Over the past few days Metroblogging cities have been posting about unique gifts that their city has given to the world. This is in the spirit of the holiday season and gift-giving which ensues in most parts of the world. In the same vein, we start our series. The countdown will go in reverse till we reach Gift #1. Note that they are not in any priority of importance, rather just gifts that India’s greatest city has to offer. Earlier posts are here

If you have been to India, you have experienced Indian Railways. The largest rail network system in the world, moving the most number of passengers, it is uniquely and truly India.

One cannot experience India without ever having travelled by Indian Railways. In Bombay, it is all the more so, because we have one of the busiest and biggest suburban rail network in terms of passenger load.

So where did all this start?

Way back in 1854, the tracks were laid from Bombay to a distant suburb called Thane. The first passenger train pulled out of Bori Bunder on April 16, 1854 and chugged a distance of 34 km to Thane. Thus was born the era of passenger rail in India. [link]

The birthplace of passenger rail evolved into India’s grandest railway terminus and arguably one of the most amazing railway structures in the world. Called the Victoria Terminus, or V.T. it has become the icon of Indian Railway and also of the city of Bombay itself.

Image credits: Rahul Megharaj Email: rahul.meg@gmail.com

So the next time you travel by rail in India, remember where it all started. A gift from Mumbai to India and the world.

Related posts:

1. Gift # 3: Bollywood: The Indian Film Industry
2. Gift # 4: Cricket
3. Gift # 6: Bombay Stock Exchange
4. Gift # 5: Food: Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji and Bhel
5. Indian Artists and the Flat World