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India celebrates 160th anniversary of its first passenger train here on Tuesday. It was on this day in 1853 that the first train ran between Bombay and Thane. It was drawn by three engines and covered a total distance of 34 km in 57 minutes.The three locomotives that pulled the first passenger train were named Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan.It was in 1853-54 that two new railway companies, Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) and East Indian Railway (EIR) were formed in the country, which pioneered the railway construction in the country.However, the experiment on railway line construction had begun long back in 1836 when the first rail line of the Indian sub-continent came up near Chintadripet Bridge, near Chennai.

The next phase of railway development in the country was witnessed in 1844 when the then the Governor-General of India Lord Hardinge allowed private entrepreneurs to set up rail system in the country.

Subsequently, the East India Company invited private investors to invest in the railway sector with adequate guarantee of an annual return.

Today, the Indian Railways is under complete government control but there have been demand of allowing private entrepreneurs in the sector.

source:::India Today

Natarajan

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