Western Railway Celebrates 74th Foundation Day, Releases Commemorative Coin to Mark 125 Years of Headquarters Building

WR General Manager Shri Ashok Kumar Misra released a commemorative coin on the 74th Foundation Day. This marked the 125-year completion of the company's headquarters building.

Western Railway, in honour of its more than 70 years of service to the country, is celebrating its 74th Foundation Day on November 5, 2024.

Western Railway (WR) was established on November 5, 1951, by merging Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI), Saurashtra, Rajputana, and Jaipur State Railways (as other state railways).

WR General Manager Shri Ashok Kumar Misra released a commemorative coin on the 74th Foundation Day, which also marked the 125-year completion of the company’s headquarters building. The Western Railway Headquarters in Churchgate, Mumbai, is depicted in all its golden splendour on this souvenir coin. The coin is made of cupronickel and is gold-plated. It has been engraved with 125 serrations around its circle, marking 125 years.

The WR Headquarters Building in Churchgate celebrated its quasquicentennial in January 2024 with a series of festivities. The purpose of the souvenir coin is to record this moment in history. It also adds to the records of Indian and Western Railways.

On the eve of the 74th Foundation Day, GM/WR Shri Ashok Kumar Misra released a commemorative coin with the imprint of the Western Railway’s Headquarters Building, which is celebrating its completion of 125 years.

Western Railway celebrates and observes its 74th Foundation Day on 5th… pic.twitter.com/FubGcwBXyH

— Western Railway (@WesternRly) November 4, 2024

For their commitment and accomplishments throughout the years, the officers and staff in the Western Railway’s six divisions received congratulations from Shri Ashok Kumar Misra.

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History Of Western Railway

The Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway (BB&CI) was founded in 1855 with Surat as its headquarters after a 29-mile wide gauge track was built, Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, told the Free Press Journal. An agreement to build a railway line from Surat to Baroda and Ahmedabad was signed on November 21, 1855, by the Company and the East India Company.

An agreement was made to build a line from Utran to Bombay to guarantee a steady supply of Gujarati cotton. The current Western Railway started when construction got underway in 1864, and the route was formally opened on November 28, 1864.

With a legacy steeped in history and pride, Western Railway celebrates its 74th Foundation Day today, November 5, 2024.

Western Railway came into existence on 5th November, 1951 by the merger of its forerunner, the erstwhile Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI), with… pic.twitter.com/KIfK0QrPZ0

— Western Railway (@WesternRly) November 5, 2024

The six divisions that currently fall under Western Railway’s jurisdiction are Mumbai Central, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Ratlam.

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The Western Railway has proven its strength since its founding in the British era in the 1850s. It has a vast network that spans more than 6284 route km throughout Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan and includes broad, meter, and narrow gauge sections.

Cover Image Credit: X/@WesternRly & Wikimedia Commons