Below is a list of the Union Government Ministers of Railways over
the years in independent India. Also included further below is the list
of who presented the railway budget for each year.
Note: These lists are incomplete, and some of the dates are uncertain. Unfortunately, there is no readily available source for reliable information on this topic — reference will have to be made to archives of Indian newspapers or magazines for the most accurate information. Corrections or additions are most welcome.
Note: These lists are incomplete, and some of the dates are uncertain. Unfortunately, there is no readily available source for reliable information on this topic — reference will have to be made to archives of Indian newspapers or magazines for the most accurate information. Corrections or additions are most welcome.
Railway Ministers of India
| Years | Railway Minister |
| 1947 | (Nov.) John Mathai (not formally designated the Minister for Railways) presents the first Railway budget for independent India |
| 1948-1952 | N Gopalaswamy Ayyangar; worked on consolidating the various railways into the zonal railways |
| 1952-1956 | Lal Bahadur Shastri; resigned in 1956 taking responsibility for three fatal railway accidents |
| 1956-1962 | Jagjivan Ram |
| 1962 | Sardar Swaran Singh |
| 1967?? | Kengal Hanumanthaiah (Note: Some sources suggest he was Railway Minister later, in 1971). Ram Sew Singh is also mentioned in some sources as a railway minister in 1966-1968, he may not have been a Cabinet minister for railways. |
| 1968 | Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha |
| 1969 | Govinda Menon Panampilly |
| 1970-1971 | Gulzari Lal Nanda Note: Kengal Hanumanthaiah may have been the Railway Minister briefly in 1971. |
| 1972-1973 | Tonse Ananth Pai |
| 1973-1975 | Lalit Narayan Mishra; killed by a bomb blast 2-Jan-1975, at the opening of a railway line in Samastipur. |
| 1975-1977 | Kamlapati Tripathi (again briefly in 1980?) |
| 1977-1979 | Prof. Madhu Dandavate |
| 1980-1981 | Kedar Pandey (Kamlapathi Tripathi briefly in 1980) |
| (1981?) 1982-1984 | ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury. |
| 1984 | Bansi Lal; his was a brief stint during a reorganization of some ministries and government departments |
| (1985?) 1984-1989 | Madhav Rao Scindia |
| 1989-1990 | George Fernandes |
| 1990-1991 | Jnaneshwar Mishra; very short tenure |
| 1991-1995 | C K Jaffer Sharief |
| 1995-1996 | Suresh Kalmadi (briefly), followed by Atal Behari Vajpayee also briefly, who held the Railways portfolio along with being PM. |
| 1996-1998 | Ram Vilas Paswan |
| 1998-1999 | Nitish Kumar |
| 2000 | Mamata Banerjee |
| 2001-2004 | Nitish Kumar |
| 2004-2009 | Laloo Prasad Yadav |
| 2009- | Mamata Banerjee |
Yearly List of Presenters of the Railway Budget of India
| Fiscal Year | Budget Presenter | |
| 1 | 1947-48 | Transport Member, Railway Board |
| 2 | 1947-48 | Col. R. E. Emerson (Chief Commissioner, Railways) |
| 3 | 1948-49 | Dr. John Mathai |
| 4 | 1949-50 | N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar |
| 5 | 1950-51 | N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar |
| 6 | 1951-52 | N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar |
| 7 | 1952-53 (interim) | N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar |
| 8 | 1952-53 (final) | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 9 | 1953-54 | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 10 | 1954-55 | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 11 | 1955-56 | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 12 | 1956-57 | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 13 | 1957-58 (interim) | Jagjivan Ram |
| 14 | 1957-58 (final) | Jagjivan Ram |
| 15 | 1958-59 | Jagjivan Ram |
| 16 | 1959-60 | Jagjivan Ram |
| 17 | 1960-61 | Jagjivan Ram |
| 18 | 1961-62 | Jagjivan Ram |
| 19 | 1962-63 | Jagjivan Ram |
| 20 | 1962-63 (final) | Sardar Swaran Singh |
| 21 | 1963-64 | Sardar Swaran Singh |
| 22 | 1964-65 | H. C. Dasappa |
| 23 | 1965-66 | S. K. Patil |
| 24 | 1966-67 | S. K. Patil |
| 25 | 1967-68 (interim) | C. M. Poonacha |
| 26 | 1967-68 (final) | C. M. Poonacha |
| 27 | 1968-69 | C. M. Poonacha |
| 28 | 1969-70 | Dr. Ram Subhag Singh |
| 29 | 1970-71 | Gulzari Lal Nanda |
| 30 | 1971-72 (interim) | K. Hanumanthaiya |
| 31 | 1971-72 (final) | K. Hanumanthaiya |
| 32 | 1972-73 | K. Hanumanthaiya |
| 33 | 1973-74 | Lalit Narayan Misra |
| 34 | 1974-75 | Lalit Narayan Misra |
| 35 | August 1974 | Lalit Narayan Misra |
| 36 | 1975-76 | Kamalapati Tripathi |
| 37 | 1976-77 | Kamalapati Tripathi |
| 38 | 1977-78 (interim) | Prof. Mathu Dandavate |
| 39 | 1977-78 (final) | Prof. Mathu Dandavate |
| 40 | 1978-79 | Prof. Madhu Dandavate |
| 41 | 1979-80 | Prof. Madhu Dandavate |
| 42 | 1980-81 (interim) | Kamalapati Tripathi |
| 43 | 1980-81 (final) | Kamalapati Tripati |
| 44 | 1981-82 | Kedar Pande |
| 45 | 1982-83 | P. C. Sethi |
| 46 | 1983-84 | A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury |
| 47 | 1984-85 | A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury |
| 48 | 1985-86 | Bansi Lal |
| 49 | 1986-87 | Bansi Lal |
| 50 | November 1986 | Madhavrao Scindia |
| 51 | 1987-88 | Madhavrao Scindia |
| 52 | 1988-89 | Madhavrao Scindia |
| 53 | 1989-90 | Madhavrao Scindia |
| 54 | 1990-91 | George Fernandes |
| 55 | 1991-92 (interim) | Janeshwar Mishra |
| 56 | 1991-92 (final) | C. K. Jaffar Sharief |
| 57 | 1992-93 | C. K. Jaffar Sharief |
| 58 | 1993-94 | C. K. Jaffar Sharief |
| 59 | 1994-96 | C. K. Jaffar Sharief |
| 60 | 1996-97 | C. K. Jaffar Sharief |
| 61 | 1996-97 (interim) | Suresh Kalmadi |
| 62 | 1996-97 (final) | Ram Vilas Paswan |
| 63 | 1997-98 | Ram Vilas Paswan |
| 64 | 1998-99 (interim) | Nitish Kumar |
| 65 | 1998-99 (final) | Nitish Kumar |
| 66 | 1999-2000 | Nitish Kumar |
| 67 | 2000-01 | Mamata Banerjee |
| 68 | 2001-02 | Mamata Banerjee |
| 69 | 2002-03 | Nitish Kumar |
| 70 | 2003-04 | Nitish Kumar |
| 71 | 2004-05 (interim) | Nitish Kumar |
| 72 | 2004-05 (final) | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| 73 | 2005-06 | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| 74 | 2006-07 | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| 75 | 2007-08 | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| 76 | 2008-09 | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| 77 | 2009-2010 | Mamata Banerjee |