Railways

Railways are a major form of passenger and freight transport in many countries. It is ubiquitous in Europe, with an integrated network covering virtually the whole continent. In India, China, South Korea and Japan, many millions use trains as regular transport. In North America, freight rail transport is widespread and heavily used, but intercity passenger rail transport is relatively scarce outside the Northeast Corridor, due to increased preference of other modes, particularly automobiles and airplanes.South Africa, northern Africa and Argentina have extensive rail networks, but some railways elsewhere in Africa and South America are isolated lines. Australia has a generally sparse network befitting its population density. The highest railway in the world is the line to Lhasa, in Tibet. Western Europe has the highest railway density in the world and many individual trains there operate through several countries despite technical and organizational differences in each national network.


The oldest, man-hauled railways date back to the 6th century B.C, with Periander, one of the Seven Sages of Greece, credited with its invention. Rail transport blossomed after the British development of the steam locomotive as a viable source of the power in the 18th and 19th centuries. With steam engines, it was possible to construct mainline railways, which were a key component of the industrial revolution.

Railway can take you places..Picture I could'nt take when in London, Thank You Sharyn Coleman for this....From here at King's Cross Station we could go to.......but not to to Hogwarts Could you please give us the address J.K. Rowling.....Next time in London, this is where I Would definitely want to go.


Was amazing to find the level of underground railways in London; the tube connectivity is amazing.

Having visualised mumbaikars living in and out of the railways, was facinated to see the much complex railway undergrounds and other railways in UK. Mumbaikars @ local train –
1. We will stand in empty trains and will fight for seat in crowded ones.
2. We don't believe that the train is gonna arrive until the time indicator displays "01 mins remaining"
3. Yes act dead if someone ask for your seat in "Mumbai local"
4. A city with blend of different people and three things, 'pudhil station', 'agla station', and 'next station'
5. Slow local trains - the one which halts at all stations
Fast trains - the one which halts in between the stations.
6. Everything is fair in love, war and local trains.
7. Local trains are the only place in Mumbai where men are more civilized than women.
8. That awesome moment when in local trains you dont have to move towards the exit, you are simply pushed towards it by the crowd
9. If Borivali passenger gets into a Virar fast train. Thats a serious crime boss.
10. Once you survive in a Mumbai local during journey from VT to Kalyan or vice versa during peak hours. Boss you can survive anywhere in the world.
11. Train timings (9.27, 10.49 etc) are really important events of life.
12. In every local train journey you will find atleast one person asking " arey yeh platform kis taraf aayegi?"
13. Nobody remains "untouched" once you enter Virar / Karjat fast local.
14. There is a invisible station between Borivali and Kandivali called as "Thambevali"
15. Second clasd ticket Rs 9 and first class ticket Rs 104. No difference. You can't sit in either.
16. Getting a virar fast train from Andheri / Borivali during peak hours is more difficult than getting into IIT and IIM


Was facinating to see metro line in chicago and good to see good ones comming up in Delhi, Mumbai and Kerala.

It was amazing to stay just about the railway line in Bonn. The maritimehotel crosses the railway line, and it was interesting to travell underground a river in a train!

With the pollutions due to motor vehicle,and increase in the number of people travelling, the frequency and the distance, am sure the railways have a long way to go.....