Indian Railways

This may become a catalyst for better and more environmentally friendly sanitation in the country. For example, if you were describing a repair to someone's car that was poorly done or obviously done on the cheap, one might say "That car looks budget". Indian Railways is currently considering Eco-san toilets for its trains. In some cases, "budget" could replace the term "sucks" when describing something if it meets the "cheap or underresourced" criteria. Due to the number of users, the toilets are often in bad condition. "Budget" can be used as an English slang adjective to describe something that looks or feels cheap or underresourced. This causes an accumulation of human waste on the tracks in places where the train stands still, such as in large stations. Budget is used in marketing as a euphemism for inexpensive or cheap.

a hole in the floor), without any effluent storage tanks on board. Monthly forecasts provide fresher and more up-to-date financial plans. The toilets on Indian Railways trains are of the direct-vent type (i.e. The future sees traditional annual budgets being replaced or complemented by monthly forecasts or rolling forecasts. Due to the size of the network and low speeds, journeys can last many days. Variances between these financial plans and actual delivery can then be analyzed to provide information that can improve performance. Sanitation is a significant problem on Indian Railways. As months pass, the actual income achieved and expenses incurred can be compared to the budget and forecasts.

In rural areas, cattle and other animals may stray onto the tracks, posing a much more serious safety hazard to fast-moving trains. Presently nearly all large businesses reforecast their original budgets on a quarterly basis. Most railway land in India is not fenced or restricted in any way, allowing free trespass. As the technology of money and banking continues to make spending easier, individuals, families, companies, and governments need to adopt more effective budgeting methods, strategies, and tools to balance their outflows to their inflows and avoid deficit (or debt-based) spending. Reasons given are that suitable bridges or level crossings over the tracks are non-existent or inconveniently placed. On the other hand, if the actuals diverge wildly from the budget, this sends out an 'out of control' signal and the share price could suffer as a result. In many places, pedestrians, vehicles or cyclists may cut across the tracks to save time, causing a safety hazard to the railways. If the actual numbers delivered through the financial year turn out to be close to the budget, this will demonstrate that the company understands their business and has been successful driving it in the direction they had planned.

This therefore imposes a strong constraint on the pace at which Indian railways can expand or modernize itself. While traditionally the Finance department compiles the company's budget, modern software allows hundreds or even thousands of people in the various departments (operations, human resources, IT etc) to contribute their expected revenues and expenses to the final budget. As a public utility, the government subsidises the prices as increasing ticket prices often translates into widespread discontent and most often political damage. A finished budget usually requires considerable effort and can be seen as a financial plan for the new financial year. Railway ticket prices are particularly affected by the fact that India in general is a price-sensitive market. The budget of a company is compiled annually. During this season the reserved compartments are swamped by many without a reserved ticket. In the UK the budget is prepared by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the second most important member of the government, and must be passed by Parliament.

During the holiday seasons, reserved tickets have to be booked two months in advance, to avoid a generally static waiting list. In some countries, such as the United States, the budget is mainly prepared by the legislature, in others it is prepared by the government. Overcrowding is a big issue, with the General compartment often being packed beyond capacity. The budget of a government is a summary or plan of the intended revenues and expenditures of that government. Aging colonial-era bridges and century-old tracks also require regular maintenance and upgrading. There are a wide variety of personal budgeting methods and tools that can be employed to help individuals and families with the budgeting process. Contributing to the Railways' problems are the antiquated communication, safety equipment and signalling systems. In a personal or family budget all sources of income (inflows) are identified and expenses (outflows) are planned with the intent of matching outflows to inflows.

The Konkan Railway route suffers from landslides in the monsoon season, which has caused fatal accidents in the recent past. A personal budget is among the most important concepts of personal finance. Human error is the primary cause (83%)^[10] blamed for mishaps. . Indian Railways have accepted that given the size of operations, eliminating accidents is a chimerical idea, and at best they can only minimise the accident rate. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods. Although accidents such as derailment and collisions are less common in recent times, many are run over by trains, especially in crowded areas. Budget generally refers to a list of all planned expenses and revenues.

