger fares were also changed and revised. In 1948, passenger fares were standardised on a uniform mileage basis. After seven years, the authorities, however, realised that the changes adversely affected long distance passengers. Consequently, passenger fares were also fixed on the basis of telescopic fare structure.

With this, many of the anomalies, which characterised the rate structure before Independence, were removed. Export and import traffic was treated at par with internal traffic; classification of goods and freight rates was simplified; coordination between the railway and roads was secured; and con­centration of industries near the sources of raw materials was prevented.

The greatest achievement, however, was that the railway rates were now so designed as to help in the industrialisation of the country and serve the overall needs of the economy.

Essay # 5. Railway Finances in India:

Before April 1925, railway finances were a part of the general finances of the government. Any surplus earned by the railways was transferred to the govern­ment, and deficit, if any, was met out of the government’s general revenues. This mixing of the finances made the railways entirely dependent on the government for all their financial requirements.

Availability of funds depended upon the ex­igencies of the time. Schemes of urgent repairs and improvements and even ‘works in the process of execution’ had to wait because the government, having more pressing things on hand, could not spare the necessary funds. Even otherwise, the financial methods of the government were not suited to the requirements of a commercial undertaking like the railways.

The control of the Finance Member, who is always constrained to economise, could not make for any bold policy. The system of ‘allotments’ which could be suddenly increased or suspended, together with the system of ‘lapse’ at the end of the financial year, often led to extravagance, and never secured steady and economical working.

The way in which each railway administration submitted its ‘programme’ of both capital and special revenue expenditure, the various stages through which the estimates had to pass, and the manner in which the final grant was received, not only sapped all initiative to careful estimate in the construction of projects, but also caused a great deal of delay.

No provision existed for depreciation or a replacement reserve. The result was a terrible underfeeding of the railways. There were numerous complaints of drawbacks and lack of capacity the inevitable result of a ‘paralyzing’ system which was not adapted and developed to meet the requirements of commercial service.

The AcWorth Committee found that the government could neither attain the standard of expenditure of Rs. 18.75 crores recommended by the Mackay Com­mittee nor could adhere, over a period of time, to any uniform rate. Between 1908-1909 to 1919-1920, a maximum of Rs. 18 crores was reached only once against the annual average of Rs. 11.2 crores.

The climax was reached during the First World War when all expenditure, including that for maintenance and repairs, was deliberately kept down. But, instead of carrying the money so underspent to a reserve for future renewals, it was treated as part of the increased revenues to the government.

Thus, while the net profits to the State from railways increased from 4.5% in 1914 to a little over 7% in 1918-19, the maintenance of railway property was sadly neglected. “The financial system which produced such results stood self condemned.”

A point worthy of note is that this arrangement conferred no benefit on the government either. She could not be sure about railway profitability or loss in a particular year and, even in years of profits, she could never correctly anticipate the surplus with any measure of confidence. This imparted uncertainty to govern­ment finances which made proper budgeting difficult.

This problem of railway finance had been noticed at a fairly early stage. Major Conway-Gordon had proposed, as a remedy, the separation of the railway finances from the general revenues of the country to the Parliamentary Select Committee of 1884. In 1900, Lord Curzon wrote a Minute on this question generally favouring the separation.

In 1906, the commerce member of the Viceroy’s Council raised the question again but the Mackay Committee gave their opinion against it.

It was the AcWorth Committee which examined this question in detail and having been impressed by the ‘remarkable results’ of the separation in such countries as France, Italy, Belgium, and Japan , firmly and finally concluded that Indian railways could not be “modernized, improved and enlarged so as to give India the service of which it was in crying need at that time nor could the railways yield to the Indian Public the financial return which they were entitled to — until the whole financial methods were radically reformed.”

The Committee, therefore, recommended two major reforms:

(a) “The complete separation of the railway budget from the general budget of the country” and

(b) “The eman­cipation of the railway management for the control of the Finance Department.”

The terms on which railway budget was separated from the general budget rested upon a convention agreed to by the Central Assembly in September, 1924.

The provisions of the Railway Finance Separation Convention were:

1. That railway finances would be separated from the general finances;

2. In addition to the interest on the capital-at-charge, the railways would contribute one per cent on the capital on commercial lines (excluding capital contributed by companies and Indian States) at the end of the financial year plus 1/5 of surplus profits.

3. That the interest on capital-at-charge of strategic lines and loss in their working would be borne by the Government;

4. That, if after payment of this contribution, the amount available for transfer to Railway Reserve Fund exceeded Rs. 3 crores, 1/3 of the excess over Rs. 3 crores would be paid to the government revenues;

5. That this Reserve Fund would be used to secure the payment of the annual contribution, to provide for areas of depreciation and generally to strengthen the financial position of the railway;

6. That, a standing Finance Committee consisting of members of the Assembly, would be constituted to consider the estimates of railway expenditure;

7. That the Railway Budget would be presented to the Assembly in advance of the General Budget, and that the Member-in-charge of railways and not finance, would present the same.

The convention also provided for the setting up of a Depreciation Fund based on the cost and estimated life of the assets. This Fund was to finance the replacement of worn-out rolling stock and lines.

The separation of the Railway Budget was “the most important reform in­troduced during the present century in connection with the administration of Indian Railways.” It made railways independent of the vagaries of the annual general budget. It now became possible for the railways to build adequate reserves for the further and also plan and undertake schemes of development without any let or hindrance.

However, as Tiwari explains, the value of this salutory change was impaired by the rigid provision for contribution of 1% to the general finance even for years when railways experienced loss. It prevented the railways from giving any relief to the public by way of lower rates and fares or better facilities.

The six years following the adoption of the convention in 1924, were very satisfactory from the point of view of railway finances. They accumulated Rs. 41.5 crores in their Depreciation fund and also contributed Rs. 42 crores to the general revenues. The picture, however, changed with the onset of the depression and the decline in trade, both internal and external.

The situation was further aggravated by disturbed political conditions, increasing competition from road and river transport and falling wheat exports. As a consequence, surpluses turned into deficits and railways not only did not make any contribution to general revenues, but, apart from withdrawing Rs. 31.34 crores from the depreciation fund, practically finished their Reserve Fund also.

Conditions started improving after 1936-37 though real prosperity came only during the Second world war. The unprecedented increase in traffic, goods as well as passenger, led to an enormous rise in railway earnings so that the railway were able to replenish their Reserve Fund and also repay all arrears of contributions to the general revenues.

The war also imposed a heavy strain on the government’s finances which, apart from being stretched to the maximum, were too meagre to meet the demand made upon them. It was accordingly decided to revise the 1924 convention. By a resolution passed by the Central Assembly in March 1943, the convention of 1924 became inoperative from 1 April, 1943.

The most important provisions of the new convention were:

(a) That, after repaying any outstanding loan from the Depreciation Fund, any surplus on commercial lines was to be shared with the government in the ratio of three to one, i.e., 75% to the government and 25% to the railways;

(b) That further surplus on commercial lines were to be shared between the railways and the general revenues according to the needs of each. Following the adoption of this convention, railway earnings were shared according to adhoc agreements reached between the government and the railways.

The attainment of independence changed the entire picture and priorities in the country.

Accordingly, the Railway convention was revised in December, 1949, by a Resolution of the Constituent Assembly which provided:

1. That general and railway finances would continue to be separated;

2. That, from 1950-51, general revenues would receive, for five years, a fixed 4% on the capital invested in railways provided that no dividend was payable on the capital invested out of general revenues in unremunerative strategic lines;

3. That this arrangement would be reviewed, at the expiry of 5 years, by a committee of Parliament which would also suggest any adjustment in the rate of dividend;

4. That a Railway Development Fund would be constituted for financing expenditure on employees’ welfare, necessary but non- paying projects, and provisions of amenities to passengers ;

5. That, for the next five years, a fixed sum of Rs. 15 crores a years would be transferred to the Depreciation Fund;

6. That a standing Finance Committee and a Central Advisory Council for railways would be constituted so as to associate the public with railway administration.

With the adoption of the new formula, the old complicated arrangement was discarded. Rules for allocation of funds to the capital and revenue account were simplified, thereby raising the standards of efficiency and amenities. Likewise, allocation to the Depreciation Fund enabled the railways to quickly replace worn- out equipment. The exemption of payment of dividend on strategic lines was another welcome relief to the railways.

The quantum of contribution by railways to the general revenues was again reviewed by Parliamentary convention committees in 1954, 1960 and 1965 when the rate of dividend payable was suitable revised.

According to the recommen­dations of the Railway Convention Committee, 1965 and approved by the Parlia­ment, the rate of dividend on capital invested up to 31 March, 1964 was increased to 5.5% and on capital invested after that date to 6%. The new rates came into force from April, 1966.

