Rail Transport
The Indian Railways network is one of the longest in the world. It facilitates the movement of both freight and passengers and contributes to the growth of the economy. Mahatma Gandhi said, the Indian railways “...brought people of diverse cultures together to contribute to India’s freedom struggle”. The Indian Railway was introduced in 1853, when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane, covering a distance of 34 km. Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country. The length of the Indian Railways network was 67,956 km (Railway yearbook 2019-20). Its very large size puts a lot of pressure on a centralised railway management system. Thus, in India, the railway system has been divided into 17 zones. Indian Railways has launched an extensive programme to convert the metre and narrow gauges to broad gauge. Moreover, steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines. This step has increased the speed, as well as the haulage capacity. The replacement of steam engines run by coal has also improved the environment of the stations. Metro rail has revolutionised the urban transport system in India. Replacement of diesel buses by CNG-run vehicles along with the introduction of the metro is a welcome step towards controlling the air pollution in urban centres. Areas around towns, raw material producing areas and plantations and other commercial crops, hill stations and cantonment towns were well-connected by railways from the British colonial era. These were mostly developed for the exploitation of resources. After the Independence of the country, railway routes have been extended to other areas too. The most significant development has been the development of the Konkan Railway along the western coast, providing a direct link between Mumbai and Mangaluru. The railway continues to remain the main means of transport for the masses. The railway network is relatively less dense in the hill states, north eastern states, central parts of India and Rajasthan.
In Indian Railways, which of the following gauges has the longest total length of tracks?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Broad gauge
The Indian Railways has three categories of track by width, with these total lengths (2019-20):
Option (1) Broad gauge — 1.676 metre between the rails; 63950 km, by far the longest.
Option (3) Metre gauge — one metre between the rails; 2402 km.
Option (4) Narrow gauge — 0.762 or 0.610 metre; 1604 km, mostly in hilly areas.
Option (2) Standard gauge — Incorrect. Standard gauge (1.44 m) is used in the U.K., not one of the three categories of the Indian Railways.
NCERT: India - People and Economy — Chapter 7: Transport and Communication, box: widths of track (Do You Know?) (2025-26)
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