Who is the Minister for Railways in India?

The Minister for Railways in India is Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Who was the first woman railway minister of India?

Mamata Banerjee was the first woman Railway Minister of India.

Who is the owner of railway Department?

The Government of India is the owner of the Railway Department.

Who runs railway stations?

Railway stations are run and managed by Indian Railways.

Who was the father of Indian Railways?

Lord Dalhousie served as the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. He is also said to have convinced the British to introduce the railways in India through his famous Railway minutes of 1853. Thus, he is regarded as the father of Indian railways and it is the right option.

List of Railway Ministers of India From 1947 to 2024

Table of Contents

The Railway Minister of India is crucial in managing the Ministry of Railways, which oversees the country’s extensive railway system. Various notable individuals have held this position since India gained independence. Understanding the history of Railway Ministers, including their tenures and political affiliations, is essential for general awareness, particularly for competitive exams.

List of Railway Ministers of India

Indian Railways is a vital part of the country’s infrastructure, operating approximately 14,300 trains across 7,349 stations and covering a network length of 68,103 kilometers. It is one of the largest railway networks in the world, serving around 22.7 million passengers daily. The Railway Minister of India is a pivotal role within the Ministry of Railways, overseeing the country’s vast railway network. This position has been held by many influential leaders since the country’s independence. As of 2024, Ashwini Vaishnaw serves as the current Railway Minister, having assumed office in July 2021.

Current Railway Minister of India

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw is currently serving as the 40th Union Minister of Railways of India, having taken office on July 7, 2021. He is a former IAS officer and has held significant positions in both the public and private sectors, including:

Deputy Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office (2003-2004)
Managing Director – GE Transportation
Vice President – Siemens

Previous Positions

Communications Minister
Electronics & Information Technology Minister

As a member of the Rajya Sabha, he represents the state of Odisha and has played a key role in shaping India’s railway infrastructure and policies.

List of Railway Ministers of India From 1947 to 2024

Check here the List of Railway Ministers of India From 1947 to 2023 in detail along with their tenure, associated political party and also about the person.

