The Timeline of Railways
Ever since the wheel was invented, innovation has led to significant changes in the way humans travel. The train was introduced or developed in the year 1791. James Watt patented the invention of the steam engine, which was an engineering marvel back then. The railways have come a far way since the Industrial Revolution in 1857. From very slow, inefficient Steam Engines, there now exist Bullet Trains, Metro Trains, and electric trains. Some of these trains are so advanced that it seems right out of a sci-fi movie when you travel in one.
Indian Railway is the most extensive railway system on the entire planet. With over 60,000 km of tracks laid, this makes it the most extensive rail system ever. India has a population of around 1.3 billion people. Many people travel from one place to another using public transport. Rail transport is the most preferred travel ever. Indian Railway runs approximately 13,000 trains daily. The number of employees is around 1.3 million, which makes it the sector with the most number of workers. The importance of railways in India is so mightily high that a separate railway budget is issued every financial term. It is said that by the end of March 2018, Indian Railway is set to carry 8.3 billion passengers every year. This also includes transport of around 1.2 billion tons of freight and goods. The total revenue of the budget is about 29 billion US dollars.
Traveling in a train can seem to be intimidating for most new passengers in India. The crowded platforms, rush in trains, buying tickets, everything could be really challenging. The Railway department is trying its best to cater to the needs of all the travellers and to ensure complete satisfaction to the passengers and the workers. Gone are the days when tickets had to be bought by standing in long queues. You can purchase tickets either online or from any travel agent. When you buy your ticket, you will also have access to your PNR, which is a unique ID. For PNR status check, you need not return to the travel agent or the ticket counter. There are many apps and toll free numbers to check your PNR status. This makes booking train tickets much more flexible.
What can we do?
On the day of your travel, finding the correct platform number could be difficult. But there is no need to worry, as the railway department has put up several boards showing routes to the right platform number. You can also cross-check with the friendly railway staff in the railway station in case you need any help. Once you enter your coach, you are required to be seated in the seat number as printed on the coach list. Also, ensure that you keep the train restrooms and coaches clean. There is also a chain which can be pulled to stop the train in case of any emergency. Following some simple rules will help the railway department in maintaining the service. Let us all support to build the ideal railway system and help each other out.
