History History Of Indian Railways 1853 1947
History of Indian Railways (1853–1947) – RRB Exam Capsule
1. Timeline at a Glance
| Year | Milestone | Place / Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1832 | 1st proposal for railways in India | Madras |
| 1836-38 | Experimental rail lines (hand-pushed wagons) | Madras (Red Hill – Chintadripet) |
| 16 Apr 1853 | 1st passenger train in India | Bori Bunder → Thane, 34 km |
| 15 Aug 1854 | 1st passenger train in Eastern India | Howrah → Hooghly, 37 km |
| 1855 | 1st train in South India | Royapuram → Walajah Road (Arcot), 97 km |
| 1871 | Metre-gauge (MG) introduced | Delhi–Rewari |
| 1874 | Universal acceptance of 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) as broad gauge (BG) | |
| 1880 | 1st luxury train “Frontier Mail” (Bombay–Peshawar) | |
| 1892 | Kitchen-cars (dining) started | |
| 1897 | 1st rails laid in Assam (MG) | |
| 1900 | Railway Board constituted | |
| 1920 | Acworth Committee → govt. take-over recommended | |
| 1925 | 1st electric train (1500 V DC) | Bombay VT → Kurla, 16 km |
| 1928 | Peninsular & Oriental (P&O) Express started | |
| 1930 | 1st air-conditioned coach | |
| 1 Apr 1937 | East Indian Railway & GIPR nationalised | |
| 1943 | Bengal–Assam Railway converted to MG for war freight | |
| 15 Aug 1947 | 42 rail systems; Route km 65,217 (BG 40,521, MG 24,696) |
2. Important Firsts (High-frequency MCQ zone)
| First item | Year & Place | Extra fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1st proposal | 1832, Madras | Chief proposer – Lt. A. Court |
| 1st operational railway (goods) | 1837, Red Hill – Chintadripet, Madras | 6.4 km, horse-drawn |
| 1st passenger train | 16-04-1853, Bori Bunder–Thane | 3 rakes, 14 coaches, 400 guests, 21-gun salute |
| 1st MG section | 1871, Delhi–Rewari | 82 km |
| 1st electric section | 1925, Bombay VT–Kurla | 1500 V DC |
| 1st rail bridge over major river | 1854, Hooghly bridge at Pandua | Timber viaduct |
| 1st rail workshop | 1862, Jamalpur (Howrah division) | Still functional |
| 1st Railway budget separate from General budget | 1924-25 | Under Lord Reading |
3. Major Railway Companies & Their Network (1947)
| Company (abbrev.) | Gauge | Headquarters | Route km (1947) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Indian Peninsula Rly (GIPR) | BG | Bombay | 12,481 km |
| East Indian Railway (EIR) | BG | Calcutta | 8,479 km |
| Bombay, Baroda & Central India Rly (BB&CI) | BG | Bombay | 5,712 km |
| Madras & Southern Mahratta Rly (M&SMR) | MG | Madras | 4,923 km |
| Bengal–Nagpur Rly (BNR) | BG | Calcutta | 7,312 km |
| North-Western Railway (NWR) | BG/MG | Lahore | 7,957 km |
| Oudh & Rohilkhand Rly (O&RR) | MG | Lucknow | 2,264 km |
| Assam Bengal Railway (ABR) | MG | Chittagong | 1,674 km |
Note: Above 8 companies held ~80 % of total route km.
4. Statistics & Numbers to Memorise
- Total route km on 15 Aug 1947 – 65,217 km
- BG km – 40,521 (62 %)
- MG km – 24,696 (38 %)
- No. of separate rail systems – 42
- No. of locomotives (steam) in 1947 – 8,249
- No. of coaches – 19,862
- No. of wagons – 2,15,000
- Staff strength (1947) – 8.6 lakh
- 1st rail budget presenter – Sir William Acworth (Chairman, 1920-21)
- Railway Board strength (1905) – 3 members (Chief Commissioner, Traffic, Finance)
- Railway finances separated from General Budget – 1924-25
- 1st Railway Zone (post-nationalisation) – Southern Railway (14-04-1951)
5. Acworth Committee (1920-21) – Key Recommendations
- Government should acquire all major companies.
- Separate Railway Budget.
- Railway Board to be reconstituted with equal voice for Traffic, Finance & Engineering.
- Establishment of a Central Advisory Council.
