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Indian Railways is divided for administrative convenience into several regional railways. Until recently

there were 9 zones, and this structure had not changed much for four decades. Recently, 7 new zones

have been created, giving a total of 16. In 2010, Kolkata Metro was given the status of the 17th zone of

Indian Railways. Additionally, Konkan Railway has the administrative status of a zone of IR, but is not

normally considered a zone for operational purposes.

(For the administrative structure of Indian Railways, please see the miscellaneous section.)

The nine older railway zones are:

Northern Railway (NR)

North Eastern Railway (NER)

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR, sometimes NEFR)

Western Railway (WR)

Southern Railway (SR)

South Central Railway (SCR)

South Eastern Railway (SER)

Eastern Railway (ER)

Central Railway (CR)

The seven new zones are:

South Western Railway (SWR)

North Western Railway (NWR)

West Central Railway (WCR)

North Central Railway (NCR)

South East Central Railway (SECR)

East Coast Railway (ECoR)

East Central Railway (ECR)

Deemed zones:

Kolkata Metro (given zonal status Dec. 29, 2010)

Konkan Railway (deemed a zone for administrative purposes)

Zone Headquarters Divisions

New zones that started in April 2003

East CoastRailway

Bhubaneshwar Khurda Road, Waltair, and Sambalpur divisions of SER

South WesternRailway

HubliBangalore and Mysore divisions of SR, reorganized Hubli division of SCR,including Hospet-Toranagal.(Earlier constituted to have Guntakal division of SCR as well.)

West CentralRailway

Jabalpur Jabalpur and Bhopal divisions of CR, reorganized Kota division of WR

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North CentralRailway

Allahabad Reorganized divisions: Allahabad of NR, Jhansi of CR, and new Agra division

South EastCentral Railway

BilaspurNagpur division and reorganized Bilaspur division of SER, new Raipurdivision

New zones that were created in 2002

North WesternRailway

JaipurJodhpur division and reorganized Bikaner division of NR, reorganized Jaipurand Ajmer divisions of WR

East CentralRailway

HajipurSonpur and Samastipur divisions of NER, Danapur, Mughalsarai, andDhanbad divisions of ER.(Was earlier constituted to have Katihar division of NFR as well.)

Old zones as they are after April 2003

Western Railway MumbaiBhavnagar and Mumbai divisions, reorganized Ratlam, Rajkot and Vadodaradivisions, new Ahmedabad division

Central Railway MumbaiBhusawal and Nagpur divisions, reorganized Mumbai CST and Solapurdivisions, new Pune division (including Pune-Kolhapur)

Eastern Railway Kolkata Howrah, Malda, Sealdah, and Asansol divisions

Southern Railway ChennaiChennai, Palghat, Tiruchirapalli, Thiruvananthapuram, and Maduraidivisions (a Salem division has been proposed [7/06])

Northern Railway DelhiFerozpur, Ambala, Lucknow and Moradabad divisions, reorganized Delhidivision

North EasternRailway

Gorakhpur Lucknow and Varanasi divisions, reorganized Izzatnagar division

South CentralRailway

SecunderabadReorganized Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Guntakal (including Bellary-Guntakal (MG) and Bellary-Rayadurg), and Vijayawada divisions, newGuntur and Nanded divisions.

South EasternRailway

KolkataKharagpur division, reorganized Adra and Chakradharpur divisions, newRanchi division

NortheastFrontier Railway

GuwahatiKatihar, Lumding, Tinsukia divisions, reorganized Alipurduar division, newRangiya division

Loco, coach, and wagon manufacturers whose productshave been used in India

ABB ASEA Brown-Boveri, Switzerland

ALCO American Locomotive Co., Schenectady, NY, USA

BBUNL Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam, Ltd.

BEML Bharat Earth Movers Limited

BHEL Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

BLW Baldwin Locomotive Works, USA

BP Beyer Peacock, Manchester

BSCL Burn Standard Co., Ltd.

BTH British Thomson Houston

BWEL Bharat Wagon and Engineering Co., Ltd.

CLW Chittaranjan Loco Works,

also Canadian Locomotive Works (now Bombardier)

DLW Diesel Loco Works, Varanasi

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EBW E. B. Wilson

EE English Electric

EMD General Motors' Electro-Motive Division, USA

GEC General Electric Corporation, UK

GM General Motors, USA

GMD General Motors Diesel, Canada

HL Hawthorn-Leslie, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

ICF Integral Coach Factory, Perambur

ISW Indian Standard Wagon Works, Satna

KS Kerr Stuart, Stoke-on-Trent, UK

LHB Linke Hoffman Busch GmbH, Germany

MLW Montreal Locomotive Works

MV Metropolitan Vickers

NBL North British Locomotive Co., Glasgow

NW Nasmyth Wilson, Manchester

O&K Orenstein & Koppel, Berlin

RCF Railway Coach Factory, Kapurthala

RS Robert Stephenson, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

SFAC Societe des Forges et Ateliers, Creusot

SIG Schweirische Industrie Gesselschaft

SLMSchweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik,

Winterthur, Switz.

