Indian Railways History and Development PDF

11 Indian Railways – History and Development Significant Ideas The British constructed the Indian Railways to support their own industries and gain access to the resources of In...

11 Indian Railways – History and Development Significant Ideas The British constructed the Indian Railways to support their own industries and gain access to the resources of India’s hinterland. It did, however, play a significant role in facilitating Indians’ access to different regions of the country. The longest train journey from Kanyakumari to Dibrugarh takes 82 hours and 30 minutes and includes 56 stops. The journey by train from Nagpur to Ajni is only three kilometres long. The Indian Railways are the main transport system for the country and are crucial to its development. They transport about 122 tonnes of freight and nearly 13 million people. Evolution of Railways in India The British initially proposed rail services for India in the 1830s, but the first train did not run until 1853. On April 16, the first passenger train began its 34-kilometer journey from Thane to the Bori Bunder station in Bombay. It Indian Railways Logo could transport up to 400 passengers and was propelled by three steam locomotives known Source: https://i0.wp.com/padhobeta.com/ blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Indian- as Sultan, Sindh, and Sahib. The first phase of Railway-Logo.jpg?ssl=1 travel was funded by private companies. The first passenger railway train in eastern India Source: https://transportationhistoryorg.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/east-indian-railway-1863-granger.jpg 1 Indian Railways – History and Development Chapter 1.indd 1 6/20/2023 10:07:18 AM  Objective: The British sought to build railways in India in order to § control a large, diverse country while administering local population § seek out resources in remote areas, especially cotton § swiftly transport people and materials across the nation § lower transportation costs to make it simpler for English traders to obtain raw cotton § open Indian markets to British goods made of cotton, such as textiles The railway network had the following impact on India’s economy and transport system: § Transporting goods became cheaper and resulted in creating new opportunities.  It enabled migration across regions facilitating cross-cultural contact across far-flung regions. Indian Railways - 1870 NORTH WEST KASHMIR Railways Completed AFGHANISTAN FRONTIER Railways Under Construtions PROVINCE Present International Boundaris Lahore PUNJAB Ludhiana Multan Saharanpur BALUCHISTAN Delhi UNITED Aligarh PROVINCES RAJPUTANA Agra Lucknow BHUTAN SIND Hydrabad Arah Benaras EASTERN BENGAL Karachi Allahabad n d i a n Rl y. East I AND ASSAM KUTCH I GUJARAT N D I A BENGAL Ahmedabad Jubbulpore CHOTA NAGPUR Baroda UPPER Calcutta KATHIAWAR VERMA Ce nt ra l Ba ro da an d y. CENTRAL PROVINCE In di a Rl Nagpur ORISSA y, Akola Bo m ba BERAR Bombay BAY Poona HYDERABAD OF Sholapore BENGAL ARABIAN Waddy SEA Bellary M ad ra An s Rl MADRAS y. da Bangalore Madras Lakshadweep I man & Nico MYSORE Beypore IN DIA IN DIA Negapatam ba sla r I nd s la s nd CEYLON s I N D I A N O C E A N Map not to scale. Indian Railways – 1870 Indian Railways 2 Chapter 1.indd 2 6/20/2023 10:07:19 AM  § Both domestic and foreign trade flourished. § Industrial development gained momentum and the international market prospered. § Agricultural output increased and export, import of grains took agriculture to a commercial level. § It increased the market of goods and made it easy for everyone to avail goods at a reasonable price. § It opened up employment opportunities for rural people by providing them jobs at different levels. Q Questions ū What was the actual motivation for the British to build the railways? Colonisation of Indian Economy Industry British railways contributed to the country’s unification and the removal of geographical and cultural barriers. Its construction, however, completely colonised the Indian economy. The domestic economy became increasingly reliant on British business. Due to the decline of traditional handicrafts, artisans were forced to relocate to urban areas and work in emerging industries. The lower price of British-made textiles resulted in significant declines in Indian handloom textile exports. As a result, India’s industrialisation slowed, and textile-based factories were unable to thrive. Indian labourers working in plantations Source: https://www.vskills.in/certification/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/8_Indian-economy- during-British-rule.gif 3 Indian Railways – History and Development Chapter 1.indd 3 6/20/2023 10:07:19 AM  Agriculture Cotton, indigo, tea, and opium plantations, as well as their transportation on colonial railways, resulted in a large number of peasants becoming landless agricultural labourers. Impact § Job losses caused by the decline of traditional modes of transportation increased the population of landless agricultural labourers. § Employees in both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors were forced to work for the railways. § Although railway technology advanced quickly in Britain, it did not reach India due to the availability of cheap labour. § This was used as an excuse to keep technology low so that cheap labour could be used profitably. § Landless agricultural labourers and lower-class peasants made up the majority of the rural labour force. § The majority of the workforce remained unskilled and worked as manual labourers, movers, and diggers. Indian Railways was a labour-intensive enterprise that employed both men and women, as well as children, until the end of the British era. The workers were organised into gangs led by Indian labour contractors. Women and children carried mud, bricks, and rocks, while men laid rails and hauled timber. Families, including children as young as 10, were employed. Neither the railways nor the contractors were responsible for the well-being of their employees and their families. During the British era, alternative modes of transportation posed no threat to the railways. Because boats and carts took a long time to transport people and goods, railways had a pricing and rate monopoly. Profit was the primary objective of every company. Only five British companies controlled the entire rail industry. The companies divided the traffic so that everyone would profit. Thus, in a colonial context, railways served as an imperial technology that aided imperial expansion while suffocating Indian economic growth. It did, however, contribute to the expansion of commerce and industry, and new markets sprouted up near major train stations. Farmers began to view agriculture more as a business than a way of life. Alongside railway stations, new towns sprang up, creating jobs in infrastructure development, machinery