Sky News

In the space of the advertisement breaks are written summaries of news, business & sports headlines, accompanied by different mixes of the normal Sky News theme music. This may become a catalyst for better and more environmentally friendly sanitation in the country. The key differences between this overseas version and the UK version are the omission of the current time on the screen (reflecting that the channel may be shown outside of its normal GMT/BST time zone), and the absence of advertisements. Indian Railways is currently considering Eco-san toilets for its trains. The standard UK Sky News channel is also available in a number of other countries; it is occasionally shown in hotels and is offered by some cable systems as part of their English-language line-up. Due to the number of users, the toilets are often in bad condition. This differs from Sky News UK only in that it includes two local halfhour weekdaily programmes, and a weekly summary programme. This causes an accumulation of human waste on the tracks in places where the train stands still, such as in large stations.

Sky News Ireland began in May 2004. a hole in the floor), without any effluent storage tanks on board. However this Italian language channel has little in common with Sky News UK. The toilets on Indian Railways trains are of the direct-vent type (i.e. Sky TG24, known to some English speakers as "Sky News Italia" launched on August 23 2003. Due to the size of the network and low speeds, journeys can last many days. Some of this programming is also broadcast on Sky News Australia. Sanitation is a significant problem on Indian Railways.

Initially, only local news bulletins differentiated it from Sky News Australia, but its level of local programming has now increased. In rural areas, cattle and other animals may stray onto the tracks, posing a much more serious safety hazard to fast-moving trains. New Zealand's Sky News Australia New Zealand launched in 2001. Most railway land in India is not fenced or restricted in any way, allowing free trespass. It is another News Corp channel that owes much in terms of style and presentation to Sky News. Reasons given are that suitable bridges or level crossings over the tracks are non-existent or inconveniently placed. Hindi news channel STAR News was launched in 1998 on Asia's STAR TV platform. In many places, pedestrians, vehicles or cyclists may cut across the tracks to save time, causing a safety hazard to the railways.

It ceased transmission in June 1998. This therefore imposes a strong constraint on the pace at which Indian railways can expand or modernize itself. It was partial-day Sky UK channel with a focus on Scottish news and sport. As a public utility, the government subsidises the prices as increasing ticket prices often translates into widespread discontent and most often political damage. Sky Scottish launched on November 1 1996 as a joint venture between BSkyB and Scottish Media Group. Railway ticket prices are particularly affected by the fact that India in general is a price-sensitive market. This never happened, possibly due to sharp increases in ratings for FOX News. During this season the reserved compartments are swamped by many without a reserved ticket.

Following Sky News' successful coverage of the 2003 Iraq War, some of which was broadcast on Fox News, there was a proposal to launch a Sky News US. During the holiday seasons, reserved tickets have to be booked two months in advance, to avoid a generally static waiting list. Fox and Sky use each others correspondents, studios and footage but there is a gulf in editorial stances of the two channels. Overcrowding is a big issue, with the General compartment often being packed beyond capacity. Sky News' "sister channel" in the United States is Fox News Channel, launched on October 7, 1996. Aging colonial-era bridges and century-old tracks also require regular maintenance and upgrading. It ceased transmission in August 1997. Contributing to the Railways' problems are the antiquated communication, safety equipment and signalling systems.

It was a partial-day UK opinion focused current affairs channel. The Konkan Railway route suffers from landslides in the monsoon season, which has caused fatal accidents in the recent past. Granada Talk TV launched on October 1 1996 as part of the Granada Sky Broadcasting joint venture between BSkyB and Granada. Human error is the primary cause (83%)^[10] blamed for mishaps. The UK version in its entirety is also available in Australia, but only in a low bitrate form. 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. This channel makes heavy use of Sky News UK material. Although accidents such as derailment and collisions are less common in recent times, many are run over by trains, especially in crowded areas.

