Central Railway enters 74th year of its formation

On the eve of its 74th Foundation Day, Central Railway released a photo of its headquarters at CSMT during the British-era. Pic/CR

Central Railway (CR), the successor to the Great Indian Peninsula (GIP) Railway, celebrated 73 years of its formation and begins its 74th year on Tuesday. The first train in Asia, which ran between Mumbai and Thane on April 16, 1853, marked the beginning of railway history in India. Over the years, the GIP Railway expanded significantly, merging with the Indian Midland Railway Company in 1900, extending its reach from Delhi in the north to Kanpur and Allahabad in central India, Nagpur in the east, and Raichur in the southeast, connecting Bombay to nearly all parts of India. At its peak, the GIP Railway covered a route mileage of 1,600 miles (2,575 km).

On November 5, 1951, CR was established by integrating the Nizam State, Scindia State, and Dholpur State Railways with the GIP Railway. In 2003, CR reorganised its eight divisions into five, creating seven additional zones. As a result, Jabalpur and Bhopal Divisions were incorporated into West Central Railway, and Jhansi Division joined North Central Railway. Today, CR consists of five divisions: Mumbai, Bhusaval, Nagpur, Solapur, and Pune, with a network spanning 4,219 route km across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, serving a total of 492 stations.

Over the past 73 years, CR has achieved numerous milestones, including the introduction of the first Shatabdi Express, the first Jan Shatabdi Express, and the first Tejas Express. The railway continues to lead in development; originating loading has surged from 16.58 metric tonnes at formation to 89.24 million tonnes in 2023-24, marking the highest loading in CR's history. In 1951, the railway carried 224 million passengers, which skyrocketed to 1,583 million passengers in the financial year 2023-24.

Mumbai's suburban services, vital to the city's transport network, have steadily expanded. What began with three-coach trains has grown to include services with nine, 12, and even 15 coaches, along with the introduction of AC suburban services for enhanced comfort. Currently, CR operates 1,850 suburban services (1,810 in Mumbai and 40 in Pune). Additionally, significant infrastructure improvements are underway, including the construction of new railway lines, doubling and electrification projects, and new station development. A record 348 km of multi-tracking was completed during the financial year 2023-24.