Western Railway zone

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Western Railway
Western Railway-9
Locale	Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh
Dates of operation	1951-present–
Predecessor	Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI), and the Saurashtra Railway, Rajputana Railway and Jaipur State Railway
Track gauge	broad gauge, meter gauge
Headquarters	Churchgate, Mumbai
Website	WR official website

Western Railway HQ, Mumbai

Newly cladded Churchgate Station

The Western Railway is one of the 17 zones of Indian Railways, and is among the busiest railway networks in India. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railways are: Ratlam - Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad - Mumbai and Palanpur - Ahmedabad. The railway system is divided into six operating divisions: Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ratlam and Mumbai. Vadodara railway station, being the junction point for the Ahmedabad - Mumbai route and the Mumbai - Delhi route, is the busiest junction Station in Western Railways and one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways too, while Ahmedabad Division earns highest revenue followed by Mumbai Division and Vadodara Division. Surat railway station is one of the busiest railway station in Western Railway in non-junction category where more than 160 trains passes per day.

History

The Western Railway was created on November 5, 1951 by the merger of several state-owned railways, including the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI), and the Saurashtra Railway, Rajputana Railway and Jaipur State Railway. The narrow gauge lines of Cutch State Railway was also merged into it in 1951.

The BB&CI Railway was itself inaugurated in 1855, starting with the construction of a 29-mile (47-km) broad gauge track from Ankleshwar to Utran in Gujarat state on the west coast. In 1864, the railway was extended to Mumbai.

Subsequently, the project was further extended beyond Vadodara in a north easterly direction towards Godhra, Ratlam, Nagda and thereafter northwards towards Kota and Mathura, to eventually link with the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, now the Central Railway, which had already started operating in Mumbai in 1853. In 1860 Surat railway station was built and it was first railway station in Asia which is having platform on first floor(above ground level). In 1883, a metre gauge railway system, initially linking Delhi with Agra, Jaipur and Ajmer, was established.

The first suburban service in Mumbai with steam traction was introduced in April 1867. It was extended to Churchgate in 1870. By 1900 45 trains in each direction were carrying over one million passengers annually.

The railways of several princely states were also integrated into the Western Railway. The Gaekwars of Baroda built the Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway (GBSR), which was merged into the BB&CI in 1949. Several railways of western Gujarat, including the Bhavnagar, Kathiawar, Jamnagar & Dwarka, Gondal, and Morvi railways were merged into the Saurashtra Railway in 1948. The Jodhpur and Bikaner Railway was taken over by Rajasthan state in 1949, after the western portion was ceded to the government of Pakistan.

In 2002, the Jaipur and Ajmer divisions of the Western Railway became part of the newly created North Western Railway, and in April 2003 the Kota division of the Western Railway became part of the newly created West Central Railway.

Serial Blasts in Mumbai Locals

On July 11, 2006, the Western Railway was a target of terrorist attacks. Seven explosions occurred during rush hour (6-7pm) killing 190 and injuring more than 300 people. The blasts occurred at various stations including Bhayandar, Khar, Matunga, Mahim, Jogeshwari and Borivali. Only the first-class compartments of the trains were targeted.

Present

Newly built Andheri Station East Side

Western Railway headquarters is in Mumbai's Churchgate station and serves the entire state of Gujarat, some portions of Western Madhya Pradesh, and coastal Maharashtra. The Western coast of India served by Western Railway has a number of ports, most important among them being Kandla, Hajira, Surat, Okha, Porbandar, Bhavnagar in Gujarat state and Mumbai in Maharashtra. Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) ply between Churchgate and Virar (60 km) and is projected to extend the service till Dahanu Road (Services actually started on 16th APRIL 2013), while Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMUs) service the section beyond Virar till Dahanu Road (60 km). EMUs are of 9 car, 12 car or 15 car rakes and are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains halt at all stations, while fast ones halt at important stations only and are preferable over longer distances. The first electric train on this section was introduced in 1928 between Churchgate and Andheri.

The gauge-wise kilometrage of Western Railways at present, is as under:

Gauge	Length
Broad Gauge	4147.37 km
Metre Gauge	1412.39 km
Narrow Gauge	621.70 km
Total	6181.46 km

Western Line

Main article: Western Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)

The Western Railway has its headquarters at Churchgate in Mumbai. It also operates the Western Line of the Mumbai suburban railway system.