TELCO Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co.

USATC US Army Transportation Corps., USA

WB William G. Bagnall, Stafford, UK

WILWagon India Ltd. (an intermediary firm for wagoncontracts)

Organizations & Corporations

AIRF All-India Railwaymen's Federation (union organization)

BMRTC Bangalore Metropolitan Rail Transit Corporation, Ltd.

BPT Bombay Port Trust (later MPT)

CMC Computer Maintenance Corporation, also Calcutta Metro Corporation

COFMOW Central Organization for the Modernization of Workshops

CONCOR Container Corporation of India

COOIS Central Organization for Operations Information Systems

CORE Central Organization for Railway Electrification

COS Central Office of Standards (predecessor of RDSO)

CRIS Centre for Railway Information Systems

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CTC Calcutta Tramways Corporation

DCW Diesel Component Works, Patiala

DMRC Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

ELRTS Elevated Light Rail Transit System (proposed, Bangalore)

FNRM Friends of the National Rail Museum

FROA Federation of Officer's Associations (umbrella organization for railway officers' groups)

IPWE Institution of Permanent Way Engineers

IRAS Indian Railway Accounts Services (financial management)

IRC Indian Railways Corporation (proposed)

IRCAIndian Railway Conference Association (body that issues inspection guidelines, allots wagoncodes, inspects workshops)

IRCONIndian Railways Construction Company, now IRCON International Ltd., which takes on contractwork to build railways in other countries (Iraq, Nepal, Indonesia...).

IRCOT Indian Railways Central Organization for Telecom

IRCTC Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation

IREB Indian Railways Executive Board (proposed)

IRFC Indian Railways Finance Corporation

IRIATT Indian Railways Institute of Advanced Track Technology

IRICEN Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering, Pune

IRIEEN Indian Railways Institute of Electrical Engineering, Nasik

IRIMEE Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur

IRISET Indian Railways Insitute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications, Secunderabad

IRMS Indian Railway Medical Services

IRPHA Indian Railway Public Health Association

IRPS indian Railway Personnel Services (human resources)

IRRA Indian Railways Regulatory Authority (proposed)

IRSE Indian Railway Service of Engineers

IRSEE Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers

IRSME Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers

IRSS Indian Railway Stores Services (inventory control)

IRSSE Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers

IRSTE Indian Railway Signal and Telecom Engineering

IRTS Indian Railway Traffic Services (management, marketing)

ISRS Indian Steam Railway Society

ITB International Tourist Bureau (New Delhi)

KRCL Konkan Railway Corporation, Ltd.

KRDC Konkan Railway Development Corporation

K-RIDE Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd.

KRIST Konkan Railway Institute for Staff Training

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KMRT Kolkata Mass Rapid Transit

LRDSS Long Range Decision Support System

LRTS Light Rail Transit System (proposed, Kolkata)

MPT Mumbai Port Trust (see BPT)

MRSP Model Railway Society of Pune

MRTS Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)

MRVC Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation

MTP Metropolitan Transport Project (Railways), Bombay

MUTP Mumbai Urban Transport Project (a World Bank project)

NFIR National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (union organization)

NRM National Rail Museum, New Delhi

PRCL Pipavav Railway Corporation Ltd.

NRMU National Railway Mazdoor Union (railway employees' trade union)

RB Railway Board

RBSS Railway Board Secretariat Services (part of Railway Ministry)

RCIL Railtel Corporation of India, Ltd.

RDSO Research, Design and Standards Organization

ROMA Railway Officers' Medical Association

RPF Railway Protection Force (also see below, Miscellaneous)

RSC Railway Staff College, Vadodara

RITES

Rail India Technical and Economic Services, which takes on planning, design, and operational

work in other countries (Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mexico, Zambia, Nepal,etc.).

RTRC Railway Testing and Research Centre (a predecessor of RDSO)

RWWCO Railway Women's Welfare Central Organization

RVNL Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.

SGE Siemens and General Electric Railway Signal Co., Ltd.

WAP Wheel and Axle Plant, Yelahanka (also a loco classification :-) )

Trains

AP Andhra Pradesh Express

DQ The Deccan Queen

GT Grand Trunk Express

JJ Jayanti Janata Express

KK Karnataka-Kerala Express

TN Tamil Nadu Express

POW Palace on Wheels

Railways (former and current)

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ADCR Agra-Delhi Chord Railway

BARBengal Assam Railway (in 1947, renamed East BengalRly., and in 1961, renamed Pakistan Eastern Rly.)

