How Indian Railways went from colonial steam engines to Vande Bharat

When the first train in India set off in 1853 from Bombay to Thane, pulled by three steam locomotives named Sahib, Sindh and Sultan, it covered just 34 km but ignited a transport revolution.

In the decades since, Indian Railways has gone from colonial-era steam engines to sleek, semi-high-speed trains like the Vande Bharat Express, with bullet trains on the horizon.

The history of railways in India dates back to a proposal in 1832, with the first industrial line laid in Madras in 1837.


After Independence, the railway network, previously a patchwork of private companies, was nationalised in 1951, creating a unified system under the Ministry of Railways.

The years that followed saw an ambitious expansion drive, major gauge conversion under Project Unigauge, and a steady shift from steam to diesel (1957), and then to widespread electrification, which began in earnest after the first electric train ran between Bombay and Kurla in 1925.

Post-independence milestones

Rajdhani Express (1969): India’s first fully air-conditioned superfast service, connecting New Delhi and Howrah at speeds of up to 120 km/h.

Kolkata Metro (1984): India’s first metro system, laying the groundwork for urban mass transit networks like the Delhi Metro.

Shatabdi Express (1988): High-speed intercity trains for daytime travel, linking major cities and capitals.

Konkan Railway (1998): An engineering triumph through the Western Ghats, with Asia’s tallest rail viaduct and over 90 tunnels.

Computerised reservations (1980s): The Passenger Reservation System (PRS) revolutionised ticketing, later evolving into online booking via IRCTC.

The modern era

Today’s Indian Railways is investing heavily in speed, technology, and efficiency.

Vande Bharat Express: Launched in 2019 between New Delhi and Varanasi, this indigenously built semi-high-speed train can hit 160 km/h and offers features like automatic doors, infotainment, and advanced safety systems.

Dedicated Freight Corridors: High-capacity lines designed solely for freight to decongest passenger routes and slash logistics costs.

Bullet Train Project: The Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor, using Japan’s Shinkansen technology, aims to cover 508 km in about two hours. The project has faced delays, and most recent reports suggest that the Gujarat stretch is expected to be operational by 2027, with full completion targeted for 2029.

From the steam era to high-speed rail, Indian Railways has not only kept pace with the nation’s growth but has often driven it, linking places, shrinking distances and setting the stage for a new chapter in India’s transport story.