Rewari Junction railway station

Rewari railway station was established in 1873 after the 82.3 kilometres (51.1 mi) long first commercial 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre-gauge track in India was laid from Delhi to Rewari by Rajputana State Railway in 1872.[2][3] A 41.4 kilometres (25.7 mi) long segment of the railway line had been laid a year earlier from Delhi to Garhi Harsaru that catered to existing flourishing salt production works (from underground brine) at Farrukhnagar, 13.8 kilometres (8.6 mi) to its west. The railway line was extended 135.8 kilometres (84.4 mi) from Rewari to Alwar and Bandikui in 1874 and then more 225.2 kilometres (139.9 mi) to Jaipur and Ajmer in 1875 by Rajputana–Malwa Railway and eventually another 492 kilometres (306 mi) to Ahmedabad in Gujarat in 1881. Rewari became a railway junction when, a 300.65 kilometres (186.82 mi)-long metre-gauge railway line to Bhatinda was completed in 1884 by Rajputana–Malwa Railway[4] Next, a 379 kilometres (235 mi) long line to Bikaner via Kanina , Loharu, Sadulpur, Churu & Ratangarh was laid in 1896.[5]). Another 216 kilometres (134 mi) long line to Phulera via Narnaul, Neem-Ka-Thana and Ringas was laid in 1905 over the time. Eventually five metre-gauge tracks branched out from Rewari. All metre-gauge trains starting from (and terminating at) Delhi railway junction (station code DLI) to Punjab, Rajputana, Saurashtra, Kutch and north Gujarat regions passed through Rewari station. The management of Rajputana–Malwa Railways (and Rewari railway station) was transferred to Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BBCI) in 1889. BBCI became Western Railway in 1951. Delhi–Rewari–Bikaner railway line was transferred to Bikaner Division of newly formed Northern Railway zone in 1952 while Rewari–Jaipur and Rewari–Ringas–Phulera sections remained in Western Railway.

Rewari–Delhi railway line was transferred from Bikaner Division of Northern Railway to Delhi Division of Northern Railway on formation of North Western Railway zone in 2002 but Rewari railway junction itself remained in North Western Railway zone. The recently commissioned 72.9 kilometres (45.3 mi) long Rewari–Rohtak track is in Delhi Division of Northern Railway. The remaining four tracks branching out from Rewari railway station belong to North Western Railway zone. Rewari station itself is in the Jaipur Division of North Western Railway zone.

Six 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad-gauge tracks branch out from Rewari towards

1. Delhi 82.3 kilometres (51.1 mi) .
2. Ajmer via Alwar, Bandikui and Jaipur 361 kilometres (224 mi)
3. Phulera via Narnaul, Neem-Ka-Thana and Ringas 216 kilometres (134 mi)
4. Bikaner via Loharu, Sadulpur, Churu & Ratangarh 379 kilometres (235 mi)
5. Bhatinda via Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani and Hisar 300.65 kilometres (186.82 mi)
6. Rohtak via Jhajjar 72.9 kilometres (45.3 mi)(constructed in 2008–2012 and commissioned in January 2013)

Conversion of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge started in 1990. The Delhi–Rewari railway line had double metre-gauge tracks and one of the tracks was converted to broad gauge in December 1992 as a part of conversion of Ajmer–Delhi line.[6] This allowed metre-gauge trains from north Rajasthan to continue up to Delhi railway junction on the remaining track while broad-gauge trains ran from Delhi railway junction to Rewari on the other track. Rewari–Bhatinda track was converted to broad gauge in December 1993[7] and Delhi was connected to Bhatinda (and further north) by broad gauge trains via Rewari for the first time opening an alternative route. The Rewari–Jaipur–Ajmer track was converted to broad gauge in 1994 and broad-gauge trains started running from Ajmer to Delhi via Rewari. Broad-gauge trains started running from Ahmedabad to Delhi via Rewari from May 1997.