BB&CI / BB&CIR(BBCIR)

Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway

BCR Bengal Central Railway

BDR Bengal Dooars Railway, also Bankura Damodar Railway

BESR Bilaspur - Etawah State Railway

BLR Barsi Light Railway

BMR Burma Mines Railway

BNR Bengal Nagpur Railway

BNWR Bengal North-Western Railway

BPR Bengal Provincial Railway

BR Burma Railway

BRC Burma Railways Corporation

CBR Cooch Behar Railway

CGR Ceylon Government Railway

CR Central Railway

CSER Calcutta and South-Eastern Railway

DHR Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

DMSR Dhond-Manmad State Railway (Dhond = Daund)

DRLR Dehri Rohtas Light Railway

DSR Drangdhara State Railway

EBR East Bengal State Railway

ECR East Coast Railway

EIR East Indian Railway

EPR Eastern Punjab Railway

ER Eastern Railway

GBSR Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway

GIPR Great Indian Peninsular Railway

GLR Gwalior Light Railway (later Scindia State Railway)

GSR Gondal State Railway

GSIR Great Southern of India Railway

IGR Indian Government Railways

IMR Indian Midland Railway

IR Indian Railways

ISR Indian State Railway

IVSR Indus Valley State Railway

JDR Jamnagar and Dwarka Railway

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JR Jodhpur Railway

JSR Jaipur State Railway

KHR Khanai-Hindubagh Railway

KKTR Kushalgarh-Kohat-Thal Railway

KR Konkan Railway

KSR Kalka Simla Railway

KVR Kangra Valley Railway

LJR Larkana-Jacobabad Railway

MLR Matheran Light Railway

MR Madras Railway

MSMR Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway

MSR Mysore State Railway

NER North-eastern Railway

NEFR, NFR North-East Frontier Railway

NMR Nilgiri Mountain Railway

NR Northern Railway

NGSR Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway

NSR Nizam's State Railway

NWRNorth Western Railway (in 1961, renamed PakistanWestern Rly.)

O&RR, ORR Oudh and Rohilkhund Railway

OTR Oudh and Tirhut Railway

PDB Piplod Devgad Baria Railway

PLR Parlakimedi Light Railway

PNSR Punjab Northern State Railway

PR Pakistan Railways

PSMT Patiala State Monorail Trainways

RDR Raipur Dhamtari Railway

RKR Rohilkhund Kumaon Railway

RMR Rajputana Malwa Railway

SCR South-central Railway

SER South-eastern Railway

SLR Sri Lanka Railways

SIR South Indian Railway

SMR Southern Mahratta Railway

SPDR Scinde, Punjab, and Delhi Railway

SR Southern Railway

SSLR Shahdara Saharanpur Light Railway

SSR Scindia State Railway, also Sangli State Railway

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TBLR Tezpore-Balipara Light Railway

WCSR Wardha Coal State Railway

WIPR West of India Portuguese Railway

WR Western Railway

Technical acronyms (loosely defined see the miscellaneous section also.)

ABS Automatic Block Signalling

ACD Anti-Collision Device

ADAMARTS Data Manager (system for managing EPROMs and station configurationcartridges for ARTS)

AE Automatic Emergency or Auto-Emergency (type of brake system)

AFTC Audio Frequency Track Circuiting

ATC Automated Train Control

ATP Automatic Train Protection

ATS Automatic Train Stop

AVB Automatic Vacuum Brake

ATS Automatic Train Stop

BPC Brake Power Certificate (issued before train departure)

BS Braking in Series configuration

BSL Block Section Limit

BSP Braking in Series-Parallel configuration

CDO Coaching Depot

CLS Colour-light signalling

COCR Confirmatory Oscillograph Car Run

COFC Container on flat car

CTC Centralised Traffic Control

CTR Complete Track Renewal

CWR Continuous Welded Rail (0.5km and longer sections of welded rail)

DAC Digital Axle Counter

DBFODesign-Build-Finance-Operate (a scheme for private parties to build and run railwaylines with IR's help)

DJFrom the French disjoncteur, the main circuit breaker of an electric loco (usually

pneumatically operated, roof-mounted)

DLBI Double Line Block Instrument

DEMU Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit

DETC Diesel-Electric Tower Car

DHMU Diesel Hydraulic Multiple Unit (hydraulic transmission DMU)

DMH Dead Man's Handle (on EMUs)

DMU Diesel Multiple Unit

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DPC Driving Power Car

DS Disconnecting Switch (to switch off OHE power to loco circuits, usually manual)

DSC Dual-Stacked Container service (or Double-Stacked Container)

DTC Driving Trailer Car (unpowered driving car in EMU rake)

DW Double wire (of semaphore signals)

EA Extra (time) Allowed (make-up time noted in working time-tables)

ELCM Electronic Load Control Module (governor for DEMUs and other diesels).

