title: Rhinoceros

text: The word "rhinoceros" is derived through Latin from the , which is composed of ("rhino-", "nose") and ("keras", "horn") with a horn on the nose. The plural in English is "rhinoceros" or "rhinoceroses". The collective noun for a group of rhinoceroses is "crash" or "herd". The name has been in use since the 14th century.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The family Rhinocerotidae consists of only four extant genera: "Ceratotherium" (white rhinoceros), "Diceros" (black rhinoceros), "Dicerorhinus" (Sumatran rhinoceros), and "Rhinoceros" (Indian and Javan rhinoceros). The living species fall into three categories. The two African species, the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros, belong to the tribe Dicerotini, which originated in the middle Miocene, about 14.2 million years ago. The species diverged during the early Pliocene (about 5 million years ago). The main difference between black and white rhinos is the shape of their mouths – white rhinos have broad flat lips for grazing, whereas black rhinos have long pointed lips for eating foliage. There are two living Rhinocerotini species, the Indian rhinoceros and the Javan rhinoceros, which diverged from one another about 10 million years ago. The Sumatran rhinoceros is the only surviving representative of the Dicerorhinini.


title: Rhinoceros

text: A subspecific hybrid white rhino ("Ceratotherium s. simum" × "C. s. cottoni") was bred at the Dvůr Králové Zoo (Zoological Garden Dvur Kralove nad Labem) in the Czech Republic in 1977. Interspecific hybridisation of black and white rhinoceros has also been confirmed.


title: Rhinoceros

text: While the black rhinoceros has 84 chromosomes (diploid number, 2N, per cell), all other rhinoceros species have 82 chromosomes. Chromosomal polymorphism might lead to varying chromosome counts. For instance, in a study there were three northern white rhinoceroses with 81 chromosomes.


title: Rhinoceros

text: There are two subspecies of white rhinoceros: the southern white rhinoceros ("Ceratotherium simum simum") and the northern white rhinoceros ("Ceratotherium simum cottoni"). As of 2013, the southern subspecies has a wild population of 20,405—making them the most abundant rhino subspecies in the world. The northern subspecies is critically endangered, with all that is known to remain being two captive females. There is no conclusive explanation of the name "white rhinoceros". A popular idea that "white" is a distortion of either the Afrikaans word "wyd" or the Dutch word "wijd" (or its other possible spellings "whyde", "weit", etc.,), meaning "wide" and referring to the rhino's square lips, is not supported by linguistic studies.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The white rhino has an immense body and large head, a short neck and broad chest. Females weigh and males . The head-and-body length is and the shoulder height is . On its snout it has two horns. The front horn is larger than the other horn and averages in length and can reach . The white rhinoceros also has a prominent muscular hump that supports its relatively large head. The colour of this animal can range from yellowish brown to slate grey. Most of its body hair is found on the ear fringes and tail bristles, with the rest distributed rather sparsely over the rest of the body. White rhinos have the distinctive flat broad mouth that is used for grazing.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The name "black rhinoceros" ("Diceros bicornis") was chosen to distinguish this species from the white rhinoceros ("Ceratotherium simum"). This can be confusing, as the two species are not truly distinguishable by color. There are four subspecies of black rhino: South-central ("Diceros bicornis minor"), the most numerous, which once ranged from central Tanzania south through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to northern and eastern South Africa; South-western ("Diceros bicornis occidentalis") which are better adapted to the arid and semi-arid savannas of Namibia, southern Angola, western Botswana and western South Africa; East African ("Diceros bicornis michaeli"), primarily in Tanzania; and West African ("Diceros bicornis longipes") which was declared extinct in November 2011. The native Tswanan name "keitloa" describes a South African variation of the black rhino in which the posterior horn is equal to or longer than the anterior horn.


title: Rhinoceros

text: An adult black rhinoceros stands high at the shoulder and is in length. An adult weighs from , exceptionally to , with the females being smaller than the males. Two horns on the skull are made of keratin with the larger front horn typically 50 cm long, exceptionally up to 140 cm. Sometimes, a third smaller horn may develop. The black rhino is much smaller than the white rhino, and has a pointed mouth, which it uses to grasp leaves and twigs when feeding.


