Minister of Railways
  • रेल मंत्री (Hindi)
  • Rail Mantrī (Hindi)
Emblem of the Ministry of Railways
Incumbent
Ashwini Vaishnaw
since 7 July 2021 (2021-07-07)
Ministry of Railways
Member ofCabinet of India
Reports toPrime Minister of India
Parliament of India
AppointerPresident of India
on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of India
Formation1947 (1947)
First holderJohn Matthai
(as Minister of Transport)
DeputyMinister of State for Railways

The Minister of Railways (Hindi: रेल मंत्री, Rail Mantrī) is the head of the Ministry of Railways and a senior member of the union council of ministers of India. The position of the Minister of Railways is usually held by a minister of cabinet rank and has occasionally been held by a minister of state with independent charge. The cabinet ministers are often assisted by one or two junior ministers, or the Ministers of State for Railways.

The current Minister of Railways is Ashwini Vaishnaw of the Bharatiya Janata Party who has been in office since 7 July 2021 while Raosaheb Danve and Darshana Jardosh are the ministers of state for railways.

History

The position of the Minister of Railways first came into existence upon independence in 1947 as the Minister of Transport. John Mathai served as the first Minister of Transport from 1947 till 1948. On 22 September 1948, the ministry was renamed as the "Ministry of Railways and Transport" and N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar was appointed as the first minister of the renamed ministry. The ministry was renamed as the "Ministry of Railways" on 17 April 1957 with Jagjivan Ram becoming the first holder to officially hold the title of the Minister of Railways.

The ministry of Railways was merged with the Ministry of Shipping and Transport and the Department of Civil Aviation on 25 September 1985 to form a common ministry responsible for transport and was named the Ministry of Surface Transport. Bansi Lal, who served as the Railways Minister prior to the merger became the first holder of the office of Minister of Surface Transport. However, on 22 October 1986, the Ministry of Railways was separated from the Ministry of Surface Transport and thus became an independent ministry and has been the same since then.

