What is the name of India's state-owned national railway operator?

India’s state-owned national railway operator is Indian Railways.

Indian Railways operates the country’s national railway system as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways. It is governed through the Railway Board and provides passenger, freight, parcel and other rail-related services across India. The organization is owned by the Government of India rather than being a private railway company.

Its origins reach back to the first passenger railway service in the subcontinent, which ran between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853. Over time, numerous regional railway companies and princely-state lines were brought together, and the major networks were consolidated after independence. The system was reorganized into zones to manage its enormous geographic spread.

A common mistake is treating “Indian Railways” as only a passenger-train brand. It is the national railway system and operating organization, while separate public-sector companies handle related activities such as construction, catering, manufacturing and infrastructure. “Rail India Limited” and “Bharat Rail Corporation” are not the canonical names for the national operator.