A new study by the Central Railway Mumbai division, where it all began with the first Mumbai-Thane train starting operations in 1853, has revealed that at least three local trains running today follow the same timetable as followed by the old Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR)—Asia’s pioneering railway company which eventually became Central Railway (CR).

The first train in Asia ran from Bombay to Thana (Thane) on Saturday, April 16, 1853, starting its journey at 3.35 pm. Today, a train runs along the route at more or less the same time (3.28 pm), keeping alive the memory and legacy of the day when railways first arrived in India.