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India  Rails

East India company can be considered to be pioneer of the Indian Railways & Lord Dalhausi for laying the foundation of rail transport in India. In 185 3 the Great Indian Peninsula Co. nuilt the first line of 33.6 km from mumbai to Thana. New lines were opened thereafter & by 199 the permanent way covered 3396,031 km. In 1947 when India became independant, the ength covered was 543,760 km.

Currently the Indian Railway is the second largest Railway system in the world under the single the single management & also the biggest employer in the world. The railway in India provides the principal mode of transportation for freight & passenger. It brings together people from the farthest corners of the country & makes possible the conduct of business sightseeing, pilgrimage & education. It has played a vital role in the economic, industrial & social development of the country.

Indian railways has 62,545 km tracks laid between 6,984 stations & over 11,000 locomotives. It is also second biggest electrified railway sysyem in the world after Russia; 29% of total track km is electrified.

There are three systems operating in the country, they are Broad Guage (1,676 mm ) 41,791 km; Meter Guage (1,000 mm) 17,044 km; Narrow Guage (762 mm & 610 mm) 3,710 km.