EMU Electric Multiple Unit

EOG End-On Generator Car

ETCS European Train Control System

EY Empty (notation for empty rake in real-time train information systems)

FEDL Fully Electrified Double Line

FM Fouling Mark

FMVFTFrequency-modulated Voice-frequency Telegraph (used for control communications

by signals / electric traction / traffic control staff)

FOR Forward motion (position of master controller in loco)

FP Fouling Point; also Feed Pipe (at couplings of vehicles)

GTO Gate Turn-Off thyristor

HEP Head-end Power (power from the loco for the coaches)

HFTC High-Frequency Track Circuit

HOBC High-Output Ballast Cleaner

HOG Head-On Generator

HHPDMU High-Horsepower Diesel Electric Multiple Unit

HPDMU High-powered Diesel Multiple Unit

HSCB High-speed Circuit Breaker

HT High Tension

HTCBC High Tensile-strength Centre-Buffer Coupler

HTS High Tensile-strength Steel

IGBT Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor

JRI Junction Route Indicator

LOB Lube Oil Balance

LTPDS Live Train Position Display System

LVC Last Vehicle Check (automated detection of rake integrity)

LWR Long Welded Rail (5-15 rails welded together in a section)

MACL,MACLS

Multiple-Aspect Colour-Light signalling

MCB Master Circuit Breaker (in locos)

MCI Malleable Cast Iron

MEMU Main-line Electric Multiple Unit

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MLRI Multi-Lamp Route Indicator

MNI Modified Non-Interlocked (in working timetables)

MOG Mid-On Generator Car

MOT Motoring (position of master controller in loco)

NBT Neale's Ball Token

NI Non-Interlocked (in working timetables)

NTES National Train Enquiry System

NX eNtrance-eXit (interlocking panels)

OCV Other Coaching Vehicle - non-passenger coaches, e.g., pantry cars.

OFC Optical Fibre Cable

OHE Overhead Equipment (or foreman for same)

OMS Oscillation Monitoring System

PCSPneumatic Control System (loco shut-off/idling control which takes effect onapplication of emergency brakes)

PCV Passenger Carrying Vehicle (regular passenger coaches, as distinct from OCV -restaurant cars, mail cars, etc.)

PI Panel Interlocking

POET Passenger Operated Enquiry Terminal

RCCRemote Control Centre (for electric traction) Also, Reinforced Cement Concrete (Also

see below in Miscellaneous)

REV Reverse motion (position of master controller in loco), Reverser

ROSHANRolling Stock Health Analyst (accelerometers and other equipment that monitorcoach movement and report deviations from normal behaviour).

RPC Resistance Power Control (or Compartment) (in EMU power cars)

SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (monitoring and control system for remotecontrol of electric traction systems)

SE Superelevation (of curved track)

S/L Shunting Limit

SLBI Single Line Block Instrument

SOD Schedule of Dimensions

SPAD Signal Passed At Danger

SPTM Self-Printing Ticket Machine

SSDAC Solid State Digital Axle Counter

SSI Solid State Interlocking

STR Schedule of Technical Requirements

STRI Stencil type Route Indicator

SW Single wire (of semaphore signals)

SWRShort Welded Rail (2-4 rails welded together in a section)Also: Station Working Rules

TAB Train Air Brake

TALQ Two-Aspect Lower Quadrant

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TAWD Train Actuated Warning Device

TBTR Through Bridge Timber Renewal

TFR Through Fitting Renewal

TLC Traction Locomotive Controller

TM Traction Motor

TMS Train Management System (train monitoring used in Bombay suburban sections)

TOFC Trailer on flat car

T/out Turnout

TPC Traction Power Controller

TRC Track Recording Car

TRO Traction Rolling-stock Operations

TRR Through Rail Renewal

TRT Traffic Recovery Time (a kind of make-up time allotment in working timetable)

TSS Traction Sub-Station

TSR Through Sleeper Renewal

TTR Through Turnout Renewal

TWR Through Weld Renewal

UPF Unity Power Factor

USFD Ultrasonic Flaw Detection

VCC Vacuum Continuity Certificate (issued before train departure)

VCB Vacuum Circuit Breaker

VRP Voltage Regulating Panel

WF Weak Field

WILD Wheel Impact Load Detector

WSR Wheel Slip Relay

Acronyms and Abbreviations Contd..

Miscellaneous acronyms

AC Air-Conditioned

ACC Air-Conditioned coach or class

ACCC Air-Conditioned Chair Car

ACP Alarm Chain Pulling (!)

ADE, ADEN Assistant Divisional Engineer

ADEE Assistant Divisional Electrical Engineer

ADME Assistant Divisional Mechanical Engineer

AE, AEN Assistant Engineer (see also Technical terms above)

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AEC Accident Enquiry Committee

ALK Allowance in Lieu of Kilometrage (in calculating payments for drivers)

ARMV Accident Relief Medical Van

ART Accident Relief Train

ARTS Advanced Railway Ticketing System

ASM Assistant Station Master

AW Auxiliary Watering (in working timetables)

AWS Auxiliary Warning System

BESA British Engineering Standards Association

BG Broad Gauge

BIO-TOIL'Biological Toilet' - eco-friendly toilet with bacterial decomposition facility developed byICF for use on railway coaches.

