There is a well-used adage: "If wishes were horses, men would fly." Maybe it's a voguish predisposition of humans to transcend mountains, skies and water bodies like the avian species. Humans, through the innovative ability and ingenuity of the Wright brothers, realised the cherished dream of being airborne.
Rewind to April 16, 1853 – a truly momentous day when iron trudged on iron. It appeared eons ago. Yes, 171 years to be precise. This was the day when Sahib, Sindh and Sultan, three robust steam engines hauled 14 carriages on a broad-gauge track over 34 kilometres. This historic journey took place between Boribunder (in present-day Mumbai) and Thane.
Today Indian Railways (IR) operates around 25,000 trains daily to move approximately four million tonnes of freight cargo and more than 23 million passengers – no mean achievement! IR has become a crucial driver of the Indian economy. To run these trains, passengers and freight, the organisation has a gargantuan fleet of resources.
At the apex level, the organisation is headed by the Railway Board, which is further segregated into 17 Zonal Railways, 67 Divisional offices and several production units. The apparently monolithic organisation has an assemblage of 10,000 locomotives, 58,000 coaches with an aggregate seating capacity of 50 lakhs, 2.5 lakh wagons with aggregated freight carrying capacity of 13.5 million tonnes and about 68,103 route kilometres of the network (as of March 2022).
MAHARAJAS' EXPRESS:
This story is from the January 01, 2025 edition of Millennium Post Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 01, 2025 edition of Millennium Post Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
This journey has been nothing short of a dream come true
Vicky Kaushal described his journey in cinema so far as nothing less than a dream come true and he feels gratitude for the opportunity to portray some of the most compelling characters of his career.
Top-6 cos lose ₹1.71 lakh cr in mcap
The combined market valuation of six of the top 10 valued domestic firms eroded by Rs 1.71 lakh crore last week, with IT majors Infosys and TCS taking the biggest hit.
Rahul Has No Idea How His Father, Grandmother, Great Grandfather Tampered With Constitution
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has no knowledge of history and what efforts were made by his father, grandmother and great grandfather to tamper with the Constitution, Union minister and BJP president JP Nadda said on Sunday.
Budget FY26: Govt could cut customs duty on raw materials to boost manufacturing, say tax experts
We expect duty cuts in raw materials in electronics, home appliances & pharma products
Punjab CM Mann lays foundation stone for expansion of DAC
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) by constructing the third and fourth floor of the building at a cost of Rs 10.31 crore.
Kho Kho WC: Indian women's team crowned champion
The Indian women's team emerged champion in the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup with a dominant 78-40 victory in the summit clash against Nepal here on Sunday.
Trump set to take charge as 47th US President today
Donald Trump, set to take charge as the 47th President of the United States, returned to Washington on Sunday morning, marking the beginning of an extraordinary inaugural weekend.
Fragile calm returns to Gaza.
Speaking at the UN Headquarters, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had on January 15 praised Egypt, Qatar, and the US for brokering a ceasefire agreement.
Nearly 60 people killed in Colombia
Officials in Colombia say about 60 people have been killed in the country's northeast region following failed attempts to hold peace talks with the National Liberation Army.
Kejriwal, wife Sunita, Atishi, Mann among AAP's star campaigners for Delhi polls
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and her Punjab counterpart, Bhagwant Singh Mann, are among the party's star campaigners for the upcoming Assembly polls in the national capital, party leaders said on Sunday.
