Editing Rail transport in India (section)

=== 1925–1949: Electrification and further expansion ===
[[File:India railways1909a.jpg|thumb|Railway map of India in 1909]]
The first [[Railway budget of India|railway budget]] was presented in 1924.<ref name="Hist"/> The [[Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway]] was merged with the [[East Indian Railway Company]] (EIR) in the same year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/news/history-of-indian-railway-budget-5963201398_1.html|title=History of Indian Railway Budget|access-date=24 July 2017|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225095548/https://www.indiainfoline.com/article/news/history-of-indian-railway-budget-5963201398_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 3 February 1925, the first [[Electric locomotive|electric train]] ran between [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus|Victoria Terminus]] (VT) and [[Kurla]], hauled by a [[Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works|SLM]] [[electric locomotive]] on [[1500&nbsp;V DC]] traction.<ref name="EL">{{cite report|url=https://secr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1596785062728-Locomotive_comp.pdf|title=Evolution of Electric Locomotives|publisher=[[Indian Railways]]|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> Later, the VT–[[Bandra railway station|Bandra]] section was electrified and the first [[Electric Multiple Units]] (EMU) were introduced in with 1.5KV [[Direct current|DC]] units imported were from [[Cammell Laird]] and [[Duewag|Uerdingenwagonfabrik]].<ref name="EL1">{{cite report|url=https://elocos.railnet.gov.in/Analysis/Elect_Tr_history.htm|title=Electrification history|publisher=[[Indian Railways]]|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> On 1 April 1929, [[Grand Trunk Express]] commenced operations between [[Peshawar]] in the [[North Western Railway (British India)|North Western Railway]] and [[Mangalore]] with two coaches detached and connected to Madras further.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/18188|title=Report by the Railway board on Indian Railways for 1929-30:Volume I|author=Railway Department, Government of India|publisher=Central Publication Branch, Government of India|year=1930|location=Calcutta|page=38|chapter=Chapter IV-Transportation and Working}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Railway Magazine:Volume 64|year=1929|publisher=IPC Business Press|page=490}}</ref> The [[Golden Temple Mail|Frontier Mail]] made its inaugural run between Bombay and [[Peshawar]] in 1928.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/golden-temple-mail-completes-92-yrs-of-historic-run-135130|title=Golden Temple Mail completes 92 years|work=Tribune India|date=2 September 2020|access-date=24 July 2023}}</ref> Technical advancements led to automatic colour light signals that become operational between Bombay and Byculla in 1928.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://signalbox.org/overseas/india/india.htm|title=Signalling in India – Past and Present|work=Signalbox|access-date=24 July 2017|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330111351/https://signalbox.org/overseas/india/india.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the subsequent years, the route from Bombay to [[Pune|Poona]] was electrified and in June 1930, the first deluxe train, [[Deccan Queen]] began running, hauled by a [[Indian locomotive class WCP-1|WCP-1 locomotive]]s with seven coaches along the route.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/story/indias-first-deluxe-train-mumbai-pune-deccan-queen-completes-93-years-of-service-all-you-need-to-know-383826-2023-06-01|title=India's first deluxe train: Mumbai-Pune Deccan Queen completes 93 years of service|date=1 June 2023|access-date=1 January 2023|newspaper=Business Today}}</ref> The Grand Trunk express commenced operating as a dedicated daily train between Madras and Delhi from 1 September 1930.<ref>{{cite book|title=Report by the Railway board on Indian Railways for 1930-31:Volume I|year=1932|publisher=Central Publication Branch, Government of India|location=Calcutta|page=36|chapter=IV}}</ref> [[Chennai Suburban Railway|Chennai suburban railway]] started operating in 1931 with a single [[Metre gauge railway|metre gauge]] line from [[Chennai Beach railway station|Chennai Beach]] to [[Tambaram railway station|Tambaram]].<ref name="SR1">{{cite report|url=https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1325745996774-about.pdf|title=Chennai Division, SR|publisher=Southern Railway|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=15 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215180509/https://sr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1325745996774-about.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1944, all the railway companies were taken over by the Government.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/financecode/ADMIN_FINANCE/AdminFinanceCh1_Data.htm|title=Evolution of Indian Railways-Historical Background|publisher=[[Indian Railways]]|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref>

==== Indian Railway Classification ====
Beginning in 1926 and for statistical purposes, the Government of [[British Raj]] classified Indian railway systems according to three classes.  It was a similar system to the [[Railroad classes]] in North America.<ref name="fibis">{{cite web|url=https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Indian_Railway_Classification |title=Indian Railway Classification |publisher=fibis |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Directory of Railway Officials & Yearbook |year=1947| publisher=Tothill Press |language=English |pages=495}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| '''''Class I''''' || Railways with gross annual earnings of over 5,000,000 [[Indian rupee|INR]]
|-
| '''''Class II''''' || Railways with gross annual earnings of between 1,000,000 and 5,000,000 INR 
|-
| '''''Class III''''' || Railways with gross annual earnings of under 1,000,000 INR 
|}
[[Tram]]s, [[Industrial railway|industrial]] and port railways were recorded separately and independently of turnover.
In terms of net revenue, [[East Indian Railway Company|East Indian Railway]] was the largest company in 1927 with 86,881,000 rupees. Followed by the [[North Western State Railway]] with 57,343,000 rupees and the [[Great Indian Peninsula Railway]] with 56,215,000 rupees.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Commerce Reports, Vol. 2, Nr. 25 |publisher=United States Department of Commerce |date=4 June 1929 |pages=792 |language=en |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KfzWpgNQNMsC&pg=PA792}}</ref> No further reclassification was carried out after 1942, but the rankings remained in use until the mid-1950s.<ref name="fibis" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=Indian Railways One Hundred Years |publisher=Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) |date=1953 |pages=162 |url=https://archive.org/details/ncd.indianrailwayson0000jnsa/page/162/}}</ref>