171 Years On Tracks: Indian Railways Celebrates Historic First Journey

In 1853, exactly 171 years ago today, India marked a significant milestone in transportation history with the inaugural journey of the first train from Bori Bunder to Thane. This pivotal moment heralded a new era of connectivity that shaped the nation's future.

Indian Railways is one of the most important parts of the daily routine of this country, and it won’t be exaggerating to say this as the ‘Transportation Lifeline of the Nation.” Moreover, the Indian railway network is the fourth biggest railway network in the world, and it is connecting all parts of the country, from the suburban areas to the Tier 1 cities. Railways are everywhere. But do you know when and where the first train operated? 

The Indian Railways operated the first passenger train on April 16, 1853. It ran from Bori Bunder to Thane, covering a distance of 34 kilometres. It was operated by three locomotives named Sahib, Sultan, and Sindh, and it had 13 carriages. According to the Indian Railways, April 16, 1853, witnessed the formal inauguration ceremony, and in that, 14 carriages with 400 passengers left the Bori Bunder at 3:30 pm “amidst the loud applause of a vast multitude and to the salute of 21 guns.”

Since then, April 16 has been celebrated as Indian Rail Transport Day. And today the Central Railway posted this on X on the occasion with an image of that first train. The handle wrote, “In 1853, exactly 171 years ago today, India marked a significant milestone in transportation history with the inaugural journey of the first train from Bori Bunder to Thane. This pivotal moment heralded a new era of connectivity that shaped the nation's future.” 

The text in this image reads, 

“171 years of Pioneering journey

India’s 1st train ride from Bori Bunder towards Thane on 16th April, 1853 spanning a remarkable 34 kilometers.”

The daily count of passengers travelling by Indian Railways is more than 2.3 crores.