The main problem plaguing the Railways is the high accident rate which stands at about three hundred^[9] a year. In a cost cutting move, the Railways plans to minimise unwanted cessations, and scrap unpopular routes. A new concern faced by Indian Railways is competition from low cost airlines that has recently made its début in India. In the first two months of India's fiscal year 2005-06 (April and May), the Railways registered a 10% growth in passenger traffic, and a 12% in passenger earnings^[8].

The overall passenger traffic grew 7.5% in the previous year. Around 20% of the passenger revenue is earned from the upper class segments of the passenger segment (the air-conditioned classes). The freight growth was pegged at 7.67% raised from 580 to 600 million tonnes^[7]. (US$91.8 million).

Fund balances was at a figure of Rs. 6,963 cr (US$1,600 million) while the working expenses rose by Rs. 400 cr. Freight earnings increased from Rs. 28,745 cr (US$6,600 million) to Rs. 30,450 cr (US$7,000 million) from the previous year. 466,350 million or US$10,700 million), Rs. 1,838 cr (US$421.8 million) higher than budget estimates. As per the 2005 budget, Indian Railways earned Rs. 46,635 crores^[6] (Rs.

The formation of policy and overall control of the railways is vested in Railway Board comprising the Chairman, Financial Commissioner and other functional Members for Traffic, Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical and Staff matters. This document serves as a balance sheet of operations of the Railways during the previous year and lists out plans for expansion for the current year. Though the Railway Budget is separately presented to the Parliament, the figures relating to the receipt and expenditure of the Railways are also shown in the General Budget, since they are a part and parcel of the total receipts and expenditure of the Government of India. As per the Separation Convention, 1924, the Railway Budget is presented to the Parliament by the Union Railway Minister, two days prior to the General Budget, usually around 26 February.

The dividends from the railways accrue to the state, and the subsidies and losses are also borne by it. Indian Railways are subject to the same audit control as other government revenue and expenditures. The comments of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) are non binding. The budget needs to be passed by a simple majority in the Lok Sabha (India's Lower House).

The Parliament discusses the policies and allocations proposed in the budget. The Railway Budget deals with the induction and improvement of existing trains and routes, the modernisation and most importantly the tariff for freight and passenger travel. Some of these PSU's are:. Apart from these zones, a number of Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) are under the administrative control of the ministry of railways.

Further down the hierarchy tree are the Station Masters who control individual stations and the train movement through the track territory under their stations' administration. The divisional officers of engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal & telecommunication, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial and safety branches report to the respective Divisional Manager and are in charge of operation and maintenance of assets. The zones are further divided into divisions under the control of Divisional Railway Managers (DRM). Each of the sixteen zones is headed by a General Manager (GM) who reports directly to the Railway Board.

Reporting to them is the Railway Board, which has six members and a chairman. Rathwa. Velu and Naranbhai J. The ministry is currently headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Union Minister for Railways and assisted by two junior Ministers of State for Railways, R.

Indian Railways is a publicly-owned company controlled by the Government of India, via the Ministry of Railways. The fastest speed attained by any train is 184 km/h (114 mph) in 2000 during test runs. The Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India today having a maximum speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) on the Faridabad-Agra section. The Trivandrum Rajdhani travels non-stop between Vadodara and Kota, covering a distance of 528 km (328 miles) in about 6.5 hours, and has the longest continuous run on Indian Railways today.

It covers 3,745 km (2,327 miles) in about 74 hours and 55 minutes. The Himsagar Express, between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on Indian Railways network. The shortest named station is Ib and the longest is Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta. There are a total of 6,853 stations; 300 yards; 2,300 goods-sheds; 700 repair shops and a total workforce of 1.54 million^[5].

The Ghum station along the Toy Train route is the second highest railway station in the world to be reached by a steam locomotive.^[4] Indian Railways operates 7,566 locomotives; 37,840 Coaching vehicles and 222,147 freight wagons. Kharagpur railway station also has the distinction of being the world's longest railway platform at 1072 m (3,517 ft). Among the famous locomotives, the Fairy Queen is the oldest running locomotive in the world today, though the distinction of the oldest surviving locomotive belongs to John Bull. The train travels around the country, staying at a location for about two months before moving elsewhere.