It may, however, he noted that the separation of railway finance from general finance is a hangover from Pre-Independence days when the motives of the separa­tion were not strictly economic but political. It had no relevance in the Post-Independence period when the railways, though still worked as a commercial enterprise, were, in-fact, run as a government department.

The railways themselves did not generate sufficient savings to meet what the Planning Commission called “the minimum obligation of the railways as a public utility concern.” Rather, the bulk of the expenditure was met from out of the general revenues.

This may be seen from the fact that the railways provided, from their own resources, only Rs. 1286 crores —a bare 40.7% out of the total outlay of Rs. 3153 crores incurred on the railways during the first three plans.

While railways thus became de­pendent, their revenue and expenditure were often adjusted to meet the needs of the government. It happened, for example, in 1951 when railway fares were increased to provide ‘assistance’ to the general budget.

This made a farce of the so-called Railway convention. A separate budget for railways, therefore, was no more justified than for the river-valley projects or the public sector steel undertakings.

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Indian railway: significance and problems of indian railways.

Indian Railway: Significance and Problems of Indian Railways!

1. Railways provide the cheapest and most convenient mode of passenger transport both for long distance and suburban traffic.

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2. Railways have played a significant role in development and growth of industries. Growth of textile industry in Mumbai, jute industry in areas surrounding Kolkata, coal industry in Jharkhand, etc is largely due to the development of railway network in these areas. Railways help in supplying raw materials and other facilities to the factory sites and finished goods to the market.

3. Agriculture also owes its growth to railways to a great extent. Now farmers can sell their agricultural produce to distant places and even sell them in the world market at remunerative prices.

4. Railways are also helpful in removing isolation between cities and countryside and have played a significant role in disseminating innovations and new ideas.

5. Railways are particularly suited to long distance journey and provide a strong medium of national integration.

6. Railways play a vital role in mitigating the sufferings of the people in the event of natural calamities like droughts, floods, famines, earthquakes, etc. This is done by carrying relief and rescue teams and essential items to the affected areas and save people from sufferings and starvation.

7. Railways also help in facing man-made calamities like social, political, religious disturbances, insurgency, etc. It facilitates easy movement of police, troops, defence equipment, etc. The importance of railways to save the country’s freedom and integrity from external aggression has been proved at several occasions.

8. Railways carry the British legacy and connect major ports Jo their hinterlands, thereby lending a helping hand to the overall prosperity of the coastal areas.

9. Introduction of superfast trains and container services in major cities of India have ensured quick movement of men and material.

10. Railways are specially suited to long haulage of bulky materials like coal, petroleum and ores.

Problems of Indian Railways:

Although Indian Railways have progressed a lot, both quantitatively and qualitatively, during the last few years, this system is still plagued by a number of problems which require immediate attention.

A lot has been done, but a lot more is yet to be done. Some of the major problems faced by the Indian Railways are briefly discussed as under:

Indian Railways have been in the news albeit for wrong reasons. With the rapid increase in passenger and goods traffic, the frequency of train accidents is increasing very fast. This has raised serious doubts in the public mind about safety of Rail travel and the general health of the railway network.

The credibility of an organisation with a long and proud history of nation building seriously eroded. In such a situation it is but natural to ask where the Railways are heading. Table 28.6 gives an overview of the major Railway accidents that occurred during the last one decade from 1995 to 2005. On an average the Railways report 20 major collisions, 350 derailments and around 80 level crossing accidents in a year.

Table 28.6 Major Rail Accidents in India since 1995:

5 September, 1992 Raigarh (Chhattisgarh) Collision of two trains. 41 — 16 July, 1993 Darbhanga (Bihar) — 60 — 21 September, 1993 Chhabra (Rajasthan) Kota-Bina passenger train collided with goods train. 71 14 May, 1995 New Salem (Tamil Nadu) Madras-Kanniyakumari Express collided with a goods train. 52 1 June, 1995 Two accidents in West Bengal and Orissa — 73 20 August, 1995 Ferozabad (U.P.) Delhi bound Purushottam Express rammed into stationery Kalindi Express. 302 18 April, 1996 Domingarh, near Gorakhpur (U.P.) Gorakhpur, Gonda passenger train rammed into a stationery goods train. 60 14 May, 1996 Near Alappuzha (Kerala) Bus carrying a marriage party collided with Emakulam- Kanniyakumari train at an unmanned crossing. 35 25 May, 1996 Near Varanasi (U.P.) Allahabad bound passenger train rammed into a tractor-trolley at an unmanned crossing. 25 30 December, 1996 Between Kokrajhar and Fakiragram stations (Assam) Bomb blast on the Brahmaputra Mail. 33 8 July, 1997 Lehra Khanna in Bhatinda district (Punjab) Bomb blast on a passenger train. 33 28 July, 1997 Faridabad (Haryana) Collision between Karnataka Express and Himsagar Express. 12 14 September, 1997 Bilaspur district (Chhattisgarh) Five coaches of Ahmedabad- Howrah Express plunged into a river. 81 24 April, 1998 Parali Vaijanath (Beed), Madhya Pradesh 15 Wagons of a goods train rammed into the Manmad-Kachiguda Express. 24 32 13 August, 1998 Karur (Tamil Nadu) Bus rammed into Chennai-Madurai Express at an unmanned crossing. 19 27 24 September, 1998 Near Bottalopalam village (Andhra Pradesh) Train engine rammed in an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus at an unmanned level crossing. 20 33 26 November, 1998 Near Ludhiana (Punjab) Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express rammed into three derailed bogies of Amritsar bound Frontier Golden Temple Mail. 108 16 July, 1999 Near Mathura (U.P.) Grand Truck Express collided with derailed wagons of a goods train. 17 200 3 December, 2000 Between Sarai Banjara and Sadhugarh (Punjab) Howrah-Amritsar Mail rammed into derailed goods train. 46 130 22 June, 2001 Near Kozhikode (Kerala) Three bogies of Mangalore-Madras Mail fall in Kadalundi river. 52 — 5 January, 2002 Ghatnandur station Secunderabad-Manmad Express collided with a goods train. 21 41 27 February, 2002 Godhra (Gujarat) Sabarmati Express set on fire 59 — 9 September, 2002 Aurangabad district (Bihar) Part of Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani Express fall in Dhavi Nadi. 100 150 3 January, 2003 Ghatnadur Station (Maharashtra) Secunderabad-Manmad Express collided with a goods train. 21 41 15 May, 2003 Ludhiana ,(Punjab) Frontier Mail caught fire. 38 13 22 June, 2003 Near Sindhudurg district (Maharashtra) Karwar-Mumbai Central Holiday Special derailed. 53 25 2 July, 2003 Warangal (Andhra Pradesh) Engine and two bodies of a train fall into a river. 18 — 14 September, 2004 Mukerian (Punjab) Jammu-Ahmedabad Express collided with DMU. 50 150 21 April, 2005 Samlaya railway station near Godhra (Gujarat) Sabarmati Express collided with a stationary goods train. 21 125 2 October, 2005 Datia (M.P.) Bundelkhand Express derailed and rammed into signal cabin. 13 60 29 October, 2005 Nalgonda district (Andhra Pradesh) Seven coaches of Repalle- Secunderabad Fast Passenger derailed and plunged into swollen rivulet. 100 100 (Many of them serious) 9 November 2005 Barwadih near Latehar in Dhanbad division (Jharkhand) Goods train rammed into Gomoh- Chopan passenger train. 25 100 There are several factors which are responsible for increasing number of railway accidents; some outstanding being overaged tracks, wagons, coaches, bridges and signaling system. According to the Khanna Railways Safety Review Committee Report, nearly 25 per cent of the total railway track in India is overaged and is due for replacement. The tracks suffer from fatigue and wear and tear in due course of time, and their replacement should be carried on side by side. In several derailments poor condition of tracks had been found responsible. The condition of tracks becomes more significant when one look at the other assets of the Railways. The Khanna Railways Safety Committee had reported that Indian Railways have 34,000 overaged wagons, 1,322 overaged coaches, and 1,560 stations with overaged signaling. Moreover, 262 bridges are listed “distressed. The white paper released by the Railway in April, 2003 acknowledges that over 51,000 bridges are of 119th century vintage Out of a total of 1,27,154 bridges in India, 56,178 are more than 80 years old Thus 44.17 per cent of the bridges have outlived their life. According to the review conducted by the Comptroller General of India on various aspects of bridge management between 1997-98 to 2011-02 these old bridges include 339 important, 4,210 major and 51,629 minor bridges built before 1920. The Khanna Committee had further reported that 76 per cent of all rail accidents are due to derailments, 7 per cent due to collisions, 16 per cent take place at level crossings and 1 per cent is due to fires. Resource crunch is said to be the main cause of all these happenings in the Indian Railways. Table 28.7 gives an idea of damage done to human life by railway accidents. Table 28.7 Number of Persons Killed and Injured in Railway Accidents: Killed 1,793 1,161 1,329 1,796 1,473 1,538 1,837 Injured 5,549 3,495 3,724 4,398 3,960 3,862 3,976 Worried about the increasing rate of accidents and loss of life and property resulting from these accidents, the Indian Railways have come out with Anti-collision Devices (ACDs) or ‘Raksha Kavach to get rid of such happenings. World’s first Networked Anti Collision Devices (ACDs) Raksha Kavach invented by Konkan Railway is a microprocessor system comprising of a central processing unit a Global Position System (GPS) Receiver and a digital radio modem for communication between ACDs. When fitted to a guard van it becomes a Guard ACD. When fitted at stations it becomes a Station ACD and when fitted at level crossing gates, it becomes a Gate ACD. They all network among themselves, exchange information and take decision to prevent collision type of dangerous situations well in time automatically, without manual inputs, forming Raksha Kavach against collisions. Extensive field tests of Raksha Kavach have been conducted successfully on Indian Railways. Survey for implementation of ACDs has already been completed for 3,300 route km on Indian Railways and 760 km on Konkan Railway. About 1,770 ACDs on 1,736 km route length of North East Frontier Railways covering 183 stations have been installed at the cost of Rs. 50 crore. Modem signalling like panel inter-locking, route relay inter-locking, centralised traffic control, automatic signalling and multi-aspect colour light signalling, are being progressively introduced. 2. Cost and Revenue Problems: As is the case with most of the government organisations, Indian Railways face chronic financial crisis. The annual rate of increase in cost has overtaken that of revenues during the last few years. A study of Railways finances from 1998 to 2004 reveals that the revenues increased at an average annual rate of 8.7 per cent against the 9.65 per cent average annual growth in costs. In certain years in between, the revenue growth rate did exceed that of cost. But this position was achieved by providing inadequately for replacements and severely controlling the costs. Such a situation has long term implications as it affects the internal generation of resources. Following are the main causes of costs and revenue problems. (i) Low level of employee productivity: Indian Railways face a serious problem of low level of employee productivity. Transport output in terms of passengers and freight tonne kilometres per employee on Indian Railways is only 400 as compared to 500 for Chinese and 570 for French Railways. An estimated 30 per cent surplus workforce and operation of a number of lines with low traffic and assets not essential for the Railways are contributory factors. The organisation has been reducing its workforce since 1992-93 by a paltry one per cent annually. (ii) Staff Wages: With the implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission, staff wages have increased tremendously and have put heavy strain on the financial resources of the Railways. Staff wages and allowances which together with pension, accounted for 41.7 per cent of the Gross Traffic Receipts in 1996-97 rose to 47.8 per cent in 1997-98 and 53.3 per cent in 1998-99. With life expectancy going up and wage escalations taking place periodically, the position will only worsen leaving little scope for development plans. (iii) Increase in lease charges: Paucity of funds forces the, Indian Railways to resort to market borrowings which results in increased lease charges. Market borrowings started in 1986 and the trend is increasing. At present payout of lease charges constitute about 8.5 per cent of the revenue. 3. Slowdown in Revenue Growth: With saturation of trunk routes and low quality of services and reliability, the revenue growth has registered a slowdown. The railways are increasingly becoming a transporter of bulk commodities for public sector (coal, iron ore, food-grains, etc.) and are consistently losing to roadways. Most of the national highways run parallel to railways and are consistently snatching revenues from the railways (Table 28.8). Table 28.8 India: Rail-road Shares in Traffic (Percentage Shares): Passenger Traffic Freight Traffic Year Rail Road Rail Road 1950-51 80 20 89 11 1996-97 20 80 40 60 2004-05 15 85 30 60 This table shows that the share of railways in passenger traffic slipped from 80 per cent in 1950-51 to only 20 per cent in 1996-97 and to 15 per cent in 2004-05. Similarly the freight traffic fell from 89 per cent in 1950-51 to 40 per cent in 1995-96 and further to 30 per cent in 2004-05. 4. Social Burden: Indian Railways have to play a dual role of revenue earning as well as meeting the social obligations. The Expert Group, constituted in December 1998 to study the railway sector, termed it as the ‘split personality’. On one hand, the Railways are seen as a commercial organisation and on the other hand, it is treated as a social organisation which must perform its social obligations. The two functions are diametrically opposite and difficult to reconcile. There are several social obligations on the railways which are always running below cost. Suburban passenger services, concessionary travel to certain section of travellers, concessional freight movement of certain commodities, particularly to remote and inaccessible areas like the North-east region, providing rail services to backward regions are some of the outstanding social obligations on the Indian Railways. 5. Other Problems: A large number of miscellaneous problems include late running of trains, lack of passenger facilities including cleanliness at the railway stations, lack of security arrangement on the railways resulting in theft and dacoities, etc. Political pressure and interference is a very big problem which the Indian Railways are facing with increasing impact. Several projects which are not economically viable have been initiated for political considerations. 