It goes without saying that trains are the lifeline of India. While traveling in the country, trains are one of the most convenient and best modes of transport. It offers you a lot of space, comfort, and an experience of fun. Indian railways always make sure on providing its passengers with the best quality of service, comfort, efficiency, and speed.

We bet that you must have traveled via train at least once in your life. However, during your journey, have you ever come across several letters, numbers, signs, and signals written on trains as well as put up on platforms? Terms like WAG, WAP, WDM?

If you have always been curious about the meaning of such terms but are unaware of them then fret not. Read on to enlighten yourself.

Plenty of locomotive trains and train engines are inscribed with terms like WAG, WAP, WDM, WAM, etc.

If you are an eccentric person and curious observer you must have witnessed train engines inscribed with terms like WAG, WAP, WDM, and whatnot. These terms are actually some special codes that not everyone is well aware of. Let us try and understand what they mean in reality.

The first letter of these codes, meaning ‘W’ basically stands for the gauge of the railway tracks which is five feet. ‘A’ and ‘D‘ stands for the engine’s power. While ‘A’ signifies the source of the engine’s power is electricity, ‘D’ implies that the train runs on diesel.

Moving ahead, these codes also have alphabets like ‘P,’ G,’ ‘M,’ and ‘S’. These alphabets signify what is the type of train. For example, ‘P’ stands for the passenger train, and ‘G’ stands for the goods train. Meanwhile ‘M’ is used for mixed purposes and ‘S’ stands for shunting.

Let us try and decode these interesting engine codes

Now that we are well aware of what each alphabet stands for it is time we decode the meaning of these interesting engine codes. The code WAG written on train engines basically means trains that run on wide gauge tracks and is an AC motive power engine, used for pulling goods trains. Just like that when you come across trains with code WAP written on their engine you should immediately decipher it as a train that runs on wide gauge tracks and runs on AC motive power and pulls a passenger train.

Moving ahead, if you find train engines where the code WAM is inscribed it should not take much of your time to know that these are the train that runs on wide-gauge tracks. It is an AC motive power engine used for pulling both passenger and goods train. Last but not least the WAS code written on train engines signifies that they are AC motive power engines and run on wide gauge tracks. Their use is for shunting purposes.

We hope that this information was useful in some ways for you. What are your thoughts about these interesting codes? Do not forget to tell us via the comments below. 

The Indian Railways, which span this beautiful nation’s length and width, are aptly referred to as the lifeline of the nation. Thousands of people and loads of cargo are transported around the nation every day via a vast network of railroad stations, trains, and kilometers of railway lines.

Indian Railways is ranked fourth in the world in terms of network size. If you need to go to any location in India, you can easily use the railway. In comparison to driving or flying, using the train is also more practical and cost-effective.

Indian railways provide various options to passengers from various socioeconomic backgrounds, including general, sleeper, and AC (third, second, and first) classes aboard the train. You can select them based on your needs and financial situation.

However, as everything comes at a price, you also have to pay your share of the fare if you want to travel without any tension. Also, keep in mind that getting onto a train and traveling without a ticket are crimes in India that can result in fines and perhaps even jail time.

But have you ever heard of a railway that allows you to ride entirely for free?

Yes, you have read correctly, so there is no need to be astonished.

There is a train where passengers have had around 75 years of free transportation. They are not required to pay any money for this. However, it travels a certain path.

So, let’s find out everything about the train:

Bhakra-Nangal train: India’s one and only free train

Now, it might seem too wonderful to be true, but for the past 73 years, travelers have been allowed to travel for free on the Bhakra Railway Train.

The Bhakra Byas Management Board oversees the operation of this railway, which travels between Bhakra and Nangal along the Himachal Pradesh/Punjab border. This train travels 13 kilometers across the Shivalik Hills and crosses the Sutlej River. This train’s passengers are not required to pay a fee.

For the uninitiated, Bhakra-Nangal Dam is well known for being the highest straight gravity dam in the whole globe. Due to this, tourists travel from far and wide to view it. So, tourists that visit the Bhakra-Nangal Dam may also take advantage of the train’s free ride.

