Describe the achievements and contribution of Indian railways in the economy.

The Indian Railway was introduced in the country in1853 when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane covering a distance of 34 km. Today the Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country. The railways are controlled and managed by the central government. It is divided into 16 different zones.

Railways are the most economical means of transportation, especially for long distances. In the colonial era, rail transport was developed to exploit the resources in inaccessible areas and to ensure connectivity to ports. Even today, major ports will be well-connected with railways resulting in the faster transport of bulkier goods to other places. With the advancement of technology, India has been well-connected by the rail network. Thus, railways ensure the connectivity of different regions and economical transportation of goods from place to place.

The Indian railway network is one of the longest in the world. It enables the movement of both goods and passengers to long distances cheaply. It also contributes to the by enabling the functioning of the economic activities without any major disruptions. Recently the railways have taken many important steps to improve the performance of the sector by converting and replacing the steam and coal engines by electric engines. The introduction of metro rail has transformed the urban transport system in Kolkata and Delhi.

Nearly all the rural areas around major towns, raw material producing areas, plantations, hill stations and cantonment towns are well-connected by railways. This helps in the cheap and efficient transport of goods and people to different places. Thus, still, the railways continue to be the major means of transport for the masses.