Travelling by train is always fascinating. More so in a country like India because with every journey there is adventure, learning and joy. The railways in India criss-cross the country and in a long journey, you travel through many states and through different landscapes.
Here are some interesting facts about The Railways:
The first train on Indian soil ran between Bombay and Thane on April 16, 1853
The longest platform in the world is at Kharagpur and is 2,733 ft. in length
It is believed that the slowest train in India is the Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam Nilgiri Passenger which runs at a speed of 10kmph. As this train runs in hilly region, there are speed limits to comply. Pratapnagar-Jambusar passenger comes close with a maximum speed of 12km/h and an average speed of 11km/h. It takes hours for a journey of 44 km.
Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta on the Arakkonam-Renigunta section near Chennai, is the station with the longest name.
Ib, near Jharsuguda in Odisha and Od, near Anand in Gujarat, are the stations with the shortest name.
Srirampur and Belapur are two different stations in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. They are both at the same location on the railway route, but on opposite sides of the track.
Indian Railways has the oldest locomotive that is still in working order — the Fairy Queen. Made in 1855, it is the oldest functioning steam engine in the world.
It is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records and has won a Heritage Award at the International Tourist Bureau, Berlin in March2000.
The National Rail Museum in Delhi set up in 1977 is one of the unique museums in Asia. Sprawled over an area of 11 acres the museum has collections like antique steam engines, locomotives, models, carriages, photographs among other things.
There are live exhibits as well as working and non-working models. The added attraction is the toy train which runs across the museum.