2 Segments of Railway Traffic in India: Passenger Traffic and Goods Traffic Railways: Characteristics, Suitability and Other Details No comments yet. Leave a reply click here to cancel reply.. You must be logged in to post a comment. Skip to primary navigation UPSC Coaching, Study Materials, and Mock Exams Enroll in ClearIAS UPSC Coaching Join Now Log In Call us: +91-9605741000 Socio-economic effects of Railways Last updated on September 29, 2023 by ClearIAS Team The socio-economic effects of railways were significant in the societies around the world. Railways played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution by providing efficient transportation for raw materials, goods, and people. This accelerated the growth of industries and the overall economy. Read here to learn more about the global impact of railways. Railways revolutionized leisure travel and tourism. They made it easier for people to take vacations and explore distant destinations. The development of railways also influenced literature, art, and culture. Trains and railway journeys became iconic subjects in various forms of creative expression. Railways have had a transformative impact on the global economy, society, and culture. They have played a central role in shaping the modern world and continue to be essential components of transportation networks in many countries. Table of Contents History of Railways around the world The history of railways worldwide is a fascinating journey that spans several centuries and has played a pivotal role in the development of transportation, industry, and commerce. The concept of using tracks to facilitate transportation dates back to ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans, who used grooved stone or wooden tracks for moving heavy objects. UPSC CSE 2025: Study Plan ⇓ (1) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims cum Mains (2) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims Test Series (3) ⇒ UPSC 2025: CSAT Note: To know more about ClearIAS Courses (Online/Offline) and the most effective study plan, you can call ClearIAS Mentors at +91-9605741000, +91-9656621000, or +91-9656731000. Wagonways: In the early modern period, various European mining regions developed wagonways or wooden rail systems to transport coal and minerals from mines to nearby waterways. Steam Locomotives: The development of the steam engine by James Watt and others in the late 18th century paved the way for the first steam-powered locomotives. In 1804, Richard Trevithick built the first full-scale working steam locomotive. George Stephenson, known as the “Father of Railways,” designed and built the first successful steam-powered locomotive, the “Rocket,” in 1829. This locomotive was used on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the world’s first public railway line. The success of early railways in Britain led to a period known as “Railway Mania” in the 1830s and 1840s, during which numerous railway companies were founded, and thousands of miles of track were laid across the country. Spread Across Europe: The success of railways in Britain inspired other European countries to develop their rail networks. France, Belgium, and Germany were among the early adopters. First American Railway: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, chartered in 1827, is often considered the first American common-carrier railroad. Transcontinental Railroad: The completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States in 1869 marked a significant milestone. It connected the east and west coasts of the country and revolutionized cross-country travel and trade. Railways in Asia: The construction of railways in Asia, including India, China, and Japan, played a crucial role in modernizing transportation and commerce in these regions. Africa and Australia: Railways were also constructed in Africa and Australia to facilitate the transportation of goods and people across these vast continents. In the 20th century, many railways transitioned from steam to electric and diesel locomotives, improving efficiency and reducing pollution. High-Speed Rail: Several countries, including Japan, France, and Germany, developed high-speed rail systems that allow trains to travel at significantly faster speeds, making them competitive with air travel. Modern Railways: The development of urban transit systems, such as subways and light rail, has revolutionized city transportation, reducing congestion and pollution. Magnetic Levitation (Maglev): Some countries have invested in magnetic levitation trains , which use magnetic fields to lift and propel trains at very high speeds, virtually eliminating friction. Also read:  History of Railways in India Socio-Economic Effects of Railways Worldwide Railways, as a mode of transportation, have had significant socio-economic effects worldwide. Economic Growth: Railways are crucial for the efficient movement of goods, including raw materials, finished products, and agricultural produce. This contributes to economic growth by reducing transportation costs and improving market access. Railways played a pivotal role in the industrialization of many countries, enabling the expansion of industries by providing reliable and cost-effective transportation for raw materials and manufactured goods. Urbanization and Regional Development: Railways have facilitated urbanization by connecting rural areas to cities and enabling the movement of people in search of employment and better living conditions. They connect remote and underserved regions to urban centers, helping to reduce regional disparities in economic development. Employment: Railways create jobs in construction, maintenance, operations, and administration. These jobs often provide stable employment opportunities, especially in rural areas. The railway sector generates additional employment in related industries, such as manufacturing, logistics, and hospitality. Railways often pass through scenic areas, and heritage railways attract tourists, contributing to local economies through tourism-related businesses like hotels, restaurants, and tour operators. Reduction of Environmental Impact: Rail transport is generally more energy-efficient and has a lower environmental impact compared to road or air transport. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, contributing to better air quality and public health. Improved Access: Railways improve access to education and healthcare facilities in remote areas. Students and patients can travel to urban centers more easily, reducing the urban-rural divide in access to essential services. Railways provide a faster means of transportation, reducing travel times and improving the efficiency of business operations. Railways help alleviate road congestion in urban areas by diverting the transportation of goods and passengers to rail lines Cultural Exchange: Railways facilitate cultural exchange by allowing people to travel and experience different regions and cultures. This can promote tolerance, understanding, and a sense of shared identity. Rural Development: Railways encourage agricultural development by providing a means to transport agricultural products to markets. They also facilitate the import of fertilizers and machinery. While railways have numerous socio-economic benefits, challenges also exist, such as the high cost of infrastructure development and maintenance, the need for modernization and innovation, and competition from other transportation modes. Additionally, the impact of railways can vary depending on factors like infrastructure quality, governance, and investment levels in the sector. Therefore, the socio-economic effects of railways can differ significantly from one country or region to another. Previous year question Q. Bring out the socio-economic effects of the introduction of railways in different countries of the world. (Answer in 150 words) (GS Paper 1 2023) -Article by Swathi Satish Top 10 Best-Selling ClearIAS Courses Upsc prelims cum mains (pcm) gs course: unbeatable batch 2025 (online), rs.75000   rs.29000, upsc prelims marks booster + 2025 (online), rs.19999   rs.14999, upsc prelims test series (pts) 2025 (online), rs.9999   rs.4999, csat course 2025 (online), current affairs course 2025 (online), ncert foundation course (online), essay writing course for upsc cse (online), ethics course for upsc cse (online), upsc interview marks booster course (online), rs.9999   rs.4999. About ClearIAS Team ClearIAS is one of the most trusted learning platforms in India for UPSC preparation. Around 1 million aspirants learn from the ClearIAS every month. 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Try AI-powered search Railways will soon reach almost every corner of India But the country’s rail system remains a long way behind china’s. By Tom Easton: Mumbai bureau chief, The Economist I N 1853 A British-built steam engine with 14 small carriages left a temporary station near the tip of the Bombay peninsula on India’s west coast and proceeded north to the intersection with the mainland at Thane, a journey of 34km (21 miles) that could take several days by oxcart. Within just a few years, the new railway would provide the cotton to feed the growth of a dynamic textile industry. But despite benefits that would soon seem obvious, the challenges of erecting the initial line were so severe that it is a wonder it was ever built. As many as 10,000 inexperienced workers struggled with novel techniques in the midst of brutal heat and monsoon floods to create a stable foundation in swamps full of poisonous snakes. It was the start of what would, over the following decades, become a national rail system. During 2022 that system will be connected to some of India’s most remote areas, almost completing the connection of every state. The final touches will be put to stations at Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, both cities tucked away in north-east India between Bangladesh and Myanmar. In December 2022 the world’s highest railway bridge, rising 360 metres above the Chenab river, will open, enabling rail transit into the Kashmir valley for the first time. Over the past decade China has laid track equivalent to 90% of India’s system That will allow trains to run from Kanyakumari Station, located within walking distance of the beach at India’s southern tip, to the country’s extreme north. Once the current spate of projects is completed, only two of India’s 28 states will remain unconnected to the train network: tiny Sikkim, in part because of its particularly difficult terrain, and tiny Meghalaya, in part because of lingering political resistance. The Indian rail system’s growth has never been smooth. Momentum accelerated in the first half of the 20th century, with the length of track quadrupling to some 59,000km. After independence, the pace slowed and the total is now just shy of 100,000km. Connectivity was hindered by states’ autonomy, which resulted in tracks of incompatible gauges, whose only shared characteristic was obsolete steam power. Once a standard gauge was adopted, usage exploded. The number of tickets sold annually rose from 1.3bn in 1950 to 8.4bn in 2018 and freight tonnage hauled from 73m to 1.2bn. Reworking of the system’s core components continues. Dedicated freight corridors, begun in 2006, linking Mumbai to Delhi and Kolkata to Punjab, will open in 2022 or 2023, alleviating crippling congestion. Other improvements are proceeding slowly. (Over the past decade China has laid track equivalent to 90% of India’s system, much of it high-speed lines.) Several factors explain India’s slowness. Acquiring land is hard. The country’s topography—with wide rivers, high mountains and harsh weather—is unkind to surface transport. Some 200 rail tunnels are currently being bored, and the Chenab bridge is designed to withstand winds of 266kph. All this increases costs, in a poor country with urgent competing needs. Philosophical opposition looms as well. In his book “Hind Swaraj” (“India Home Rule”), Mahatma Gandhi saw the railways as perpetuating the British Raj and providing services that corroded the atavistic, autarkic village culture he championed. Railways enabled the spread of plague and deepened famines by facilitating the export of grains, he claimed. “Good travels at a snail’s pace,” Gandhi famously wrote. “It can, therefore, have little to do with the railways.” Some Gandhian sentiment remains. It may explain the lack of a connection with Meghalaya. But other ideas are gaining force. The original Nehruvian idea of India as an independent nation now requires strengthening the logistical sinews of the state, says Devesh Kapur of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. That means an emphasis on connectivity through roads, broadband, water pipelines and especially railways. Wide support now exists for this approach. Attacks on railways, not uncommon in the past, have ceased. Gandhi’s reasoning still carries some weight, but the slow process of construction has given Indians time to move beyond his conclusions and embrace the advantages of rail. Despite the costs, many realise that a diverse nation, with many constituencies that are often at odds, is healthier when better connected. Tom Easton: Mumbai bureau chief, The Economist ■ This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition of The World Ahead 2022 under the headline “Slow train coming” More from The World Ahead The World Ahead The World Ahead The World Ahead 2024 Future-gazing analysis, predictions and speculation Introducing The World Ahead 2024 Indian Railways is the biggest Government institution of India which gives more than 17 Lakh people employment. Indian Railways is the biggest railway system of Asia and the second biggest railway system of the world. In India the first train was run between Mumbai and Thane. Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General of India at that time the train was running by coal Railway Engine. The Britishers started the railway system to exploit the resources of India and carry the raw material from different ports of India to the ports for export the material to England and when the manufactured goods came to the ports from England then disbursed these goods all over the country within a very short time. During the freedom struggle the freedom fighters apposed the extension of railway network in the country because the railway system used by the Britishers for fulfilling and their interests were in the exploitation of India their own interests. After independence there is a new chapter started in the development of Railway Government of India established its separate Ministry of Railways. The total responsibility of Railways is on the Ministry of Railways. Image Source: indiatransportportal.com The State Government have no authority to interfere in Railway Network. From the time of independence the developing process of Railways is very rapidly moving now the old coal engines are almost finished and Diesel and electric engines are using and the Government is determinate to replace all diesel engines with electric engines. The Electric Engines cause no pollution and its performance is better than Diesel Engine. Now there are eleven zones in Railways. Now total length of Indian Railways is about 65,000 kilometers long railway track in which almost 15,000 kilometers are electric lines. About 12,000 trains go one place to another everyday. Railway is like a life line to the people of India. The importance of Railway is known by the fact that every year just before the common budget of Government of India a separate Railway budget is present in the parliament by the Railway Minister. Railway is regularly working for giving the good facilities of their Passengers. Government of India established a separate Paramilitary Force R.P.F. (Railway Protection Force). The main working of R.P.F. is to protect the property and passengers of the Railway. The jawans of R.P.F. are always travelled with express trains and mails. Railway has its different telephone department which is totally different from Department of Telecom, Government of India. Railway has their separate audit departments which audit all accounts of Indian Railways. These audits department of Railways is totally different from CAG (Controller and Auditor General of India). Railway provides Residence and Medical Aid to their employees. We easily see a residential coloney and a dispensary near every Railway Station. There are almost 7,500 small and big Railway Stations in India. Railway is also help the Indian people in their trade almost 30-40% goods are carried by Railway in different parts of country. Railway is also play important role during any national calamity and any accidents. Railways provides the food, medicines, doctors and other help in very short time and very rapidly take the affected people towards the secure places at the time of any natural calamity. We saw that in floods, earthquakes, ocean storm the Railway provide full support to the people as much help as possible. The Railway have the facility for all segments of society. For the people of economic weaker segment there is a general class, above it there is a second class in which people got the sleeping facility by reservation. Above them there is first class. It is very costly because the seat of first class is very big and comfortable and you can close your chamber and free from any disturbance in the compartment. The top most facility provide by Indian Railways in Air Condition Compartments. In this compartment the Railway provide sleeping facility with full bed to the passengers. The Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express who are running on very big routes, which passengers travel in those trains the Railway provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to the passengers. From the last five years Indian Railways run a separate luxury train, “Palace on Wheels” in Rajasthan with the support of Ministry of Tourism Government of Rajasthan. This train have the facility equal to five star hotel by this train we can enjoy all places of historical and tourism importance of Rajasthan. So the facility is available for the people of every class. Railway is the essential part of the life of every Indian. Related Essays: 1329 Words Essay on Materialism and Modern Man Essay on Indian economy condition during colonial period Dandi March-salt satyagraha Essay on Evolution of Hedonistic Ideal in Ethics Civilsdaily No. 1 UPSC IAS Platform for preparation How did the railways contribute to the growth of Indian Nationalism? (250 W) Mentors Comment: In order to answer this question, mix the negatives of Railways under British government and subsequent Indian National Movement. We all know that while British claimed that they introduced railways for the benefits of Indian people, in contrary it only helped the prolongation of British rule and misery for people of subcontinent. Therefore, take cue from this theme and base your answer. There can be many points to discuss like railways making it easy for leaders to meet and discuss, getting newspapers cheap and distributed to far off areas, showing Indian the reality of racial profiling by British, angering the peasants, artisans and industrialists by hampering their economy, becoming easy targets for revolutionaries etc. These all issues were raised by nationalist leaders and it helped in the arousal of nationalism among people. Model Answer: The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853. The political condition and the economic trend of the 19th century India induced the British to construct railways all over India. Railways, it was believed, would assist the economic development of India and provide both a market for British goods and a source of raw materials. It would also be helpful in the administration and protection of India by facilitating the movement of troops within the subcontinent. Under the guise of nation-building, the railways were primarily tools of economic exploitation and moral policing. But unknowing to British at that time, railways in India started contributing in the growth of Indian nationalism. Connected Indians: The railways was blessing in disguise because it connected people from hitherto unknown lands and they mixed with one another. Regional feelings began to disappear. It took only a journey by train to remind Indians of the hostile treatment meted out to train-travelling Indians by the colonial administration and European passengers, as though they were second- or third-class citizens in their own country. At the same time, with this connectivity, people gradually realised that all along Indian sub continent, British rule was responsible for the plundering of land and no area was exception to their loot. Connected national leaders: With railways, all educated nationalists, living in different parts of the sub-continent, came in contact with one another. They exchanged their ideas and discussed their problems which they were facing under the foreign rule. The Indian National Congress used the railways as the umbrella to connect members from the “Indian intelligentsia and ascendant professional classes across the subcontinent. Helped Vernacular Press: Press played an important role in mobilising public opinion and growth of national consciousness. The vernacular press got impetus because with railways, now they could penetrate the interiors of sub continent and their ideas and critique of British rule could be read by common people as well. Also, because transportation with railways became easy, the newspapers became cheaper and in the reach of common people. Provided easy targets for revolutionaries: For anti-British sabotage the trains became the most symbolic as well as practical recourse. The railways being both the substance of state power and the instrument of that power, attempts to isolate them from sites of insurgency was the chief terrorist strategy. Mobilisation point for the movement: The railway stations had transformed into sites of mass-nationalism. In the 1920s and 1930s, the railway station was integral to familiarizing Indians with the ethics and politics of swaraj and satyagraha. The railways were used for truly secular purposes by Gandhi. He had no qualms about seeking donations, aboard them, or on platforms for the satyagraha movement. Economic Critique of British Government policies: Railways ruined India’s traditional handicrafts industry which increased Anti-British feelings among artisans Tariff policies of railways hampered Indian industries because they had conscious policy of charging higher rates for products of Indian industries and artisans. The British government decided that guaranteed profits to the investors should be paid by an extra tax on the local peasantry. This angered the already poor peasantry. The peasant called the railway as the devil’s engine and saw in it an instrument for riveting more firmly the bond of a hated alien rule. The railways actually caused a huge drain on India’s finances and its resources and as the beneficiaries were British investors, nationalists like Dada Bhai Naoroji used the question of Railway to show drain of wealth theory. In the long run, the railways under British rule did not alter the basic structure of the Indian economy. It was not until independence, when economic development became a conscious policy, that the railways began to realise their potential for assisting in the transformation of indian economy. The invention that did most to keep the Indians in check proved to be double-edged, stimulating the nationalistic forces which eventually triumphed. If the British had nurtured the skills of their Indian workers and used the economic clout of the railways to stimulate the Indian economy, and if the companies had treated their third-class as customers rather than as chattels, much of the anger towards the colonial power might have been allayed. That is not to say independence would not have happened, as clearly decolonization was an irresistible historic force, but the horrors of Britain’s rapid departure might have been avoided. JOIN THE COMMUNITY Join us across social media platforms.. Your better version awaits you! The Transcontinental Railroad Written by: john steele gordon, independent historian, by the end of this section, you will:. Explain the causes and effects of the settlement of the West from 1877 to 1898 Suggested Sequencing Use this Narrative alongside The Brooklyn Bridge Narrative to highlight the infrastructure innovations of the Gilded Age. When California was admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, it was separated from the settled parts of the country by some 1,500 miles. Ships sailing around Cape Horn from the East Coast, even the fastest of the new clipper ships, required at least three months to reach San Francisco. Making the trip via Panama took 40 days. The overland route took three months. Thus, the commercial and communications ties between California and the rest of the country were tenuous at best. With the new state’s population rapidly increasing and its gold production soaring, it became a priority of the federal government to improve those ties as quickly as possible. The Pony Express, which began in 1860 as a series of riders who carried the mail, reduced the communication time to about ten days, although at first it charged $5.00 a week’s wage for an unskilled worker to deliver a half-ounce letter. Two years later, a telegraph line was strung to California, putting the Pony Express out of business. But although communications were important, what was needed, everyone realized, was a transcontinental railroad to carry passengers and freight quickly, safely, and cheaply across the vast unsettled parts of the country and to tie California firmly to the Union. Although a transcontinental railroad had been proposed as early as 1832, it was only in the 1850s that it was given serious consideration. In 1853, thinking a southern route might be the easiest to build, the government bought a large tract of land from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase, in what is now southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico. That route was later completed in 1881 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. A northern route through Montana was also considered, but it was thought that snow and the terrain would be a problem. That route was later completed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883. Southern states pushed for the southern route, but after they rebelled in 1861, Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act in 1862. This called for a route that followed the Platte River in Nebraska and then used the South Pass in southwest Wyoming (already used by the California, Oregon, and Mormon Trails) to cross the Rocky Mountains. The eastern terminal was to be Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, and the western terminal Sacramento. Two companies were founded to build the line. The Central Pacific was to head east from Sacramento and was formed by four California entrepreneurs: Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Collis