The first Sky News deriviate was Sky News Australia, launched on February 19 1996 as a joint venture between BSkyB, Publishing and Broadcasting Limited and the Seven Network. The main problem plaguing the Railways is the high accident rate which stands at about three hundred^[9] a year. They share content and expertise, but differ in focus and presentation. In a cost cutting move, the Railways plans to minimise unwanted cessations, and scrap unpopular routes. As well as the original UK version, there are a growing number of other "Sky News" channels, and additional News Corporation news channels. A new concern faced by Indian Railways is competition from low cost airlines that has recently made its début in India. It is also usually carried on cable systems in Europe, particularly (but not only) in Northern Europe. 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].

It is also carried encrypted on a number of satellites for international reception - including but not limited to Hotbird, Nilesat, Amos 1 and Intelsat 10-02. The overall passenger traffic grew 7.5% in the previous year. An international version - the UK feed, minus advertisements, the clock , the scrolling headlines banner and cropped to 4:3 - is free-to-air on Astra 1E at 19.2E. Around 20% of the passenger revenue is earned from the upper class segments of the passenger segment (the air-conditioned classes). It is also available on Freeview. The freight growth was pegged at 7.67% raised from 580 to 600 million tonnes^[7]. Sky News is free-to-air on the satellites carrying the Sky Digital platform. (US$91.8 million).

Indeed, recently the BBC Head of News, Peter Horrocks, admitted that it was Sky News that is to be found on the tv screens of all the major UK national newsdesks (as well as a good deal of others across the globe), not the BBC. Fund balances was at a figure of Rs. 6,963 cr (US$1,600 million) while the working expenses rose by Rs. 400 cr. Despite increased competition from the BBC, Sky News remains the default news channel for opinion formers in UK. 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. Later that year, its (also award-winning) coverage of the Iraq conflict saw it yet again steal a march on its rivals, with US networks CBS and Fox News carrying much of its coverage. 466,350 million or US$10,700 million), Rs. 1,838 cr (US$421.8 million) higher than budget estimates. In 2002/3, its coverage of the Soham Murders in Cambridgeshire gave the channel yet more awards, and the British Academy award for news coverage. As per the 2005 budget, Indian Railways earned Rs. 46,635 crores^[6] (Rs.

During the first week or so of the invasion of Afghanistan, Its US sister station Fox News substituted its late-night repeats of its own programming with a simulcast of Sky News. 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. Its coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks brought more honours, and more recognition from BAFTA and the RTS. 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. Its coverage of the war in Kosovo eclipsed long-standing rivals at CNN and the BBC, both of whom could only just muster telephone reports, whilst Sky had live reporters in-vision across the region; for that, it won awards from the Royal Television Society and BAFTA, as well as a nomination for an International Emmy Award. 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. At the turn of the millennium, Sky began a process of expanding its international coverage, opening more overseas bureaux in Africa, Europe, the far East, and so on. 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 channel came in for further criticism, with many accusing it of maintaining a pro-Louise Woodward stance, even after she was found guilty. The dividends from the railways accrue to the state, and the subsidies and losses are also borne by it. Villagers rallied round the screen, and Sky recorded their reactions to every detail of the trial. Indian Railways are subject to the same audit control as other government revenue and expenditures. They also took the opportunity to rig up a huge television screen in a pub in Woodward's home village of Elton in Cheshire, with 24/7 coverage of the trial in progress. The comments of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) are non binding. After days of live courtroom television, Sky attempted to return to a more regular schedule, only to be inundated with complaints by viewers demanding that the trial return to the screens; Sky obliged. The budget needs to be passed by a simple majority in the Lok Sabha (India's Lower House).

