Indian Railways is over 150 years old and is the largest rail network in the world under one management. It plays a crucial role in India's economic development by transporting raw materials and goods across the country in a convenient and efficient manner. Recent initiatives by Indian Railways include increasing private participation through public-private partnerships and improving passenger amenities and sanitation. Freight transportation makes up 70% of Indian Railways' revenue and it carries a wide variety of goods using different types of freight trains.

1. INDIAN
RAILWAYS

3. * The effect of INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (2nd half of 18th c to 1st half of 19th
c.), Great Britain
* Invention of “Steam engine” by James Watt for railways led to radical
changes in transport system all over the world.
* Railways are the convenient mode of transport for long distances.
* Suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods like. Iron & steel, ores ..
* Carries raw materials from mines and quarries .. and other interior
areas of the country to industrial centres.
* Link up the various regions of the economy and increase the
occupational mobility of the people.
* In short, They play a crucial role in the economic development of
the nation.

4. ELEVENTH PLAN ( 2007-12)
- Major initiative in shifting to PPP for building and operation of selected
railway infrastructure.
- Provision of quality passenger amenities at terminals, overall
improvement in the sanitation.
- Outsourcing routine activities to private companies.
-Introduction of modern Rolling stock
-Appropriate changes in designs of wagons.

7. First in India in 1853 from Bombay to
Thana.1853 First railway train journeyed
distance of 22 miles between Bombay
and Thana.
Originally, operated by private
companies Englishmen.
In 1925-1950 GOI took over the all the
private railway companies.

8.  Indian Railways is more than 150
year old.
 It is largest railway system in world
under one management.
 It is a lifeline of our country.
 It is biggest employer in the world
(14,06,430)
 No strike in last 30 years in spite of
17 lakh workers.

10. • Monopoly of country’s rail transport
• In 1832, a proposal was made to build a railroad between
Madras & Bangalore, but it never materialized.
• In 1845, two companies formed– East Indian Railway
Company operating from Calcutta– Great Indian Peninsula
Railway operating from Bombay
• On December 22, 1851, first train is operational in India
• April 16, 1853, first passenger train introduced between
Bombay & Thana (34km) at 3.30 PM.
• Railways grows in India with encouragement of the British
Government.

11. • Due to Partition, India lost 40% of its existing rail network.
• At independence, 42 rail systems were existing
• In 1951, all systems were nationalized as one unit.
• Total of 6 zones came into existence in 1952, later
extended to 16zones.
• In 1985, steam locomotives are phased out.
• In 1987, computerisation of reservation first was carried
out in Bombay
• In 1989, train numbers were standardized to 4 digits.
• In 1995, entire reservation system was computerized.
• In 1998, Konkan Railway was opened spanning difficult
terrain through the Western Ghats.

12. I. Express Trains
II. Fast Passenger
III. Superfast/Mail
IV. Deccan Odyssey
V. Duronto
VI. Garib Rath
VII. Jan Shatabdi Express
VIII.Maharaja Express
IX. Palace on Wheels
X. Premium train
XI. Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
XII. Rajdhani Express
XIII. Shatabdi Express
XIV.Sampark Kranti Express
XV. The Golden Chariot
XVI. Lifeline Express
XVII.Red Ribbon Express

13. • Freight– Contributes to 70%of revenues– Last 2
decades, shifted to large container movement.–

14. Types of Freight Trains

15. Departmental trains are trains run for internal purposes of the
railway, such as track maintenance or conveying equipment. They may
be ballast trains or other material trains. Breakdown trains and other
special-purpose trains for dealing with accidents are also considered
to be departmental trains.

16. Work trains are trains used for short-distance movements of
freight, especially small packages ('smalls') transshipped from
long-distance freight trains.

17. Shunting trains are used for moving wagons to different
stations in a section, and are involved only in attaching and
detaching such wagons. They are also known as section
trains (especially on CR) and pick-up trains elsewhere.

18. Through goods trains are freight trains transporting goods
from one goods yard to the next without stoppage at
intermediate points. Long-distance goods, also known
as solid trains include various special long-distance freight
trains that get precedence, such as the Freight Chief or
other Express Goods trains with timetabled operations and
guaranteed delivery time (including QTS or Quick Transit
Service goods), Jumbo trains, and Sherpa trains. The
remainder of the through goods trains, which run at lower
precedence, are known as Ordinary Through trains.

19. What are the typical
freight loads carried by IR?

20. IR carries the entire gamut of goods,
ranging from parcel traffic and small
consignments, agricultural products,
raw materials like iron ore and
petroleum, and finished goods like
automobiles.

21. The 'Green Bogey' (Green Bogie)
service provides for the transport of
perishable agricultural products (fruits
and vegetables) in refrigerated and
non-refrigerated wagons attached to
passenger trains.

22. How are freight trains scheduled?

23. Some trains are run as pre-scheduled or timetabled services. The
majority of goods trains run as requirements arise. The process
of arranging for a goods train to run is known as ordering a
goods train. Ordering a goods train involves the issuance of
written advice to the yard or station and loco shed that a certain
train will run, starting from the station or yard at a certain time
and running to a certain schedule. The written advice is known
as the Train Notice. The train notice is normally issued at least 3
hours before the advertised departure of the train, so that the
rake can be marshalled and the locomotives prepared for the
trip. Once the train departs, it is under the control of the section
controllers until it reaches the next goods yard (where the next
section controller picks it up). Apart from coordinating with
station staff for through running on the main or loop lines,
normally goods trains run without attention from station staff.

24. Who carries container traffic in
India?

25. Most rail container traffic in India is handled by CONCOR (the
Container Corporation of India) which until recently was the
only such organization. CONCOR is a public-sector concern,
but it maintains its own fleet of wagons and other assets that
are separate from IR's, although the traffic moves on IR's
tracks.
Recently [1999] CONCOR has begun running some fast (up to
100km/h) guaranteed delivery container freight trains on
certain routes (35 rail corridors have been identified as
suitable for such service). The rakes consist of 5-wagon
groups of flat cars; the flat cars are low flat cars which allow
loading 'Tallboy' containers.

26. International freight: Are there direct
freight trains running between India and
neighboring countries?

27. Freight trains run regularly between India and Pakistan via the
Attari (Punjab) - Lahore route. The Munabao - Khokhrapar
route is under consideration [2007] for goods traffic (it is
currently only used for the Thar Express passenger traffic).
Freight trains have also been running regularly between India
and Bangladesh on the Gede-Darshana and Petrapole -
Benapole routes. Another route connecting India and
Bangladesh is Singhbad (India) - Rohanpur (Bangladesh). The
Bongaon (India) - Jessore (Bangladesh) direct BG route has
been proposed, and needs a 10km link constructed between
Akhaura and Agartala. Nepal is connected to India by rail by
the Birgunj - Raxaul line.

29. IN-BOUND TRAINS - LOCAL
TRAINS
OUT-BOUND TRAINS - TRAINS
CONNECTING TO STATES &
OTHER CITIES.

31. Indian Railways is a multi-gauge,
multi-traction system covering the following:
Track
Kilometer
s
Broad
Gauge
(1676
mm)
Meter
Gauge
(1000
mm)
Narrow Gauge
(762/610 mm)
Total
86,526 18,529 3,651
108,70
6
Route
Kilometer
s
Electrifi
ed
Total
16,001 63,028

35. What are CONCOR depots and
where are they located?

36. CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) operates
several container depots throughout the country. As
of there were 31 Inland Container Depots (ICDs) with
facilities for international freight and connected to
ports. These are classified based on whether or not
they have a Container Freight Station (CFS), and
whether they are equipped to handle port freight. A
CFS facility allows freight to be loaded / unloaded to
or from containers, and aggregated or distributed; at
an ICD without a CFS, containers can only be routed
to different destinations without being opened and
loaded or unloaded.

37. Marshalling yard :A large railway
yard in which freight wagons are
organized into trains.

39. References :
http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-freight.html
http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-freight.html