Minister of Railways
Ministry of Railways India.svg
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Minister.jpg
Incumbent
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw
since 7 July 2021
Ministry of Railways
Member ofCabinet of India
AppointerPresident
on the advice of the Prime Minister
Inaugural holderJohn Mathai
Formation15 August 1947

The Minister of Railways is the head of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India.

List of Railway Ministers

No. Portrait Name Term of office Prime Minister Political party
1
John Mathai.jpg
John Mathai 15 August 1947 22 September 1948 1 year, 38 days Jawaharlal Nehru Indian National Congress
2
Gopalaswamy Ayyangar.jpg
N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar 22 September 1948 13 May 1952 3 years, 234 days
3
Lal Bahadur Shastri (cropped).jpg
Lal Bahadur Shastri 13 May 1952 7 December 1956 4 years, 208 days
4
Jagjivan Ram 1991 stamp of India.jpg
Jagjivan Ram 7 December 1956 10 April 1962 5 years, 124 days
5
Sardar Swaran Singh.jpg
Swaran Singh 10 April 1962 21 September 1963 1 year, 164 days
6 H. C. Dasappa 21 September 1963 8 June 1964 261 days
7 S. K. Patil 9 June 1964 12 March 1967 2 years, 276 days Lal Bahadur Shastri
Indira Gandhi
8
C M Poonacha.gif
C. M. Poonacha 13 March 1967 14 February 1969 1 year, 338 days Indira Gandhi
9
Ram Subhag Singh.jpg
Ram Subhag Singh 14 February 1969 4 November 1969 263 days
10 Panampilly Govinda Menon 4 November 1969 18 February 1970 106 days
11
Gulzarilal Nanda 1.jpg
Gulzarilal Nanda 18 February 1970 17 March 1971 1 year, 27 days
12 K. Hanumanthaiah 18 March 1971 22 July 1972 1 year, 126 days
13 T. A. Pai 23 July 1972 4 February 1973 196 days
14
Stamp of India - 1976 - Colnect 326695 - 1st Death Anniv Lalit Narayan Mishra - Politician.jpeg
Lalit Narayan Mishra 5 February 1973 2 January 1975 1 year, 331 days
15 Kamalapati Tripathi 11 February 1975 23 March 1977 2 years, 40 days
16 Madhu Dandavate 26 March 1977 28 July 1979 2 years, 124 days Morarji Desai Janata Party
(13) T. A. Pai 30 July 1979 14 January 1980 168 days Charan Singh Janata Party (Secular)
(15) Kamalapati Tripathi 14 January 1980 12 November 1980 303 days Indira Gandhi Indian National Congress
17
Kedar Pandey.jpg
Kedar Pandey 12 November 1980 14 January 1982 1 year, 63 days
18 Prakash Chandra Sethi 15 January 1982 2 September 1982 230 days
19
Indian Minister Ghani Khan.jpg
A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury 2 September 1982 31 December 1984 2 years, 120 days Indira Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
20 Bansi Lal

(Minister of Transport from 25 Sept 1985 onwards)

31 December 1984 24 June 1986 1 year, 175 days Rajiv Gandhi
21 Mohsina Kidwai
(As Minister of Transport)
24 June 1986 21 October 1986 119 days
22
Madhavrao Scindia 2005 stamp of India.jpg
Madhavrao Scindia
(Independent Charge)
22 October 1986 2 December 1989 3 years, 41 days
23
George Fernandes (cropped).jpg
George Fernandes 2 December 1989 10 November 1990 343 days V. P. Singh Janata Dal
24 Janeshwar Mishra 21 November 1990 21 June 1991 212 days Chandra Shekhar Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)
25
Veteran Leader Ck jaffer Sharief on a Hartal (cropped).JPG
C. K. Jaffer Sharief 21 June 1991 17 October 1995 4 years, 118 days P. V. Narasimha Rao Indian National Congress
26
Ram Vilas Paswan 11 (cropped).jpg
Ram Vilas Paswan 1 June 1996 19 March 1998 1 year, 291 days H. D. Deve Gowda
I. K. Gujral
Janata Dal
(United Front)
27
CM Nitish Kumar Potrait.jpg
Nitish Kumar 19 March 1998 5 August 1999 1 year, 139 days Atal Bihari Vajpayee Samata Party
28
Governor of Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik.jpg
Ram Naik 6 August 1999 13 October 1999 69 days Bharatiya Janata Party
29
Mamata Banerjee - Kolkata 2011-12-08 7542 Cropped.JPG
Mamata Banerjee 13 October 1999 15 March 2001 1 year, 153 days All India Trinamool Congress
(27)
CM Nitish Kumar Potrait.jpg
Nitish Kumar 20 March 2001 22 May 2004 3 years, 63 days Janata Dal (United)
30
Lalu P. Yadav.jpg
Lalu Prasad Yadav 22 May 2004 22 May 2009 5 years, 0 days Manmohan Singh Rashtriya Janata Dal
(29)
Mamata Banerjee - Kolkata 2011-12-08 7542 Cropped.JPG
Mamata Banerjee 22 May 2009 19 May 2011 1 year, 362 days All India Trinamool Congress
31
Dinesh trivedi.jpg
Dinesh Trivedi 12 July 2011 19 March 2012 251 days
32
Mukul Roy.png
Mukul Roy 20 March 2012 22 September 2012 186 days
33
C P Joshi UNDP 2010.jpg
C. P. Joshi 22 September 2012 28 October 2012 36 days Indian National Congress
34
The Union Minister for Railways, Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurating the New Block of Civil Hospital at Manimajra, in Chandigarh on April 07, 2013.jpg
Pawan Kumar Bansal 29 October 2012 10 May 2013 194 days
(33)
C P Joshi UNDP 2010.jpg
C. P. Joshi 13 May 2013 14 June 2013 32 days
35 Mallikarjun Kharge 17 June 2013 26 May 2014 343 days
36
Sadananda Gowda.jpg
D. V. Sadananda Gowda 26 May 2014 9 November 2014 167 days Narendra Modi Bharatiya Janata Party
37
The Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu holding a Press Conference on the 3rd meeting of Council for Trade Development and Promotion, in New Delhi on January 08, 2018.jpg
Suresh Prabhu 9 November 2014 3 September 2017 2 years, 298 days
38
Piyush Goyal.jpg
Piyush Goyal 3 September 2017 7 July 2021 3 years, 307 days
39
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Minister.jpg
Ashwini Vaishnaw 7 July 2021 Incumbent 1 year, 165 days
If the office of Minister of Railways is vacant for any length of time, it automatically comes under the charge of the Prime Minister.

List of Ministers of State

Ministers of State in the Ministry of Railways
Minister of state Portrait Political party Term Years
Manoj Sinha
Manoj Sinha Profile Pic.jpeg
Bharatiya Janata Party 26 May 2014 30 May 2019 5 years, 4 days
Rajen Gohain
Rajen Gohain addressing at the inaugurationlaunch of the following InitiativesServices namely 1. Liberalised station to station special freight rates policy 2. Policy providing sub quota of 33 % to women within reserved.jpg
5 July 2016 30 May 2019 4 years, 329 days
Suresh Angadi 30 May 2019 23 September 2020 1 year, 116 days
Raosaheb Danve
Raosaheb Dadarao Danve oath as Minister.jpg
7 July 2021 Incumbent 1 year, 165 days
Darshana Jardosh
The Minister of State for Textiles and Railways, Smt. Darshana Vikram Jardosh addressing at the 7th National Handloom Day, in New Delhi on August 07, 2021.jpg
7 July 2021 Incumbent 1 year, 165 days

References