P. Huntington, and Mark Hopkins. The Union Pacific Railroad was to build west from the Missouri River. This railroad was dominated, at first, by investor Thomas C. Durant. The Union Pacific Railroad was considered the short, quick, and safe line to all points west. Earlier American railroads had been built through settled areas whose inhabitants began using them immediately, bringing in revenue even before the railways were completed. But the transcontinental railroad had to be built through largely unsettled country, areas where there were no customers. This greatly complicated the financing of both lines. The federal government issued bonds, at 6 percent interest, and agreed to pay the two railroads $16,000 for each mile of track laid on level ground, $32,000 for track laid in foothills, and $48,000 per mile for track laid in mountainous areas. To encourage investment in the stock and bonds issued by the railroads, the federal government also granted vast areas of land to the railroads along the rights of way. These included 200 feet on each side of the tracks and sections ten miles square (6,400 acres) alternating on each side of the tracks, creating a checkerboard pattern. The Railroad Land Grant checkerboard: an example of a railroad land grant. The original idea was that presence of the railroad would increase the value of all adjoining land. Much of the land retained by the federal government was given to settlers through the Homestead Act of 1862. To build the railroads, the management of both lines established construction companies owned by their board members, who profited handsomely by paying themselves generously. The Union Pacific construction company, Crédit Mobilier, was later implicated in one of the nineteenth century’s biggest political scandals. Crédit Mobilier bribed many members of Congress by giving them stock in return for laws and regulatory policies favorable to the company. The Central Pacific began construction on January 8, 1863. Because California then had almost no manufacturing, all the rails, rolling stock, and heavy construction equipment had to be shipped from East Coast ports, either around Cape Horn or overland via Panama. The railroad was able to recruit British and Canadian engineers with experience in road and bridge construction. But finding manual laborers was a big problem because most workers in California were miners or farmers. So the Central Pacific hired Chinese immigrant laborers and was soon recruiting them in China itself. They were paid $30 a month, which was a good wage at the time. The Central Pacific Railroad had to take on the tough part of its 690-mile route first, ascending from Sacramento at 40 feet above sea level to the top of the Donner Pass at 7,000 feet in only about 90 miles. Regardless, the grade exceeded a steep 2 percent only over a three-mile section. Crews were sent ahead to work on the challenging bridges and tunnels. There were 11 tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, seven of them in just three miles, near the Donner summit. The engineers drilled a 125-foot shaft down to the middle point of the summit tunnel to allow work on four faces to proceed simultaneously. The spoil, the dirt and rock removed from the tunnel, was lifted up the shaft using an old locomotive steam engine for power. The rough terrain of the mountains required the laying of complex tracks for the Central Pacific Railroad. In five years, the Central Pacific had advanced only 132 miles, to Reno, Nevada. But after that it was able to move quickly across the rest of the state and into Utah, reaching Promontory Point, 590 miles east of Reno, in just one year. The Union Pacific did not begin construction until July 1865, due to difficulties it encountered in raising funds and finding labor. Only after the Civil War had ended could engineers, including former members of the Army Corps of Engineers, be found. Laborers on this railroad included men discharged from the Union Army and Irish immigrants. The latter faced a great deal of discrimination. Scouting parties went ahead to determine the exact route. Behind them teams prepared the roadbed, and then the tracks were laid. In 1865, the Union Pacific had managed to lay only about 40 miles of track along with ten miles of roadbed. But the next year, with former Union general Jack Casement as the new chief engineer, the pace increased markedly. Casement fitted up several rail cars as dormitories for the workers and another as a galley car to prepare meals. He even had a herd of cattle driven along as the road crept westward to supply fresh meat, and many buffalo were slaughtered by hunting parties. Construction picked up in 1866 and often completed a mile per day. The route that ran along the North Platte River and then through the South Pass had been ideal for wagon trains, which needed to be in river valleys for water and pasturage, and it was the lowest pass possible through the mountains. But the route of the emigrant trails was not as good for the railroad. It was farther from rapidly growing Denver, Colorado, and 250 miles longer than a path that used the Evans Pass, named for James Evans, a surveyor and engineer for the railroad. The line reached Cheyenne, in what is now Wyoming, in December 1867, having advanced 270 miles that year. The next spring it intended to push through the Evans Pass at 8,247 feet, the highest point on the transcontinental railroad. Many serious engineering challenges had to be met and overcome, including the Dale Creek Bridge in Wyoming, 650 feet long and 125 feet above the creek. The approaches to the bridge had to be cut through granite for nearly a mile on each end. The bridge timbers were prefabricated in Chicago and then shipped on the railroad to the site. By December 1868, the Union Pacific had laid an additional 360 miles of track, including across the Green River, the last major waterway on the route. When the line crossed into the Utah Territory, it hired many Mormon workers to complete the line (and tried to cheat them on their wages). Finally, on May 10, 1869, the two railroads met at Promontory Summit, Utah, and a golden spike was driven in by Leland Stanford to commemorate one of the great engineering feats of the nineteenth century. (The spike was quickly removed and is on display at Stanford University, named for the railroad magnate’s son.) California was now firmly tied to the Union and the world had shrunk markedly. Only four years later, Jules Verne published Around the World in 80 Days . In the novel, Phineas Fogg boards a transcontinental train from San Francisco to New York, demonstrating how the railroad had captured the popular imagination. Thanks to the transcontinental railroad (and the Suez Canal, also completed in 1869), the time frame imagined by Verne was now possible. The building of the railroad network in the United States contributed to the growth of a nationwide market economy in which goods were transported more quickly and cheaply, helping improve the quality of life by raising incomes and reducing prices. Improved transportation linked sources of raw materials, farms, factories, and consumers from different parts of the country, and a new national economy facilitated the rise of big business and smaller business for local, niche markets. Review Questions 1. The most significant reason for building the transcontinental railroad was to complete a very profitable project to increase settlement in the trans-Mississippi west to tie California more closely to the rest of the country to strengthen the military for the entire United States 2. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in what state/territory? 3. Along with the Chinese, another group of immigrants who helped to build the railroad and suffered discrimination was the Eastern European Jews 4. The main reason for the Gadsden Purchase was to provide a faster route to California by way of Conestoga wagon a southern route for the transcontinental railroad a relatively easier route for the Pony Express a safe trail for migrants to California 5. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 was easily passed by Congress as a result of the encouragement of investments by California entrepreneurs fact that southern states had seceded from the Union strong support of President Abraham Lincoln investment of millions of dollars by the federal government 6. A significant difference between the construction of the transcontinental railroad and that of railroads that already existed in the United States was that the transcontinental railroad was supported only by private funds built by union labor built through sparsely populated areas owned by the federal government Free Response Questions Analyze the reasons for building the transcontinental railroad during the second half of the nineteenth century. Explain the reasons for the eventual selection of the first route of the transcontinental railroad. AP Practice Questions “The centrality of railroads in the expansion and development of the United States was used morally and politically to justify the suspension of the laws of laissez-faire and the direct involvement of both federal and state governments in their construction. Similar arguments had been used to justify the National Road. States were involved in promoting and facilitating rail construction right from the start. The federal government began its participation in 1850 by helping the Illinois Central. The real subsidies began, however . . . in 1862, as a result of the Civil War, during which it began to seem lawful and natural for Washington to be involved in everything.” A History of the American People , Paul Johnson, 1997 Refer to the excerpt provided. 1. Which of the following events had the most significant impact on the development described in the excerpt? Construction of the National Road in Illinois The admission of California to the Union Border disputes between California and Mexico The industrial revolution 2. According to this author, what event made it seem natural and lawful for the federal government to be broadly involved in promoting economic growth? The need for more trade with foreign countries The Civil War The spread of slavery The Frontier Thesis “It could neither be surmounted nor doubled, and so they tunneled what looks like a bank-swallow’s hole from a thousand feet below. Powder enough was expended in persuading the iron crags and cliffs to be a thoroughfare to fight half the battles of the Revolution. It was in its time the topmost triumph of engineering nerve and skill in all the world. It stitched the East and the West lovingly together, and who shall say that we are not a United States? . . . The blows that sent home the spikes of silver and gold securing the last rail in the laurel were repeated by lightning at Washington and San Francisco, in the length of a heart-beat; blow for blow, from the Potomac to the Pacific. Think of echo answering echo through a sweep of more than three thousand miles! All in all, after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it was the most impressive and thoughtful ceremony that ever graced the continent. It was electric with the spirit of the New Era.” Between the Gates , Benjamin F. Taylor, 1878 3. What event does the author describe in this passage? Inauguration of the Pony Express connecting east and west Joining of two railroads to complete the first transcontinental railroad Christening of a riverboat on the Potomac River, celebrated with fireworks Completion of the Golden Gate Bridge, opening the west to Asian immigrants 4. According to this author, the only event in American history more exciting than the ceremony he describes was the colonies’ commitment to break away from England the completion of the Constitution the celebration of victory after the Revolutionary War the New Era that began following the Civil War Primary Sources “East and West. Completion of the Great Line Spanning the Continent.” New York Times . May 10, 1869. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2015/05.11.1869EastMeetsWestLN.pdf Williams, Henry T. The Pacific Tourist . New York: H.T. Williams, 1876. https://archive.org/details/pacifictourist1881will Suggested Resources Ambrose, Stephen E. Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad . New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Gordon, John Steele. An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power . New York: Harper, 2004. Klein, Maury. Union Pacific: Birth of a Railroad, 1862-1893 . Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. 