title: Rhinoceros

text: During the latter half of the 20th century, their numbers were severely reduced from an estimated 70,000 in the late 1960s to a record low of 2,410 in 1995. Since then, numbers have been steadily increasing at a continental level with numbers doubling to 4,880 by the end of 2010. As of 2008, the numbers are still 90% lower than three generations ago.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The Indian rhinoceros, or greater one-horned rhinoceros, ("Rhinoceros unicornis") has a single horn 20 to 60 cm long. It is nearly as large as the African white rhino. Its thick, silver-brown skin folds into the shoulder, back, and rump, giving it an armored appearance. Its upper legs and shoulders are covered in wart-like bumps, and it has very little body hair. Grown males are larger than females in the wild, weighing from . Shoulder height is . Females weigh about and are long. The record-sized specimen was approximately .


title: Rhinoceros

text: Indian rhinos once inhabited many areas ranging from Pakistan to Myanmar and maybe even parts of China. Because of humans, they now exist in only several protected areas of India (in Assam, West Bengal, and a few pairs in Uttar Pradesh) and Nepal, plus a pair in Lal Suhanra National Park in Pakistan reintroduced there from Nepal. They are confined to the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas. Two-thirds of the world's Indian rhinoceroses are now confined to the Kaziranga National Park situated in the Golaghat district of Assam, India.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The Javan rhinoceros ("Rhinoceros sondaicus") is one of the most endangered large mammals in the world. According to 2015 estimates, only about 60 remain, in Java, Indonesia, all in the wild. It is also the least known rhino species. Like the closely related, and larger, Indian rhinoceros, the Javan rhino has a single horn. Its hairless, hazy gray skin falls into folds into the shoulder, back, and rump, giving it an armored appearance. Its length reaches including the head, and its height . Adults are variously reported to weigh 900–1,400 kg or 1,360–2,000 kg. Male horns can reach 26 cm in length, while in females they are knobs or altogether absent. These animals prefer dense lowland rain forest, tall grass and reed beds that are plentiful with large floodplains and mud wallows.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Though once widespread throughout Asia, by the 1930s they were nearly hunted to extinction in Nepal, India, Burma, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra for the supposed medical powers of their horns and blood. As of 2015, only 58–61 individuals remain in Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia. The last known Javan rhino in Vietnam was reportedly killed for its horn in 2011 by Vietnamese poachers. Now only Java contains the last Javan rhinos.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The Sumatran rhinoceros ("Dicerorhinus sumatrensis") is the smallest extant rhinoceros species, as well as the one with the most hair. It can be found at very high altitudes in Borneo and Sumatra. Due to habitat loss and poaching, their numbers have declined and it has become the second most threatened rhinoceros. About 275 Sumatran rhinos are believed to remain. There are three subspecies of Sumatran rhinoceros: the Sumatran rhinoceros proper ("Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis"), the Bornean rhinoceros ("Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni") and the possibly extinct Northern Sumatran rhinoceros ("Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis").


