New Delhi: India’s lifeline, the Indian Railways, has achieved great heights over the years. India has the fourth-largest rail network in the world. When it was started in 1853, Indian Railways barely had any network. But with years passing by, the journey of Indian Railways went from steam to electric. Indian railways operate several classes of express, passenger, and suburban trains, including more than 10,000 electric trains.
Indian Railways will mark 100 years this year since its first electric train ran on February 3, 1925. The first steam-operated train started in 1853 between Bombay and Thane, while the first electric train ran in Bombay on DC traction.
As Indian Railways nears its 100th anniversary of railway electrification, let us look back at the first electric train introduced from Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla.
The Inauguration of India’s First Electric Train in 1925
On February 3, 1925, India inaugurated its first electric train between Bombay Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) and Kurla Harbour. This train ran on 1,500 DC volts. A daily service began on the docking lane after the construction of a large railway gantry measuring 129 feet. The need for electric power arose due to steep grades in the Western Ghats, leading to further expansion on the Central Railway to Igatpuri and Pune. Before independence, India had 388 kilometres of DC electrification.
The construction of the harbour line was a significant engineering achievement, especially the elevated section at Wadibunder. The project cost Rs 20 lakh and required 2,788 tonnes of steel. Overall, the harbour line and electrification cost around Rs 8 crore.
The locomotives for this electric train were built by Cammell Laird and Uerdingen Waggonfabrik (Wagon Factory).
In 1926, the Kurla-Kalyan section was electrified with 1,500 V DC. Electrification also reached Poona and Igatpuri via the Bhore and Thal Ghats. Additionally, the Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow was built that same year.
In January 1928, the Bandra-Virar section was electrified using the same 1,500 V DC.
Engineering Marvels: Construction of the Harbour Line & Electrification
- Sir Leslie Wilson, the then governor of Bombay, launched the first electric multiple unit (EMU) train from platform two.
- The train had four cars with 10-foot-wide cement flooring, and Jahangir Framji Daruwala was the motorman.
- The Tata Group of Hydro-Electric Co. supplied power for the electrified services.
- Substations located at Dharavi, Kalyan, and Thane received electricity from the Tata main. Rotary converters at the railway substation transformed AC power into 1,500 V DC power.
Here are some interesting facts about the first electric train in India:
- Length over body: 68 feet
- Width: 12 feet
- Centre of bogies: 48 feet
- Bogie wheelbase: 10 feet
- Gauge: 5 feet 6 inches
- Height from rail to the top of the roof: 13 feet 6 inches
- Tare of trailer coach: 42 tonnes
- Tare of motor coach: 70 tonnes
- Couplers: Automatic couplers of MCB type
- Brakes: Standard AV brake
On January 5 1928, Indian Railways started using 1500-volt DC power for trains between Kurla and Borivali on the Western Railway. Then, on November 15 1931, this power was used between Madras Beach and Tambaram on the Southern Railway. During the first five-year plan after India gained independence, the Eastern Railway electrified the Howrah-Burdwan section with 3000 V DC power, completing the project in 1958. Since then, Indian Railways has changed significantly.
This article commemorates the centennial of India’s first electric train between Bombay Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) and Kurla Harbour. It details the engineering feat of the Harbour Line’s construction, the use of 1500V DC power supplied by the Tata Group, and the specifications of the pioneering four-car EMU. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
