By- Naiteek Bhatt
Indian Railways, described as the "transport lifeline of the nation"' is the fourth largest railway network in the world.
The historic journey of Indian Railways began on April 16,1853 with the commencement of the first passenger train
The first passenger train in India ran between Bori Bunder (now Mumbai CST) and Thane, covering a distance of 34 Kilometers
The train comprising 14 railway carriages, carrying about 400 guests, left Bori Bunder at 3:30pm
The train was hauled by three steam locomotives named Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan
The inaugural Journey was witnessed by a large crowd, as it marked the beginning of a new era of railway transportation in India
The departure was met with thunderous applause from a vast multitude, accompanied by a salute of 21 guns
Since then, the day has been marked as the Indian Rail Transport Day
As of now, Indian Railways has iver 67,000 kilometers of the electrified rail network, connecting various regions, states, and cities
Indian Railways also has 4 UNESCO world heritage sites: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus