Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body and a state-owned enterprise operating India's national railway system under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India. The concept of railways in India was first proposed in 1832 in Madras, primarily to transport raw materials like cotton and tea efficiently for British trade. The first passenger train ran on April 16, 1853, covering 34 km between Bombay and Thane. Following independence, IR was established in 1951 by nationalizing and amalgamating 42 different railway companies under the Railways Act of 1951.
The system is governed by the Railways Act, 1989, and is administratively headed by the Railway Board, whose chairman reports to the Ministry of Railways. Operationally, the vast network is divided into 19 operational zones, each led by a General Manager, which are further subdivided into divisions headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).
Recent changes have focused on modernization and streamlining passenger services. The first reservation chart preparation time has been advanced to eight hours before departure. Furthermore, mandatory Aadhaar authentication has been extended to all train ticket bookings, and Aadhaar-based OTP verification is required for Tatkal bookings starting around July 1, 2025. Ticket cancellation rules were also revised around April 2026, stipulating that no refund will be granted for confirmed tickets cancelled less than 8 hours before the scheduled departure.