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Reverted 1 edit by 63.119.35.203 (talk): That's just a redirect to this article

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{{redirect|North Western Railway}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name = North Western Railway
| logo_filename = Shortened form of North Western Railway Zone of Indian Railways.jpg
| logo_size = 80px
| system_map = Indianrailwayzones-numbered.png
| map_caption = 11-North Western Railway
| map_size =
| marks =
| image =
| image_size =
| image_caption =
| locale = Rajasthan
| start_year = {{start date and age|2002}}
| end_year =
| predecessor_line = [[Northern Railway zone]]
| successor_line =
| gauge = Mixed
| old_gauge =
| electrification =
| length =
| hq_city = Jaipur
| website = [http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/ NWR official website]
}}

The '''North Western Railway''' (abbreviated '''NWR''') is one of the 18 [[Indian Railways|railway zones]] in India. It is headquartered at [[Jaipur]], with 59,075+ employees, 658+ stations and a route length of more than 5761 km across at least some parts of four states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana (c. 2009). NWR operates international rail service [[Thar Express]] from Jodhpur to Karachi. This zone is the key enabler of the [[Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project]] by virtue of running railways 1,500 km long [[Western Dedicated Freight Corridor]].

== History ==
[[File:India_railways1909a.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Extent of the Indian railway network in 1909]]

In 1882, a {{track gauge|1000mm}}-wide [[metre-gauge]] line from Marwar Junction to Pali was built by the Rajputana Railway. It was extended to Luni in 1884 and Jodhpur on 9 March 1885. New Jodhpur Railway was later combined with Bikaner Railway to form Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway in 1889, when the [[Bikaner State|Bikaner Princely State]] and [[Jodhpur State|Jodhpur Princely State]] started constructing the ''Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway'' within the [[Rajputana Agency]]. In 1891, the {{track gauge|1000mm}}-wide [[metre gauge]] Jodhpur–Bikaner line was commissioned under the [[Rajputana–Malwa Railway]], Jodhpur–Merta Road section was commissioned on 8 April, the Merta Road-Nagaur section on 16 October, and the Nagaur-Bikaner section on 9 December. In 1900, [[Jodhpur–Bathinda line|Jodhpur–Bikaner line]] combined with Jodhpur–Hyderabad Railway, some part of this railway is in Pakistan, leading to connection with Hyderabad of Sindh Province. In 1901–02, the Jodhpur–Bikaner line was extended to [[Bathinda]] in 1901–02 to connect it with the metre-gauge section of the [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]] and the metre gauge of [[North Western Railway (British India)|North Western Railway]] [[Delhi–Fazilka line]] via Hanumangarh.<ref name=fibis/> In 1924, the combined entity Jodhpur and Bikaner Railways was split to function as two independent Railway companies. After Independence, a part of Jodhpur Railway went to West Pakistan.<ref name=fibis>{{cite web| url = http://www.wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Jodhpur-Bikaner_Railway| title = Jodhpur–Bikaner Railway| publisher = fibis| access-date = 5 May 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202124719/http://www.wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Jodhpur-Bikaner_Railway| archive-date = 2 February 2014| df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=irfcaii>{{cite web | url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history2.html | title = IR History: Part II (1870-1899) | publisher = IRFCA | access-date = 5 May 2014 | archive-date = 26 July 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160726192451/http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history2.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> In 1926, the workshop at Bikaner (Lalgarh) was set up to carry out periodic overhauling of metre gauge coaches and wagons.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html |title= Sheds and workshops|publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 7 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1383134993568-BIKANER%20WORKSHOP%20WEB.pdf |title=Brief History of Bikaner Workshop |publisher=North Western Railway |access-date=7 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025129/http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1383134993568-BIKANER%20WORKSHOP%20WEB.pdf |archive-date=8 May 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref> In 1951, on 5 November the [[Jodhpur–Bathinda line|Jodhpur–Bikaner line]] was merged with the [[Western Railway (India)|Western Railway]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.wr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?id=0,1,283 | title = Western railway history}}</ref> Sometime around or prior to 1991, the construction work for the conversion from metre gauge to {{track gauge|1676 mm|lk=on}}-wide {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] of the Jodhpur–Bikaner line, along with the link to Phulera, were started,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lsdeb/ls10/ses1/02060891.htm |title = Written answers to Qustion asked in Parliament | work= Railway expansion programme in Rajasthan|publisher= Government of India| access-date = 7 May 2014}}</ref> and it was already functioning as broad gauge Jodhpur–Merta City–Bikaner–Bathinda line by 2008.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=37655|title = Railway line along Indian border| publisher= Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India|date= 21 April 2008| access-date = 7 May 2014}}</ref> In 2002, on 1 October the North Western Railway zone came into existence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0,1,261 |title=North Western railway history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031916/http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_section.jsp?lang=0&id=0%2C1%2C261 |archive-date= 4 March 2016 }}</ref> In 2012, the Bikaner Heritage Rail Museum was opened at Bikaner to displays items related to the Jodhpur and Bikaner Railway.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Bikana-Heritage-Rail-Museum-opened-for-public-viewing/articleshow/16867351.cms |title= Bikana Heritage Rail Museum opened for public viewing|work=The Times of India|date=18 October 2012| access-date = 7 May 2014}}</ref>