Major Stations

Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad Junction, Bandra Terminus, Vadodara junction, Surat,

Bhavnagar Terminus, Ratlam Junction, Indore Junction, Ujjain Junction, Rajkot Junction, Gandhidham Junction

References

External links

Official site

v t e Indian Railways

Authority	Ministry of Railways Railway Board

Zones	Central Railway East Central Railway East Coast Railway Eastern Railway North Central Railway North Eastern Railway North Western Railway Northeast Frontier Railway Northern Railway South Central Railway South East Central Railway South Eastern Railway South Western Railway Southern Railway West Central Railway Western Railway

Production Units	Chittaranjan Locomotive Works Diesel Locomotive Works Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works Integral Coach Factory Central Workshops Tiruchirappalli Rail Coach Factory Rail Wheel Factory Rail Spring Karkhana

Engine sheds	Golden Rock

Subsidiaries	Bharat Wagon and Engineering Container Corporation of India Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India High Speed Rail Corporation of India Indian Railway Finance Corporation Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) IRCON International Konkan Railway Corporation Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Rail Vikas Nigam Limited Railtel Corporation of India RITES

Autonomous Organizations	Central Organization for Railway Electrification Central Organization For Modernization of Workshops Research Design and Standards Organization Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) Railway Recruitment Control Board Rail Land Development Authority

Training Institutes	Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering Indian Railway Institute of Electrical Engineering Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management RPF Academy Railway Staff College

Network	Chennai Suburban Railway Chennai MRTS Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Delhi Suburban Railway Hyderabad MMTS Kashmir Railway Kalka–Shimla Railway Kolkata Suburban Railway Kolkata Metro Konkan Railway Mumbai Suburban Railway Nilgiri Mountain Railway Golden I.T. Corridor Howrah–Delhi main line Grand Chord Sahibganj Loop Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line Howrah-Chennai main line

Services	Express Trains Fast Passenger Superfast/Mail Deccan Odyssey Duronto Garib Rath Jan Shatabdi Express Maharaja Express Palace on Wheels Royal Rajasthan on Wheels Rajdhani Shatabdi Express Sampark Kranti Express The Golden Chariot Lifeline Express Red Ribbon Express

Related articles	Last vehicle board Railway Budget Railway Schools

Employees	All India Station Masters' Association (AISMA) All India Railway Employees' Confederation (AIREC)

Templates Category Portal WikiProject

v t e Railways in Western India

National network/ trunk lines	Konkan Railway Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line

Branch lines/ sections	Ahmedabad-Viramgam section Bhusawal–Kalyan section Gandhidham-Ahmedabad main line Gandhidham-Bhuj section Gandhidham-Kandla Port section Gandhidham-Palanpur section Gandhidham-Samakhiali section Maliya Miyana-Wankaner section Mumbai Dadar–Solapur section Nagpur–Bhusawal section Samakhiali-Maliya Miyana section Solapur–Guntakal section Surendranagar-Bhavnagar line Viramgam-Mahesana section Viramgam-Maliya Miyana section Viramgam-Okha line Viramgam-Surendra Nagar section Wankaner-Surendra Nagar section

Lines around Mumbai	Western line Central line Harbour line Trans-harbour line

Monorail	Ahmedabad Monorail Line 1 (Mumbai Monorail) Mumbai Monorail Navi Mumbai Monorail Pune Monorail

Defunct lines revived / under revival	Nagpur Chattisgarh Railway Barsi Light Railway

Defunct lines	Salsette-Trombay Railway Bhavnagar Tramway Bhavnagar State Railway Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway West of India Portuguese Railway Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Cutch State Railway

Named trains	Ajanta Express Ashram Express August Kranti Rajdhani Express Aurangabad Jan Shatabdi Avantika Express Azad Hind Express Bhopal – Mumbai Express Chennai Mumbai Express Deccan Express Deccan Odyssey Deccan Queen Devagiri Express Ernakulam-Lokmanya Tilak Duronto Gitanjali Express Goa Express Godaan Express The Golden Chariot Grand Trunk Express Gujarat Mail Gyan Ganga Express Himsa Express Hussainsagar Express Hutatma Express Hyderabad-Pune Express Indore–Bandra Express Jabalpur–Somnath Express Jaipur Superfast Express Jhelum Express Jnaneshwari Express Konkan Kanya Express Mandovi Express Mahanagari Express Maharashtra Express Mumbai–Indore Duronto Mumbai New Delhi Duronto Express Mumbai Rajdhani Express Nagpur Duronto express Patna – Kota Express Punjab Mail Pushpak Express Rajendranagar Express Sachkhand Express Saurashtra Janata Express Secunderabad Mumbai Duronto Express Shanti Express Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express Udyan Express Vadodara Express

Railway divisions	Bhusawal Railway Division Pune Railway Division

Railway companies	Central Railway Western Railway West Central Railway Konkan Railway Corporation Great Indian Peninsula Railway Saurashtra Railway Mumbai Port Trust Railway

See also	Indian Railways Bholu (mascot) Suburban rail in India Mumbai Suburban Railway Pune Suburban Railway Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project Pune–Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed passenger corridor

v t e Railways in Central India

National network/ trunk lines	Howrah–Allahabad–Mumbai line Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai line

