Railways can transport larger number of goods and passengers over long distances at an economical cost. Hence, railways are the most convenient means of transport in the vast northern plains of India. The flat terrain, dense population, rich agricultural resources and greater industrial activity have favoured the development of railways in this region. The northern plains, therefore, have the densest railway network. Railways have accelerated the development of industry and agriculture in this region by providing quick availability of raw materials and distributing the finished products to the markets. However, in spite of the fact that railways is the most convenient means of transportation in northern plains, a large number of rivers requiring construction of bridges across their wide beds posed some obstacles.