Since the train doesn’t need tickets, it also doesn’t have TEEs.

How did it start?

In 1948, service on the Bhakar-Nangal railroad began. The necessity for the special railway was discovered while the Bhakar Nangal dam was being built since there were no methods of transportation available at the time to connect Nangal and Bhakar.

In order to make it easier to carry both heavy equipment and personnel, it was planned to install a railroad track along the route.

Steam engines initially propelled the train, but in 1953, three modern engines brought from America took their place. The Indian Railway has since launched five variants of the engine, but the unique train’s 60-year-old engines are still in use today.

The coaches are extremely distinctive and were produced in Karachi. Additionally, the chairs are also composed of wooden benches from the colonial era. The train is said to use 18 to 20 gallons of fuel each hour, but the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has chosen to keep it free.

Daily commuters, BBMB personnel, students, and visitors can still travel for free on the railway track that is installed beside the Nangal Dam River.

The BBMB has once even considered canceling the free ride due to budgetary difficulties. Later, however, it came to the realization that the train was much more than just a means of transportation. The free service was reinstated, and it was noted that the Bhakar-Nangal railway symbolized tradition and legacy.

In recent years, metros have become a lifeline for many Indian states. However, not all states have the same metro facilities as Delhi. Needless to say, Delhi has the best metro system in all of India. But why are people talking about this now?

It’s because a terrible incident that occurred on Tuesday in India’s Silicon Valley left a woman and her 2.5-year-old kid dead when a Namma Metro pillar that was still under construction collapsed on their two-wheeler.

The incident has raised concerns about the quality of the work being done by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). In addition to the lines chosen, which do not effectively address the city’s severe traffic congestion problems, concerns are being raised about why the metro construction has not been finished by the deadline.

Since then, many people have also criticized BMRC for the whole incident. As a result, comparisons are also being made as to why the Bengaluru Metro is not as effective as the Delhi Metro.

So, let’s explore what the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) accomplished that Bangalore Metro officials haven’t been able to:

What makes the Delhi Metro the best?

1. Carefully planned and executed

The Delhi Metro was developed under the direction of E Sreedharan, known as the “Metro Man of India,” and it was successfully finished ahead of schedule.

The DMRC was given permission to engage specialists in their respective professions, make procurement decisions, and manage money to enable the timely completion of the Delhi Metro. The Hong Kong MTRC was also employed by the DMRC as a technical consultant for the project.

2. Delhi Metro’s rapid expansion

Delhi Metro’s physical construction started in 1998, and by 2022, 10 lines with 255 stations will make up the city’s 348.12-kilometer-long metro network.

Better connection is provided by Delhi Metro routes, which cover the whole city and connect it to a number of neighboring national capital area cities, simplifying travel for residents. The Delhi Metro is significantly reducing traffic on highways and relieving pressure on city buses.

3. Delhi Metro routes provide better connectivity

People may commute more easily thanks to the metro system in Delhi, the nation’s capital, which connects the city to other parts of the national capital. The Delhi Metro has significantly lessened road congestion, which has helped city buses operate more efficiently.

Why is the Bengaluru Metro a colossal failure?

Metro man E. Sreedharan blamed the BMRCL’s frequently-changing Managing Directors for the city’s sluggish metro network completion when asked why he thought it had been a difficult challenge to complete the Bengaluru Metro. For the uninitiated, the DMRC had only two MDs in 21 years, whereas the BMRC had seven in the previous 14 years.

He continued by saying that officials running the BMRCL lacked the depth of technical understanding and leadership experience necessary to oversee a project like metro construction. Sreedharan, who blamed the delay on poor management, suggested that a “technocrat” lead the Namma Metro in place of a bureaucrat.

In addition, the project has been held up by a late land purchase. According to Sreedharan, BMRCL loses roughly Rs 1.5 crore for every day of delay in metro development.

Between 2007 and 2022, only two fully operational metro lines serving 51 stations were part of the Namma Metro, which had only started to be built. Bengaluru residents say that there is poor connectivity to key regions of the city on the metro routes. As a result, many individuals continue to be unable to rely on it for their daily journey.