In 1884, The ''Rajputana–Malwa Railway'' extended the {{track gauge|1000mm}}-wide [[metre-gauge]] [[Bathinda–Rewari line|Delhi–Rewari]] section of [[Delhi–Fazilka line]] to Bathinda,<ref name=hisar>{{cite web| url= http://revenueharyana.gov.in/html/gazeteers/gazetteer_india_hisar.pdf| title= Gazetteer of India, Haryana, Hisar| at= Communications, page 135| publisher= Haryana Government| access-date= 10 May 2014| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140501213030/http://revenueharyana.gov.in/html/gazeteers/gazetteer_india_hisar.pdf| archive-date= 1 May 2014| df= dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/Rajputana-Malwa_State_Railway |title = Rajputana Malwa State Railway| website=fibis| access-date = 10 May 2014}}{{unreliable source?|date=October 2016}}</ref> which was The Southern Punjab Railway Co. opened the Delhi–Bathinda–Samasatta line in 1897.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history2.html |title= IR History: Early Days II (1870-1899) |access-date= 26 February 2014 |archive-date= 26 July 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160726192451/http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-history2.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> The line passed through Muktasar and Fazilka tehsils and provided direct connection through [[Samma Satta]] (now in Pakistan) to Karachi.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/muktsar/Chapter%207.htm|title= Chapter VII Communications|access-date= 26 February 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140223172820/http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/muktsar/Chapter%207.htm|archive-date= 23 February 2014|url-status= dead}}</ref>

On 18 February 2006, [[Thar Express]], an Indian non-stop international [[passenger train]] operated weekly by [[Indian Railways]] using its own coaches and locomotives, between [[Jodhpur]] in India and [[Karachi]] in Pakistan.<ref name=IndTr>{{cite web|url=http://m.greaterkashmir.com/news/news/india-to-operate-thar-express-for-6-months/10969.html|title=Greater Kashmir news|website=greaterkashmir.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref><ref>[http://www.irfca.org/docs/pak-train-names.html IRFCA: Pakistan Railway Train Names] Author: Owais Mughal, Retrieved on 1 July 2013</ref>

Earlier, Sindh Mail train operated on this route from 1900 to 1965 when the track was bombed out by the Pakistan Air Force in [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. Thar Link Express was run started after 41 years in 2006 based on the earlier rail communication agreement. The rail communication agreement was signed by India and Pakistan in 1976, to ease the soured relations after the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] for the successful [[Bangladesh Liberation War|liberation of Bangladesh]] by [[Indian Army]]. The rail communication agreement is renewable every three years, and currently it is valid until January 2019.<ref name="irfca1">{{cite web|url=http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-inter.html|title=[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Geography : International|publisher=IRFCA|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref><ref name=hindu1>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/how-to-get-to-pakistan/article18438690.ece How to get to Pakistan], ''[[The Hindu]]'', 12 May 2017</ref>

In the 1990s, the [[Delhi–Jaipur line]] and [[Jaipur–Ahmedabad line]] were converted to [[broad gauge]] (BG). In 2007, the line going toward {{stnlnk|Ratlam Junction}} from Phulera to Chittaurgarh was converted to BG.

Between 2008 and 2011, the Bikaner–Rewari line was converted to broad gauge.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1390378076313-Overview%20dt.21.01.14.pdf | title = Overview of Bikaner Division | publisher = North Western Railway | access-date = 7 May 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140508030427/http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1390378076313-Overview%20dt.21.01.14.pdf | archive-date = 8 May 2014 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2009, the metre-gauge Hisar–Sadulpur section was converted to broad gauge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1390378076313-Overview%20dt.21.01.14.pdf |title=Overview of Bikaner Division |publisher=Indian Railways |access-date=6 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508030427/http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1390378076313-Overview%20dt.21.01.14.pdf |archive-date=8 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://indiarailinfo.com/train/map/route-bhatinda-rewari-passenger-54781-bti-to-re/4110/109/356| title=Bathinda–Rewari line route map| website=India Rail Info}}</ref>