B/L Branch Line

BOLTBuild-Own-Lease-Transfer: private ownership/operation scheme for various freight &passenger services and infrastructure.

BPS Blue Parcel Service

CA&FO Chief Accounting and Finance Officer

CARSCentral Accounting and Reporting System (consolidated reports of ARTS ticketing duringthe day)

CBO City Booking Office

CC Chair Car

CCS Chief Commercial Superintendent

CCTV Closed-Circuit TV

CEE Chief Electrical Engineer

CFTS Chief Freight Traffic Superintendent

CFS Container Freight Station

CHA Custom House Agent

CME Chief Mechanical Engineer

COIS Coaching Operations Information System

Conc. Concessional fare (annotation on ticket)

CARTRAC (not really an acronym) CONCOR's automobile transport service

CONCERT COuntrywide Network of Computerised Enhanced Reservation and Ticketing

CONTRACK (not really an acronym) CONCOR's container freight service

COW Career On Wheels: informal classrooms for teaching English, etc., on board trains

CRSChief Reservations Supervisor, Computerised Reservation System Commissioner of RailSafety

CT Control Tower

CTI Central Training Institute

CTR Combined Train Report

CTU Centralized Training Unit

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CVM Coupon Validating Machine (for ticketing with prepaid coupons)

C&W Carriage & Wagon (staff for plumbing, electricals, amenities)

CW Carriage Watering facilities (in working timetables)

DAL Delhi Avoiding Line, a route for goods trains to avoid the central New Delhi area.

DCT Domestic Container Terminal (as opposed to the ones equipped for international freight)

DEE Divisional Electrical Engineer (Sr. DEE = Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer)

DF Development Fund

DFC Dedicated Freight Corridor

DF Defence quota

DME Divisional Mechanical Engineer

DP Duty Pass

DRF Depreciation Reserve Fund

DRM Divisional Railway Manager

DRUCC Divisional (or District) Rail Users Consultative Committee

DSC Dual-stacked (or double-stacked) containers

E/A Extra time Allowed (slack in train's schedule for a section)

EC or ECC Executive Chair Car

ECR Empty Coaching Rake

EFC Eastern Freight Corridor

EQ Emergency Quota

ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

ESM Electronic Signal Maintainer

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival

EY Empty rake (on train monitoring systems)

F Forward journey (in train number annotations)

FC First Class, also Financial Commissioner, also Freight Corridor

FEDL Fully Electrified Double Line

FOB Foot Overbridge (a pedestrian overpass); Fuel Oil Balance

FOIS Freight Operation Information System

FRED Flashing Rear End Device (a warning lamp at the rear of a train)

FT Foreign Tourist (annotation on reservation charts)

G Goods

GAL Goods Avoiding Line

GIT Goods Intermodal Transshipment (e.g., "GIT yard")

GM General Manager

GR General Rules (railway regulations and operating procedures)

GRP Government Railway Police

GSA General Sales Agent (for bookings and Indrail passes sold abroad)

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GTKM Gross Tonne KM

HDR High-Density Route

HDN High-Density Network ('Golden quadrilateral' and others)

HO Head Office (a type of quota for tickets)

HP Handicapped Persons quota

HSRL High Speed Rail Line (or Link)

IBP Intermediate Block Post

IC Inspection Carriage (Saloon)

ICD Inland Container Depot

ICTT International Container Transshipment Terminal

I-ASK Inter-Active Status Kiosk (to check reservation / train status)

IMPRESS Integrated Multi-train Passenger REServation System

IOH Intermediate Overhaul

IOW Inspector of Works

IRMP Integrated Railway Modernization Plan

IRP Indrail Pass

IRS Indian Railway Standard (pre-Independence railway standards body)

IRVS Interactive Voice Response System

JOH Junction of Head - point where the tongue rail approaches the main rail in a switch

JUSBRL Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (Kashmir Valley railway project)

LB Lower Berth (annotation on ticket for sleeping accommodation)

LC Level Crossing

LHF Long Hood Forward

LHL Long Hood Leading

LI Loco Inspector

L/L Local Line

LQ Ladies Quota

LRT Light Rail Transit

LV Last Vehicle

MB Middle Berth (annotation on ticket for sleeping accommodation)

MCOMilitary Control Office (coordinates ticketing and accommodation for military personnelat some railway stations)

M/E Mail/Express (on tickets)

MG Meter Gauge, also Motor Generator

MGCMekong Ganga Cooperation group, an association of India and south-east Asiancountries, which among other things aim to build a rail link from India to Vietnam.