title: Rhinoceros

text: A mature rhino typically stands about high at the shoulder, has a length of and weighs around , though the largest individuals have been known to weigh as much as . Like the African species, it has two horns; the larger is the front (), with the smaller usually less than long. Males have much larger horns than the females. Hair can range from dense (the densest hair in young calves) to sparse. The color of these rhinos is reddish brown. The body is short and has stubby legs. The lip is prehensile.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Sumatran rhinoceros are on the verge of extinction due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting. Once they were spread across South-east Asia, but now they are confined to several parts of Indonesia and Malaysia due to reproductive isolation. There were 320 "D. sumatrensis" in 1995, which by 2011 have dwindled to 216. It has been found through DNA comparison that the Sumatran rhinoceros is the most ancient extant rhinoceros and related to the extinct Eurasian woolly rhino species, "Coelodonta". In 1994 Alan Rabinowitz publicly denounced governments, non-governmental organizations, and other institutions for lacking in their attempts to conserve the Sumatran rhinoceros. To conserve it, they would have to relocate them from small forests to breeding programs that could monitor their breeding success. To boost reproduction, the Malaysian and Indonesian governments could also agree to exchange the gametes of the Sumatran and (smaller) Bornean subspecies. The Indonesian and Malaysian governments have also proposed a single management unit for these two ancient subspecies.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Plantations for palm oil have taken out the living areas and led to the eradication of the rhino in Sumatra.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Rhinocerotoids diverged from other perissodactyls by the early Eocene. Fossils of "Hyrachyus eximus" found in North America date to this period. This small hornless ancestor resembled a tapir or small horse more than a rhino. Four families, sometimes grouped together as the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea, evolved in the late Eocene, namely the Hyracodontidae, Amynodontidae, Paraceratheriidae and Rhinocerotidae.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Hyracodontidae, also known as "running rhinos", showed adaptations for speed, and would have looked more like horses than modern rhinos. The smallest hyracodontids were dog-sized. Hyracodontids spread across Eurasia from the mid-Eocene to early Oligocene.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The Amynodontidae, also known as "aquatic rhinos", dispersed across North America and Eurasia, from the late Eocene to early Oligocene. The amynodontids were hippopotamus-like in their ecology and appearance, inhabiting rivers and lakes, and sharing many of the same adaptations to aquatic life as hippos.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The Paraceratheriidae, also known as paraceratheres or indricotheres, originated in the Eocene epoch and lived until the early Miocene. The first paraceratheres were only about the size of large dogs, growing progressively larger in the late Eocene and Oligocene. The largest genus of the family was "Paraceratherium", which was more than twice as heavy as a bull African elephant, and was one of the largest land mammals that ever lived.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The family of all modern rhinoceros, the Rhinocerotidae, first appeared in the Late Eocene in Eurasia. The earliest members of Rhinocerotidae were small and numerous; at least 26 genera lived in Eurasia and North America until a wave of extinctions in the middle Oligocene wiped out most of the smaller species. Several independent lineages survived. "Menoceras", a pig-sized rhinoceros, had two horns side by side. The North American "Teleoceras" had short legs, a barrel chest and lived until about five million years ago. The last rhinos in the Americas became extinct during the Pliocene.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Modern rhinos are thought to have begun dispersal from Asia during the Miocene. Alongside the extant species, four additional species of rhinoceros survived into the Last Glacial Period: the woolly rhinoceros ("Coelodonta antiquitatis"), "Elasmotherium sibiricum" and two species of "Stephanorhinus," Merck's rhinoceros ("Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis") and the Narrow-nosed rhinoceros ("Stephanorhinus hemitoechus)". The woolly rhinoceros appeared in China around 1 million years ago and first arrived in Europe around 600,000 years ago. It reappeared 200,000 years ago, alongside the woolly mammoth, and became numerous. "Elasmotherium" was two meters tall, five meters long and weighed around five tons, with a single enormous horn, hypsodont teeth and long legs for running. The latest known well dated bones of "Elasmotherium"in found in the south of Western Siberia (the area that is today Kazakhstan) date as recently as 39,000 years ago.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The origin of the two living African rhinos can be traced to the late Miocene () species "Ceratotherium neumayri". The lineages containing the living species diverged by the early Pliocene, when "Diceros praecox", the likely ancestor of the black rhinoceros, appears in the fossil record. The black and white rhinoceros remain so closely related that they can still mate and successfully produce offspring.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Cladogram showing the relationships of recent and Late Pleistocene rhinoceros species (minus "Stephanorhinus hemitoechus)" based on whole nuclear genomes, after Liu et al., 2021:


