Top 15 Unknown facts about the Indian railways

The Indian Railways is the largest one in the world and employs the most number of people under their service in India. The Indian Railways serves more than a billion people every year and is one of the largest employers of people today. If you are an Indian, you will have at least one memorable incident from your travels.

Here are a list of 15 cool facts that you did not know about the Indian Railways:

1. The first railroad was constructed by two Indians who were Jaganath Shunkerseth and Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy. They were the visionaries responsible for what is one of the world’s largest network of railways and the lifestock of a billion

 

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1JfOh7r

 

2. Indian Railways are the owner of the longest platform in the world. The Kharagpur platform stretches for over 1073.5 metres. That is close to a kilometre of just one platform and could be quite a hassle if you are travelling with a lot of luggage.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1RAcXKP

 

3. The Indian Railways also has the oldest running preserved locomotive called the Fairy Queen, made in 1855. The ingenious people behind the preservation of the railways deserve an honourable mention for their sincere efforts in keeping the train intact over these years.

 

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1JaNaYe

 

4. The total distance that the Indian Railways covers in one day is equal to three and a half times the distance from the Earth to the moon. That is close to 900,000 Kms a day. Wow.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1yYL3NK

 

5. Indian Railways is the 9^th largest employer of people in the world, with over 1.6 Million employees under their wing. This is one of the most important employers in the country and even our cricket captain MS Dhoni once worked under Railways.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1QiC8Px

 

6. There is no competition for the Indian Railways and it is run entirely by the Government of India. They hold a monopoly over the railway and make all the profit from the railways.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1HWl0je

 

7. The Howrah-Amritsar Express have 115 stops, which is the maximum for an express train in the country. This can be a little irksome for those who want to travel quickly.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1FhOVeX

 

8. The number of people traveling in the Indian Railways per day is more than the current population of Australia-25 Million. That is an entire continent travelling trains in India every single day, to put things in perspective.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1JaO3Qk

 

9. Delhi Metro has the world’s largest route relay interlocking system, finding its way into the Guinness World Book of Records.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1HDoim6

 

10. Indian Railways has the world’s largest group of rail networks, with 115,000 kms of tracks and a route that is 65,000 kms long. It is intricately carved and due to continued efforts, remains wonderfully run.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1FhPUf4

 

11. Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta is the longest name for a station in India and is situated in the South. Try saying that fast. Present in Andhra Pradesh, it is a small station, with a big name in the railway business.

 

Source:http://bit.ly/1LUtDJf

 

12. The world’s highest bridge is being built over the River Chenab in Jammu and will be higher than the Eiffel Tower. This means that India will be the proud owner of one of the world’s largest and tallest bridges ever built.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1FhQlGh

 

13. There are over 7500 railway stations in the country. Mumbai city alone has close to a thirty stations that are spread all over the city. These stations are served by more than the 1.6 million employees that are hired.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1K1JNC6

 

14. There were no toilets on the Indian Railways for more than 75 years. People had to hold it in till they reached the next station or wait for a stop in between to get rid of the load. That is quite a painful experience.

 

Source: http://bit.ly/1FhR4qY

 

15. There is now a mobile app to track trains and book tickets introduced by IRCTC in 2014. This means that you can get all your railway queries answered and taken care of within the comfort of your mobile phone. Pretty sleek.