(All points frequently asked in RRB ‘Match-the-following’)
6. Quick Reference – Chairmen of Railway Board (Pre-1947)
| Period | Chairman |
|---|---|
| 1905-07 | Sir Thomas Robertson |
| 1908-10 | Sir Robert Richmond |
| 1911-14 | Sir Charles Innes |
| 1915-20 | Sir William Michell |
| 1920-21 | Sir William Acworth |
| 1921-24 | Sir Clement Hindley |
| 1925-30 | Sir Alexander Muddiman |
7. 15 High-frequency MCQs (with answers)
Q1. The first-ever railway proposal in India was made in
A. 1830 B. 1832 C. 1835 D. 1837
Answer: B. 1832
Q2. The historic first passenger train of 16 April 1853 was hauled by
A. Lord Lawrence B. Fairy Queen C. Sindh, Sultan & Sahib D. W G 958
Answer: C. Sindh, Sultan & Sahib
Q3. What was the inaugural fare (II class) for the Bori Bunder–Thane journey?
A. 1 anna B. 3 annas C. 5 annas D. 7 annas
Answer: B. 3 annas
Q4. Match the following:
Gauge Width
- Broad Gauge a. 1,676 mm
- Metre Gauge b. 1,000 mm
- Narrow Gauge c. 762 mm / 610 mm
Choose correct code:
A. 1-a, 2-b, 3-c B. 1-b, 2-a, 3-c C. 1-c, 2-b, 3-a D. 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Answer: A. 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Q5. Who headed the 1920-21 committee that recommended government take-over of railways?
A. Acworth B. Muddiman C. Robertson D. Hutchins
Answer: A. Acworth
Q6. In which year was the Railway Board constituted?
A. 1890 B. 1895 C. 1900 D. 1905
Answer: D. 1905
Q7. India’s first electric train ran between
A. Howrah–Burdwan B. Bombay VT–Kurla C. Madras–Chengalpattu D. Delhi–Mathura
Answer: B. Bombay VT–Kurla
Q8. The first rail bridge across the Hooghly river (timber viaduct) was built in
A. 1854 B. 1856 C. 1858 D. 1860
Answer: A. 1854
Q9. Which of the following companies was nationalised on 1 Jan 1943 to form Bengal–Assam Railway?
A. EIR B. GIPR C. ABR D. O&RR
Answer: C. ABR
Q10. The total route km of Indian Railways at the time of independence was about
A. 42,000 B. 53,000 C. 65,000 D. 78,000
Answer: C. 65,000
Q11. Which city had India’s first MG section?
A. Jaipur B. Delhi C. Ahmedabad D. Hyderabad
Answer: B. Delhi
Q12. “Frontier Mail” (renamed Golden Temple Mail) was introduced by
A. EIR B. GIPR C. BB&CI D. NWR
Answer: C. BB&CI
Q13. The first rail workshop of Indian Railways is located at
A. Perambur B. Jamalpur C. Kanchrapara D. Chittaranjan
Answer: B. Jamalpur
Q14. When was the separate Railway Budget first presented?
A. 1921-22 B. 1922-23 C. 1923-24 D. 1924-25
Answer: D. 1924-25
Q15. Which of the following was NOT a recommendation of the Acworth Committee?
A. Govt. acquisition of major railways
B. Separate Railway Budget
C. Privatisation of branch lines
D. Reconstitution of Railway Board
Answer: C. Privatisation of branch lines
8. tag – Additional Q&A for Revision
Question:01 [Why is 16 April 1853 celebrated as the “Birthday of Indian Railways”?]
A) It was the date the first Railway Budget was presented in India.
B) It witnessed the first 34 km steam-hauled passenger train from Bori Bunder to Thane, launching organised rail transport.
C) It marked the completion of India’s first electric railway line.
D) It was when the first railway workshop was set up at Jamalpur.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: 16 April 1853 is celebrated because on that day the first regular passenger service—34 km steam-hauled from Bori Bunder to Thane—started, heralding organised rail transport in India.
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Question:
What is the significance of 1 April 1937 in Indian railway history?
A) The first electric train ran in India
B) The two biggest companies—GIPR and EIR—were formally nationalised, bringing ~40 % of the network under direct government control
C) Indian Railways was renamed as “Bharatiya Rail”
D) The first Rajdhani Express was flagged off
Correct Answer: B) The two biggest companies—GIPR and EIR—were formally nationalised, bringing ~40 % of the network under direct government control
Question:03 Which two railways were entirely metre-gauge (MG) in 1947?
A) Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway (M&SMR) and Assam Bengal Railway (ABR)
B) East Indian Railway (EIR) and Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway (BB&CI)
C) Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) and North Western Railway (NWR)
D) Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway (O&RR) and South Indian Railway (SIR)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: In 1947, the Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway (M&SMR) and the Assam Bengal Railway (ABR) were the only two major zoned railways whose entire network was laid in metre gauge.
Keep revising the timeline, gauges, firsts & statistics – these are the sure-shot score boosters in every RRB NTPC/Group-D/ALP exam.
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