title: Rhinoceros

text: Adult rhinoceros have no real predators in the wild, other than humans. Young rhinos sometimes fall prey to big cats, crocodiles, African wild dogs, and hyenas.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Although rhinos are large and aggressive and have a reputation for being resilient, they are very easily poached; they visit water holes daily and can be easily killed while they drink. As of December 2009, poaching increased globally while efforts to protect the rhino are considered increasingly ineffective. The most serious estimate, that only 3% of poachers are successfully countered, is reported of Zimbabwe, while Nepal has largely avoided the crisis. Poachers have become more sophisticated. South African officials have called for urgent action against poaching after poachers killed the last female rhino in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve near Johannesburg. Statistics from South African National Parks show that 333 rhinoceros were killed in South Africa in 2010, increasing to 668 by 2012, over 1,004 in 2013, and over 1,338 killed in 2015. In some cases rhinos are drugged and their horns removed, while in other instances more than the horn is taken.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The Namibian government has supported the practice of rhino trophy hunting as a way to raise money for conservation. Hunting licenses for five Namibian Black rhinos are auctioned annually, with the money going to the government's Game Products Trust Fund. Some conservationists and members of the public oppose or question this practice.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Rhinoceros horns develop from subcutaneous tissues, and are made of keratinous mineralized compartments. The horns root in a germinative layer.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Rhinoceros horns are used in traditional medicines in parts of Asia, and for dagger handles in Yemen and Oman. Esmond Bradley Martin has reported on the trade for dagger handles in Yemen. In Europe, it was historically believed that rhino horns could purify water and could detect poisoned liquids, and likely as an aphrodisiac and an antidote to poison.


title: Rhinoceros

text: It is a common misconception that rhinoceros horn in powdered form is used as an aphrodisiac or a cure for cancer in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as "Cornu Rhinoceri Asiatici" (犀角, "xījiǎo", "rhinoceros horn"); no TCM text in history has ever mentioned such prescriptions. In TCM, rhino horn is sometimes prescribed for fevers and convulsions, a treatment not supported by evidence-based medicine: this treatment has been compared to consuming fingernail clippings in water. In 1993, China signed the CITES treaty and removed rhinoceros horn from the Chinese medicine pharmacopeia, administered by the Ministry of Health. In 2011, the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine in the United Kingdom issued a formal statement condemning the use of rhinoceros horn. A growing number of TCM educators are also speaking out against the practice, although some TCM practitioners still believe that it is a life-saving medicine.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Vietnam reportedly has the biggest number of rhino horn consumers, with their demand driving most of the poaching, which has risen to record levels. The "Vietnam CITES Management Authority" has claimed that Hanoi recently experienced a 77% drop in the usage of rhino horn, but National Geographic has challenged these claims, noticing that there was no rise in the numbers of criminals who were apprehended or prosecuted. South African rhino poaching's main destination market is Vietnam. An average sized horn can bring in as much as a quarter of a million dollars in Vietnam and many rhino range states have stockpiles of rhino horn.


title: Rhinoceros

text: International trade in rhinoceros horn has been declared illegal by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1977. A proposal by Swaziland to lift the international ban was rejected in October 2016. Domestic sale of rhinoceros horn in South Africa, home of 80% of the remaining rhino population, was banned as of 2009. The ban was overturned in a court case in 2017, and South Africa plans to draft regulations for the sale of rhino horn, possibly including export for "non-commercial purposes". The South African government has proposed that a legal trade of rhino horn be established, arguing that this could reduce poaching and prevent the extinction of this species.


title: Rhinoceros

text: In March 2013, some researchers suggested that the only way to reduce poaching would be to establish a regulated trade based on humane and renewable harvesting from live rhinos. The World Wildlife Fund opposes legalization of the horn trade, as it may increase demand, while IFAW released a report by "EcoLarge", suggesting that more thorough knowledge of economic factors is required to justify the pro-trade option.


title: Rhinoceros

text: According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, conservation of African rhinoceroses as consumers of large amounts of vegetation is crucial to maintaining the shape of the African landscape and the natural resources of local communities.