This train has a compartment that serves as an operating room, a second one which serves as a storeroom and an additional two that serve as a patient ward. The Lifeline Express is a special train popularly known as the "Hospital-on-Wheels" which provides healthcare to the rural areas. It was reopened when the hostilities subsided in 2004. However, hostilities between the two nations in 2001 saw the line being closed.

The Samjhauta Express was a train that ran between India and Pakistan. The Maharashtra government did try and introduce the Deccan Odyssey along the Konkan route, but it did not enjoy the same success as the Palace on Wheels. The Palace on Wheels is a specially designed train, lugged by a steam engine, for promoting tourism in Rajasthan. The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station in Mumbai is another World Heritage Site operated by Indian Railways.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India, is also classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.^[3] It is also the only cog railway in India. The highest station in this route is Ghum. The route starts at Siliguri in the plains in West Bengal and traverses tea gardens en route to Darjeeling, a hill station at an elevation of 2,134 metres (7,000 ft). The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow gauge train with a steam locomotive is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The highest speed notched up for a freight train is 100 km/h (62 mph) for a 4,700 tonne load. Recently Indian Railways introduced the special 'Container Rajdhani' or CONRAJ, for high priority freight. The "Green Van" is a special type used to transport fresh food and vegetables. Refrigerated vans are also available in many areas.

Trucks that carry goods to a particular location are hauled back by trains saving the trucking company on unnecessary fuel expenses. Indian Railways also transports vehicles over long distances. Most of its freight earnings come from such rakes carrying bulk goods such as coal, cement, foodgrains and iron ore. Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has switched from small consignments to larger container movement which has helped speed up its operations.

However, competition from trucks which offer cheaper rates has seen a decrease in freight traffic in recent years. Indian Railways makes 70% of its revenues and most of its profits from the freight sector, and uses these profits to cross-subsidise the loss-making passenger sector. Many important freight stops have dedicated platforms and independent lines. Ports and major urban areas have their own dedicated freight lines and yards.

IR carries a huge variety of goods ranging from mineral ores, agricultural produce, petroleum, milk and vehicles. The Kolkata metro has the administrative status of a zonal railway, though it does not come under the seventeen railway zones. It has three lines, one managed by the WR and other two managed by the Central Railway. Mumbai's rail transport is jointly managed by the Central and Western Railways.

A standard coach is designed to accommodate 96 sitting passengers, but the actual number of passengers can easily double or triple with standees during rush hour. The rakes in Mumbai run on direct current, while those elsewhere use alternating current. Thus a nine coach EMU is made up of three units having one power car at each end and one at the middle. One unit of an EMU train consists one power car and two general coaches.

They usually have nine coaches or sometimes twelve to handle rush hour traffic. Suburban trains that handle commuter traffic are mostly electric multiple units. New Delhi and Kolkata have their own metro networks, namely the New Delhi Metro and the Kolkata metro, respectively. Hyderabad and Pune do not have dedicated suburban tracks but share the tracks with long distance trains.

Currently, suburban networks operate in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune. Many cities have their own dedicated suburban networks to cater to commuters. Ticket-less travel, which results in large losses for the IR, is also an additional problem faced. In the holiday seasons or on long weekends, trains are usually packed more than their prescribed limit.

Overcrowding is the most widely faced problem with Indian Railways. Air conditioned coaches are also attached, and a standard train may have between three and five air-conditioned coaches. Up to nine of these type coaches are usually coupled. Each coach has different accommodation class; the most popular being the sleeper class.

Freight trains use a large variety of wagons. The coaches in use are vestibules, but some of these may be dummied on some trains for operational reasons. Coaches are designed to accommodate anywhere from 18 to 72 passengers, but may actually accommodate many more during the holiday seasons and on busy routes. A standard passenger train consists of eighteen coaches, but some popular trains can have up to 24 coaches.