By December 2017, railways for the first time installed 6,095 [[Global Positioning System|GPS]]-enabled "Fog Pilot Assistance System" [[railway signalling]] devices in four most affected zones, [[Northern Railway zone]], [[North Central Railway zone]], [[North Eastern Railway zone]] and North Western Railway zone, by doing away with the old practice of putting firecrackers on train tracks to alter train divers running trains on snail's pace. With these devices, train pilots precisely know in advance, about the location of signals, level-crossing gates and other such approaching markers.<ref name=fog1>[//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/62042305.cms Indian Railways to use GPS-enabled devices to fight fog this season], [[The Economic Times|Economic Times]], 12 Dec 2017.</ref>

== Organisation ==
This zone was formed on 1 October 2002, comprising four divisions: [[Jodhpur]] and reorganized [[Bikaner]] division of the erstwhile [[Northern Railway zone]], and reorganized [[Jaipur]] and [[Ajmer]] divisions of the erstwhile [[Western Railway zone]].

=== Ajmer railway division ===
The [[Ajmer railway division]], founded on 5 November 1951, has ~9,050 employees handling 48 passenger trains across 141 stations (15 main stations with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), covering the elongated elliptical shaped loop railway network in [[Marwar]] region central Rajasthan, from Pushkar to Palanpur via Marwar, and from Palanpur back to Pushkar via [[Chittorgarh]]. The main goods traffic are the export of cement from [[Ajmer district]], and rock phosphate and soapstone powder from [[Udaipur district]]. The passenger segment handles traffic on the prominent religious and tourist circuit of [[Ajmer Sharif Dargah]], [[Pushkar]], [[Dilwara Temples|Dilwara Jain Temples]] at [[Mount Abu]] and [[Ranakpur Jain temple]].

=== Bikaner railway division ===
The [[Bikaner railway division]], founded in 1924, has ~12,000 employees handling 142 trains across 198 stations (14 with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), covering the eastern Rajasthan, western and southern triangular half of [[Haryana]] (railway line network from [[Rewari]]–[[Bhiwani]] to [[Hisar (city)|Hisar]], [[Sirsa]] and [[Dabwali]], [[Rohtak]] to [[Hansi]]–Hisar), and a very small corner of south west [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] (Sirsa to [[Bhatinda]]). The quantum of traffic is equally split between goods and passenger segment, with food grains, china clay and gypsum being the main outbound goods traffic.

=== Jaipur railway division ===
The [[Jaipur railway division]] was formed after merging parts of [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]], [[Jaipur State Railway]] and [[Rajputana–Malwa Railway]]. It has ~10,250 employees handling 146 trains across 128 stations (14 with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), covering the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. a very small corner of south west [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] (Sirsa to [[Bathinda]]). 85% of the income is from the passenger traffic. It forms a logistics hub for the cross traffic of [[Western Dedicated Freight Corridor]], carrying fertilizer, cement, oil, salt, food grains, oil seeds, limestone and gypsum traffic, with bulk container loading facilities.

=== Jodhpur railway division ===
The [[Jodhpur railway division]], with origin going back to 1882, was founded on 5 November 1951. It has ~14,000 employees handling 92 trains across 144 stations (15 with Computerized Passenger Reservation System), It covers Jodhpur, Pali Marwar, Nagaur, Jalore, Barmer, Jaisalmer districts in Rajasthan and certain districts of Gujarat state. The main goods export traffic consists of limestone, salt and gypsum.

==Divisions==
* [[Jaipur railway division]]
* [[Ajmer railway division]]
* [[Jodhpur railway division]]
* [[Bikaner railway division]]

== Medical facilities ==
For the employees and their families, the zone also has the following healthcare facilities:
* Zonal hospitals
** [[Jaipur Zonal Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Jaipur Junction}}
* Divisional hospitals
** [[Ajmer Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Ajmer Junction}}
** [[Bikaner Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Bikaner Junction}}
** [[Jodhpur Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Jodhpur Junction}}
* Sub-divisional hospitals
** [[Rewari Sub-Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Rewari}} (Bikaner division)
** [[Bandikui Sub-Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Bandikui Junction}} (Jaipur division)
** [[Ajmer Sub-Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Abu Road}} (Ajmer division)
** [[Udaipur Sub-Divisional Railway Hospital]] near {{stnlnk|Rana Pratap Nagar}} at Udaipur (Jodhpur division)
* Health units, 29 in total
* First aid posts, 2 in total

== Route and track length ==
This railway zone has a total of 578 stations, covering a total of {{convert|5449.29|km}} route kilometers out of which {{convert|2575.03|km}} are [[broad gauge]] and {{convert|2874.23|km}} are [[metre gauge]] (c. 2009), and {{convert|7329.80|km}} track kilometers out of{{convert|6696.36|km}} are broad gauge and {{convert|733.44|km}} are metre gauge (c. 2009).