Within a few years, both the tracks from Sarai Rohilla to Delhi railway junction were converted to broad gauge and all metre-gauge trains stopped operating from Delhi Junction. As a result of this, all metre-gauge trains to Rewari and beyond terminated at and started from Sarai Rohilla which became a railway terminus. By September 2004, the second metre-gauge track from Sarai Rohilla to Rewari was also converted to broad gauge and all metre-gauge trains stopped operating between Rewari and Sarai Rohilla (though the converted track was "officially" dedicated to the nation by politicians only in October 2006).[8][9] Rewari thus became the terminus of metre-gauge trains for the next three years. For example, the train from Bikaner to Delhi ran on metre-gauge track up to Rewari and then a connecting train ran on broad-gauge track from Rewari to Delhi Junction.

All metre-gauge railway tracks from Rewari were converted to broad gauge by the end of 2009. Therefore, metre-gauge trains stopped operating from Rewari. This obviated the need for change of trains at Rewari which no longer remained a gauge-change station.[10] Broad-gauge trains now connected Rewari to various cities in all parts of India.

Rewari was the world's oldest and largest commercial metre-gauge railway junction until 2010 when this fact became a part of history.[10] Rewari is now one of the largest railway junctions in India with six railway lines converging here. Only one railway junction in India, namely Mathura Junction, has seven railway lines converging there. Rewari will also have seven railway lines when the railway line from Rewari to Asaoti railway station north of Palwal on the Mathura–Palwal–Tughlakabad main railway line is laid as a dedicated freight railway line as a part of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in a few years.

Rewari is a major junction on the Indian Railways network. It has connections to major cities in India by direct trains and is a major freight transit station. Therefore, Ahmedabad–Rewari–Ludhiana trunk route is being doubled to cater to ever increasing containerised freight trains. The Delhi–Rewari railway line had double metre-gauge track earlier; now it has double broad-gauge track since 2008. The 361 kilometres (224 mi) long Rewari–Ajmer railway line via Bandikui and Jaipur has double track since 2008. The doubling of the track from Ajmer to Palanpur has been going on since 2010 and may complete in 2021 as most of the segments have been doubled. The track from Palanpur to Ahmedabad is also being doubled. The track to Hisar towards Ludhiana is being doubled and a segment has been doubled up to Kosli.

Rewari railway station has electrified tracks as the Alwar-Rewari–Hisar and Rewari–Narnaul–Ringas–Phulera railway tracks have been electrified in 2017. Electrification of Rewari–Ajmer railway track is completed in 2020.[11][12] Electric trains (EMU) may run between Delhi and Rewari when the track is electrified.

Rewari–Ringas–Ajmer–Palanpur 654 kilometres (406 mi) long track is being electrified and will have a high catenary with 7.45 m high OHE for double-stack containers. The electrical locomotives on these tracks will have a special pantograph for the high catenary. (OHE height is 5.5 metre for normal electrical locomotives.)

A Regional Mass Rapid Transport Service (RRTS) is planned to come up on Delhi Nizamuddin station-Gurgaon–Rewari–Alwar route to enhance connectivity between Delhi and the developing manufacturing hubs in Rewari district and Bhiwadi.[13] The alignment of a new railway line of Rapid Regional Transit System (RRTS) from existing Nizamuddin station in New Delhi to Gurgaon–Manesar–Dharuhera–Rewari–Bawal–Shahjanpur–Alwar has been finalised. It will have a railway station east of Rewari at village Majra Gurdas.[14]

Plans for the 66 kilometres (41 mi) long seventh railway line from Rewari to Palwal on Agra-Delhi main railway line were under consideration for over two decades.[15] This railway line will now be built from Rewari to Pirthal and Asaoti railway station north of Palwal on the Mathura–Palwal–Tughlakabad main railway line [16] as a dedicated freight railway line as a part of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor[17] being constructed by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCI).[18]

Rewari railway junction's earlier signboard

Fairy Queen is the oldest working engine in the world and one of national treasure (cultural artifacts) of India. The engine was built in 1855 and acquired by the Eastern Indian Railways from a British firm. Now it is used to haul a train used for tourism purposes that departs from the Delhi Cantonment railway station and reaches its destination at Alwar in Rajasthan via Rewari.