Rail transport in India
to Vijayawada by Howrah Mail. Indian Rail fares are among the cheapest in the world. A journey of 270 mi. (430 km) costs just US$4.]]The Indian Railways (abbreviated IR) is the state-owned national railway network of India. It is one of the largest and busiest rail networks on the planet, transporting 4.2 billion (4.2 x 109) people and over 300 million tons of freight on 100,000 kilometres of track each year. The Indian Railways is also the world's largest commercial or utility employer, having more than 1.6 million regular employees on its rolls. The Indian Railways as such came into existence in the 1890s through the consolidation of state-owned railways during the British Raj.
| Table of contents |
|
2 Geography and infrastructure 3 Statistics 4 External links |
The Indian Railways operates a great diversity of rail systems, from long-distance diesels carrying freight to short-distance electric suburban trains
and rail lines serving rural areas that still contain a large part of the Indian population. This rail net provides a boon to tourists who, by using its trains, get a more complete view of India.
The nine current zones are:
The Calcutta Metro is owned and operated by IR, but does not belong to any of the zones; it is administratively considered to have the status of a zonal railway.
History and overview
Geography and infrastructure
Zones
Seven new proposed zones are:
The Konkan Railway (KR) is a separately incorporated railway that operates along the Konkan coast.Statistics
External links
