NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways on Thursday reminded people that the first passenger train from Mumbai to Thane ran on this day, nearly 167 years ago in 1852.
Through a tweet on its official Twitter handle, the country’s biggest national transporter said, ‘’Today, 167 years ago with the zeal of 'never to stop', the wheels of the first passenger train from Mumbai to Thane started rolling.’’
“For the first time, passenger services are stopped for your safety. Stay indoor & make the nation victorious,’’ it said in the tweet.
Today, 167 years ago with the zeal of 'never to stop', the wheels of the first passenger train from Mumbai to Thane started rolling
For the first time, passenger services are stopped for your safety
Stay indoor & make the nation victorious
Artistic impression of first train pic.twitter.com/8K8L2y2mfO
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 16, 2020
Along with the tweet, the Indian Railways also shared an artistic impression of the first train which ran between Mumbai to Thane.
April 16 marks the date of the first passenger train that ran in India on the same date in the year 1852. The train, which ran from Bombay to Thane, covered a distance of 34 km. Today marks the 167th anniversary of the feat that started India's love affair with trains.
The train consisted of 14 carriages containing about 400 passengers. The train was powered by three engines named Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan.
The Ministry of Railways had on April 14 announced that the suspension of passenger railway operations will be extended until 3 May due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
This measure is a continuation of the previous suspension of railway operations announced last month. This suspension includes the Premium trains, Mail/Express trains, passenger trains, Suburban Trains, Kolkata Metro Rail and Konkan Railway among others.
However, the ban does not apply to cargo trains to ensure that necessary supplies reach different parts of the country. The ministry has also closed bookings for any tickets, including e-tickets, until further notice. However, the online cancellation option is still operational.
The passenger reservation and unreserved ticketing system counters for booking tickets will also be closed. Passengers will be provided a full refund online for the tickets that were booked online for canceled trains. Passengers will also receive the refund up to 31 July for tickets booked across the counters.
