Information about Indian Railways

Indian Railways has more than 1.5 million employees, 20,000 freight trains, 60,000 coaches, 9,000 locomotives, 8,000 Railway Stations and 68,000 kilometers of railway track which covers the entire length and breadth of India. Apart from being the largest it also is one of the busiest rail networks in the world with more than 30 million annual passengers. The premier trains in the Indian Railways which are worth mentioning include the likes of Rajdhani Express, Garib Rath Express and Shatabdi Express. All of these trains are part of the high speed train network and have a proven track record of making the journey easier and more comfortable. The railways is referred as the life-line of the country and makes large amount of contribution in the growing economy of the nation and runs to almost every nook and corner of the country. It serves to transport goods as well as passengers in a very cost effective manner. However, there is still need for more trains in India as usually tickets are booked 60 days in advance and the availability of berths is low. The Railway Ministry at the cabinet is working around the corner to infuse new coaches and engines on to the tracks and in 2012 we are likely to see 20 new trains running on Indian Tracks. Apart from addition of new trains, Indian Railways is also laying special emphasis now on providing comfortable train journey for the passengers. Apart from being the largest employer in the country, the Railways is also the most profitable enterprise in India! In 2009 it had profits exceeding 10,000 Crores and this is only going to Increase. Mamta Banerjee, the Minister of Railways at Indian cabinet is also working to provide cheaper and more affordable fares. Indian Railwaysincludes multiple smaller entities which are spread throughout the country like Southern Railways, Northern Railway, Western Railways and Eastern Railways. All these entities work independently and have their own employ rolls but are supervised by the Central Railways Board. These entities provide excellent work benefits to the employees and have zero attrition rate. IRCTC of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited is a public sector company which ensures passenger comfort, online Indian Railway ticket reservation and meeting the catering requirements of all travellers. It is also in the process of introducing a few budget hotels along the rail lines of India for passengers. Users can visit the IRCTC website to make all their railway reservations and pnr enquiry online. The IRCTC web portal is also amongst the most trafficked sites in India and has up-to 10 million monthly unique visitors.