Cabinet Ministers

  • Key: † Assassinated or died in office
  • Note: MoS, I/C – Minister of State (Independent Charge)
No. Portrait Minister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency		 Term of office Political party Ministry Prime Minister
From To Period
Minister of Transport
1 John Mathai
(1886–1959)		 15 August
1947		 22 September
1948		 1 year, 38 days Indian National Congress Nehru I Jawaharlal Nehru
Minister of Transport and Railways
2 N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar
(1882–1953)
MP for Madras (Interim)		 22 September
1948		 13 May
1952		 3 years, 234 days Indian National Congress Nehru I Jawaharlal Nehru
3 Lal Bahadur Shastri
(1904–1966)
Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh		 13 May
1952		 7 December
1956		 4 years, 208 days Nehru II
4 Jagjivan Ram
(1908–1986)
MP for Shahabad South		 7 December
1956		 17 April
1957		 131 days
Minister of Railways
(4) Jagjivan Ram
(1908–1986)
MP for Sasaram		 17 April
1957		 10 April
1962		 4 years, 358 days Indian National Congress Nehru III Jawaharlal Nehru
5 Swaran Singh
(1907–1994)
MP for Jullundur		 10 April
1962		 1 September
1963		 1 year, 144 days Nehru IV
6 H. C. Dasappa
(1894–1964)
MP for Bangalore		 1 September
1963		 27 May
1964		 282 days
27 May
1964		 9 June
1964		 Nanda I Gulzarilal Nanda
(acting)
7 S. K. Patil
(1898–1981)
MP for Mumbai South		 9 June
1964		 11 January
1966		 2 years, 277 days Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri
11 January
1966		 24 January
1966		 Nanda II Gulzarilal Nanda
(acting)
24 January
1966		 13 March
1967		 Indira I Indira Gandhi
8 C. M. Poonacha
(1910–1990)
MP for Mangalore		 13 March
1967		 14 February
1969		 1 year, 338 days Indira II
9 Ram Subhag Singh
(1917–1980)
MP for Buxar		 14 February
1969		 4 November
1969		 263 days
10 Panampilly Govinda Menon
(1906–1970)
MP for Mukundapuram		 4 November
1969		 18 February
1970		 106 days Indian National Congress (R)
11 Gulzarilal Nanda
(1898–1998)
MP for Kurukshetra		 18 February
1970		 18 March
1971		 1 year, 28 days
12 Kengal Hanumanthaiah
(1908–1980)
MP for Bangalore City		 18 March
1971		 22 July
1972		 1 year, 126 days Indira III
13 T. A. Pai
(1922–1981)
Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka		 22 July
1972		 5 February
1973		 198 days
14 Lalit Narayan Mishra
(1923–1975)
MP for Darbhanga		 5 February
1973		 3 January
1975[†]		 1 year, 332 days
15 Kamalapati Tripathi
(1905–1990)
Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh		 10 February
1975		 23 March
1977		 2 years, 41 days
16 Madhu Dandavate
(1924–2005)
MP for Rajapur		 26 March
1977		 28 July
1979		 2 years, 124 days Janata Party Desai Morarji Desai
(13) T. A. Pai
(1922–1981)
MP for Udipi		 28 July
1979		 14 January
1980		 170 days Janata Party (Secular) Charan Singh Charan Singh
(15) Kamalapati Tripathi
(1905–1990)
Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh		 14 January
1980		 12 November
1980		 303 days Indian National Congress (I) Indira IV Indira Gandhi
17 Kedar Pandey
(1920–1982)
MP for Bettiah		 12 November
1980		 15 January
1982		 1 year, 64 days
18 Prakash Chandra Sethi
(1919–1996)
MP for Indore		 15 January
1982		 2 September
1982		 230 days
19 A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury
(1927–2006)
MP for Malda		 2 September
1982		 31 October
1984		 2 years, 59 days
4 November
1984		 31 December
1984		 57 days Rajiv I Rajiv Gandhi
20 Bansi Lal
(1927–2006)
MP for Bhiwani		 31 December
1984		 25 September
1985		 268 days Rajiv II
Minister of Transport
(20) Bansi Lal
(1927–2006)
MP for Bhiwani		 25 September
1985		 4 June
1986		 252 days Indian National Congress (I) Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
– Rajiv Gandhi
(1944–1991)
MP for Amethi
(Prime Minister)		 4 June
1986		 24 June
