Railways have been a great integrating force in India for more than a century, particularly so after the attaining of independence in 1947. It has bound the economic life of the country and helped in accelerating the development of industry and agriculture. It has brought together people from the farthest corners of the country and made possible the conduct of business, education, pilgrimage and tourism.
The history of Railways in India began on 16th April 1853, when the first train steamed off from Boribunder to Thane, covering a distance of 34 kilometers. From such a modest beginning, the
Indian Railways have grown into a large network of about 7,000 stations spread over a route length of nearly 63,000 kms. Today it is one of the largest organisations in the world, employing a work force of 16 lakhs. It provides the principal mode of transport for freight and passengers in India.
The Railway network runs multi gauge operations with the broad gauge, meter gauge and narrow gauge tracks. The network is divided into nine zones. Seven new zones and nine new divisions are further being set up. Each day about 7500 passenger trains carry more than 11 million passengers in different parts of the country.
As the country braces itself to observe an year long celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of India's first train journey which falls in 2003, the Department of Posts tries to capture the spirit of the event with the issue of this commemorative stamp. The design of the stamp (and the miniature sheet) tries to re-create the Indian landscape of 1853, with the first train chugging away in the distance, on its journey to Thane on the 16th of April. The First Day Cover is an artist's impression of the old Byculla Railway Station, located on the track connecting Bombay to Thane. A station master's watch showing the time when the train commenced its historical journey from Bombay is shown on the design of the first day cancellation.
Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India