List of the Major Railway Zones in India
Indian railways, the name itself, is a brand and has become a basic necessity for mankind. It is the heart of transportation. Indian railways are spread throughout the nation, and it is one of the reputed and major income-generating sources for the government of India. The Indian Railway lines are divided into three types. Namely - Broad gauge, Narrow Gauge, and Meter Gauge. Besides these types of Railway lines, the Indian railways were divided into zones for effective functioning and administration. These zones were divided into a set of divisions and subdivisions. Let's see how many railway zones in India and the available zonal headquarters of Indian railways.
On 16th April 1853, the first train traveled in India from Bombay to Thane with a distance of 34 km. It was proudly launched by Lord Dalhousie. After several years during 1950, the Indian railways were nationalized. It is the largest railway network in the biggest continent, Asia. Globally, The Indian railways took second place. The Indian railways have such a great history and place a major role in the means of transportation for all categories of people. So it is always good to know Indian railway zones and headquarters. Since 7th July 2021, Ashwini Vaishnav has been the railway minister.
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As per recent amendments, the total no. of railway zones in India is 18. Each zone has been further divided into divisions and subdivisions. Each zone has a zonal headquarters, and each division has a divisional Railway manager. All these DRMs may report to the general manager of the Railway zone.
The List of the Major Railway Zones in India is Given Below
These are the available, total Railway zones in India. In the above table, the zonal headquarters of Indian railways were also mentioned clearly, along with the divisions. To understand the largest and smallest Railway zones among the list of Railway zones in India, let's briefly discuss a few Railway zones.
Central Railway Zone: The Central Railway zone is the largest railway zone in India. Also, it is the oldest one. The zonal headquarters are located at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai. The divisions formed and the Central Railway zone are Pune, Solapur, Nagpur, Bhusawal, and Mumbai. The total Railway zone, comprising various special trains, expresses along with freight businesses. Hussein Sagar express, pushback express, Punjab mail, Gitanjali Express, Deccan queen, etc. The largest railway zone in India also generates revenue for the nation's economy by transporting various commodities like cement, petroleum products, sugar, onion, etc.
North Eastern Railway Zone: From the total Railway zones in India, the North Eastern Railway zone is the smallest Railway zone in India. But recently, two railway zones were introduced like the Metro Railway zone and the Konkan Railway zone. When we consider those two zones also, the metro railway zone is the smallest Railway zone in India. Gorakhpur is the zonal headquarter for the northeastern Railway zone. It has only three divisions. They are Lucknow, Izzat Nagar, and Varanasi. Concerning length and distance, the North Eastern Railway zone is the smallest. Still, it is very commercial as several business transportations will take place as well as Varanasi is the famous pilgrimage for most of the Indians.
Few Facts on Total Railway Zones in India
As the Indian railways have decades of history and recognition records, some other interesting facts are there. Especially the aspirants attending various competitive exams like RRB, UPSC, etc. should have proper knowledge of Indian railways. Not only for the examination perspective but also to understand the greatness of Indian railways, everyone should have at these points to be noted.
Among all the railway zones in India list, the Central Railway zone is the biggest railway zone in India. It has a 6807kms travel route.
Shatabdi Express, which travels from New Delhi to Bhopal, took the fastest train among all the railway zones in India. The average speed of the Shatabdi Express is 91 km per hour. On the other hand, the nailery express runs with an average speed of 10 km per hour and records the slowest train.
The zonal headquarter of the northeastern Railway zone is Gorakhpur, and its platform is the longest in India, with 1.35kms.
In Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, Srirampur and Belapur are two different stations on the same railway route and location but on opposite sides of the track.
The Indian railways always strive to connect the people. Besides connecting people from various locations, the Indian railways also offer delicious food to their passengers. The IRCTC department was formed to provide catering services for travellers in Long trains. The zonal headquarters of Indian Railways will take care of these catering services too.
Also, every Railway zone in India will focus on the convenience of passengers. They provide all types of classes which will be affordable to everyone. The Indian railways also provide zonal-wise tourist packages, unique benefits for advanced bookings, etc.
These are the total railway zone in India, with separate zonal headquarters for each zone. Also, the division sense of divisions of every Railway zone shows respect to authorities to monitor the day-to-day activities and focus on the smooth functioning of train journeys.
Thus, this article has covered all the total railway zone in India.
FAQs on Major Railway Zones in India
1. Is the preparation of Indian railways helpful?
Yes, the preparation of Indian railways and the GK questions on Indian railways was beneficial for candidates approaching government jobs. Being a reputed largest organization in India, the questions may come on railways irrespective of any sector. If the candidate has prior knowledge of all the railway zones in India and the zonal headquarters of Indian railways, etc., it is more helpful to understand various locations in terms of distances, time, speed, locations, etc.
Especially for the aspirants who are preparing for Railway exams like RRB JE (Junior Engineer), RRB NTPC., RRB Group D, Assistant Station Master (ASM), ECRC, Section Engineers, etc., need to clear several entrance tests related to the questions on Indian railways. Apart from all these examinations, being a citizen of India is responsible for gaining knowledge about our transportation, facilities, etc.
2. Who is known as the father of Indian railways?
The father of Indian railways is none other than Lord Dalhousie. Because he started the first train on 16th April 1853. The train travels from Bombay to Thane. Great Indian Peninsula Railway is the name of the first train Initially, the Indian Railways were not nationalized. But it is a repeated organization that generates High revenue for the economy of India at present. After nationalizing the Indian railways, it has got a logo, several advancements, and enhancements for the smooth functioning and comfortable travelling for the passengers.
The entire Indian railways were divided into different zones to make them more effective in administration and management. These zones were further divided into divisions and subdivisions. Each department has the respective authority to monitor and supervise all the responsibilities.
3. Give some tips to practice and prepare all the questions on Indian railways?
Besides the information on Indian railways, every concept is unique, and it will become easy to remember if a candidate practices in a perfect way. Here are some easy tips and best ways to practice and remember the detailed information on Indian Railways.
First, prepare a list of all the railway zones, zonal headquarters, divisions, and subdivisions.
Prepare for the basic information like Railway minister, higher authorities on Indian railways.
Also, remember the quotes of Railway zones and divisions if possible.
It is always good to have a map before you and start preparing in a particular direction. So that while recollecting the information also it will come to your imagination in the same way.
Try to revise multiple times and make a self-assessment by attending various mock tests and answering GK questions.