title: Rhinoceros

text: To prevent poaching, in certain areas, rhinos have been tranquillized and their horns removed. Armed park rangers, particularly in South Africa, are also working on the front lines to combat poaching, sometimes killing poachers who are caught in the act. A 2012 spike in rhino killings increased concerns about the future of the species.


title: Rhinoceros

text: In 2011, the Rhino Rescue Project began a horn-trade control method consisting of infusing the horns of living rhinos with a mixture of a pink dye and an acaricide (to kill ticks) which is safe for rhinos but toxic to humans. The procedure also includes inserting three RFID identification chips and taking DNA samples. Because of the fibrous nature of rhino horn, the pressurized dye infuses the interior of the horn but does not color the surface or affect rhino behavior. Depending on the quantity of horn a person consumes, experts believe the acaricide would cause nausea, stomach-ache, and diarrhea, and possibly convulsions. It would not be fatal—the primary deterrent is the knowledge that the treatment has been applied, communicated by signs posted at the refuges. The original idea grew out of research into the horn as a reservoir for one-time tick treatments, and experts selected an acaricide they think is safe for the rhino, oxpeckers, vultures, and other animals in the preserve's ecosystem. Proponents claim that the dye cannot be removed from the horns, and remains visible on x-ray scanners even when the horn is ground to a fine powder.


title: Rhinoceros

text: The UK charity organization Save the Rhino has criticized horn poisoning on moral and practical grounds. The organization questions the assumptions that the infusion technique works as intended, and that even if the poison were effective, whether middlemen in a lucrative, illegal trade would care much about the effect it would have on buyers. Additionally, rhino horn is increasingly purchased for decorative use, rather than for use in traditional medicine. Save the Rhino questions the feasibility of applying the technique to all African rhinos, since workers would have to reapply the acaricide every 4 years. It was also reported that one out of 150 rhinos treated did not survive the anesthesia.


title: Rhinoceros

text: Another way to undercut the rhinoceros horn market has been suggested by Matthew Markus of Pembient, a biotechnology firm. He proposes the synthesis of an artificial substitute for rhinoceros horn. To enable authorities to distinguish the bioengineered horn from real rhinoceros horn, the genetic code of the bioengineered horn could be registered, similar to the DNA of living rhinoceros in the RhODIS (Rhino DNA Index System). Initial responses from many conservationists were negative, but a 2016 report from TRAFFIC—which monitors trade in wildlife and animal parts—conceded that it "...would be rash to rule out the possibility that trade in synthetic rhinoceros horn could play a role in future conservation strategies".


title: Rhinoceros

text: Greek historian and geographer Agatharchides (2nd century BC) mentions the rhinoceros in his book "On the Erythraean Sea".


title: Rhinoceros

text: Albrecht Dürer created a famous woodcut of a rhinoceros in 1515, based on a written description and brief sketch by an unknown artist of an Indian rhinoceros that had arrived in Lisbon earlier that year. He never saw the animal itself, so "Dürer's Rhinoceros" is a somewhat inaccurate depiction. Rhinoceros are depicted in the Chauvet Cave in France, pictures dated to 10,000–30,000 years ago.


title: Rhinoceros

text: There are legends about rhinoceroses stamping out fire in Burma, India, and Malaysia. The mythical rhinoceros has a special name in Malay, "badak api", wherein "badak" means rhinoceros, and "api" means fire. The animal would come when a fire was lit in the forest and stamp it out. There are no recent confirmations of this phenomenon. This legend was depicted in the film "The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980), which shows an African rhinoceros putting out two campfires.


title: INXS

text: INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, guitarist Tim Farriss, lead singer and main lyricist Michael Hutchence, and guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. For 20 years, INXS was fronted by Hutchence, whose magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band. Initially known for their new wave/pop style, the band later developed a harder pub rock style that included funk and dance elements.


title: INXS

text: In 1984, INXS had their first number-one hit in Australia with "Original Sin". The band would later achieve international success in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s with the hit albums "Listen Like Thieves", "Kick", and "X", as well as the singles "What You Need", "Need You Tonight" (the band's only US number-one single), "Devil Inside", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Suicide Blonde" and "New Sensation".