In South India and North-East India however, buses are the preferred mode of transport for medium to long distance transport. The passenger division is the most preferred form of long distance transport in most of the country. Sikkim is the only state not connected. Indian Railways operates 8,702 passenger trains and transports around five billion annually across twenty-seven states and three union territories (Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh).

There are a total of sixty-seven divisions. Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. It is administratively considered to have the status of a zonal railway. The Calcutta Metro is owned and operated by Indian Railways, but is not a part of any of the zones.

†Konkan Railway (KR) is constituted as a separately incorporated railway, with its headquarters at Belapur CBD (Navi Mumbai), although it still comes under the control of the Railway Ministry and the Railway Board.. For administrative purposes, Indian Railways is divided into sixteen zones . The entire railway reservation system was streamlined with computerisation in 1995. By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out in favour of diesel and electric locomotives.

As the economy of India improved, almost all railway production units were indigenised. The existing rail networks were abandoned in favour of zones in 1951 and a total of six zones came into being in 1952. A total of forty-two separate railway systems, including thirty-two lines owned by the former Indian princely states, were amalgamated as a single unit which was christened as the Indian Railways. At the time of independence in 1947, a large portion of the railways went to the then newly formed Pakistan.

The Second World War severely crippled the railways as trains were diverted to the Middle East, and the railway workshops were converted into munitions workshops. The government took over the management of the Railways and removed the link between the financing of the Railways and other governmental revenues in 1920, a practice that continues to date with a separate railway budget. By the end of the First World War, the railways had suffered immensely and were in a poor state. With the arrival of the First World War, the railways were used to meet the needs of the British outside India.

The following year, the first electric locomotive appeared. In 1907, almost all the rail companies were taken over by the government. For the first time in its history, the Railways began to make a tidy profit. The Railway Board operated under aegis of the Department of Commerce and Industry and had three members: a government railway official serving as chairman, a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the company railways.

A Railway Board was constituted in 1901, but decision-making power was retained by the Viceroy, Lord Curzon. Soon various independent kingdoms built their own rail systems and the network spread to the regions that became the modern-day states of Assam, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896 sent engineers and locomotives to help build the Uganda Railway. The route mileage of this network was about 14,500 km (9,000 miles) by 1880, mostly radiating inward from the three major port cities of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta.

Once established, the company would be transferred to the government, with the original company retaining operational control. The British government encouraged new railway companies backed by private investors under a scheme that would guarantee an annual return of five percent during the initial years of operation. Covering a distance of 34 km (21 miles), it formally heralded the birth of railways in India. A year and a half later, on 1853-04-16, the first passenger train service was inaugurated between Bori Bunder, Bombay and Thana.

The first train in India became operational on 1851-12-22, and was used for the hauling of construction material in Roorkee. Interest from investors in the UK led to the rapid creation of a rail system over the next few years. Two new railway companies were created and the East India Company was asked to assist them. In 1844, the Governor-General of India Lord Hardinge allowed private entrepreneurs to set up a rail system in India.

A plan for a rail system in India was first put forward in 1832, but no further steps were taken for more than a decade. . Indian Railways operates both long distance and suburban rail systems. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit, becoming one of the largest networks in the world.

By 1947, the year of India's independence, there were forty-two rail systems. Railways were first introduced to India in 1853. As of 2005 IR owns a total of 216,717 wagons, 39,936 coaches and 7,339 locomotives and runs a total of 14,244 trains daily, including about 8,002 passenger trains^[2]. The railways traverse through the length and width of the country covering a total length of 63,940 km (39,230 miles).

IR is the world's largest commercial or utility employer, with more than 1.6 million employees^[1]. It is also one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting just under five billion passengers and almost 350 million tonnes of freight annually. Indian Railways has a monopoly on the country's rail transport. Indian Railways (IRY) is the state-owned railway company of India.

– Construction Division. IRCON International Ltd. – Consulting Division of Indian Railways. RITES Ltd.

Railtel Corporation of India – Telecommunication Networks. Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation. Centre for Railway Information System. Indian Railway Finance Corporation.

Konkan Railway Corporation. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation.