Some of the Most Impressive Facts about the Indian Railways

• By : Gaurav Batra
• In : Others
• Last Updated: 2017-07-18

Watching the picturesque countryside, green emerald mountains, far-ranging farmlands, majestic meadows, and lush plantations from the window of a train is surely a treat to the eyes. The sound of the train running on the track and the soothing outdoor ambience are quite enough to take you to another world. Trust me! The rapture of travelling via Indian Railways is a way beyond than journeying through any other means. You would be glad to know that your favourite fast food joints like Domino's and Mc. Donalds have started delivering finger-licking meals to some of the Indian trains for making your journey worthwhile. Just order your food online and it will duly arrive at your seat.
This widespread network, operated under a single management is universally commended for its mass scale and systematic functioning.

The unprecedented accomplishments of the Indian Railways have resulted in some mind-bending facts and figures, which will leave you open-mouthed. So, lets' explore these jaw-dropping scoops about the Indian Railways.

The Fastest Train and The Slowest Train

As per the IRCTC, the New Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India. Touching the supersonic speed of 150kmph. on the stretch of 195 km from Delhi to Agra, this passenger train is widely boarded by the passengers for business, tourism, and pilgrimage purpose. On the contrary, the Nilgiri Express a.k.a. Blue Mountain Express is the most sluggish train of the Indian Railways system. It runs from Chennai to Metupalyam with the snail-like speed of 10kmph.

The Longest Run and The Shortest Route

Rolling on a whopping stretch of 4,273 km from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari, the Vivek Express witnesses the longest route in Indian railways. Taking the passengers from East to Southern India, this train consumes 82.3 hours to cover this extensive distance. Oppositely, the service trains running between Nagpur and Ajni are bothered for covering a distance as short as 3 km. These services are courteously provided by the Indian Railways to the crew for travelling from Nagpur to the workstation in Ajni.

The Longest Non-Stop Run and Most Halts

Trivandrum Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express rejoices the felicity of travelling on the longest unhindered route in India. This joyride breathlessly covers an expanse of 528 km from Vadodara to Kota in just 6.5 hrs. The journey of the passengers of this train doesn't get interfered by those constant and irksome halts. However, the Howrah-Amritsar Express witnesses the utmost number of halts. It travels on a stretch of 1924 km in 37 hrs, due to the persistence of 115 halts coming its way.

Two Stations, One Location

Two swords can not be in one sheath. Well, we all affirm this famous quote. But when it comes to the versatility of the Indian Railways, nothing is preposterous. The mystic facts of the Indian railways are highly intriguing, as this network comprises of two stations at a single location. The stations of Srirampur and Belapur in Maharashtra share a matching location on the railway track but surely on the opposite sides of the track. This, fifty-fifty alliance of these two stations will surely leave you in awe of the management working behind it.

The Least Punctual Train

If you have booked tickets for the Guwahati-Trivandrum Express, then be prepared to dawdle around because this train gets nowhere on time. The average delay of 10-12 hours for every trip has made it won the title of The Least Reliable Express. A series of incidences of being delayed hounds the Guwahati-Trivandrum Express. The passengers of this train should be prepared to check their watches again and again, as this train is known for arriving hours after the scheduled time.

The Longest and the shortest station names

Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta. Phew! Well, it's neither a whole sentence nor a tongue twister; in fact, it is the name of a station in Tamil Nadu. Being elongated enough to drain your tongue, this station has the longest name in the records of the Indian Railways. On the contrary, the tag of the shortest station names, comprising of just two alphabets, belongs to the Ib station in Odisha and Od station in Gujarat.

The Oldest Loco

Fairy Queen (1855), India's oldest locomotive, is still shining the name of Indian Railways by running from New Delhi to Alwar in Rajasthan. This national treasure proudly owns a space in the Guinness Book of World Records, as it has been awarded as the oldest steam locomotive in the world. The Fairy Queen can carry 60 passengers and it runs at a speed of around 40kmph.

Tunnel Track

The Pril Pranjal railway tunnel in the Jammu and Kashmir is the longest railway tunnel in India. So those who are travelling to J&K, do keep a track of this elongated railway tunnel coming your way, as you would be witnessing the longest one in India. Rejoice the unparalleled engineering works of its developers for a lengthy period of 9 minutes and 30seconds, as this is the time consumed by the train to evacuate the tunnel.

Potty Train-ing

All the trains of the Indian Railways are equipped with the hygienic lavatories, to avoid any sort of inconvenience to the passengers. These toilets are meticulously maintained by the proficient staff of the Indian Railways. The authorities take complete care of sanitation for making the experience of the passengers worthwhile. Every compartment of most of the Indian trains has 2-4 lavatories for the comfort of the travellers.

Well, these were some of the most intriguing facts about the Indian Railways. We are quite sure that most of them have surely raised your eyebrows. It is often said that the beauty of India multiplies when you travel this country via rail. So, what are you waiting for! Book your train tickets and be ready for the joyride.