Indian Railways History: 2005 - 2014

2005

Jan.: Boarding Rajdhanis, Shatabdis, and Jan Shatabdis at intermediate points without reservations allowed.

Feb.: Chawri Bazar station of the Delhi Metro is built with new technology of pre-cast concrete blocks for the platforms.

Apr. 11: New MG AC Chair Car coaches with roof-mounted AC unit inaugurated.

Apr. 27 : Jammu Tawi - Udhampur line in Jammu & Kashmir inaugurated (dedication ceremony on April 13) and the Uttar Sampark Kranti from New Delhi to Udhampur begins running. This line was sanctioned in April, 1980.

Apr. 26: Vigyan Mail - the second incarnation of the Science Express - is flagged off from Delhi Safdarjung.

Jul. 20: Mehsana-Viramgam section opened after gauge conversion (under BOT scheme).

Jul. 21: Palitana-Sihor section opened after gauge conversion (under BOT scheme).

Aug.: IRCTC introduces E-ticketing for IR on Aug. 12; ticketing by SMS begins on Aug. 26. A Frequent Traveller scheme was also under consideration.

Aug. 12: Construction begins on Howrah Regional Railway Museum.

Oct. 17: 'Millennium Rake' for Mumbai suburban system inaugurated at Churchgate station.

IR undertakes cultivation of Jatropha plants for production of biodiesel.

Nov. 20: Nilgiri Mountain Railway gets UNESCO's World Heritage Site status.

Dec. 1-7: Centenary celebrations of Howrah Station.

Dec. 31: Delhi Metro's Barakhamba - Dwarka line opens.

The Madras-Howrah route was completely electrified.

[Disaster] Feb. 3 : Collision between Nagpur-bound Ramtek local and a tractor-trailer at the Bordan unmanned level crossing near Kanhan kills 55.

[Disaster] Apr. 3 : Howrah-bound Udyan Abha Toofan Exp. from Sriganganagar catches fire between Darauli and Dildarnagar stations. Five coaches are completely gutted in the blaze, but there are no casualties. The driver of a passing goods train notices the fire and alerts the driver of the Toofan Exp. who makes an emergency stop, allowing the passengers to escape.

[Disaster] Apr. 21 : Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Exp. from Varanasi rams into a stationary goods train at Samlaya, between Vadodara and Godhra, killing 17 passengers. Signal and interlocking failures during maintenance and a failure to follow the appropriate backup procedures are thought to have caused the mishap.

July 26: Heavy rains wash away tracks and destroy 37 bridges of the Neral - Matheran NG line and service was suspended.

[Disaster] Oct. 3 : Twelve persons killed and many injured when six coaches of the Bundelkhand Exp. derail and ram into a railway control cabin near Datia, MP.

[Disaster] Nov. 9 : Three killed and many injured as a goods train runs into a passenger train near Jharkhand's Barwadih station, about 170km from Ranchi.

2006

Feb. 15: New Delhi - Bhopal Shatabdi cleared for running at 150km/h commercial speed on the New Delhi - Agra Cantt. stretch.

Feb. 17: Thar Express service begins with the train on the Indian side running from Jodhpur to Munabao with the connecting train on the Pakistan side running from Karachi to Khokhropar.

Feb. 19: Igatpuri - Kasara section switched from DC to AC traction.

Feb.: 100km/h trials with Mumbai EMUs (however, this is not the first time trials have been conducted at these speeds).

March 24: Regular double-stacked container service (on BLCA/BLCB flat wagons) begins on the Pipavav - Jaipur route between ICD Kanakpura and Pipavav Port.

May - July: Telescopic fares withdrawn in Railway Budget and restored in July.

[Disaster] Jul. 11 : Seven bombs go off nearly simultaneously at different places on WR's EMUs in Mumbai during the evening rush hour, killing 181 persons and injuring nearly 900.

Aug. 24 : Service on the Munabao-Khokhrapar international link to Pakistan is suspended following incessant rain and waterlogging on the Munabao-Barmer-Jodhpur section.

Oct. 5 : The first Garib Rath train begins service between Saharsa and Amritsar.

[Disaster] Nov. 10 : Ten coaches of the Surat Bhusawal Passenger derail near Kolde station in Maharashtra, with three of the coaches capsizing, resulting in 98 persons being injured.

Nov. 17: A restored N-class Garratt locomotive built by Beyer, Peacock in 1929 and used by SER until 1971 goes on a heritage run from Shalimar to Mecheda. The Beyer Garratt class was the largest locomotive ever used in India.

Nov. 20: A bomb blast in a coach of the Haldibari - New Jalpaiguri Passenger train at Belakoba station kills 8 and injures many.

Nov. 30: Deccan Queen coaches set on fire at Ulhasnagar by a mob protesting the vandalism of a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar. Coaches of a Mumbai - Karjat / Mumbai - Ambernath locals were also set on fire.

Dec.: Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai MG line closed.

[Disaster] Dec. 2 : A 150-year-old brick and masonry bridge over a railway line collapses on a running train at Bhagalpur, killing at least 47 as the debris crushed a passenger coach. The bridge was in the process of being dismantled.

Also on Dec. 2, the locomotive of the Avadh Express is destroyed following a short-circuit induced fire at Lakheri station near Kota.

Dec. 4: The Deccan Queen is back in service after the arson attack of Nov. 30.