Branch lines/ sections	Bina–Katni rail route Satpura narrow gauge lines Tatanagar–Bilaspur section Bilaspur–Nagpur section Nagpur–Bhusawal section Allahabad–Jabalpur section Jabalpur–Bhusaval section Agra–Bhopal section Bhopal–Nagpur section Nagpur–Hyderabad line

Monorail	Indore Monorail

Defunct lines revived//under revival	Nagpur Chattisgarh Railway

Defunct lines	Rajputana-Malwa Railway

Named trains	Ahilyanagari Express Amarkantak Express Avantika Express Azad Hind Express Bhopal Bharat Teerth Express Bhopal Jan Shatabdi Express Bhopal Janata Express Bhopal Rajya rani Express Bhopal Shatabdi Express Bhopal – Indore Intercity Express Bhopal – Indore Passenger Bhopal – Jabalpur Express Bhopal – Jabalpur Intercity Express Bhopal – Lucknow Garibrath Express Bhopal – Mumbai Express Bhopal – Ujjain Passenger Bhopal–Bilaspur Express Bhopal–Bina passenger train Bhopal-Gwalior Intercity Express Bhopal–Howrah Express Bhopal–Indore AC Double Decker Intercity Express Bhopal–Indore AC Double Decker Non-Stop Express Bhopal-Jaipur Express Bhopal–Jodhpur Bhopal-Lucknow Express Bhopal-Lucknow-Pratapgarh Express Bhopal-Pratapgarh Express Bina - Katni 505 Passenger Coimbatore Express Chambal Express Chhattisgarh Express Chhindwara - Amritsar Chhattisgarh Express Chitrakoot Express Damoh–Kota Passenger Dayodaya Express Durgavati Express Gondwana Express Grand Trunk Express Gwalior–Chhindwara Express Hazrat Nizamuddin – Indore Express Hazrat Nizamuddin – Jabalpur Express Hazrat Nizamuddin–Bhopal Express Hazrat Nizamuddin–Gwalior Express Himsagar Express Indore–Jaipur Express via Ajmer Indore Express Indore - Bangalore Express Indore - Bhopal AC Double Decker Intercity Express Indore – Bhopal Intercity Express Indore - Bhopal Passenger Indore–Bandra Express Indore - Rewa Intercity Express Indore Express Indore Tri Shatabdi Indore – Dehradun Express Indore – Hazrat Nizamuddin Express Indore – Maksi Passenger Indore – Nagda Passenger Indore – Nagpur Express Indore – Patna Express Indore – Rajendra Nagar Via. Faizabad Express Indore – Ujjain Passenger Indore–Ajmer Express Indore–Ajmer Link Express Indore–Amritsar Express Indore–Bandra Express Indore–Bhind Express Indore - Rewa Intercity Express Indore–Bhopal Non-Stop Express Indore–Chennai Express Indore–Gwalior Intercity Express Indore–Jabalpur Express Indore–Jabalpur Intercity Express Indore–Jaipur Express Indore–Kota Intercity Express Indore–Pune Express Indore–Rewa Express Indore–Surat Express Indore–Udaipur City Express Intercity Express – Agra Jabalpur - Indore Intercity Express Jabalpur – Ambikapur Express Jabalpur – Mumbai Central Garib Rath Special Express Jabalpur – Mumbai Garibrath Express Jabalpur–Amravati Express Jabalpur–Bhopal Express Via. Bina Jabalpur–Bhopal Intercity Express Jabalpur–Bhopal Jan Shatabdi Express Jabalpur–Indore Express Jabalpur–Jammu Tawi Express Jabalpur–Nagpur Express Jabalpur–New Delhi Express Jabalpur–Rewa Intercity Express Jabalpur–Somnath Express Jaipur Superfast Express Lashkar Express Madhya Pradesh Sampark Kranti Mahakoshal Express Mahanadi Express Malwa Express Meenakshi Express Mumbai–Indore Duronto Nagpur – Indore Tri Shatabdi Express Narmada Express Panchvalley Express Patalkot Express Rajendra Nagar Bihar – Indore Express Ranthambore Express Rewa – Delhi Anand Vihar Express Rewanchal Express Sarguja Express Satpura Express Shaan-e-Bhopal Express Shaktipunj Express Shanti Express Shipra Express Shramik express Surat Bhagalpur Express Surat–Muzaffarpur Express Taj Express Tapti Ganga Express Trivandrum–Indore Express Udhna Varanasi Express Ujjaini Express Vindhyachal Express

Railway companies	Bengal Nagpur Railway Great Indian Peninsula Railway South East Central Railway Central Railway Western Railway West Central Railway

See also	Indian Railways Bholu (mascot) Datia rail accident Akola–Ratlam (metre gauge trains) Indore–Ajmer metre-gauge trains Rail transport in Madhya Pradesh Dalli-Rajhara–Jagdalpur rail line

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