Indian Railways is a state-owned railway company, responsible for rail transport in India. It is owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways.
It is fourth largest railway network in the world comprising 119,630 kilometres (74,330 mi) of total track and 92,081 km (57,216 mi) of running track over a route of 66,687 km (41,437 mi) with 7,216 stations at the end of 2015-16 more than 22 million passengers a day and 1.101 billion tons of freight annually.
Railways first introduced to India in 1853 from Bombay to Thane.
Indian Railways is the world's eighth biggest employer and had 1.331 million employees at the end of 2015-16.
Indian Railways run on average 13,313 passenger trains daily in 2015-16. Mail or Express trains, most common type, run at average speed of 50.9 km/hr. The trains have a 5 digit numbering system. As of at the end of 2015-16, of the total 68,525 km (42,579 mi) route length, 28,327 km (17,602 mi) (45%) was electrified and 28,371 km (17,629 mi) (37%) was Double or Multiple line route