manufacturing, and the establishment of restaurants and tea shops, among other things. Towns grew up around railways as a symbol of progress as more people wanted to be a part of it. Glossary Subsistence: the state of having what you need in order to stay alive but no more. Indian Railways 4 Chapter 1.indd 4 6/20/2023 10:07:19 AM  Indian Subcontinent – Forests and Railways Forests were well known for their hardwood – different varieties of teak, sal, deodar, cedar, and even chir pine timber were found in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. One of the primary causes of forest loss in India was the construction of British railways. Not only was wood used for sleepers, but it was also used as engine fuel. The railways also used numerous bricks to build bridges, culverts, station buildings, and workshops. Lesser quality wood was used to fuel early locomotives and as firewood for kilns, while better quality wood was used to build sleepers, buildings, and carriages. This increased forest exploitation in India and put pressure on forest dwellers. They objected to the violation of their long-held, customary rights to use forest resources for survival but their demands were ignored. The railways, according to the British, would be extremely beneficial to India’s underdeveloped population. In fact, it had a mixed impact on the land, environment, and people of India. While it opened up migration and employment opportunities, it also had a negative impact on the environment due to exploitation of natural resources to build train tracks and railway carriages. Railways during India’s Freedom Struggle Indian freedom fighters used the railways to organise protests, express opposition, and rally support for the movement. There were attempts to bomb or derail trains carrying English officers. Railways played two important roles in the freedom struggle. Since the British built the railways to serve their interests, revolutionary freedom fighters attacked them as symbols of colonial power in the early 1900s. Second, by connecting with the rural population via railways, Mahatma Gandhi transformed them into a tool for widespread participation in the freedom struggle. The class distinction in railway carriages was one of the main reasons for the Indian National Wooden sleepers Source: https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main- Congress’s agitation. This distinction, in qimg-889637e2fb86900b9e85654b32d16a8f-lq which Europeans could travel in first class while Indians could only travel in second or third class angered the local popuation. This could also be seen outside of the railway system. As a result, anti-British sentiment grew, and protesters turned to the railways as a practical and symbolic tool for agitation. 5 Indian Railways – History and Development Chapter 1.indd 5 6/20/2023 10:07:19 AM  Mahatma Gandhi – Freedom Struggle Source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JvsmlREPPP4/T6u3Z5uUpkI/AAAAAAAABxQ/-Jb-gfUJ1zE/s1600/ Gandhi+Train.jpeg%20%207. Hotlink Visit Trains and the Raj to learn more about how the Indian freedom fighters used the railways to resist the Raj. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/trains-and-the-raj-partition- museum/1wUB4WtHQhyRJg?hl=en The First Railway Lines in India and the Expansion Several railway companies started building their own lines between 1854 and 1899, extending their reach inland from the coast. As India’s railways developed, problems arose due to the lack of centralised command and the existence of numerous railway companies. The government began nationalising the network, and by 1940, it had taken control of nearly all businesses. In 1947, India had 53,000 kilometres of railway track, which connected every part of the country, carried 680 million passengers annually, and increased the general population’s sense of ‘Indianness.’ Railways have been used in India to promote progress, equity, and mainstream inclusion. Technology advancements have improved travel amenities and aided the development of services and tourism. The introduction of railways brought about unprecedented change in India. Even after more than a century and a half, India’s railways remain a powerful force for unity. Indian Railways has come a long way since its first journey from Mumbai. It now stretches almost the entire length of the country and is one of the world’s largest and busiest rail networks. It has aided in the closing of gaps between India’s various communities and regions, as well as in the promotion of economic growth and job creation. It has served as a link between India’s various communities, cultures, and Indian Railways 6 Chapter 1.indd 6 6/20/2023 10:07:19 AM  regions, as well as a means of transporting people and goods. Businesses, agriculture, and trade have benefited from the railway network. The technology used by the Indian Railways has advanced significantly over time. Electric and diesel locomotive development, a computerised reservation system, and track and signalling system modernization have all contributed to faster, safer, and more efficient train travel. Indian Railways is not only one of the country’s largest employers, but it has also made a significant contribution to tourism promotion by launching a number of tourist trains that highlight the country’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. It is expected that the Indian Railways will continue to play a crucial role in the country’s transportation and connectivity in the years to come. France’s first railways ran from Saint-Étienne to Andrézieux and began Elsewhere! operations in 1827. In 1832, the line connecting Saint Étienne and Lyon was finished. By 1870, France had built 15,500 km of railways, up from just 500 km in 1840. Do It Yourself Learn more about the world’s first operational railway. Write down the nation it was located in, the organisation that ran it, and the locations the rail route References 1. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,261 2. https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/eras/indian-railways 3. https://www.irctchelp.in/indian-railway-history/ 4. https://24coaches.com/indian-railways-british-raj-history/ 5.http://www.walkthroughindia.com/know-the-difference/difference-superfast-mail-express-trains/ 6. http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/British%20Imperial%20Railways.pdf 7. https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/indian-economy/indian-economy-during-the-pre-british-period/ 19011 8. https://www.railpost.in/indian-railways-on-15th-august-1947-freedom-brought-with-it-new-challenges/ 9. https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/iess304.pdf 10. https://www.resurgentindia.com/pdf/The%20evolution%20of%20Railways%20in%20India.pdf 7 Indian Railways – History and Development Chapter 1.indd 7 6/20/2023 10:07:19 AM