M/L Main Line

MOW Maintenance of Way

MRT Medical Relief Train (self-propelled medical van for accidents)

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MRTC Mobile Radio Train Communication

MSL Mean Sea Level

MTP Metropolitan Transport Project (body studying Calcutta's transit problems in the 1960's)

NETRA Network of Electrification -- Testing and Recording Apparatus

NG Narrow Gauge

NLT Not Losing Time

NMG New Maruti Goods / New Modified Goods (wagons)

NOSTRAC North-South Transport Corridor (proposed Central Asia - Iran - India link)

NP Non-pooled (referring to freight stock)

NR 'Not Received' (referring to freight consignments delayed or missing in transit)

NRCNon-railway Customer (any customer other than the zonal railways, for the products ofCLW, DLW, etc.)

NTES National Train Enquiry System (phone-based train/reservation status)

NTKM Net Tonne-Kilometer

NV Non-Vegetarian (meal or restaurant)

NVOCC Non-Vehicle Owning/Operating Common Carrier

OA Out-Agency

OCV Other Coaching Vehicle

OIGS On India Government Service (for mail, etc.)

Ordy. Ordinary = Stopping passenger (on tickets)

OSD Officer on Special Duty

OYWS Own Your Wagon Scheme

PAR Parcel Service (in indicating kinds of bookings available at ticket agency)

PCV Passenger Coaching Vehicle

PF Platform (sometimes P/F)

PH Parliamentary Quota

PNR Passenger Name Record (Passenger Numeric Record?) (identifying number for ticket)

POH Periodic Overhaul

POL Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (designation for oil cargo)

PQ Pooled Quota

PQWL Pooled Quota Waiting List

PRS Passenger Reservation System

PS Passenger Service (in indicating kinds of bookings available at ticket agency)

PSCT Port-side Container Terminal

PU Production Unit

PWI Permanent Way Inspector

R Return journey (in train number annotations)

RA Running Allowance (in calculating drivers' pay)

RAC Reservation Against Cancellation

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RCC Railway Convention Committee (also see above)

R Fee, ResFee

Reservation fee (annotation on ticket)

RJQ Return Journey Quota

RLWL Running Line Waiting List

RMS Railway Mail Service

ROB Road Over-bridge (i.e., road goes over train tracks)

ROH Routine Overhaul

RO-RO(RORO)

Roll-on, roll-off service (auto transport)

ROW Right of Way

RPF Railway Pension Fund (also see above, organizations)

RR Railway Receipt, Refreshment Room

RRF Railway Reserve Fund

RTR Ready-to-Run (modelling kits)

RTSA Rail Travellers' Service Agents

RUB Road Under-bridge (i.e., road goes under train tracks)

SATIS Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme

S Ch, SF Ch Superfast Charges (annotation on ticket)

SCRA Special Class Railway Apprentice

SEB State Electricity Board (any of the state bodies supplying electricity to IR)

Sh. CC Shatabdi Chair Car

SHF Short Hood Forward

SHL Short Hood Leading

SILSafety Integrity Level - statistical measure of reliability of a safety system such as aninterlocking system

SLB Side Lower Berth (annotation on ticket for sleeping accommodation)

SM Station Master

SPARTSelf-Propelled Accident Relief Train - 3-coach accident relief rakes with two diesel powerpacks

SPURT Self-Propelled Ultrasonic Rail Testing cars

SR Subsidiary Rules (for railway operation, see GR)

SRUCC Suburban Rail Users Consultative Committee (for Mumbai suburban services)

SS Station Superintendent; Substation (electrification)

SSDSpring Setting Device - spring-loaded mechanism on some switches to ensure properalignment of tongue and stock rails

SSE Senior Section Engineer

S&T Signalling & Telecommunications

STASuburban Traffic Avoiding line : the fifth line between Borivali and Bandra MarshallingYard, and between Mahim Junction and Mumbai Central in the Mumbai system.

SUB Side Upper Berth (annotation on ticket for sleeping accommodation)

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TAAG Trains At A Glance (a timetable publication)

TAR Trans-Asian Railway (another proposed grand pan-Asian route)

TBO Town Booking Office

TC Trailer Car (unpowered car in EMU rake), Ticket Checker / Ticket Collector

TCF Train Coming From (condition of block instrument)

TDR Ticket Deposit Receipt (when surrendering ticket for cancellation / refund)

TEUTwenty-foot Equivalent Unit (for measuring container traffic; a standard 40-foot

container is 2 TEUs)

TGT Train Going To (condition of block instrument)

TMS Train Management System

TRS Traction Rolling Stock

TS Train Superintendent

TT Timetable

TTE Travelling Ticket Examiner

TQ Tatkal Quota

TXR Train Examiner, the officer who issues the BPC and VCC (Train Inspector)

UB Upper Berth (annotation on ticket for sleeping accommodation)

UECUniversal Emergency Communication (a system of on-board communication in sometrains)

V Vegetarian (meal or restaurant)

V Ch, Vou Ch Voucher charges (annotation on ticket)

VGVegetarian (meal or restaurant), also Vehicle Guidance (the record of identifyingnumbers for coaches/wagons that make up a train)

VLRR Vegetarian Light Refreshment Room

VT Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus)

WFC Western Freight Corridor

WL, W/LWaiting List; Wait-Listed (ticket issued without confirmed accommodations)(Also as a sign: Whistle on approach to Level crossing!)