1986		 20 days
21 Mohsina Kidwai
(born 1932)
MP for Meerut		 24 June
1986		 22 October
1986		 120 days
Minister of Railways
22 Madhavrao Scindia
(1945–2001)
MP for Gwalior
(MoS, I/C)		 22 October
1986		 2 December
1989		 3 years, 41 days Indian National Congress (I) Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
23 George Fernandes
(1930–2019)
MP for Muzaffarpur		 6 December
1989		 10 November
1990		 339 days Janata Dal V. P. Singh V. P. Singh
24 Janeshwar Mishra
(1933–2010)
MP for Allahabad		 21 November
1990		 21 June
1991		 212 days Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar
25 C. K. Jaffer Sharief
(1933–2018)
MP for Bangalore North		 21 June
1991		 17 August
1995		 4 years, 57 days Indian National Congress (I) Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao
– P. V. Narasimha Rao
(1921–2004)
MP for Nandyal
(Prime Minister)		 18 August
1995		 16 May
1996		 272 days
– Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for Lucknow
(Prime Minister)		 16 May
1996		 1 June
1996		 16 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee I Self
26 Ram Vilas Paswan
(1946–2020)
MP for Hajipur		 1 June
1996		 21 April
1997		 324 days Janata Dal Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda
21 April
1997		 19 March
1998		 Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral
27 Nitish Kumar
(born 1951)
MP for Barh		 19 March
1998		 5 August
1999		 1 year, 139 days Samata Party Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee
28 Ram Naik
(born 1934)
MP for Mumbai North
(MoS, I/C)		 6 August
1999		 13 October
1999		 161 days Bharatiya Janata Party
29 Mamata Banerjee
(born 1955)
MP for Calcutta South		 13 October
1999		 16 March
2001		 1 year, 154 days All India Trinamool Congress Vajpayee III
– Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for Lucknow
(Prime Minister)		 16 March
2001		 20 March
2001		 16 days Bharatiya Janata Party
(27) Nitish Kumar
(born 1951)
MP for Barh		 20 March
2001		 22 May
2004		 3 years, 63 days Janata Dal (United)
30 Lalu Prasad Yadav
(born 1948)
MP for Chapra		 23 May
2004		 22 May
2009		 4 years, 364 days Rashtriya Janata Dal Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
(29) Mamata Banerjee
(born 1955)
MP for Kolkata Dakshin		 23 May
2009		 19 May
2011		 1 year, 361 days All India Trinamool Congress Manmohan II
– Manmohan Singh
(born 1932)
Rajya Sabha MP for Assam
(Prime Minister)		 19 May
2011		 12 July
2011		 54 days Indian National Congress
31 Dinesh Trivedi
(born 1950)
MP for Barrackpore		 12 July
2011		 19 March
2012		 251 days All India Trinamool Congress
32 Mukul Roy
(born 1954)
Rajya Sabha MP for West Bengal		 20 March
2012		 22 September
2012		 186 days
33 C. P. Joshi
(born 1950)
MP for Bhilwara		 22 September
2012		 28 October
2012		 36 days Indian National Congress
34 Pawan Kumar Bansal
(born 1948)
MP for Chandigarh		 28 October
2012		 11 May
2013		 195 days
(33) C. P. Joshi
(born 1950)
MP for Bhilwara		 11 May
2013		 15 June
2013		 35 days
– Manmohan Singh
(born 1932)
Rajya Sabha MP for Assam
(Prime Minister)		 15 June
2013		 17 June
2013		 2 days
35 Mallikarjun Kharge
(born 1942)
MP for Gulbarga		 17 June
2013		 26 May
2014		 343 days
36 D. V. Sadananda Gowda
(born 1953)
MP for Bangalore North		 27 May
2014		 9 November
2014		 166 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
37 Suresh Prabhu
(born 1953)
Rajya Sabha MP for Haryana, till 2016
Rajya Sabha MP for Andhra Pradesh, from 2016		 9 November
2014		 3 September
2017		 2 years, 359 days
38 Piyush Goyal
(born 1964)
Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra		 3 September
2017		 30 May
2019		 3 years, 307 days
31 May
2019		 7 July
2021		 Modi II
39 Ashwini Vaishnaw
(born 1970)
Rajya Sabha MP for Odisha		 7 July
2021		 Incumbent 2 years, 194 days

