Railways: growth, network density and new technology
Indian Railways began in 1853 between Bombay and Thane. The network is densest on the northern plains and thinnest in hills, deserts and forests.
Why railways matter
- They are the cheapest way for thousands of people to travel together across the country, for education, business, sightseeing or pilgrimage.
- People of all income groups can travel, with general, sleeper and AC coaches.
- Sleeper coaches with berths and washrooms make night journeys comfortable.
- They carry the country's largest amounts of bulky goods: coal, cement, food grains, fertiliser, petroleum and vehicles, from mines to industries and on to markets.
- So they help the economy grow. Damaging tracks or coaches during protests hurts passengers, business and the whole country.
Where the network is dense or thin
| Factor | Dense network | Thin network |
|---|---|---|
| Relief (shape of the land) | Flat plains: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana | Mountains, deserts, marshes, flood-prone land, dense forests and areas with many rivers and rapids |
| Farming | The food bowl of the plains, such as Punjab and Haryana, whose crops are sent all over India | Areas with little surplus to move |
| Mining and industry | Mineral areas such as Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh; industrial states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat | Areas with little industry, which cannot repay the high building cost |
| Population and cities | Densely populated areas and big cities with many jobs, schools and markets | Thinly populated areas |
New technology on Indian Railways
- A direct train links Jammu in the north with Kanniyakumari in the south, about 3,750 km.
- Many classes suit every budget: 1st AC, 2nd AC, 3rd AC, AC chair car, sleeper and general.
- Only diesel and electric locomotives run on the broad gauge; electric trains cut pollution.
- Passengers can book e-tickets from home on a computer or phone.
- Special wagons carry loaded trucks straight to customers or factories (called roll-on roll-off).
- Metro rail now moves large crowds quickly inside big cities.
- The government now gives priority to linking remote areas such as the north-eastern states.
Railways and roads compared
Both carry huge numbers of people and are needed for a region's development. They work best together.
On the map
- Mumbai and Thane: on the coast of Maharashtra; India's first passenger train ran between them in 1853.
- High rail density: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal on the northern plains.
- Low rail density: the hilly north-eastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the desert of western Rajasthan, and thick forest areas.
- Jammu and Kanniyakumari: the two ends of the direct north-south rail link in your lesson, about 3,750 km long.
Coal for power stations, grain for ration shops and huge numbers of daily passengers all move by rail. Booking a train ticket on a phone app is part of the railways' new technology.
3 marks: “Explain any three factors that affect the density of the railway network in India.” Relief: lines are cheap to build on plains, hard in hills and deserts. Farming: food bowl states like Punjab need lines. Mining and industry: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Population and cities. Any three with an example.
2 marks: “Why are there few railway lines in the north-eastern hill states?” Mountains, steep slopes, heavy rain and dense forests make lines very hard and costly to build. Fewer industries and people there make it harder to repay the cost.
1 marks: “When and between which places did India's first train run?” In 1853, from Bombay (Mumbai) to Thane, 34 km.
Eighteen fifty-three, thirty-four kilometres, Bombay to Thane.