title: INXS

text: After Hutchence's death on 22 November 1997, INXS made appearances with several guest singers, and toured and recorded with Jon Stevens as lead singer, beginning in 2000. In 2005, members of INXS participated in "", a reality television series that culminated in the selection of Canadian J.D. Fortune as their new lead singer. Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin replaced Fortune as lead singer in 2011. During a concert on 11 November 2012, INXS stated that the performance would be their last, although they did not announce the band's permanent retirement.


title: INXS

text: INXS won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, including three for "Best Group" in 1987, 1989 and 1992; the band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001. INXS has sold over 80 million albums worldwide, making them one of Australia's highest selling music acts of all time.


title: INXS

text: The origins of the band began with Andrew Farriss convincing his fellow Davidson High School classmate, Michael Hutchence, to join his band, Doctor Dolphin. The band contained two further classmates, Kent Kerny and Neil Sanders, as well as Garry Beers and Geoff Kennely, both from a nearby high school, Forest High School. In 1977, Tim Farriss, Andrew's older brother, invited Andrew, Hutchence and Beers to join him and his schoolmate Kirk Pengilly. Tim and Pengilly had been playing together since 1971 as either an acoustic duo, Kirk and Tim, or as a four-piece band called Guinness (named after their bass player's dog). Together with younger brother Jon Farriss they formed "The Farriss Brothers", who consisted of Garry Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar, Michael Hutchence on lead vocals and Kirk Pengilly on guitar and saxophone. The band made their debut on 16 August 1977 at Whale Beach, 40 km (25 mi) north of Sydney.


title: INXS

text: The parents of the Farriss boys relocated to Perth, Western Australia in 1978, taking Jon to continue his schooling and, as soon as Hutchence and Andrew finished school, the rest of the band followed. They briefly performed as The Vegetables, singing "We Are the Vegetables", before returning to Sydney ten months later, where they recorded a set of demos. At a chance meeting in the car park of the Royal Antler, a pub in Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Tim was approached by Gary Morris, the manager of Midnight Oil.


title: INXS

text: The band began to regularly support Midnight Oil and other local bands. Morris advised that a member of the Oils crew had come up with a new name and suggested they change it to INXS. The name INXS was inspired by English band XTC and Australian jam makers IXL. Pengilly later explained that Morris was interested in turning the group into a Christian band, which the band briefly considered before rejecting the idea.


title: INXS

text: The band's first performance as INXS was on 1 September 1979 at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Umina on the Central Coast of New South Wales and by the end of 1979, after passing on the Christian band image, they hired Chris "CM" Murphy as their manager and continued taking on the Oz pub circuit. Murphy was an adept business manager and negotiator and by early 1980 the band had signed a five-album record deal with a Sydney independent label, Deluxe Records, run by Michael Browning, a former manager of AC/DC.


title: INXS

text: INXS released their first single, "Simple Simon"/"We Are the Vegetables", in Australia and France in May 1980. The single had its debut TV performance on "Simon Townsend's Wonder World". Their self-titled debut album, "INXS", was recorded at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale, Sydney. It was co-produced by the band and Duncan McGuire (ex-Ayers Rock), with all songs attributed to the entire band, at the insistence of Murphy. Deluxe gave them a budget of $10,000 to record the album, so to keep within the budget they had to record from midnight to dawn, usually after doing one or more performances earlier that night. The album was released in October 1980. It featured "Just Keep Walking" which was their first Australian Top 40 single, with the album peaking in the Top 30 of the Kent Music Report for Australian albums. The album eventually went gold (selling over 35,000 units) but it took a number of years to do so.


title: INXS

text: These early records demonstrated their new wave/ska/pop style, and were followed by near constant touring with almost 300 shows during 1981 as the band developed their status as a live act. In 1981, they signed Gary Grant as their tour manager, who then became co-manager a year later. Between touring commitments, the band released their third single in May 1981, "The Loved One", which was a cover of a 1966 song by Australian group The Loved Ones. The song was recorded at Studios 301 in Sydney, produced by Richard Clapton, and peaked in the Top 20.


