Fact sheet on Indian Railways, world's fourth largest network

The Indian Railways not just runs the world's fourth largest railroad network but is also among the largest employers. Here's a fact sheet:

* Operates the fourth largest railroad network in the world with over 63,974 route-km

* Figures among the world's five largest networks along with the US, Russia, China and Canada

* Enters select club of networks that ferry a cargo of over 1 billion tonnes annually

* Runs as many as 19,000 trains every day

* Some 12,000 trains are for passengers and 7,000 for freight

* The network has 7,083 stations

* Station at Kharagpur has longest platform in world of 2,733 feet

* Transports 2.65 million tonnes of freight each day

* Ferries 23 million passengers every day, 7.2 billion annually

* Has 1.4 million employees on its rolls

* Seventh largest employer in the world, according to Economist magazine

* Ranks as largest employer after the US defence department, the Chinese army, Wal-Mart, China National Petroleum, State Grid of China and British health services

* Has an annual revenue base of Rs.1,06,000 crore ($19 billion)

* Operations span nearly 170 years

* First train operated from Mumbai to Thane on April 16, 1843. - IANS