WM Works Manager

W/T Without Ticket

ZDOT Zero Death On Tracks (campaign to reduce fatalities from pedestrian trespassers)

ZISTU Zonal Integrated S&T Units

ZTC Zonal Training Centre

2T Two-tier (as in "AC-2T" = airconditioned two-tier coach)

3T Three-tier

Abbreviations for some states in India

AP Andhra Pradesh

HP Himachal Pradesh

JK Jammu & Kashmir

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MP Madhya Pradesh

TN Tamilnadu

UP Uttar Pradesh

WB West Bengal

Other common abbreviations

Exp. Express

Jn. Junction (in station names)

Pass., Pgr. Passenger (train)

Raj Rajdhani Express

Rd. Road (in station names)

Cant., Cantt. Cantonment (in station names)

Mxd. Mixed (in train names)

Tr. Ckt. Track Circuit

Classes of Accommodation

1A First class Air-conditioned (also Executive Class)

2A Air-conditioned 2-tier sleeper

FC First Class

3A Air-conditioned 3-tier sleeper

CC Air-conditioned chair car

SL Sleeper class

2S Second-class Sitting

Ticket Quotas

GN General

LD Ladies

HO High Official / Headquarters

DF Defence

RC (RAC) Reservation against Cancellation

OS Out-station

RS Road-side

PH Parliament House

FT Foreign Tourist

DP Duty Pass

HP Handicapped

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Pongal Festival

Pongal is a Harvest Festival, mostly celebrated in south India. Pongal in Tamil means "boilingover." Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it is a celebration of the prosperity associatedwith the harvest. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamilsworldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. The festival has been in

practice for some 5,000 years. While Pongal is predominantly a Tamil festival, it is alsocelebrated in several other provinces with different names.

In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka, the harvest festival Sankranthi is celebrated and cows andbullocks are gaily decorated and fed on 'Pongal' ( a sweet preparation of rice). In the evening, the cattleare led out in procession to the beat of drums and music. In northern India, Pongal is called Makara

Sankranti. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, it is celebrated on the date of the annual kite flying day,Uttarayan. It also coincides with the bonfire and harvest festival in Punjab and Haryana, known as Lohri.People of all religion celebrate Pongal festival in India.

Id-ul-Zuha

This Muslim festival of sacrifice, Id-ul-Zuha (Arabic) or Bakrid in India iscelebrated all over the country. On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat or Bakr

(Urdu) to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreedto kill his son at the behest of God. This festival coincides with the Haj

pilgrimage in Mecca. Prayers are offered in the mosques and the sacrificial meatis then distributed after the Id prayers.

Muharram Festival

Commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the holyProphet Mohammed, and observed by the Shi'ite Muslims, who take outprocessions of colourfully decorated 'Tazias', which are paper and bambooreplicas of the martyr's tomb at Karbala in Iraq. The processions are especiallyimpressive at Lucknow. In parts of the South, tiger dancers--men painted overwith stripes and wearing tiger masks--lead the procession.

Holi Festival

Holi or Phagwah (Bhojpuri) is an annual and popular Hindu spring festival. Ittakes place over two days in the later part of February or early March. As perthe Hindu calendar, it falls on the Phalgun Purnima (or Pooranmashi, Full Moon).It is also called the Festival of Colours where men, women and children revel inthrowing coloured powder and squirting coloured water on each other. Greetingsand sweets are exchanged. In West Bengal, it is known as Dolyatra (Doljatra) orBoshonto Utshob ("spring festival").

Mahavir Jayanti Festival

The anniversary of the birth of Vardhamana Mahavira. The festival attracts

pilgrims from all parts of the country to the ancient Jain shrines at Girnar andPalitana in Gujarat. Mahavira, also known as Vardhamana, is the last one in thegalaxy of Twenty-four Teerthankaras (Jain Prophets). He was born in the year599 B.C. and has been acclaimed as one of the greatest prophets of peace and

social reformation that Bharat has ever produced. He was born to a piouscouple, Siddhartha and Priyakarani or popularly Trishala Devi - who were deeplypermeated with the philosophy of jainism preached by Parswanatha, the 23rdTeerthankara. Siddhartha was the king of Kaundinyapura on the outskirts ofVaishali (near Patna in Bihar).

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Good Friday

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter or Pascha. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesusat Calvary. Good Friday is a holy day observed by some Christians. Special prayer servicesare often held on this day with readings from the Gospel giving accounts of the eventsleading up to the crucifixion. Mainstream Christian churches view Christ's crucifixion as avoluntary and vicarious act, and one by which, along with resurrection on the third day,death itself was conquered.

Easter

Easter, also known as Pascha , the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the

Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christianliturgical year, observed between late March and late April (early April to early May inEastern Christianity). It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which his followers believeoccurred on the third day after his death by crucifixion some time in the period AD 27 to 33(see Good Friday). In the Roman Catholic Church, Easter is actually an eight-day feast calledthe Octave of Easter.

Baisakhi

The Hindu Solar New Year Day. People bathe in rivers and go to temples to offer puja(worship). Baisakhi is of special significance to the Sikhs. On this day in 1699, Guru GobindSingh organised them into the 'Khalsa', brotherhood of man. In Punjab, farmers startharvesting on this day with great fanfare. Villagers perform the 'Bhangra' folk-dance.

Buddha Purnima Festival

Considered to be the ninth avatar of Vishnu. Buddha Jayanti or Buddha Purnima is markedas the most important day, commemorating the three most significant events in the life ofGautama Buddha that occurred on the same day. His birth, enlightenment and death(nirvana), all happened in the month of Vaishak, on a full moon night in April/May. Thus,this makes the day - called Buddha Purnima Festival or Buddha Jayanti Festival- all the more

sacred for Buddhists.

Khordad Sal Festival

Khordid Sal is the birth anniversary of Prohet Zoroaster. It falls on the sixth day of the Parsimonth, Farvardin (sometime in August or September). On this day of Khordad Sal, thebirthday of Prophet Spitaman Zarathusatra is celebrated symbolically by the Zoroastrians.

Janmashtami Festival

Janmashtami or Gokulashtami as it is popularly known in North India, is a festival full of joyand gaiety. It celebrates with great pomp and show, the birth of Lord Krishna who was born

more than 5000 years ago in the 28th year of Dwapur Yug. It is one of the most celebratedfestivals for Hindus not only in India but also, all over the world. Janmashtami is about the

joy, people all over the world feel for their beloved Lord Krishna.

Onam Festival

Onam Festival falls during the Malayali month of Chingam (Aug - Sep) andmarks the homecoming of legendary King Mahabali. Carnival of Onam lasts forten days and brings out the best of Kerala culture and tradition. Intricatelydecorated Pookalam, ambrosial Onasadya, breathtaking Snake Boat Race andexotic Kaikottikali dance are some of the most remarkable features of Onam -

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the harvest festival in Kerala.

Durga Puja Festival

Durgapuja, over the years, has outgrown its religious connotations to a largeextent as people all over the India celebrate it with gusto. There are variousways in which Ma Durga is worshiped. The rituals and customs vary due to vastdifference in the culture of Indian States.Durga Puja is the most importantfestival of Bengalis. Durga Puja means more to us than just a religious festival.

It is a celebration of life, culture, popular customs and traditions... it is a timefor coming together, of reunion and rejuvenation, of the rebirth of our piousnessand last but not the least, the season to love, to share and to care.

Dussehra Festival

Among the most popular of all festivals, it symbolises the triumphof good over evil. Every region observes this 10-day festival in a

special way. In the North, 'Ram Lila' recitations and music recallthe life of the legendary hero, Rama. Large fire cracker--stuffedeffigies of Ravana, symbolising evil, explode to the cheers ofthousands of spectators. In Kulu against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains, villagers dressed in their colourful bestassemble to take out processions of local deities accompanied bymusic on pipes and drums. In Karnataka, Dussehra is celebrated

with magnificent pomp and pageantry.

Diwali Festival

The festival of lights is one of the most beautiful of Indianfestivals. It comes 21 days after Dussehra and celebrates thereturn of Rama to Ayodhya after his 14-year exile. Countless

flickering oil lamps and lights are lit in houses all over the countrymaking it a night of enchantment. Worship of Lakshmi, the

goddess of wealth, and fireworks and festivities are an essentialpart of the occasion.

Guru Nanak Jayanti

Also known as 'Gurupurab', it is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak who founded the Sikhfaith. For two days and nights preceding the festival, the 'Granth Sahib' (Holy Book) is readand on the day of the festival, taken out in a grand procession. The celebrations at Amritsarare especially impressive.

Id-ul-Fitr

Celebrates the end of Ramzan, the Muslim month of fasting. It is an occasion of feasting andrejoicing. The faithful gather in mosques to pray; friends and relatives meet to exchangegreetings.

Christmas

Celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike with specialenthusiasm. The bigger cities like Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta

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wear a festive look as Christmas bazaars and festivities are

organised.