Capitalising on the live broadcasts from the courtroom, Sky News covered the trial as-it-happened, with constant live coverage. The Parliament discusses the policies and allocations proposed in the budget. Its coverage of the Louise Woodward trial in Boston, US, garnered the channel international attention. 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. However the station has undoubtedly got past this in its news coverage, to the point of being nominated for International Emmy Awards and a 2004 report listed Sky as second only to the BBC in terms of public trust in British news outlets. Some of these PSU's are:. A 1993 report on public trust in news outlets ranked Sky News far below the more established TV networks and newspapers. Apart from these zones, a number of Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) are under the administrative control of the ministry of railways.

MacKenzie announced his resignation in August 1994. 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 interview did not air on Sky News, and was instead shifted to Sky One. 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. Frykberg refused to air the interview and resigned shortly afterwards. The zones are further divided into divisions under the control of Divisional Railway Managers (DRM). The most ferocious battle occurred when Mackenzie wanted Sky News to run an interview with Lady Bienvenida Buck, exposed by the News of the World as being the mistress of Chief of Defence staff Sir Peter Harding. Each of the sixteen zones is headed by a General Manager (GM) who reports directly to the Railway Board.

Mackenzie, in contrast, wanted the channel to focus on more domestic and 'tabloid' stories. Reporting to them is the Railway Board, which has six members and a chairman. There was also talk of the US CBS network acquiring a stake in Sky News, and the two launching a joint international news channel. Rathwa. At the time, he was backed by Rupert Murdoch *[3]. Velu and Naranbhai J. Frykberg outlined his intention to open 15 new Sky News bureaux around the world and make the channel a serious alternative to CNN. 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.

The main problems arose when it became clear that Frykberg, then head of News and Sport at BSkyB, wanted to take Sky News to a wider international audience. Indian Railways is a publicly-owned company controlled by the Government of India, via the Ministry of Railways. MacKenzie's proposed changes to Sky News lead to clashes with CEO Sam Chisholm and the head of Sky News, Ian Frykberg, who protested what they saw as an attempt to take its news values downmarket and concentrate on stories that would be more familiar to tabloid newspapers than its rivals at the BBC and ITN. The fastest speed attained by any train is 184 km/h (114 mph) in 2000 during test runs. In early 1994 Kelvin Mackenzie, former editor of the Sun newspaper, was appointed Managing Director of BSkyB. 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 station has not been without controversy. 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.

During 2003, plans to offer Sky News in the US were under consideration, but have since been dropped allegedly due to pressure from Fox News. It covers 3,745 km (2,327 miles) in about 74 hours and 55 minutes. Sky News at the moment relies more on news rather than Fox News' anchor-based commentary, such as that provided by Bill O'Reilly. The Himsagar Express, between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on Indian Railways network. It is somewhat different to stablemate Fox News, the US sister channel with which it sometimes exchanges material. The shortest named station is Ib and the longest is Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta. Today Sky News continues to maintain an impressive standard of journalism in the face of tough competition. 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].

In the case of longer specials lasting close to an hour, a brief news summary is given on the hour, with the special starting a few minutes after. 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. Most specials last 30 minutes, with the regular programme for that hour being shortened to 30 minutes and the special starting at half past the hour. Kharagpur railway station also has the distinction of being the world's longest railway platform at 1072 m (3,517 ft). In addition to the above regular schedule, as of January 2006 Sky News has begun transmitting one-off special reports covering specific issues, with the schedule being altered to allow their inclusion. 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. Shows marked with * are replaced with Sky News Ireland on Irish cable and satellite systems. The train travels around the country, staying at a location for about two months before moving elsewhere.

Weekends:. 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. Regular schedule as of October 24, 2005: Weekdays:. The Lifeline Express is a special train popularly known as the "Hospital-on-Wheels" which provides healthcare to the rural areas. asset. It was reopened when the hostilities subsided in 2004. 20th Century Fox is another News Corp. However, hostilities between the two nations in 2001 saw the line being closed.

Sky News has been featured in many blockbuster feature films including 20th Century Fox releases; Independence Day, Mission: Impossible, Behind Enemy Lines, Shaun of the Dead and The Day After Tomorrow. The Samjhauta Express was a train that ran between India and Pakistan. He is married to CNN's Christiane Amanpour. 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. Former US State Department Spokesperson James Rubin has also signed with Sky News to present an hour-long evening news show. The Palace on Wheels is a specially designed train, lugged by a steam engine, for promoting tourism in Rajasthan. In this, Sky News would be following the example of CNN and Fox News in the United States. The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station in Mumbai is another World Heritage Site operated by Indian Railways.

The new schedule includes more programmes based around news presenters such as Jeremy Thompson, while still breaking news around the clock. 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. Music and on screen graphics were heavily revised and for the first time in the channel's history it began broadcasting in Widescreen (16:9) EDTV format (except for Sky News International which remained 4:3) . The highest station in this route is Ghum. This replaced the building at Isleworth which had been in use for almost 17 years since the channel's launch. 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). On October 24, 2005, Sky News was relaunched from a brand-new studio in a new building at Osterley, West London. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow gauge train with a steam locomotive is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

In March 2004 it was announced that Sky News had won a 5-year contract to supply news bulletins to the British terrestrial channel Five, taking over from ITN in January 2005. The highest speed notched up for a freight train is 100 km/h (62 mph) for a 4,700 tonne load. Sky News Poll, had also proved popular with a new question each day. Recently Indian Railways introduced the special 'Container Rajdhani' or CONRAJ, for high priority freight. It proved popular, and in late 2001/early 2002 it launched a 8-screen video news service, rather than just 4-screen. The "Green Van" is a special type used to transport fresh food and vegetables. In March 2000 Sky News Active was launched, a 24-hour service providing headlines (and other services) on demand. Refrigerated vans are also available in many areas.

The EC ruled that the BBC licence fee should be considered state aid but that such aid was justified due to the public service remit of the BBC and that it did not exceed actual costs of the channel. Trucks that carry goods to a particular location are hauled back by trains saving the trucking company on unnecessary fuel expenses. In September 1999 the European Commission ruled against a complaint by Sky News which argued that the publicly funded BBC News 24 was unfair and illegal under EU law. Indian Railways also transports vehicles over long distances. Sky News was the only UK 24 hour news service until the launch of BBC News 24 in November 1997, followed by the ITN News Channel (changing to the ITV News Channel before it closed down in December 2005) in August 2000. Most of its freight earnings come from such rakes carrying bulk goods such as coal, cement, foodgrains and iron ore. However, one of its longest standing presenters, Bob Friend MBE, retired in late 2003. Since the 1990s, Indian Railways has switched from small consignments to larger container movement which has helped speed up its operations.

Whilst it is fashionable for many of the newcomers to the news channel market to rapidly hire-and-fire presenters, Sky News is unique in that many of the original presenting team from the 1980s launch remain at the channel. However, competition from trucks which offer cheaper rates has seen a decrease in freight traffic in recent years. Although the channel was reportedly run at a loss until 2002 [2] its award-winning journalism has brought Sky Television and its successor British Sky Broadcasting some much-needed prestige. 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. The channel originally operated on a shoestring but quickly gained a reputation for journalistic integrity. Many important freight stops have dedicated platforms and independent lines. . Ports and major urban areas have their own dedicated freight lines and yards.

(although partnerships with other News Corporation-owned news outlets greatly increase this list). IR carries a huge variety of goods ranging from mineral ores, agricultural produce, petroleum, milk and vehicles. The station has 7 bureaux outside the United Kingdom & Ireland: Brussels, New Delhi, Johannesburg, Jerusalem, Moscow, Beijing and Washington, D.C. The Kolkata metro has the administrative status of a zonal railway, though it does not come under the seventeen railway zones. Sky News currently employs around 50 on-screen staff: anchors, weather forecasters, correspondents and reporters, and over 500 behind-the-scenes workers. It has three lines, one managed by the WR and other two managed by the Central Railway. The station broadcasts from Osterley, West London. Mumbai's rail transport is jointly managed by the Central and Western Railways.