1987. Related Content Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness In our resource history is presented through a series of narratives, primary sources, and point-counterpoint debates that invites students to participate in the ongoing conversation about the American experiment. Essay on Railway Station 500 words essay on  railway station. A railway station is a facility that has railway tracks or lines for trains to carry passengers or goods from one place to another. There are different kinds of railways stations, some are above ground while some are underground as well. You will always see interesting sights on railways stations as they are full of life and activities. A Typical Day at the Railway Station A typical day at the railway station is full of exciting activities and sights. You will find the stations crowded with autos, taxis, cars, buses, rickshaws, and more. Similarly, there is a lot of commotion there. People are present in large crowds there. Some have come to drop off someone while others are waiting for passengers to arrive. The coolies and porters keep eyeing you to carry your luggage for you so they can earn well. Another interesting sight and sound are that of people quarrelling and bargaining. One of the most relaxing sights is that of the brick and mortar shops selling books and newspapers . You will see people peacefully reading them in a corner. There are also food stalls, canteens, and street vendors that sell delicious food items and snacks to passengers. They shout out to attract people and sell their items. There are vendors who roam around with their items to sell them. The waiting rooms, ticketing booths and even restrooms are often crowded at the railway station too. The people sit on the cemented benches or their own suitcases while they wait for the train to arrive. People sleeping on bed sheets or mats on the floor is not a rare sight. Not just passengers but people who are homeless or poor also sleep at the railway station. As a result, a lot of addicts lurk on empty tracks or isolated corners. Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas Main Highlight of a Railway Station The main highlight has to be when the train is arriving at the railway station. You will see people getting excited and waiting impatiently to board the train. They stand at the platform while waiting for the train to arrive. On the other hand, the ones who have to deboard the train are eagerly standing at the gates of the train to get down quickly. There is a lot of commotion at this time as the ones who have to board and others who have to deboard, both do it at the same time. There is no order to let the other one pass first. Thus, chaos and confusion take place at this time. People rush to their seats while the ones exiting want to get down as soon as possible. There are many pickpockets as well that wait for this time to do their job. Often, people get hurt as well in all this commotion. However, despite all the commotion, it is wholesome to see friends and relatives receive and welcome their loved ones. To sum it up, the railway station is an interesting place that is bustling with excitement and activities. We get to witness so many wholesome scenes and watch people in a hurry. It is an experience in itself to visit the railway station. FAQ on Essay on Railway Station Question 1: What is the importance of a railway station? Answer 1: The railway stations are important as they are a cheap mode of transport in comparison to other modes of transport. Similarly, they also help you reach the destination in lesser time. The prices are fixed and so are the routes making it easier for passengers. Question 2: Why is the railway called national transport? Answer 2: Railways are the national transportation as they have the widest network in India. Moreover, they are also vital for transporting coal, iron, steel, etc. Customize your course in 30 seconds Which class are you in. Travelling Essay Picnic Essay Our Country Essay My Parents Essay Essay on Favourite Personality Essay on Memorable Day of My Life Essay on Knowledge is Power Essay on Gurpurab Essay on My Favourite Season Essay on Types of Sports Leave a Reply Cancel reply Download the app. Government should spend money on railways rather than roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Use cohesive linking words accurately and appropriately Linking words are very important in your essay. To score effectively on your IELTS exam, you should make an effort to implement short concise sentences coupled with linking words. Almost every sentence in your essay should have a linking word of some sort. In fact, the only sentences that can omit linking words are your background sentence and thesis. Linking word examples: in additional for example for instance even though Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ » — a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users. sustainability environmental footprint cost-effectiveness economic development accessibility public transportation air pollution initial investment maintenance last-mile connectivity Check your IELTS essay » Find essays with the same topic View collections of IELTS Writing Samples Show IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics Money spent on space exploration is a complete waste. Governments could better spend this money on other things to benefit the nation. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., unhealthy eating has a negative effect on both individuals and the society in which they live. some people think that the government should tax unhealthy foods while others believe that a ‘fat tax’ is unfair and unnecessary. discuss both these views and give your own opinion. give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., nowadays, distant-learning programs have gained in popularity, but some people argue that online courses can never be as good as those taken at a college or university in person. to what extent do you agree or disagree, some people think that individuals today are more dependent on each other. other believe people have become independent.discuss both views and give your opinion. For a country so reliant on its trains, Indian Railways Vision 2020 envisages introduction of bullet trains. It will be a massive addition to its route network, with segregation of passenger and freight services into separate double-line corridors, raising the speeds of passenger trains from the current 130 kmph to 160-200 kmph on some routes, zero accidents and equipment failures and setting ... 10 lines essay on Indian railways. Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, spanning over 67,000 kilometers of tracks. Established in 1853, Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in connecting the entire nation. It serves as a lifeline, efficiently transporting millions of passengers and tons of goods every day. Indian Railways, with its extensive reach and impact, is more than just a transport network. It is a symbol of India's unity in diversity, connecting people and places, cultures and traditions. As it navigates the challenges of the 21st century, Indian Railways continues to play a crucial role in shaping the country's future. 1. Essay on the Introduction to Indian Railways: Among all the transport systems of the country, Railways occupy the most important position as it carry nearly 80 per cent of total goods traffic and 70 per cent of the passenger traffic. Indian Railways had started its operation on April 16, 1853 with its first route of 22 miles (34 kms). The social impact of the railways emerged from the very beginning. The railways made India mobile and opened up new vistas and opportunities for its people. It brought in new expertise and trades, new technology and above all, it gave the people a sense of freedom. The front facade Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The Indian Railways is not just a transportation system; it's a colossal network intricately woven into the fabric of the nation. As the fourth-largest national railway system globally, it boasts a massive track length of 128,305 km, with 60,451 km electrified. With over 1.2 million employees, it stands as the world's tenth-largest employer. The Indian Railways. Essay # 1. The railways of India are great engineering works. The constructors were confronted with enormous physical difficulties. Broad rivers had to be spanned and the mighty mountain wall of the Ghats had to be surmounted by the railroad before Mumbai could be brought into railway communication with Gujarat, Kolkata ... The introduction of steam railroads in the 1820s and 1830s changed America in a number of ways. With the invention of steam locomotives, it was possible for railroads to start connecting cities and towns across the nation. This created a continental transportation system, allowing goods to be transported around the country in an efficient manner. Importance The Indian Railways is the lifeline of India. With its vast network across the length and breadth of India, it is not just a mere transporter of passengers and goods but also a social welfare organization. Indian Railways (IR) has the 4th longest rail network in the world. It is a network of 70,000 km and runs … Continue reading "Growth in Indian railways" Essay # 2. Effects of Railway Development: The Railway Development had far-reaching effects on the life and economy of the Indian people. In the official view, "the benefits conferred by railways were at all time great" and that they were "an all powerful agent in the promotion of the material and social advancement of the people." Indian leaders, on the other hand, holding that ... Railways are the most important development from the point of view of the infrastructure in India from 1850 to recent times. Indian railways are the only reliable and feasible means on land for transportation of goods and materials. The Indian Railways network has integrated markets and people across the length and breadth of this huge country. The Indian railway is the fourth largest railway ... A BRIEF STUD Y OF INDIAN. AND WORLD WIDE. RAIL W A YS. AVINASH K UMAR. Abstract: Railways were always the most important development from the point of. view of the infrastructure in India from ... Some of the major problems faced by the Indian Railways are briefly discussed as under: 1. Safety: ADVERTISEMENTS: Indian Railways have been in the news albeit for wrong reasons. With the rapid increase in passenger and goods traffic, the frequency of train accidents is increasing very fast. Railways, as a mode of transportation, have had significant socio-economic effects worldwide. Economic Growth: Railways are crucial for the efficient movement of goods, including raw materials, finished products, and agricultural produce. This contributes to economic growth by reducing transportation costs and improving market access. Railways enabled the spread of plague and deepened famines by facilitating the export of grains, he claimed. "Good travels at a snail's pace," Gandhi famously wrote. "It can, therefore ... Essay on the Indian Railways. Indian Railways is the biggest Government institution of India which gives more than 17 Lakh people employment. Indian Railways is the biggest railway system of Asia and the second biggest railway system of the world. In India the first train was run between Mumbai and Thane. Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General ... These all issues were raised by nationalist leaders and it helped in the arousal of nationalism among people. Model Answer: The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853. The political condition and the economic trend of the 19th century India induced the British to construct railways all over India. California was now firmly tied to the Union and the world had shrunk markedly. Only four years later, Jules Verne published Around the World in 80 Days. In the novel, Phineas Fogg boards a transcontinental train from San Francisco to New York, demonstrating how the railroad had captured the popular imagination. The railroad, a symbol of both progress and peril, spurred rapid and far-reaching changes in late nineteenth century American society. Supported by government funds, railroad building boomed after the Civil War. There were only 2,000 miles of track in 1850; by 1877 there were nearly 80,000 miles in use. Crossing the wilderness, carrying people ... IELTS Writing Correction Service /. Writing Samples /. Band 7.5. Some people think that governments should spend money on railways. Others believe that there should be more investment into new roads. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. # people # governments # money # railways # investment # roads. In contemporary society, transportation. #what_good_is_happening_in_the_country_and_Indian_railway_essay#what_good_is_happening_in_the_country_and_Indian_railway_#essayonindianrailwayinenglish#essay... To sum it up, the railway station is an interesting place that is bustling with excitement and activities. We get to witness so many wholesome scenes and watch people in a hurry. It is an experience in itself to visit the railway station. FAQ on Essay on Railway Station. Question 1: What is the importance of a railway station? Write at least 250 words. # government # money # railways # roads. Governments should have a plan to pay. money. for railway systems rather than. roads. More or less I agree with. this. idea because it provides more facilities for people to have more choices for transport. Railway photography illustrated how all kinds of people could reach secluded and picturesque locations by train, comfortably, safely, quickly and affordably, motivating passengers to travel to those destinations. 66 In Portugal, the Railway Gazette pioneered the use of railway photography to promote leisure and tourism. 67 It was followed by ... Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact Leave your feedback Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-warnings-from-democrats-about-project-2025-and-donald-trump Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and Donald Trump This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact . Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention. And it was front and center on Night 1. WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC “This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.” Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document. “Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point. “Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona. Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups. Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president. Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign. PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions. Are Trump and Project 2025 connected? To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.) The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023. Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document. WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document. Project 2025 wouldn’t ban abortion outright, but would curtail access The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.” The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access. What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list. Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.” It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023. If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds. WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment. The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training. The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception. Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions. Project 2025 doesn’t call for cutting Social Security, but proposes some changes to Medicare “When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.” The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program. Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views. In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False. Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements. The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees. Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare. Project 2025 would eliminate the Education Department, which Trump supports The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies. Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures. Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet. In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress. What Project 2025, Trump would do on overtime pay In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.” The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us. The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said. The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said. It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages. Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime. Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year. But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama. Support Provided By: Learn more Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. 242 COMMENTS Indian Railways Essay For a country so reliant on its trains, Indian Railways Vision 2020 envisages introduction of bullet trains. It will be a massive addition to its route network, with segregation of passenger and freight services into separate double-line corridors, raising the speeds of passenger trains from the current 130 kmph to 160-200 kmph on some routes, zero accidents and equipment failures and setting ... Essay on Indian Railways Indian Railways, with its extensive reach and impact, is more than just a transport network. It is a symbol of India's unity in diversity, connecting people and places, cultures and traditions. As it navigates the challenges of the 21st century, Indian Railways continues to play a crucial role in shaping the country's future. Essay On Indian Railways: Connecting the Nation's Heart and Soul 10 lines essay on Indian railways. Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, spanning over 67,000 kilometers of tracks. Established in 1853, Indian Railways plays a pivotal role in connecting the entire nation. It serves as a lifeline, efficiently transporting millions of passengers and tons of goods every day. Essay on Indian Railways 1. Essay on the Introduction to Indian Railways: Among all the transport systems of the country, Railways occupy the most important position as it carry nearly 80 per cent of total goods traffic and 70 per cent of the passenger traffic. Indian Railways had started its operation on April 16, 1853 with its first route of 22 miles (34 kms). Connecting and transforming India: Railways' impact on society The social impact of the railways emerged from the very beginning. The railways made India mobile and opened up new vistas and opportunities for its people. It brought in new expertise and trades, new technology and above all, it gave the people a sense of freedom. The front facade Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Major Contribution of Indian Railways to Nation's Growth The Indian Railways is not just a transportation system; it's a colossal network intricately woven into the fabric of the nation. As the fourth-largest national railway system globally, it boasts a massive track length of 128,305 km, with 60,451 km electrified. With over 1.2 million employees, it stands as the world's tenth-largest employer. English Essay on "The Indian Railways" Full-Length Essay, Paragraph The Indian Railways. Essay # 1. The railways of India are great engineering works. The constructors were confronted with enormous physical difficulties. Broad rivers had to be spanned and the mighty mountain wall of the Ghats had to be surmounted by the railroad before Mumbai could be brought into railway communication with Gujarat, Kolkata ... How did railroads in the 1820s-1830s change the United States The introduction of steam railroads in the 1820s and 1830s changed America in a number of ways. With the invention of steam locomotives, it was possible for railroads to start connecting cities and towns across the nation. This created a continental transportation system, allowing goods to be transported around the country in an efficient manner. A BRIEF STUDY OF INDIAN AND WORLD WIDE RAILWAYS A BRIEF STUD Y OF INDIAN. AND WORLD WIDE. RAIL W A YS. AVINASH K UMAR. Abstract: Railways were always the most important development from the point of. view of the infrastructure in India from ... Essay on Railways in India Essay # 2. Effects of Railway Development: The Railway Development had far-reaching effects on the life and economy of the Indian people. In the official view, "the benefits conferred by railways were at all time great" and that they were "an all powerful agent in the promotion of the material and social advancement of the people." Indian leaders, on the other hand, holding that ... How did the railways contribute to the growth of Indian Nationalism These all issues were raised by nationalist leaders and it helped in the arousal of nationalism among people. Model Answer: The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853. The political condition and the economic trend of the 19th century India induced the British to construct railways all over India. Railways will soon reach almost every corner of India Railways enabled the spread of plague and deepened famines by facilitating the export of grains, he claimed. "Good travels at a snail's pace," Gandhi famously wrote. "It can, therefore ... Essay on "Indian Railways" Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Indian Railways. Synopsis: The history of Indian Railways goes back to 1853. Since then it has grown into a vast network. It is the single largest employer in the world. But there are many challenges before it including tough competition from private sector in transportation by roads. It has undertaken the 'Project Unigauge' on a large scale. How Indian railway is contributing in the growth of Indian economy Indian railway is contributing significantly to the employment generation. Rail transportation has a number of favorable characteristics as compared to road transportation. It is six times more energy-efficient than road and four times more economical. The social costs in terms of environment damage or degradation are significantly lower in rail. Essay on the Indian Railways Essay on the Indian Railways. Indian Railways is the biggest Government institution of India which gives more than 17 Lakh people employment. Indian Railways is the biggest railway system of Asia and the second biggest railway system of the world. In India the first train was run between Mumbai and Thane. Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General ... Background Essay on Building the Railroads · SHEC: Resources for Teachers The railroad, a symbol of both progress and peril, spurred rapid and far-reaching changes in late nineteenth century American society. Supported by government funds, railroad building boomed after the Civil War. There were only 2,000 miles of track in 1850; by 1877 there were nearly 80,000 miles in use. Crossing the wilderness, carrying people ... Nationalism Essay for Students and Children 500 Words Essay on Nationalism. Nationalism is an ideology which shows an individual's love & devotion towards his nation. It is actually people's feelings for their nation as superior to all other nations. The concept of nationalism in India developed at the time of the Independence movement. The Transcontinental Railroad California was now firmly tied to the Union and the world had shrunk markedly. Only four years later, Jules Verne published Around the World in 80 Days. In the novel, Phineas Fogg boards a transcontinental train from San Francisco to New York, demonstrating how the railroad had captured the popular imagination. What good is happening in the country and railways essay #what_good_is_happening_in_the_country_and_Indian_railway_essay#what_good_is_happening_in_the_country_and_Indian_railway_#essayonindianrailwayinenglish#essay... Essay on Railway Station for Students and Children To sum it up, the railway station is an interesting place that is bustling with excitement and activities. We get to witness so many wholesome scenes and watch people in a hurry. It is an experience in itself to visit the railway station. FAQ on Essay on Railway Station. Question 1: What is the importance of a railway station? Essay writing topic on what is happening well in the railways ... Railways play a vital role in the development and progress of any country, and their continuous improvement is crucial for the nation's overall well-being. As of my last update in September 2021, I can highlight several positive developments that might still be relevant in 2023. Government should spend money on railways rather than roads Write at least 250 words. # government # money # railways # roads. Governments should have a plan to pay. money. for railway systems rather than. roads. More or less I agree with. this. idea because it provides more facilities for people to have more choices for transport. what is happening good in railways and nation essay Skip to main content; Skip to secondary menu; Skip to primary sidebar; Skip to footer; A Plus Topper. Improve your Grades. Indian Railways Essay | Essay on Indian Railways for Stu Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and ... This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact.. Project 2025 has a starring role in this week's Democratic National Convention. And it was front and center on Night 1. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis