Railway
India's first electric train was introduced in:
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Answer: Option C — 1925
Detailed Solution
India's first electric train ran on 3 February 1925, between Bombay Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) and Kurla, on the Harbour Line of the Great Indian Peninsula (GIP) Railway. The route was about 16 km long. The train was flagged off by Sir Leslie Wilson, the Governor of Bombay.
About the first electric train:
- It ran on 1,500 volts DC (direct current) electricity, supplied through overhead wires.
- The electric multiple units (EMUs) for the train were made in Britain and brought to India.
Electrification of Indian Railways:
- After the Harbour Line, electrification spread to the main lines around Bombay and to the Bombay-Poona route over the Western Ghats, which helped trains climb the steep Bhor Ghat and Thal Ghat.
- The famous Deccan Queen (1930) was India's first long-distance electrically hauled train.
After independence, India changed to the 25 kV AC (alternating current) system, which is cheaper and more efficient. The first 25 kV AC electrified section was Raj Kharswan-Dongoaposi in the South Eastern Railway, in 1959-60.
Indian Railways has set a target of 100% electrification of its broad gauge network. By 2025, it had electrified almost all of its broad gauge routes.
It aims to become a "Net Zero Carbon Emitter" by 2030.
Other milestones of Indian Railways:
- 16 April 1853: the first passenger train ran from Bori Bunder (Bombay) to Thane, a distance of 34 km.
- 1951: Indian Railways was reorganised into zones, and it was nationalised.
- 1986: computerised ticket reservation started in New Delhi.
- 2019: the first Vande Bharat Express ran between New Delhi and Varanasi.
- The Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (West Bengal), set up in 1950, makes electric locomotives.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1853 is the year of India's first passenger train (steam).
- ✗1930 is the year the Deccan Queen started.
- ✗1951 is the year Indian Railways was reorganised into zones.
Quick tip
Remember: First electric train = 3 February 1925, Bombay VT-Kurla (Harbour Line, GIP Railway, 1,500 V DC); first passenger train = 16 April 1853 (Bori Bunder-Thane).
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Industries & Transport in India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Industries & Transport in India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's major industries (iron and steel, textiles, cement, sugar, automobiles and information technology) and their locations, along with the transport network: railways, roads and national highways, ports, airports and waterways. Common questions ask where a steel plant is located and which country helped build it (Bhilai with the Soviet Union, Rourkela with Germany and Durgapur with Britain), which city is called the 'Manchester of India', and facts about major ports, railway zones and national highways. Practise the industries and transport questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.