Dec. 10: The second Garib Rath train begins service between Rajendra Nagar and H. Nizamuddin.

Dec. 16: First BG diesel shunter loco assembled by Parel Workshops of CR.

2007

Jan. 1: Trial run of the Neral-Matheran NG train from Neral to Jummapatti following reconstruction of the railway line that was washed away in 2005. The special run on New Year's Day in advance of the resumption of full passenger services was undertaken especially because 2007 is the centenary year of the line.

Jan. 4: Private players allowed into the field of container transport operation, ending CONCOR's monopoly.

Jan. 12: Mahaparinirvan Express, a Buddhist tourist circuit train, begins service.

[Disaster] Jan. 14: Eight killed and several injured as three wagons and a brake van of a goods train fall into a dry riverbed in Latehar district between Hehegarha and Kumundi stations of Dhanbad division.

Jan. 16: Last MG train runs on Mysore - Chamarajanagar line.

Feb. 7: Advance booking period of railway tickets changed to 90 days.

Feb. 17: The Thar Express to Pakistan resumes running. Services were halted in 2006 following heavy rain and waterlogging of the tracks.

[Disaster] Feb. 18: At least 68 passengers killed and many injured when bombs exploded in the Delhi-Attari special train for passengers heading to Lahore in Pakistan by the Samjhauta Exp, at Deewana near Panipat.

Mar. 13: Service resumes on the Neral - Matheran NG line partially on the section from Neral to Jummapatti.

Apr. 9: First private container train, owned by Boxtrans Logistics, runs from Cossipore to Loni.

Apr. 11: IR announces new codes for passenger coaches ('B-1' for AC-3T coaches formerly designated 'AS-1', etc.).

Apr. 11: First long-distance trains named after a corporate brand launched. SWR granted PepsiCo the right to run three summer trains (Bangalore - Nagarkole, Bangalore - Chennai, and Bangalore - Hubli) under the name 'Kurkure Express' with branding by PepsiCo for its lines of snacks of that name.

Apr. 17: Maersk Line launches dedicated block train operation between Bangalore and Chennai with CONCOR, connecting to the MECL2 freight ship service from the US east coast to Chennai.

May 30: Private container train by APL (formerly American President Lines) runs from Loni to Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

[Disaster] Jun. 11: Three killed and 22 injured when 11 coaches of the Nagercoil - Howrah Gurudev Exp. derail near Duvvada station.

[Disaster] Jun. 25: Seven persons (including the driver and 6 trackmen) are killed when two locomotives and and seven wagons of a goods train fall 200 feet off a bridge between Dihakho and Mupa on the MG Lumding-Badarpur hill section of NFR.

Jun. 30: Trial runs on gauge-converted BG section Madurai-Manmadurai-Rameshwaram over the Pamban Bridge.

Jul. 2: Successful trial runs on the Borivali-Virar section under the track quadrupling project.

Jul. 7: Landslides following heavy rain affect the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway services in Kurseong subdivision.

Jul. 8: An Indian train (named Moitree or 'Friendship') arrives at Dhaka Cantonment Station on a trial run for the planned resumption of regular passenger services between Kolkata and Dhaka.

Jul. 29: The Moitree Express leaves Dhaka Cantt. for Chitpur (Kolkata).

Aug. 12: First train services on the Pamban bridge after conversion of Manamadurai-Rameswaram to broad gauge.

Aug. 25: 'Himalayan Princess' diesel-hauled train joins the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Aug. 25: Kashmir: Successful trial run of 24km by 7-coach diesel-hauled train on the new route linking Budgam (central Kashmir) to Kakpora (Pulwama district of Kashmir valley), at 100km/h.

Sep. 7: 'Fairy Queen' locomotive flagged off from Perambur Loco Works after a complete overhaul which began in 1996.

Sep. 24: Five coaches of the Avadh Express catch fire while passing through Bharuch district in Gujarat on its way from Gorakhpur to Mumbai. There were no fatalities.

Sep. 28: Latur-Osmanabad route open to traffic after conversion to broad gauge.

Oct. 19: CONCOR starts full train domestic reefer movement from the inland container depot (ICD) at Dadri. This is the first refrigerated container train on the Delhi-Mumbai route.

Nov. 1: New Salem division of SR constituted out of the existing Palakkad and Madurai divisions.

Nov. 7: SCR introduces high-speed goods train, 'Himalaya Special' from Secunderabad. This is intended for speedy transportation of goods such as coal. The train is expected to run at 100km/h.

Nov. 8: Mangalore station renamed to Mangalore Central; Kankanadi to Mangalore Junction.

Nov. 9: Vriddhachalam-Salem conversion to broad-gauge finished, train services start on the 18th.

Nov. 19: Thirumayilai-Velachery section of Chennai MRTS inaugurated.

Dec. 1: 'Red Ribbon', a special train for AIDS/HIV awareness, is flagged off.

Dec. 8: Direct train between Bangalore and Mangalore begins service.

[Disaster] Dec. 9: At least 150 people are injured, and one killed, when 14 coaches of the Brahmaputra Mail derail (with three of them turning turtle) between Rangapani and Nijbari stations about 15km from New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal.

[Disaster] Dec. 13: A bomb goes off in the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express at Sungajan near Dimapur, killing five persons and injuring more than 20.

[Disaster] Dec. 13: Eleven coaches of the Ahmedabad-bound Rajdhani Express derail between Sirohi and Banas near the Gujarat border. No fatalities were reported.

