For most commuting by trains, the hustle-bustle and jostling of Indian crowds amidst the wafting aura of oily samosas and vadas might seem a routine chore. So much so that the unknown yet the commanding glory of the Indian Railways would have slipped our notice while we belittle it as something ordinary and commonplace. However, a cursory glance over this article will give you ten reasons to renew and refresh the latent value of our railways and will further help you to spot your train with an unfound feverish enthusiasm! Don’t be surprised if a second class ride just resembles a royal procession the next time you board another fleeting express!
- Contrary to sweeping misconception, the dawn of the Indian Railways did not occur after independence but it dates back as far as the imperial reign of the British in India. The first train that was flagged off linked the cities of Bombay and Thaneshwar. Nevertheless Indian Railways garnered enough momentum after independence when it was nationalized. So cut a cake and celebrate our very own largest lifeline’s 161th birthday on April 16th!
- As of existing records, the Shatabdi express covering a mind-boggling speed of 150 kilometer per hour rejoices the position of being the fastest express in India!
- Extremes in any case can make us wonder in awe. Directly in another pole to the world of the former is the Metupalayam Ooty Nilgiri Passenger train, which snails at a yawn-spirited pace of 10 kilometer per hour. One has to thank heavens that the passengers have to endure just a travel within borders and not various states unlike the Shatabdi express.
- If our India has elevated its position to enjoy global accreditation, it is only due its polished fleet of trains! The Indian express gives the maximum employment opportunities in India and scores a brilliant nine out of ten at the international scene for the same. It also blows its trumpet in being the largest network by enveloping over 7500 stations at a distance of about 115000 kilometers!
- For all skeptics out there who doubt the popularity and mass appeal of trains and believe it to have lost its sheen against the arrival of other modes of transportation, this information will have them availing a train ticket themselves! Every day the Indian Railways feeds about 7000 trains over its snaking tracks.
- Earning a distinction of being a Guinness World record holder is the Delhi Main station as it possesses the biggest route relay interlocking system!
- Envision a platform that itself spans around kilometers and would inevitably require a cab to reach one point of it to another! Well, this is not a mere fantasy of yours for there exists the Kharagpur Railway platform in West Bengal that is over an astounding 2733 feet long!
- How irritating can events turn out to be if your chugging train makes frequent stops at even the most insignificant of stations? You can only sympathize the situation of the tolerant passengers of Howrah-Amritsar express, which houses around a whopping 115 stops along its route!
- Momentary lapses of tunnel rides might sound exhilarating when you get plunged into sudden darkness but what if this darkness embraces you for another 7 kilometers? Well, if you really want to get into the skin of this experience, then, try the Konkan railway route anytime soon as it passes through the Karbude tunnel, which undoubtedly is the longest tunnel history can ever lay its fingers on!
- Lastly to end this list with the perfect ode to Indian Railways, in a never ever slightly thought about feat even in your wildest dreams is the rare but praiseworthy recognition earned by the Darjeeling-Himalayan express! You might have been an ardent tourist of various world heritage monuments recognized by UNESCO but have you ever been the proud passenger of a train that beholds this title? Then book your tickets for this one!
Ten Amazing Facts About Indian Railways