S.No	Name	Term	Prime Minister	Political Party	About the Person
1	John Mathai	15 Aug 1947 – 22 Sep 1948	Jawaharlal Nehru	Indian National Congress	An economist and educationist, John Mathai was the first Railway Minister of independent India. He played a key role in establishing the Indian Railways on the path of progress and development.
2	N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar	22 Sep 1948 – 13 May 1952	Jawaharlal Nehru	Indian National Congress	A lawyer and freedom fighter, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar made significant contributions to the growth of the Indian Railways and its modernization during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
3	Lal Bahadur Shastri	13 May 1952 – 7 Dec 1956	Jawaharlal Nehru	Indian National Congress	A prominent leader of the Indian independence movement, Lal Bahadur Shastri’s tenure as the Railway Minister saw various reforms and initiatives to improve railway services and infrastructure.
4	Jagjivan Ram	7 Dec 1956 – 10 Apr 1962	Jawaharlal Nehru	Indian National Congress	Jagjivan Ram, a prominent Dalit leader, played a crucial role in modernizing Indian Railways and improving working conditions for railway employees during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
5	Swaran Singh	10 Apr 1962 – 21 Sep 1963	Jawaharlal Nehru	Indian National Congress	Swaran Singh, a seasoned politician and diplomat, contributed to the development of railway infrastructure and international cooperation in the railway sector during his brief term as the Railway Minister.
6	H. C. Dasappa	21 Sep 1963 – 8 Jun 1964	Jawaharlal Nehru	Indian National Congress	H. C. Dasappa, an Indian National Congress leader, served as the Railway Minister for a short period, focusing on implementing various projects to improve railway services and connectivity.
7	S. K. Patil	9 Jun 1964 – 12 Mar 1967	Lal Bahadur Shastri	Indian National Congress	S. K. Patil, a veteran politician, took significant steps towards modernizing the Indian Railways and ensuring better facilities for passengers during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
8	C. M. Poonacha	13 Mar 1967 – 14 Feb 1969	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	C. M. Poonacha, an agriculturist and politician, contributed to the expansion of the Indian Railways and the introduction of new initiatives during his term as the Railway Minister.
9	Ram Subhag Singh	14 Feb 1969 – 4 Nov 1969	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Ram Subhag Singh, an Indian National Congress leader, focused on improving passenger amenities and safety measures in the Indian Railways during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
10	Panampilly Govinda Menon	4 Nov 1969 – 18 Feb 1970	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Panampilly Govinda Menon served as the Railway Minister for a short period, focusing on improving railway connectivity and freight transportation in India.
11	Gulzarilal Nanda	18 Feb 1970 – 17 Mar 1971	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Gulzarilal Nanda, a prominent politician and economist, took various measures to improve railway infrastructure and operations during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
12	K. Hanumanthaiah	18 Mar 1971 – 22 Jul 1972	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	K. Hanumanthaiah, a lawyer and politician, contributed to the development of the Indian Railways and the implementation of passenger-friendly policies during his term as the Railway Minister.
13	T. A. Pai	23 Jul 1972 – 4 Feb 1973	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	T. A. Pai, a prominent educationist and administrator, worked towards improving passenger amenities and expanding railway connectivity during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
14	Lalit Narayan Mishra	5 Feb 1973 – 2 Jan 1975	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Lalit Narayan Mishra, a seasoned politician, played a vital role in the development and expansion of the Indian Railways during his term as the Railway Minister.
15	Kamalapati Tripathi	11 Feb 1975 – 23 Mar 1977	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Kamalapati Tripathi, a veteran politician, focused on improving railway infrastructure and implementing policies for the welfare of railway employees during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
16	Madhu Dandavate	26 Mar 1977 – 28 Jul 1979	Morarji Desai	Janata Party	Madhu Dandavate, a prominent socialist leader, played a key role in streamlining railway operations and ensuring transparency in the functioning of the Indian Railways during his term as the Railway Minister.
17	T. A. Pai	30 Jul 1979 – 14 Jan 1980	Charan Singh	Janata Party (Secular)	T. A. Pai served as the Railway Minister for a brief period, focusing on improving passenger facilities and safety measures in the Indian Railways.
18	Kamalapati Tripathi	14 Jan 1980 – 12 Nov 1980	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Kamalapati Tripathi, in his second term as the Railway Minister, continued his efforts to improve railway infrastructure and services during his tenure.
19	Kedar Pandey	12 Nov 1980 – 14 Jan 1982	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Kedar Pandey, an Indian National Congress leader, worked towards the expansion and modernization of the Indian Railways and enhancing passenger amenities during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
20	Prakash Chandra Sethi	15 Jan 1982 – 2 Sep 1982	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Prakash Chandra Sethi, a seasoned bureaucrat, played a key role in implementing various projects for railway development and modernization during his term as the Railway Minister.
21	A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury	2 Sep 1982 – 31 Dec 1984	Indira Gandhi	Indian National Congress	A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury, a prominent leader from West Bengal, focused on improving railway services and connectivity in eastern India during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
22	Bansi Lal	31 Dec 1984 – 24 Jun 1986	Rajiv Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Bansi Lal, a seasoned politician and former Chief Minister of Haryana, worked on various projects to enhance railway connectivity and infrastructure during his term as the Railway Minister.
23	Mohsina Kidwai	24 Jun 1986 – 21 Oct 1986	Rajiv Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Mohsina Kidwai, a prominent politician and social worker, focused on improving passenger amenities and safety measures during her brief tenure as the Railway Minister.
24	Madhavrao Scindia	22 Oct 1986 – 2 Dec 1989	Rajiv Gandhi	Indian National Congress	Madhavrao Scindia, a dynamic leader and sports enthusiast, played a significant role in the modernization and expansion of the Indian Railways during his term as the Railway Minister.
25	George Fernandes	2 Dec 1989 – 10 Nov 1990	V. P. Singh	Janata Dal	George Fernandes, a prominent socialist leader, focused on improving railway services and facilities during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
26	Janeshwar Mishra	21 Nov 1990 – 21 Jun 1991	Chandra Shekhar	Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)	Janeshwar Mishra, a senior politician and socialist leader, contributed to the development and expansion of the Indian Railways during his term as the Railway Minister.
27	C. K. Jaffer Sharief	21 Jun 1991 – 17 Oct 1995	P. V. Narasimha Rao	Indian National Congress	C. K. Jaffer Sharief, an engineer and seasoned politician, played a key role in modernizing railway infrastructure and implementing passenger-friendly initiatives during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
28	Ram Vilas Paswan	1 Jun 1996 – 19 Mar 1998	H. D. Deve Gowda, I. K. Gujral	Janata Dal (United Front)	Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent leader from Bihar, worked towards improving passenger amenities and connectivity during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
29	Nitish Kumar	19 Mar 1998 – 5 Aug 1999	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Samata Party	Nitish Kumar, a prominent leader from Bihar, contributed to the development of railway infrastructure and safety measures during his term as the Railway Minister.
30	Ram Naik	6 Aug 1999 – 13 Oct 1999	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Bharatiya Janata Party	Ram Naik, a seasoned politician, focused on implementing various projects to enhance railway connectivity and services during his brief tenure as the Railway Minister.
31	Mamata Banerjee	13 Oct 1999 – 15 Mar 2001	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	All India Trinamool Congress	Mamata Banerjee, a prominent leader from West Bengal, played a crucial role in the development and expansion of the Indian Railways during her tenure as the Railway Minister.
32	Nitish Kumar	20 Mar 2001 – 22 May 2004	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Janata Dal (United)	Nitish Kumar, in his second term as the Railway Minister, continued his efforts to enhance railway connectivity and services during his tenure.
33	Lalu Prasad Yadav	22 May 2004 – 22 May 2009	Manmohan Singh	Rashtriya Janata Dal	Lalu Prasad Yadav, a prominent leader from Bihar, brought significant reforms and modernization to the Indian Railways during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
34	Mamata Banerjee	22 May 2009 – 19 May 2011	Manmohan Singh	All India Trinamool Congress	Mamata Banerjee, in her second term as the Railway Minister, continued her focus on railway development and passenger-centric services during her tenure.
35	Dinesh Trivedi	12 Jul 2011 – 19 Mar 2012	Manmohan Singh	Indian National Congress	Dinesh Trivedi, a seasoned politician, worked towards implementing various railway projects and improving passenger amenities during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
36	Mukul Roy	20 Mar 2012 – 22 Sep 2012	Manmohan Singh	All India Trinamool Congress	Mukul Roy, a leader from West Bengal, focused on enhancing railway connectivity and facilities during his brief term as the Railway Minister.
37	C. P. Joshi	22 Sep 2012 – 28 Oct 2012	Manmohan Singh	Indian National Congress	C. P. Joshi, a seasoned politician, contributed to the development of railway infrastructure and services during his brief tenure as the Railway Minister.
38	Pawan Kumar Bansal	29 Oct 2012 – 10 May 2013	Manmohan Singh	Indian National Congress	Pawan Kumar Bansal, an experienced politician, worked towards modernizing railway infrastructure and enhancing passenger facilities during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
39	C. P. Joshi	13 May 2013 – 14 Jun 2013	Manmohan Singh	Indian National Congress	C. P. Joshi, in his second term as the Railway Minister, continued his efforts to improve railway services and amenities during his brief tenure.
40	Mallikarjun Kharge	17 Jun 2013 – 26 May 2014	Manmohan Singh	Indian National Congress	Mallikarjun Kharge, an experienced politician, focused on railway development and welfare measures for railway employees during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
41	D. V. Sadananda Gowda	26 May 2014 – 9 Nov 2014	Narendra Modi	Bharatiya Janata Party	D. V. Sadananda Gowda, a leader from Karnataka, initiated various projects and policies to improve railway connectivity and services during his term as the Railway Minister.
42	Suresh Prabhu	9 Nov 2014 – 3 Sep 2017	Narendra Modi	Bharatiya Janata Party	Suresh Prabhu, a seasoned politician, played a key role in modernizing railway infrastructure and introducing passenger-friendly initiatives as the Railway Minister.
43	Piyush Goyal	3 Sep 2017 – 7 Jul 2021	Narendra Modi	Bharatiya Janata Party	Piyush Goyal, a seasoned leader, contributed to significant reforms and advancements in the Indian Railways during his tenure as the Railway Minister.
44	Ashwini Vaishnaw	7 Jul 2021 – Present	Narendra Modi	Bharatiya Janata Party	Ashwini Vaishnaw, an experienced bureaucrat and politician, has been working towards further development and modernization of the Indian Railways during his tenure as the Railway Minister.

