Who is the incumbent Railways Minister of India?

Ashwini Vaishnav took the charge in July 2021.

Who was the first Railways Minister of India?

The first Railway Minister of independent India was John Mathai. Asaf Ali served as the first Railway Minister in pre-independence India

What is the total route length of Indian Railways?

The total route length of Indian Railways is 126,511 km.

How old is the Indian Railways?

The Indian Railways has a rich history dating back to its inception in 1853 when the first train in India ran from Mumbai (then Bombay) to Thane. It celebrated its 170th anniversary in 2023.

List of Railway Ministers of India from 1947- 2023

Table of Contents

Railway Ministers of India

Railway Ministers of India: Indian Railway (IR) was instituted on 6^th May 1836. It is a government institute that functions under the Ministry of Railways which has the responsibility to operate the railway system of India. Indian Railways is one of the organisations to employ the largest number of personnel in the world.

Indian Railways manages the Fourth-largest railway network in the world by size, with a total route length of 126,511 km (78,610 mi) as of 31 December 2021. 45,881 km (28,509 mi) or 35% of all the broad-gauge routes are electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC electric traction as of 1 April 2021.

The Railway Minister of India hold cabinet rank and IS responsible for Indian Railways. The Railway Minister of India is given the responsibility to present the Railway Budget in Parliament which is the Annual Financial Statement of Indian Railways. If the office of the Minister of Railways is vacant for any period of time, it automatically comes under the charge of the Prime Minister.

Rail Minister of India

In the Central Government, The first Indian Railway Minister was Asaf Ali. He was on the post from 2 September 1946 to 14 August 1947. Even though India was still under British rule at the time, the position of Rail Minister of India had not been clearly defined. Ashwini Vaishnav is currently Indian Railway Minister. The transportation minister’s yearly presentation of the railway budget has changed since 2017 when it was combined with the Union budget.

List of Railway Ministers of India from 1947- 2023

The Railway Ministers of India have played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s railway infrastructure and transportation system. Over the years, these ministers have been entrusted with the responsibility of modernizing the railways, improving passenger amenities, and enhancing connectivity across the nation. From the first Indian Railway Minister of post-independence, John Mathai, to the present day, each minister has left a unique imprint on the growth and modernization of the Indian Railways. Let us look at the List of Railways Ministers of India so far –

S. No	Name	From	To	Political Party
1	Ashwini Vaishnav	7-Jul-21	Incumbent	Bharatiya Janata Party
2	Piyush Goyal	3-Sep-17	7-Jul-21	Bharatiya Janata Party
3	Suresh Prabhu	10-Nov-14	3-Sep-17	Bharatiya Janata Party
4	D. V. Sadananda Gowda	27-May-14	10-Nov-14	Bharatiya Janata Party
5	Mallikarjun Kharge	17-Jun-13	25-May-14	Indian National Congress
6	C. P. Joshi	11-May-13	16-Jun-13	Indian National Congress
7	Pawan Kumar Bansal	28-Oct-12	10-May-13	Indian National Congress
8	C. P. Joshi	22-Sep-12	28-Oct-12	Indian National Congress
9	Mukul Roy	20-Mar-12	21-Sep-12	Trinamool Congress
10	Dinesh Trivedi	12-Jul-11	14-Mar-12	Trinamool Congress
11	Mamata Banerjee	26-May-09	19-May-11	Trinamool Congress
12	Lalu Prasad Yadav	23-May-04	25-May-09	Rashtriya Janata Dal
13	Nitish Kumar	20-Mar-01	22-May-04	Janata Dal (United)
14	Mamata Banerjee	13-Oct-99	15-Mar-01	Trinamool Congress
15	Ram Naik	6-Aug-99	12-Oct-99	Bharatiya Janata Party
16	Nitish Kumar	19-Mar-98	5-Aug-99	Samata Party
17	Ram Vilas Paswan	1-Jun-96	19-Mar-98	Janata Dal
18	Jaffer Sharief	21-Jun-91	16-Oct-95	Indian National Congress
19	Janeshwar Mishra	21-Nov-90	21-Jun-91	Samajwadi Janata Party
20	George Fernandes	5-Dec-89	10-Nov-90	Janata Dal
21	Madhavrao Scindia	22-Oct-86	1-Dec-89	Indian National Congress
22	Mohsina Kidwai	24-Jun-86	21-Oct-86	Indian National Congress
23	Bansi Lal	31-Dec-84	4-Jun-86	Indian National Congress
24	A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury	2-Sep-82	31-Dec-84	Indian National Congress
25	Prakash Chandra Sethi	15-Jan-82	2-Sep-82	Indian National Congress
26	Kedar Pandey	12-Nov-80	14-Jan-82	Indian National Congress
27	Kamalapati Tripathi	14-Jan-80	12-Nov-80	Indian National Congress
28	T. A. Pai	30-Jul-79	13-Jan-80	Janata Party (Secular)
29	Madhu Dandavate	26-Mar-77	28-Jul-79	Janata Party
30	Kamalapati Tripathi	11-Feb-75	23-Mar-77	Indian National Congress
31	Lalit Narayan Mishra	5-Feb-73	2-Jan-75	Indian National Congress
32	T. A. Pai	23-Jul-72	4-Feb-73	Indian National Congress
33	K. Hanumanthaiya	18-Mar-71	22-Jul-72	Indian National Congress
34	Gulzarilal Nanda	18-Feb-70	17-Mar-71	Indian National Congress
35	Panampilli Govinda Menon	4-Nov-69	18-Feb-70	Indian National Congress
36	Ram Subhag Singh	14-Feb-69	4-Nov-69	Indian National Congress
37	C. M. Poonacha	13-Mar-67	14-Feb-69	Indian National Congress
38	S. K. Patil	9-Jun-64	12-Mar-67	Indian National Congress
39	H. C. Dasappa	21-Sep-63	8-Jun-64	Indian National Congress
40	Swaran Singh	10-Apr-62	21-Sep-63	Indian National Congress
41	Jagjivan Ram	7-Dec-56	10-Apr-62	Indian National Congress
42	Lal Bahadur Shastri	13-May-52	7-Dec-56	Indian National Congress
43	N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar	22-Sep-48	13-May-52	Indian National Congress
44	John Mathai (Post Independence)	15-Aug-47	22-Sep-48	Indian National Congress
45	Asaf Ali (Pre-Independence)	2-Sep-46	14-Aug-47	Indian National Congress

These ministers have been instrumental in introducing several reforms and initiatives to make the Indian Railways more efficient and passenger-friendly. They have focused on expanding the rail network, enhancing safety measures, and implementing technological advancements. From the introduction of high-speed trains to the implementation of digital ticketing systems, each Railway Minister has left their mark on the development of this crucial sector.

The Railway Ministers of India have been at the forefront of ensuring the smooth functioning of one of the largest railway networks in the world. Through their vision and leadership, they have not only transformed the way people travel but have also contributed to the overall growth and development of the country’s economy. Their relentless efforts and commitment to excellence continue to shape the future of Indian Railways, making it an essential component of India’s transportation infrastructure.