Ministers of State

  • Key: † Assassinated or died in office
No. Portrait Minister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency		 Term of office Political party Ministry Prime Minister
From To Period
Minister of State for Transport and Railways
1 K. Santhanam
(1895–1980)
MP for Madras (Constituent Assembly)		 1 October
1948		 29 May
1952		 3 years, 241 days Indian National Congress Nehru I Jawaharlal Nehru
Minister of State for Railways
2 Ram Subhag Singh
(1917–1980)
MP for Bikramganj		 13 May
1964		 27 May
1964		 2 years, 304 days Indian National Congress Nehru IV Jawaharlal Nehru
27 May
1964		 9 June
1964		 Nanda I Gulzarilal Nanda
(acting)
9 June
1964		 11 January
1966		 Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri
11 January
1966		 24 January
1966		 Nanda II Gulzarilal Nanda
(acting)
24 January
1966		 13 March
1967		 Indira I Indira Gandhi
3 Parimal Ghosh
(1917–1985)
MP for Ghatal		 13 March
1967		 17 October
1969		 2 years, 218 days Indira II
4 Mohammad Shafi Qureshi
(1928–2016)
MP for Anantnag		 10 October
1974		 23 March
1977		 2 years, 164 days Indian National Congress (R) Indira III Indira Gandhi
5 Surendra Pal Singh
(1917–2009)
MP for Bulandshahr		 23 December
1976		 24 March
1977		 91 days
6 Sheo Narain
(1913–1987)
MP for Basti		 14 August
1977		 28 July
1979		 1 year, 348 days Janata Party Desai Morarji Desai
7 C. K. Jaffer Sharief
(1933–2018)
MP for Bangalore North		 14 January
1980		 31 October
1984		 4 years, 291 days Indian National Congress (I) Indira IV Indira Gandhi
8 Madhavrao Scindia
(1945–2001)
MP for Gwalior		 31 December
1984		 25 September
1985		 268 days Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
Minister of State for Transport – Department of Railways
(8) Madhavrao Scindia
(1945–2001)
MP for Gwalior		 25 September
1985		 22 October
1986		 1 year, 27 days Indian National Congress (I) Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
Minister of State for Railways
9 Bhakta Charan Das
(born 1958)
MP for Kalahandi		 21 November
1990		 21 June
1991		 212 days Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar
10 Mallikarjun Goud
(1941–2002)
MP for Mahabubnagar		 21 June
1991		 18 January
1993		 1 year, 211 days Indian National Congress (I) Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao
11 Kahnu Charan Lenka
(born 1939)
Rajya Sabha MP for Odisha		 18 January
1993		 2 April
1994		 1 year, 74 days
(10) Mallikarjun Goud
(1941–2002)
MP for Mahabubnagar		 21 August
1995		 19 September
1995		 29 days
12 Suresh Kalmadi
(born 1944)
Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra		 15 September
1995		 16 May
1996		 244 days
13 Satpal Maharaj
(born 1951)
MP for Garhwal		 6 July
1996		 21 April
1997		 338 days All India Indira Congress (Tiwari) Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda
21 April
1997		 9 June
1997		 Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral
14 Ram Naik
(born 1934)
MP for Mumbai North		 19 March
1998		 6 August
1999		 1 year, 140 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee
15 Digvijay Singh
(1955–2010)
MP for Banka		 13 October
1999		 22 July
2001		 1 year, 282 days Samata Party Vajpayee III
16 Bangaru Laxman
(1939–2014)
Rajya Sabha MP for Gujarat		 22 November
1999		 31 August
2000		 283 days Bharatiya Janata Party
17 O. Rajagopal
(born 1929)
Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh		 31 August
2000		 1 July
2002		 1 year, 304 days
(15) Digvijay Singh
(1955–2010)
MP for Banka		 1 August
2001		 1 July
2002		 334 days Samata Party
18 A. K. Moorthy
(born 1964)
MP for Chengalpattu		 1 July
2002		 15 January
2004		 1 year, 198 days Pattali Makkal Katchi
19 Bandaru Dattatreya
(born 1947)
MP for Secunderabad		 1 July
2002		 8 September
2003		 1 year, 69 days Bharatiya Janata Party
20 Basangouda Patil Yatnal
(born 1963)
MP for Bijapur		 8 September
2003		 22 May
2004		 257 days
21 Naranbhai Rathwa
(born 1953)
MP for Chhota Udaipur		 23 May
2004		 22 May
2009		 4 years, 364 days Indian National Congress Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
22 R. Velu
(born 1940)
MP for Arakkonam		 23 May
2004		 29 March
2009		 4 years, 310 days Pattali Makkal Katchi
23 E. Ahamed
(1938–2017)
MP for Malappuram		 28 May
2009		 19 January
2011		 1 year, 236 days Indian Union Muslim League Manmohan II
24 K. H. Muniyappa
(born 1948)
MP for Kolar		 28 May
2009		 28 October
2012		 3 years, 153 days Indian National Congress
25 Bharatsinh Solanki
(born 1953)
MP for Anand		 19 January
2011		 28 October
2012		 1 year, 283 days
26 Mukul Roy
(born 1954)
Rajya Sabha MP for West Bengal		 19 May
2011		 12 July
2011		 54 days All India Trinamool Congress
27 Kotla Jayasurya Prakasha Reddy
(born 1951)
MP for Kurnool		 28 October
2012		 26 May
2014		 1 year, 210 days Indian National Congress
28 Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
(born 1956)
MP for Baharampur
29 Manoj Sinha
(born 1959)
MP for Ghazipur		 27 May
2014		 30 May
2019		 5 years, 3 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
30 Rajen Gohain
(born 1950)
MP for Nowgong		 5 July
2016		 30 May
2019		 2 years, 329 days
31 Suresh Angadi
(1955–2020)
MP for Belgaum		 31 May
2019		 23 September
2020[†]		 1 year, 115 days Modi II
32 Raosaheb Danve
(born 1955)
MP for Jalna		 7 July
2021		 Incumbent 2 years, 194 days
33 Darshana Jardosh
(born 1961)
MP for Surat