[Disaster] Dec. 14: The Ludhiana-Ferozepur Sutlej Express collides in dense fog with a bus at the Chuharchak Nawan level crossing in Moga District in Punjab, killing 20.

Dec. 26: Karimnagar-Jagityal railway line opened.

2008

[Disaster] Jan. 6: Amritsar-Dibrugarh train derails between Basdih and Sadwar railway stations, near Ballia, affecting rail traffic in the area for a day.

Jan. 17: New weekly CONCOR train from the Whitefield (Bangalore) ICD to the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal of Kochi Port began.

Mar. 7: 49 transmission lines in western Uttar Pradesh trip, forcing mass cancellations of NR trains.

Mar. 8: Hajipur railway station of ECR in Bihar becomes the first one to be staffed entirely by women.

Mar. 20: Seventeen injured when the Madurai-Kollam Fast Passenger derailed at Muthusamypuram. Seven coaches jumped the tracks.

Mar. 28: Katpadi-Vellore BG track trials.

Apr. 14: First scheduled run of the Kolkata (Calcutta) - Dhaka 'Moitree' Express between India and Bangladesh.

Apr. 27: Trial runs on the Shahdara - Dilshad Garden line of the Delhi Metro begin, 7 months ahead of schedule.

May 1: Private companies now allowed to run parcel services on trains; Books Logistics of Bangalore is the first to use SWR trains for parcel and courier service.

May 19: ECR finishes electrification of Cuttack-Paradip, Kapilas Road - Barang, Barang - Naraj Marthapur/Nergundi, Kapilas Road - Salegaon on Cuttack-Talcher branch line.

May 28: An agitation by the Gujjar ethnic group at Bayana disrupts all traffic on the busy Mumbai - New Delhi route; many passenger and freight trains routed through Bhopal.

Passenger services on the 185km MG hill section between Silchar and Lumding were disrupted for two weeks by insurgents.

Jun. 2: NR's Jagadhri workshop rolls out the first double-decker goods train with 45 double-level wagons for carrying automobiles.

Jun. 3: Delhi Metro inaugurates 3.1km extension of Rithala-Shahdara line up to Dilshad Garden.

Jun. 4: Jammu and Kashmir railway line: A trial train from Anantnag arrives at Nowgam on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Jun. 11: Centenary of the Egmore railway station at Chennai (Madras).

Jun. 20: 12-car rakes brought into service in the Chennai area, between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu.

Jun. 26: Stone India develops a special pantograph for high catenaries allowing double-stacked container freight movement on electrified lines.

Jun. 29: The 68km extension of the railway line from Ambassa to Agartala is done, and NFR successfully runs a light locomotive all the way to Tripura's capital city Agartala; the line passes through a 1.85km long tunnel in the Atharamura hill range.

Jul. 7: Kalka-Shimla Railway added to UNESCO Heritage list. (Official declaration on Nov. 9.)

Jul. 6-9: Trial runs between Jakhapura and Tomka on the Jakhapura-Daitari section of East Coast Railway with electric traction under a high catenary (7.45m high) for movement of double-stacked container trains.

IR introduces stainless-steel open wagons with 11.6t capacity.

[Disaster] Aug. 1: Thirty-two passengers killed and several injured when five coaches of the Secunderabad-Kakinada Gautami Express caught fire in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh.

Aug. 3: Foundation stone laid for Chhapra wheel factory at Bela.

[Disaster] Aug. 12: Five passengers injured when the Padmavat Express collided with the Kalindi Express from the rear; the Kalindi was running on the same track. The collision occurred between Anand Vihar and Sahibabad stations.

Aug. 12: Centralized Traffic Control with electronic interlocking and automatic signalling set up on the Ghaziabad-Kanpur section (410km).

Sep. 12: IR cancels the project, already running for 4 years, of building the world's highest (359m) railway bridge across the Chenab, as part of the railway line to Jammu and Kashmir, following a reassessment of the stability of the geological structures in the area and their suitability for supporting a large steel arch bridge. Instead, the proposed alignment will be re-routed a longer way following the local terrain.

Sep. 17: A new route relay interlocking (RRI) system is installed at New Delhi.

[Disaster] Oct. 1: Eleven injured when the Kazipet-Hyderabad MEMU rams the stationary Wadi-Hyderabad Passenger at Lakdikapul station.

Oct. 12: Inaugural run of train services between Rajwansher in Budgam district, Srinagar, and Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Oct. 20: WR inaugurates a heritage gallery at the headquarters building at Churchgate.

Oct. 22: The first load of container traffic from Kolkata port to Nepal moves through the new Jogbani-Biratnagar route. Container trains can move to Jogbani in northern Bihar, and the cargo is then unloaded and transported to the intermodal container freight station at Biratnagar in Nepal.

Nov. 9: Official declaration of Kalka-Shimla Railway being added to UNESCO Heritage list.

Nov. 12: Purna-Hingoli-Akola BG line commissioned; connects region with Nagpur-Mumbai and Secunderabad-Manmad main lines. Gauge conversion of this section began in 2006.

Nov. 26: Terror attacks in Mumbai, including at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus).

Dec. 8: Gadag-Bagalkot section of SWR opened.

Dec. 10: Pollachi-Palakkad section closed to traffic for gauge conversion.

Dec. 12: Deshbandhu Locomotive Park at Ranchi opened to the public.

Dec. 18: High-speed trials conducted on the BG section between Erode and Tiruchi; sectional speed of trains here is expected to rise to 110km/h.

Dec. 21: IR decides to close down six ticket printing presses around the country, including the century-old press at Kurseong.

[Disaster] Dec. 21: One killed and several injured when a Kalka-Shimla holiday special train derails on its first trip of the season.

Dec. 30: Delhi Metro inaugurates a museum about the metro's history and development at Patel Chowk station.

Loco classes WDM-3E and WDM-3F developed and brought into service.

2009

Jan. 1: IR decides to get rid of the 'side middle berths' (SMB) from trains, following a lot of protests from travellers.

Jan. 4: A bomb goes off on the tracks between Maibongdisa and Harangajao in central Assam (North Cacchar district), damaging 3 goods wagons and disrupting traffic for some time.

[Disaster] Jan. 4: Two goods trains collide at Panki near Kanpur, leading to large-scale disruption of traffic on the Delhi-Howrah route.

Jan. 5: New Delhi - Jogbani Seemanchal Express flagged off.

Jan. 10: CR starts Thane - Nerul/Panvel suburban services via the new Turbhe-Nerul section.

[Disaster] Jan. 12: Nine goods wagons derail near Habibganj, disrupting traffic to Chennai and Mumbai for more than a day.

Jan. 12: Golden Rock develops a 3000hp Cape gauge diesel locomotive intended for export to Mozambique and other countries.

[Disaster] Jan. 17: A shunting locomotive collides with two coaches of the Chennai-bound Guruvayur Express near Trichy Jn., injuring four.

[Disaster] Jan. 17: The Pathankot-Delhi Express very narrowly avoids a direct collision at speed with a locomotive on the same track, near Phillaur station.

[Disaster] Jan. 27: Varanasi-bound Kashi Vishwanath Express rams into a stationary goods train at Janghai junction, 70km from Varanasi. There were no casualties.

[Disaster] Feb. 3: Two locos and some wagons of a goods train going from Nizamabad to Chinnababu Samudram (TN) derail near Malkajgiri (Secunderabad) and run into a wall of a residence. There are no casualties.

Feb. 3: Vishwavidyalaya-Azadpur-Jahangirpuri section of Delhi Metro was opened.

Feb. 4: A mysterious incident in which an 'unauthorized' person took the New Delhi - Ranchi Garib Rath Express to Ranchi.

Feb 10: Construction work commences on the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, starting with a 105km section from New Ganjkhwaja near Mughalsarai to New Karwandia near Sonnagar.

[Disaster] Feb. 13: Thirteen coaches and the pantry car of the 2841 Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express derail while the train is running at a fairly high speed near Jajpur Road station in Orissa, resulting in 9 deaths and 50 injuries.

[Disaster] Feb. 14: Twenty passengers injured as the Bettiya-Muzaffarpur Passenger collides head-on with the Raxaul-Sugauli Passenger at Sugauli Junction on the Narkatiaganj-Muzaffarpur section of ECR in Bihar.

Mar. 10: First batch of stainless-steel EMU coaches delivered by Titagarh Wagons.

Mar. 19: Golden jubilee celebrations of IRICEN, Pune.

Apr. 1: Golden Rock Workshop delivers first BG shunter made by converting an MG locomotive, classed 'WCDS-6'.

Apr. 12: A bomb suspected to be set by Maoist rebels goes off derailing a security pilot locomotive ahead of the Kolkata-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express on the Karbi Anglong district.

Apr. 16: Two coaches of the Patna - Gaya Passenger train catch on fire at Patna; no casualties.

Apr. 21: Maoist rebels explode bombs at the Untari railway station under the Garwa Road - Dehri Onsole division.

Apr. 22: About 200 Naxalite rebels hijack the Gomoh-Mughalsarai-Bondamunda Passenger going from Barkakana to Mughalsarai with 700 passengers on board, and release them and the train after a five-hour standoff at Hehegara in Jharkhand's Latehar district.

Apr. 23: Chiyanki station in Palamau district is attacked by Maoist rebels.

Apr. 29: An 'unauthorized' person drives a Chennai suburban train from the Moore Market Complex through Basin Bridge, colliding with a goods train at Vyasarpadi Jiva, killing 4.

May 10: Indraprastha - Yamuna Bank extension of Line 3 of Delhi Metro opens.

May 22: Trials for phase II of the Delhi Metro main line, between Sector 9 of Dwarka and Dwarka Station.

May 23: Neral-Matheran trial steam run with ex-DHR 'B' class loco.

Jun. 9: Kerman-Bam-Zahedan railway connection in Iran is completed, allowing for the first time the possibility of continuous railway connections between India and Europe.

Jun. 9: First indigenously-built metro train-set manufactured by Vadodara plant of Bombardier.

Jul. 29: Trial runs of first standard-gauge lines of Delhi Metro (Inderlok-Mundka).

Aug. 1: 'Izzat' scheme launched allowing steeply discounted travel for poor commuters.

Aug. 14: A demonstration freight train leaves Islamabad in Pakistan headed for Turkey, using the newly completed Kerman-Bam-Zahedan railway line in Iran.

Aug. 22: Tollygunge - Kavi Nazrul Islam (Goria Bazaar) metro train service starts in Kolkata.

Aug. 29: Mangalore-Bangalore day train services resume after 14 years - they were discontinued in September 1995 when gauge conversion of the line was taken up.

Sep. 11: First indigenously built standard-gauge metro train-set for Delhi Metro, by BEML.

Sep. 11-14: First runs of the Tej Shree Parcel Sewa guaranteed transit timetabled parcel services by NR - Tughlakabad-Vapi (Sep. 11) and Tughlakabad-Howrah (Sep. 14).

Sep. 18-28: First 'Duronto' non-stop express launched. Sep. 18 - Howrah - H. Nizamuddin, Sep. 21 - Chennai - H. Nizamuddin, Sep. 28 - Mumbai-Howrah and Pune - H. Nizamuddin.

[Disaster] Oct. 8: One killed, several injured as the locomotive and six coaches of the Amrapali Express derail near Pasaraha station in northern Bihar's Khagaria district.

[Disaster] Oct. 21: 21 killed, several injured as the Delhi-bound Goa Sampark Kranti Express rams into the rear of the stationary Mewar Express near Mathura station.

Oct. 27: New Delhi-bound Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express is detained and all passengers and crew held hostage for nearly 7 hours by a Maoist group at Bansala near Jhargram town in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district.

Oct. 28: The 18km Anantnag-Qazigund section in Kashmir is inaugurated. It includes the country's highest BG station, Qazigund, at 1722m (5166') above sea level. This completes the 119-km Qazigund-Baramulla portion of the Kashmir Rail Link project.

Oct. 30: Foundation stone laid for new BG line construction between Sevoke in West Bengal and Rangpo in Sikkim.

Oct. 31: Trials conducted with a YDM-4 diesel locomotive hauling 5 coaches on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway line, between Mettupalayam and Hillgrove stations.

Nov. 12: Delhi Metro extends service to NOIDA, from Akshardham station to Noida City Centre.

[Disaster] Nov. 14: 7 killed and many injured as Jodhpur-Delhi Mandore Express derails near Bansko station in Jaipur district of Rajasthan.

[Disaster] Nov. 17: A goods train carrying petroleum products catches fire near Changpool in Golaghat district in Assam.

[Disaster] Nov. 19: 2 killed, many injured as the locomotive and 8 coaches of the 321 Up Tata-Bilaspur Passenger derail following an explosion between Posoita and Monoharpur on the Chakradharpur-Rourkela section of SER in Jharkhand; sabotage is suspected.

Dec: Initial construction starts on gauge conversion of Lumding-Silchar-Jiriban and Badarpur-Kumarghat lines in Assam. Also survey work for Sevok to Rangpo in Sikkim.

2010

[Disaster] Jan. 2: Gorakhdam Exp. heading to Gorakhdham rams into stationary Prayagraj Exp. headed to Allahabad, near Panki in dense fog, killing 10.

[Disaster] Jan. 2: Lichchavi Exp. rams into stationary Magadh Exp. near Sarai Bhupat station, near Etawah, again in dense fog, critically injuring some.

[Disaster] Jan. 3: All seven coaches of the Murkongselek-Rangiya Passenger train derailed between Helem and Nij Bogaon (about 70km from Rangiya) in Assam. No deaths were reported.

Jan. 26: Trial run of a 108m-long section of the proposed Mumbai Monorail project, at Wadala.

Feb. (?) WDP-4B locomotive production began.

[Disaster] Mar. 22: Seven coaches and the locomotive of the Bhubaneswar - New Delhi Rajdhani Express derail after Maoist guerillas blow up the tracks between Paraiya and Kastha in the Gaya-Mughalsarai section.

Mar. 31: First air-conditioned double-decker coach, from RCF.

Apr. 1: Rail link to Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) opened to traffic. (Includes the longest (4.62km) railway bridge in the country.)

Apr. 2: First standard-gauge metro line inaugurated - the Inderlok-Mundka section ('Green Line') of the Delhi Metro.

Apr. 23: Former MG Villupuram-Mayiladithurai section re-opened after gauge conversion.

May: (International) Construction begins on a new 75-km railway in Afghanistan between the existing short spur from Termez in Uzbekistan to Mazar-i-Sharif, expected to be completed by September.

May 14: Trial runs on Sultanpur - Qutub Minar section of Delhi Metro.

[Disaster] May 16: Two dead and several injured in a stampede at New Delhi station.

[Disaster] May 25: Several passengers injured as Guwahati-bound Rajdhani Express derails at Amba halt between Kharik and Naugachia stations in Bihar.

[Disaster] May 28: The Mumbai-bound Jnaneshwari Express derails between Khemasuli and Sardiha stations near Jhargram in West Midnapore - sabotage is thought to be the cause; subsequently a goods train heading in the opposite direction rams into the derailed coaches, resulting in around 150 deaths.

Jun. 29: Pakala-Dharmavaram BG section inaugurated.

Jun. 30: First electric locomotive (a WAP-7) with capability of Head-On Generation of power for hotel loads and train air-conditioning is manufactured by CLW.

Jul. 5-9: 'Bharath bandh' actions and protests by opposition political parties and other groups cause many disruptions and stoppages of train services in different areas.

Jul. 7: Titagarh Wagons buys assets of French wagon maker IGF Industries-Arbel Fauvet Rail (AFR).

[Disaster] Jul. 19: The Uttarbanga Express (New Cooch Behar - Sealdah) rams into the stationary Vananchal Express (Bhagalpur - Ranchi) at platform 4 of the Sainthia station in Howrah division (ER), killing 66 and injuring over 150.

Jul. 23: IRCTC is stripped of its monopoly in handling catering for prestigious long-haul trains like Rajdhanis and Shatabdis.

Jul. 30: 'Express' (EIR 21), a steam loco made in 1855 and used on the East Indian Railway, is resurrected from its remains by the Perambur Loco Works, with a new injector and air brakes.

Aug. 7: The 'Long Haul' trial run of a 108-wagon, 1.25km long goods train is successful. The trial was run by NR's Lucknow division on the Lucknow-Mughalsarai route via Sultanpur.

Aug. 15: First rake of Mumbai Metro, from Shanghai, arrives at the new (under construction) Versova car shed for inspection and trials.

Chennai Metro: Contract signed with Alstom for supply of 42 train-sets.

Aug. 22: Electric loco trip shed opened at Tiruchi junction.

Sep. 17: Durgapur Steel Plant delivers its first consignment of EMU wheels.

[Disaster] Sep. 20: A goods train collides with the Indore-Gwalior Intercity Express at Badarwas station on the Guna-Gwalior section of Bhopal division, killing at least 23.

[Disaster] Sep. 22: A goods train hits a herd of elephants and kills 7 of them near Banarhat in West Bengal.

Sep. 25: Two 6-coach prototype rakes for the Delhi Metro are being tested at the DMRC maintenance depots.

Oct. 7: Trial runs of air-conditioned rakes of the Kolkata Metro, produced by ICF.

Oct. 16: RCF rolls out first air-conditioned double-decker rake, intended for use on the Howrah-Dhanbad section.

Nov. 5: Central Secretariat - Qutub Minar corridor of the Delhi Metro is opened, allowing a connection with Gurgaon.

Dec. 20: IR switches to using 5-digit train numbers, with passenger trains within each zone and suburban services, etc., all being brought under the same uniform system.

[Disaster] Dec. 17: The Murkokseleng Express from Rangiya (Assam) heading to Murkokseleng derails at Gohpur, 260km north of Guwahati; sabotage by separatists is suspected. On the same day, the Arunachal Express derailed at Dubia in Assam's Sonitpur district. In both cases, there were several injuries.

Dec. 29: Kolkata Metro is declared the 17th zone of Indian Railways.

2011

[Disaster] Jan. 3: A goods train derails near Dadri in Ghaziabad district, causing severe disruptions to all traffic on the Ghaziabad-Aligarh section and consequently the Delhi-Howrah trunk route.

Jan. 14: Delhi Metro opens Sarita Vihar - Badarpur section.

Feb. 1: First WAG-9 with cabin air-conditioning system manufactured by CLW (WAG-9 #31291).

Feb. 20: First oil-fired steam locomotive from Golden Rock dispatched to Mettupalayam for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Feb. 22: Delhi Metro Airport Link opens.

Mar. 24: First X class steam locomotive converted to oil-firing (X class 37396) delivered by the Golden Rock Workshops enters service at the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Apr. 01: Bairgania - Raxaul MG section closes for gauge conversion.

Apr. 12: Runni Saidpur - Sitamarhi section of Muzaffarpur - Sitamarhi BG new line gets inaugurated. Sitamarhi - Bairgania BG converted section gets inaugurated.

Apr. 16: IR launches "Rail Bandhu", an on-board magazine on long-distance trains.

Apr. 22: First AC traction retrofitted EMU rake from WR's Mahalaxmi Workshops enters service in Mumbai.

May 11-12: WR runs a 'python train' with 90 container wagons from Mundra Port to Bhildi in Gujarat.

May 25: ICF delivers a new EMU rake for WR that is rated for a top speed of 130km/h. (The '105th rake', from ICF, for MRVC.)

[Disaster] Jul. 10: Fifteen coaches of the Kalka Mail headed to Howrah from New Delhi derail near Malwan station in Fatehpur district (Uttar Pradesh) when the train was travelling at 108km/h; 70 are dead and over 300 injured.

[Disaster] Jul. 31: Three dead, several injured, as the Guwahati-Bangalore Express derails near Kaliachak in Malda, and the Azimganj - Malda Town Passenger collides with the derailed coaches.

[Disaster] Aug. 1: A passenger train rams into a derailed express train at Bakharpur near Malda killing 3 and injuring over 50.

[Disaster] Aug. 31: Several (5? count uncertain from news articles) persons killed when two goods trains collided head-on near Tigiripali village between Keonjhar and Banspani (Orissa). One was a loaded train carrying iron ore, and the other an empty goods train.

[Disaster] Sep. 13: A Chennai Beach - Vellore Cantonment MEMU train passes a signal at danger at 96km/h and rams into the stationary Arakkonam-Katpadi MEMU Passenger near Arakkonam, killing 11 and injuring 66.

Oct. 1: The first double-decker superfast train commences running between Howrah and Dhanbad.

Oct. 12: NFR commences New Jalpaiguri - Siliguri Jn - Aluabari Road ring rail DEMU service.

Oct. 14: NR opens India's longest railway tunnel opens: 10.96km long, piercing the Pir Panjal mountain range in Jammu and Kashmir, and part of the Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link.

Oct. 21: Gateway Rail Freight, a private container train operator, commences double-stacked container train operations from Garhi Harsaru, destined for the Mundra port.

Oct. 21: NR also commences double-stacked container train operations from Patli ICD (in the National Capital Region) to Mundra port.

Oct. 22: WR successfully trials remotely controlling the rear locomotive pushing a 120-wagon freight train from the front locomotive, on the Ahmedabad-Gandhidham route.

Nov. 19: Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari "Vivek Express" is launched, which has the longest route ever of a scheduled IR train, at 4,286km.

[Disaster] Nov. 22: Two coaches of Howrah-Dehradun Express catch fire; seven are killed, many injured.

Dec. 6: WL 15005 (Vulcan Foundry, 1955), which was the last broad-gauge steam loco phased out by the railways on Dec. 6, 1995, takes an anniversary run from Delhi Cantt. to Rewari.

2012

[Disaster] Jan. 11: Five killed in collision between Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail and a goods train at Karonpuroto in Jharkhand. The goods train is said to have been parked but had started rolling back towards the running line, resulting in the collision.

Jan. 18: Electric train services started on the Bina-Kota section of WCR.

Jan. 27: High-capacity wagon prototypes (BOXN-25M, BLC-25M) produced by Golden Rock Workshops.

Feb. 5: Western Railway switches to 25kV AC traction for Mumbai area, ending its use of 1.5kV DC traction.

Feb. 7: Second oil-fired steam locomotive (X 37397) for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway produced by Golden Rock Workshops. This one has a welded boiler.

Feb. 9: Successful trials of Virudhunagar-Manamadurai gauge-converted BG section.

Mar 31: Electric traction trials for Ujjain-Indore section.

April: Railway Coach Factory, Kapurthala, starts producing fireproof coaches with stainless steel bodies, and fire-resistant fittings.

Apr. 24: Foundation stone of Jangalmahal Bhadutala - Jhargram new line gets laid.

May 5: 25kV AC electric traction on Magrahat - Deula section of Sealdah Division (ER).

May 16: Test run with locomotive on Imphal-Jiribam railway line, part of the project to connect Jiribam to Imphal via Tupul.

[Disaster] May 22: Twenty-five persons die as Bangalore-bound Hampi Express collides with goods train near Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh.

May 24: First electric train service to reach Kanyakumari (electrification was done in January 2012).

May 28: Diesel Loco Component Factory at Dankuni gets inaugurated.

[Disaster] May 31: Seven die as Howrah-Dehradun Doon Express derails near Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Jun. 19: Metro Rake Rehabilitation Workshop inaugurated at Noapara.

Jun. 24: Second line between Gokulpur and Midnapore gets inaugurated. Electrification of Tamluk - Digha branch line section gets commissioned.

Jul. 07: ICF wins the Golden Peacock Eco Innovation Award - 2012 for manufacture of AC/DC EMUs for the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC).

[Disaster] Jul. 19: One person dies as the Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express collides with the derailed coaches of a local train near Khardi station near Nashik on Mumbai-Kasara section.

[Disaster] Jul. 30: Around 47 persons die when a fire breaks out in a coach of the Chennai-bound Tamil Nadu Express near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.

Jul. 30-31: Electricity grid failures across vast parts of northern India disrupt over 500 train services.

Aug. 6: An unmanned diesel locomotive traversed 29km from Jayanagar in Bihar, India, across the India-Nepal international border towards Janakpur in Nepal.

Aug. 21: ZP 3 (ZP 2?), which formerly worked the Pulgaon-Arvi section of CR is plinthed in front of Nagpur railway station, after preservation work by Ajni workshop.

Sep. 16: 'Akbar', a WP locomotive, is back in action hauling a special excursion train after being overhauled at Amritsar workshops.

Sep. 21: Tirunelveli - Tenkasi BG converted line gets inaugurated.

Sep. 27: First WAG-7 class locomotive commissioned from Dahod Loco, Carriage, and Wagon Workshop of WR in Gujarat.

Oct. 10: Narkher - Amravati new line gets inaugurated.

Nov. 8: Rail Coach Factory at Lalganj in Rae Bareli district inaugurated.

Nov. 20: Dindigul - Palani BG converted section gets inaugurated.

Dec. 12: Barhni - Anand Nagar BG converted section gets inaugurated.

Dec. 21: Railway Board revises tariff and menu of catering services after about a decade.

[Disaster] Dec. 30: Six elephants are killed by 12841 Howrah - Chennai Central Coromandel Exp between Rambha and Humma stations on the Khurda Road - Naupada section of ECoR. A train attendant also dies by getting thrown out of the train following the impact of collision.

2013

Jan. 03: Second line between Kayamkulam and Chengannur gets inaugurated.

[Disaster] Jan. 04: Two Brakers and the locomotive of 16517 Yesvantpur - Kannur Exp derail between Yedakumeri and Kadagaravalli on the Hassan - Mangalore line due to a broken rail. No one is injured though train services get disrupted for a few days.

[Disaster] Jan. 05: Locomotive of 53401 Sahibganj - Malda Town Passenger derails between Gour Malda and Malda Town. No one is injured.

Jan. 08: Rohtak - Rewari new BG line via Jhajjar gets inaugurated.

Jan. 13: Train services over Pamban Bridge get suspended for a week following a minor damage caused by a naval barge wafting into the bridge.

Feb. 14: Ministry of Railways signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the French National Railways (SNCF) for Mumbai - Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor Project.

March: Third oil-fired locomotive (X class replacement, No. 37398) delivered to Nilgiri Mountain Railway by Golden Rock Workshops, Trichy

Mar. 10: Diesel Loco Shed, Siliguri celebrates its Golden Jubilee Anniversary.

Mar. 26: Muzaffarpur - Sitamarhi new BG line gets inaugurated.

[Disaster] Apr. 10: Seven coaches of the Muzaffarpur-Yesvantpur Weekly Express derailed near Arakkonam, killing one passenger.

[Disaster] Apr. 16: Gomoh based WAG9 31023 ‘Navjyoti’ collides head-on with a Burdwan based WDM2A 17982 between Plassey and Rejinagar stations of Krishnanagar City - Lalgola section. Injury details are not known though 31023 was condemned and eventually scrapped.

May 25: Salem - Karur new BG line via Namakkal gets inaugurated.

[Disaster] Jun. 25: Light locos, WDG3A 14686 & 14984 based out of Guntakal, collide with 56274 Hubli - Arsikere Passenger at Chikjajur causing grievous injuries for two.

Jul. 14: Manamadurai - Virudunagar BG converted line gets inaugurated.

[Disaster] Aug. 19: At least 37 killed and over 50 others injured severely while trespassing and walking along the tracks as 12567 Saharsa - Patna Rajya Rani Exp runs over them at about 80kmph in Dhamara Ghat. An angry mob then thrashes the Loco Pilots to unconsciousness and sets some coaches on fire apart from destroying that of another train.

Jul. 31: Raxaul - Bhelwa MG section closes for gauge conversion.

Sep. 26: Tatkal system of ticketing extended to ordinary passenger trains.

[Disaster] Nov. 15: Thirteen coaches of the Ernakulam-bound Mangala Lakshadweep Express from H. Nizamuddin derail near Ghoti near Nashik, killing 4 and injuring dozens.

[Disaster] Dec. 28: An AC coach of the Bangalore City - Hazur Sahib Nanded Express catches fire near Kothacheruvu in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, killing 26 and injuring several.

2014

Jan. 04: Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi celebrates 50 years of its first ever loco rollout.

[Disaster] Jan. 08: Fire breaks into one of the sleeper coaches of 19019 Bandra - Dehradun Exp and eventually spreads to three coaches as the train moves between Dahanu Road and Gholvad stations on Mumbai’s Western line causing nine deaths and over ten injuries.

Feb. 03: Ankleshwar - Rajpipla BG converted line (from NG) gets inaugurated.

Feb. 24: Centenary of the Pamban Bridge celebrated.

Mar. 6: Fourth oil-fired locomotive (X class replacement, No. 37399) for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway delivered by Golden Rock Workshops, Trichy

[Disaster] Mar. 20: Six coaches of a local train derail after getting uncoupled from the rest of the train at Titwala, near Mumbai, killing one and injuring several.

[Disaster] Apr 02: 51676 Chopan - Katni Pass collides with the rear of 23345 Varanasi - Shaktinagar Intercity Exp at Obra Dam station on the Chopan - Singrauli section causing at least two deaths and over a dozen injuries.

Apr. 01: Bhelwa - Sikta MG section closes for gauge conversion.

Apr. 8: Arunachal Pradesh connected to Indian Railways network with the opening of Harmuti - Naharlagun section.

[Disaster] Apr. 18: One of the pantographs of a local train falls into the track of 11068 Faizabad - Mumbai LTT Saket Exp near Asangaon and derails a coach and the locomotive of the train but no one is injured.

[Disaster] May 02: Two low-intensity bombs explode in two successive coaches of 12509 Bangalore - Guwahati Exp on PF9 of Chennai Central, killing one and injuring at least fourteen others.

[Disaster] May 4: The Diva Junction - Sawantvadi Passenger train derails between Nagothane and Roha, killing 20 and injuring a hundred passengers.

[Disaster] May 26: The Gorakhpur-bound Gorakhdham Express rams into a stationary goods train near Khalilabad station in Sant Kabir Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 25 and injuring many dozens.

Jun. 8: Mumbai Metro begins operations with the inauguration of Blue Line 1 from Versova to Ghatkopar.

[Disaster] Jun. 24: Dibrugarh Rajdhani derails near Chhapra in Bihar, killing at least 4 and injuring several.

[Disaster] Jul. 23: At least 25 killed and many injured as a school bus gets hit by a Secunderabad bound Passenger train (Bodhan-Mahbubnagar Pass/Nanded - Hyderabad Pass ?) while attempting to cross an unmanned crossing near Masaipet on the Jankampet - Secunderabad section.

Jul. 7: Dedication ceremony of the newly opened Udhampur-Katra line.

[Disaster] Sep. 30: 15007 Manduadih - Lucknow Krishak Exp passes a signal at danger near Gorakhpur Cantt. yard and collides with 15204 Lucknow - Barauni Exp, killing twelve and injuring at least forty six.

Oct. 1: Premium Tatkal fare introduced, which brings the concept of dynamic pricing for fares on many popular trains.

Oct. 1: Golden Jubilee of the Brindavan Express celebrated..

Oct. 1: Lumding-Badarpur MG section services closed in preparation for gauge conversion.

Dec. 5: Meghalaya connected to Indian Railways network with the opening of Dudnoi - Mendipathar section.