<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling . You can assist by editing it . (July 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> The history of rail transport in India began in the early nineteenth century . </P> <P> The first proposals for railways in India were made in Madras in 1832 . The first train in India ran from Red Hills to Chintadripet bridge in Madras in 1837, and was called Red Hill Railway . It was hauled by a rotary steam engine locomotive manufactured by William Avery . Built by Sir Arthur Cotton, it was primarily used for transporting granite stones for road building work in Madras . In 1845, a railway was built at Dowleswaram in Rajahmundry called Godavari Dam Construction Railway . It was also built by Arthur Cotton and was used to supply stones for construction of a dam over Godavari . On 8 May 1845, Madras Railway was incorporated . In the same year, the East India Railway company was incorporated . On 1 August 1849, Great Indian Peninsular Railway was incorporated by an Act of Parliament . The "Guarantee System", providing free land and guaranteed rates of return (5%) to the private English companies willing to work on building railways, was finalized on 17 August 1849 . In 1851, a railway called Solani Aqueduct Railway was built in Roorkee . It was hauled by steam locomotive Thomason, named after a British officer in - charge of same name . It was used for transporting construction materials for building of aqueduct over Solani river . In 1852, the "Madras Guaranteed Railway Company" was incorporated . </P> <P> The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay (Bori Bunder) and Thane on 16 April 1853 . The 14 - carriage train was hauled by three steam locomotives: Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan . It ran for about 34 kilometers between these two cities, and carried 400 people . The line was built and operated by GIPR . This railway line was built in 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge, which became the standard for the railways in the country . The first passenger railway train in eastern India ran from Howrah, near Calcutta to Hoogly, for a distance of 24 miles, on 15 August 1854 . The line was built and operated by EIR . In May 1854, the Bombay - Thane line was extended to Kalyan by building a bridge over the "Dapoorie viaduct" on the Ulhas river . This was also the first railway bridge in India . In the same year GIPR started its first workshops in Byculla . In 1855, BB&CI Railway was incorporated . In August 1855, EIR' Express' and Fairy Queen steam locomotives started hauling trains . The first passenger train in South India ran from Royapuram / Veyasarapady (Madras) to Wallajah Road (Arcot) on 1 July 1856, for a distance of 60 miles . It was built and operated by Madras Railway . In the same year, the first workshop was set up by the Madras Railway at Perambur, near Madras . The Bombay - Thane line was extended to Khopoli in that same year . In 1858, Eastern Bengal Railway was incorporated . On 24 February 1873, the first tramway (a horse - drawn tramway) opened in Calcutta between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street, a distance of 3.8 km . In 1874, GSIR and Carnatic Rly . merged to form the South Indian Railway . On 9 May 1874, a horse - drawn tramway began operations in Bombay between Colaba and Parel . In 1880, Calcutta Tramways Company was incorporated . In 1890, East Coast State Railway was incorporated . In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced by many railway companies . In 1902, the Jodhpur Railway became the first to introduce electric lights as standard fixtures . In 1920, electric lighting of signals was introduced between Dadar and Currey Road in Bombay . </P>

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