Indian Railways, often described as the "transport lifeline of the nation", is the fourth largest railway network in the world. From suburbs to urban transit, the Indian rail network covers the length and breadth of the country. Notably, Indian Railways started the first passenger train on April 16, 1853, from Bori Bunder to Thane covering a distance of 34 km. It was operated by three locomotives, named Sahib, Sultan and Sindh, and had thirteen carriages. Since then, the day has been marked as the Indian Rail Transport Day.
According to Indian Railways, the formal inauguration ceremony was performed on April 16, 1853, when 14 railway carriages carrying about 400 guests left Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm "amidst the loud applause of a vast multitude and to the salute of 21 guns."
The Central Railway took to X to celebrate the occasion with an old photo and wrote, ''In 1853, exactly 171 years ago today, India marked a significant milestone in transportation history with the inaugural journey of the first train from Bori Bunder to Thane. This pivotal moment heralded a new era of connectivity that shaped the nation's future.''
The pic captures a scene from the early days of railways in India, featuring a train pulled by a single locomotive.
See the tweet here:
Since then, the largest public transporter, which is also one of the largest employers in the world has been serving the nation by carrying more than 2.3 crore railway passengers across all trains per day.
Featured Video Of The Day
Relief For Homebuyers Who Booked Flats Under Subvention Plan
Indian Railways Marks Anniversary Without Passengers, First Time In 167 Years "Serving The Nation Since 1853": Minister Piyush Goyal On Railway's Anniversary Indian Railways Will Not Observe October 2 As 'Vegetarian Day' World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 1 Passenger Dies As 12 Coaches Of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derail In UP Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report US Legislation To Curb AI Deepfakes, Give Control Back To Creators Face Of History's "Cruellest Man" Re-Created 440 Years After His Death 1 Passenger Dies As 12 Coaches Of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derail In UP Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.