Google is paying tribute to the 160th anniversary of the historical first passenger train journey in India today – albeit with some inaccuracy some might say – by depicting a single steam engine hauling a train towards the Google users through its Doodle. The front part of the engine forms the first ‘O’ in Google with a doodle on its homepage.
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| Steam Rail: Celebrating 160 Years of First Passenger Train in India |
During the inaugural run, 3 steam loco named Sultan, Sindh and Sahib, carried 400 passengers in 14 carriages on a journey stretching just under an hour that had one halt. The inaugural run from Bori Bunder, in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane located 34 kilometers away lasted 57 minutes.
The first train for localized hauling of canal construction material became operational on December 22, 1851 in Roorkee. It was only after that the two railway companies, Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) and East Indian Railway (EIR) launched the first passenger train service jointly in 1853-54.
Google Doodle offers a glimpse into the history of Indian Railways and first run of passenger railway by depicting a train pulled by a steam engine along the palm-lined railway track. Currently, India has the 4th largest railway network in the world.
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