* North Western Railway zone
** Route km: broad gauge {{convert|2575.03|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|2874.23|km}}, total {{convert|5449.29|km}}
** Track km: broad gauge {{convert|6696.36|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|733.44|km}}, total {{convert|7329.80|km}}
** Ajmer railway division
*** Route km: broad gauge {{convert|732.56|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|442.29|km}}, total {{convert|1174.85|km}}
*** Track km: broad gauge {{convert|1149.0|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|466.73|km}}, total {{convert|1617.83|km}}
** Bikaner railway division: covers Rajasthan and parts of [[Railway in Haryana]]
*** Route km: broad gauge {{convert|1730.96|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|48.76|km}}, total {{convert|1779.72|km}}
*** Track km: broad gauge {{convert|2182.31|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|51.17|km}}, total {{convert|2233.58|km}}
** Jaipur railway division
*** Route km: broad gauge {{convert|830.20|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|196.61|km}}, total {{convert|1026.81|km}}
*** Track km: broad gauge {{convert|1385.13|km}}, metre gauge {{convert|213.53|km}}, total {{convert|1598.66|km}}
** Jodhpur railway division
*** Route km: broad gauge {{convert|1568.42|km}} 1,568 km, metre gauge 0 km, total {{convert|1568.42|km}}
*** Track km: broad gauge {{convert|1979.73|km}}, metre gauge 0 km, total {{convert|1979.73|km}}

== Rail transport infrastructure ==
The zone has the following [[Locomotives of India|types of locomotive engines]]:
(Legends: W – broad gauge, D – diesel, G – goods, M – mixed, P – passenger)
* Ajmer railway division
** {{stnlnk|Abu Road}} (ABR) diesel sheds: [[Indian locomotive class WDM-2|WDM-2]]s, [[Indian locomotive class WDM-3A|WDM-3]]s, WDG-3A and [[Indian locomotive class WDM-4|WDG-4]]s,
* Jodhpur railway division
** {{stnlnk|Bhagat Ki Kothi}} (BGKT) sheds at Jodhpur: WDM-2, WDGs, WDP-4s, WDM-3As
* Jaipur railway division
** {{stnlnk|Phulera Junction}} sheds: [[YDM-4]] meter gauge locomotives

==Trains==

Some of the major trains operated by North Western Railways are as follows:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Number !! Train name !! Starting station !! Terminating station
|-
|12977/12978||[[Marusagar Express]]||Ajmer||Ernakulam
|-
|-
|14854/14864/14866||[[Marudhar Express (via Faizabad)]]||Jodhpur||Varanasi
|-
|19667/19668||[[Udaipur City–Mysuru Palace Queen Humsafar Express]]||Udaipur||Mysuru
|-
|22985/22986||[[Udaipur City–Delhi Sarai Rohilla Rajasthan Humsafar Express]]||Udaipur||Delhi Sarai Rohilla
|-
|12963/12964||[[Mewar Express|Hazrat Nizamuddin–Udaipur City Mewar Superfast Express]]||Udaipur|| Hazarat Nizamuddin
|-
|}

== Training ==
The zone has the following training institutes:
* Zonal Railway Training Institute, Udaipur in Ajmer division
* Diesel Traction Training Centre, Abu Road in Ajmer division
* Divisional Training Centre (Engineering), Ajmer
* Supervisor's Training Centre, Ajmer
* Basic Training Centre (C&W), Ajmer
* Basic Training Centre(Loco), Ajmer
* Area Training Centre, Ajmer
* Divisional Training Centre (Engineering), Bandikui, Bikaner
* Area Training Centre, Bandikui, Bikaner
* Divisional Training Centre(Traffic, C&W, Civil), Lalgarh, Bikaner
* Basic Training Centre, Bikaner
* Railway Police Force (RPF) Training Centre, Bandikui, Bikaner
* Divisional Training Centre (Engineering), Jodhpur
* Carriage & Wagon Training Centre, Jodhpur
* Diesel Traction Training Centre, Bhagat Ki Kothi, Jodhpur
* Personnel Training Centre, Jodhpur
* Transportation Training Centre, Jodhpur
* Basic Training Centre, Jodhpur

==Loco sheds==
* [[Diesel Loco Shed, Abu Road]]
* [[Diesel Loco Shed, Bhagat Ki Kothi]]

==See also==

* [[All India Station Masters' Association (AISMA)]]
* [[Zones and divisions of Indian Railways]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.nwr.indianrailways.gov.in/ North Western Railway website]

{{Indian Railways}}
{{Railways in Northern India}}

{{coord missing|Rajasthan}}

[[Category:Zones of Indian Railways]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in India]]

North Western Railway zone - Revision history

JamesTex: small enhance information for accuracy and corrected details

imported>Dr Greg: Reverted 1 edit by 63.119.35.203 (talk): That's just a redirect to this article