Deputy Ministers

No. Portrait Minister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency		 Term of office Political party Ministry Prime Minister
From To Period
Deputy Minister for Transport and Railways
1 B. V. Keskar
(1903–1984)
MP for Madras (Constituent Assembly)		 10 March
1952		 13 May
1952		 64 days Indian National Congress Nehru I Jawaharlal Nehru
2 O. V. Alagesan
(1911–1992)
MP for Chengalpattu		 12 August
1952		 16 April
1957		 4 years, 247 days Nehru II
3 Shah Nawaz Khan
(1914–1993)
MP for Meerut		 20 September
1956		 17 April
1957		 209 days
Deputy Minister for Railways
(3) Shah Nawaz Khan
(1914–1993)
MP for Meerut		 17 April
1957		 10 April
1962		 4 years, 358 days Indian National Congress Nehru III Jawaharlal Nehru
4 S. V. Ramaswamy
MP for Salem		 2 April
1958		 4 years, 8 days
(3) Shah Nawaz Khan
(1914–1993)
MP for Meerut		 16 April
1962		 27 May
1964		 2 years, 41 days Nehru III
(4) S. V. Ramaswamy
MP for Salem
(3) Shah Nawaz Khan
(1914–1993)
MP for Meerut		 27 May
1964		 9 June
1964		 13 days Nanda I Gulzarilal Nanda
(acting)
(4) S. V. Ramaswamy
MP for Salem
5 Sham Nath
MP for Chandni Chowk		 15 June
1964		 11 January
1966		 2 years, 271 days Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri
11 January
1966		 24 January
1966		 Nanda II Gulzarilal Nanda
(acting)
24 January
1966		 13 March
1967		 Indira I Indira Gandhi
6 S. C. Jamir
(born 1931)
MP for Nagaland		 13 March
1967		 14 November
1967		 246 days Indira II
7 Rohanlal Chaturvedi
(1919–?)
MP for Etah		 14 November
1967		 18 March
1971		 3 years, 124 days
8 Mohammad Yunus Saleem
(1912–2004)
MP for Nalgonda		 27 June
1970		 18 March
1971		 264 days Indian National Congress (R)
9 Mohammad Shafi Qureshi
(1928–2016)
Anantnag		 2 May
1971		 10 October
1974		 3 years, 161 days Indira III
10 Buta Singh
(1934–2021)
MP for Ropar		 10 October
1974		 23 December
1976		 2 years, 74 days
Deputy Minister for Railways
11 Mahaveer Prasad
(1939–2010)
MP for Bansgaon		 14 February
1988		 4 July
1989		 1 year, 140 days Indian National Congress (I) Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
12 Ajay Singh
(1950–2020)
MP for Agra		 23 April
1990		 10 November
1990		 201 days Janata Dal Vishwanath V. P. Singh
Position not in use since 10 November 1990

Trivia

References

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