On April 16, 1853 at 3:35 pm, the first passenger train of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway left Bori Bunder station in Bombay for Tanna.
The train took fifty-seven minutes to reach Tanna - and covered a distance of 21 miles, which is 33.8 km.
It was exactly 167 years ago - and marked the launch of railways not only on the Indian sub-continent but the whole of Asia.
Three steam locomotives - Sahib, Sindh and Sultan - hauled the first train, carrying the first passengers. Bombay is now Mumbai and Tanna is now Thane.
At Bori Bunder, the Victoria Terminus came into being, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway has now taken shape of Central Railway.
The date, April 16, always have a place in CR and Indian Railway. This is the first time in the history of Indian Railways that a passenger train would not run on its anniversary.
After 1853, there have been several landmark events - the Indian Rebellion in 1857, the Quit India Movement of 1942, the First World War between 1914-18 and the Second World War between 1939-45.
The Indian Railway has seen the biggest disruption from May 8-27,1974, when late socialist leader George Fernandes led the railway strike for 20 days.
"Currently the railways in India is seeing the biggest shutdown because of the COVID-19 India lockdown, and, incidentally it coincides with the anniversary day," a railway heritage lover said.
The Indian Railway network is not running any passenger trains and only freight movement is taking place.
Published 15 April 2020, 02:43 IST