From Elephants to Vande Bharat: India's Rail Journey, Rare Photos Emerge

• Historically, elephants and manual labor laid railway tracks in India due to lack of modern machinery.
• Elephants, common in Kerala and Assam for pulling logs, were extensively used to move heavy tracks and materials.
• Track laying was slow, labor-intensive, and often resulted in worker injuries, with manual signal construction.
• Elephants were transported by train to various work sites, highlighting their crucial role in early rail expansion.
• Today, modern machines enable high-speed track construction, and Kavach technology ensures safer train operations, a stark contrast to the past.

Why It Matters: Rare photos reveal India's railway evolution from elephant-powered track laying to modern Vande Bharat era.