Indian Railways

Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. As of 2024, it manages the fourth largest national railway system by size, with a track length of 135,207 km (84,014 mi), running track length of 109,748 km (68,194 mi) and route length of 69,181 km (42,987 mi), of which 66,820 km (41,520 mi) is 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad-gauge. As of October 2025, approximately 99.1% of the broad-gauge railway network had been electrified. With more than 1.2 million employees, it is the ninth-largest employer of the world and the second largest employer of India.

In 1951, the Indian Railways was established by the amalgamation of 42 different railway companies operating in the country, spanning a total of 55,000 km (34,000 mi). The railway network across the country was reorganized into six regional zones in 1951–52 for administrative purposes, which was gradually expanded to 18 zones over the years.