First Railway Minister of India

Dr. John Mathai was the first Railway Minister of India, serving from August 15, 1947, to September 22, 1948. A distinguished economist and politician, he represented the Indian National Congress party. Dr. Mathai is renowned for his contributions to economic policy and received the Padma Vibhushan award for his research on Persian and Arabian languages.

First Female Railway Minister of India

Smt. Mamata Banerjee was the first female Railway Minister of India, serving from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2009 to 2011. She made history by becoming the first woman to present the Railway Budget in Parliament in 2002. A prominent leader of the All India Trinamool Congress, she is currently the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Her tenure marked a significant milestone in Indian political history.

Roles and Responsibilities of Railway Minister of India

The Railway Minister of India has several crucial responsibilities, including:

Development and Implementation: Formulating and executing plans related to the railway sector.
Railway Budget: Presenting the railway budget in Parliament annually, detailing financial allocations and improvement plans.
Infrastructure Projects: Overseeing the planning and execution of railway infrastructure projects, including the construction of new lines and stations.
Passenger Safety: Ensuring the safety of passengers and protection of railway assets.
Technological Upgradation: Incorporating modern technologies to enhance operational efficiency.
Station Facilities: Improving station facilities to boost passenger satisfaction.
Employee Welfare: Addressing the concerns of railway employees to promote their welfare.
Financial Management: Handling funds, managing costs, and ensuring the financial sustainability of Indian Railways.