Sky News is available via satellite in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and Oceania. 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. A former competitor within the UK was the ITV News Channel, which has ceased broadcasting. The rakes in Mumbai run on direct current, while those elsewhere use alternating current. Its main competitor in the UK is BBC News 24 while elsewhere in Europe it competes mainly with BBC World, Euronews and CNN International. Thus a nine coach EMU is made up of three units having one power car at each end and one at the middle. Sky News is Europe's first 24-hour television news channel, originally launched as part of the 4-channel Sky Television network in February 1989. One unit of an EMU train consists one power car and two general coaches.

5.30am - Sky World Review and Business Report. They usually have nine coaches or sometimes twelve to handle rush hour traffic. 5.00am - Sky World News. Suburban trains that handle commuter traffic are mostly electric multiple units. 4.30am - Sky World Review and Business Report. New Delhi and Kolkata have their own metro networks, namely the New Delhi Metro and the Kolkata metro, respectively. 4.00am - Sky World News. Hyderabad and Pune do not have dedicated suburban tracks but share the tracks with long distance trains.

7.00pm - Sky News On The Hour. Currently, suburban networks operate in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune. 5.00pm - Live at Five. Many cities have their own dedicated suburban networks to cater to commuters. 12.00pm - Sky News On The Hour. Ticket-less travel, which results in large losses for the IR, is also an additional problem faced. 10.00am Sunday only - Sunday Live with Adam Boulton, an in-depth look at world of politics from the heart of Westminster. In the holiday seasons or on long weekends, trains are usually packed more than their prescribed limit.

10.00am Saturday only - Saturday Live with Martin Stanford, mixing news and sport with showbiz and technology. Overcrowding is the most widely faced problem with Indian Railways. 6.00am - Sunrise. Air conditioned coaches are also attached, and a standard train may have between three and five air-conditioned coaches. 5.30am - Sky World Review and Business Report. Up to nine of these type coaches are usually coupled. 5.00am - Sky World News. Each coach has different accommodation class; the most popular being the sleeper class.

4.30am - Sky World Review and Business Report. Freight trains use a large variety of wagons. 4.00am - Sky World News. The coaches in use are vestibules, but some of these may be dummied on some trains for operational reasons. Includes broadcast of CBS Evening News at 12:30am and 3:30am. 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. 12.00am - Sky News On The Hour, overnight news coverage to 4am. A standard passenger train consists of eighteen coaches, but some popular trains can have up to 24 coaches.

11.00pm - Sky News Tonight takes a look at tomorrow's top stories. In South India and North-East India however, buses are the preferred mode of transport for medium to long distance transport. 10.30pm - Sportsline. The passenger division is the most preferred form of long distance transport in most of the country. *. Sikkim is the only state not connected. 10.00pm - Sky News at Ten is a round-up of the day's top stories, with Chris Roberts and Gillian Joseph. 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).

9.00pm - Sky News Tonight. There are a total of sixty-seven divisions. 8.00pm - World News Tonight, presented by James Rubin, taking a look at the news from an international perspective. Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. 7.00pm - The Sky Report with Julie Etchingham, a hard-hitting news analysis show. It is administratively considered to have the status of a zonal railway. 6.30pm - Sportsline *. The Calcutta Metro is owned and operated by Indian Railways, but is not a part of any of the zones.

5.00pm - Live at Five, a fast-paced look at the day's top stories with Jeremy Thompson. †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.. 2.00pm - Sky News Today. For administrative purposes, Indian Railways is divided into sixteen zones . 12.00pm - Lunchtime Live with Kay Burley taking a comprehensive look at the day's news with human interest stories. The entire railway reservation system was streamlined with computerisation in 1995. 9.00am - Sky News Today with live breaking news as it develops. By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out in favour of diesel and electric locomotives.

6.00am - Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes and Lorna Dunkley. 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.