The Story of the Indian Railways 

The story of the Indian Railways dates back to the British era. The development of Indian Railways is one of the most significant developments in the course of Indian history. Essentially, the Indian Railways were built for the benefit of the British, but not only did the British benefit from it, the Indians also benefited from it and continue to do so. 
 
The most important figure in introducing the railway system in India was Lord Dalhousie. He was the British Governor-General during the 19th century, from 1848 to 1856, and is also known as the "Father of Indian Railways." India's first railway opened in 1853, a 34 km line between Bombay and Thane. As mentioned earlier, the railway was built to benefit the British at first; it was built to make travel easier and more comfortable, and they also wanted the effective transfer of raw materials from one part of India to another part of the country. 
 
The construction of Indian railways was not an easy task due to India's physical features. Building proper rail tracks in lands with high elevations was quite a challenge. The British made the most out of the Indian railways, transporting raw materials to boost trade on a large scale, which led to immense profits for the British mercantile classes and massive economic growth in England. 

By: Tanushka Sharma