title: INXS

text: The success of the single led to Clapton and the band returning to Studios 301 between July and August 1981 to create an album. In October 1981, their second album "Underneath the Colours" was released and became a hit in Australia peaking at No. 15.


title: INXS

text: Soon after recording sessions had finished, band members started work on outside projects. Beers, Jon and Andrew Farriss played on Clapton's solo album, "The Great Escape". Hutchence recorded "Speed Kills", written by Don Walker of Cold Chisel for the soundtrack of the film "Freedom" directed by Scott Hicks. It was his first solo single and was released by WEA in early 1982. In January, INXS toured New Zealand as support act for Cold Chisel. Murphy eventually became convinced their future no longer lay with Deluxe Records.


title: INXS

text: RCA (who distributed Deluxe) had employed music lover Rockin Rod Woods, who had been promoting Eric Clapton, Split Enz and some of the world's biggest acts. Woods was passionate about the band and brought key music people along to their gigs. He encouraged RCA to sign them worldwide because Murphy had played him some demos. Deluxe had been unable to attract international interest so the band decided to record a new song, "The One Thing" at their own expense, with Mark Opitz at Paradise Studios. The song turned out so well that Murphy hired Opitz to produce three more songs. Murphy approached WEA Australia with copies of the song, leading to INXS signing a recording deal in July 1982 with WEA for releases in Australia, South East Asia, Japan and New Zealand, Atco Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records) for North America and Polygram for Europe and the UK.


title: INXS

text: Murphy and the band were not entirely convinced that Opitz could produce an entire album that would attract international interest, so before recording their third album Pengilly, Hutchence and Andrew Farriss visited the UK and USA, with a view to selecting a suitable producer, only to find that no one they wanted was available and that most people advised them that Opitz's work on their single was as good as they could wish for.


title: INXS

text: To complete the band's contract with DeLuxe Records, INXS produced their first compilation album, INXSive, released in early 1982 for the Australian market only, featuring highlights from the band's first two studio albums, related B-sides, and two non-album singles.


title: INXS

text: In mid-1982 they began recording at Rhinoceros Studios with Opitz. In October 1982, "Shabooh Shoobah" was released internationally on Atlantic/Atco Records, peaking at No. 52 on the US "Billboard" 200 and No. 46 on the Hot Pop Albums chart. In Australia it peaked at No. 5 and remained in the albums charts for 94 weeks. The single "The One Thing" brought them their first Top 30 hit in United States peaking at No. 30 on 28 May 1983, It was also a Top 20 hit in Canada, and peaked at No. 14 in Australia on 23 August 1982. "One Thing" was their first video to air on the fledgling MTV and significantly added to the ultimate success of the single.


title: INXS

text: 13 February 1983, saw INXS play the Stop The Drop nuclear disarmament concert to 14,000 at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, alongside Midnight Oil, Colin Hay, Redgum and Goanna. It was simulcast on Australian TV by Channel 10 and Radio 2MMM.


title: INXS

text: INXS undertook their first US performance in San Diego in March 1983, to a crowd of 24 patrons. Their first tour was as support for Adam and the Ants, then support for Stray Cats, The Kinks, Hall & Oates followed by The Go-Go's. INXS played alongside many of their contemporaries on New Wave Day in May 1983, at the "US Festival" in Devore, California. It was during this time that Grant, their co-manager, relocated permanently to New York to ensure a continual presence in the northern hemisphere. The band remained on the road in the US for most of the year, including support for Men at Work and by mid-1983 were headlining venues such as The Ritz in New York.


title: INXS

text: After a performance in Toronto, Canada, the band was approached by producer Nile Rodgers; by September 1983, the band had recorded "Original Sin" (originally entitled "Brand New Day") at New York's Power Station Studios. Three tracks from "Shabooh Shoobah" were featured in the soundtrack for the 1984 film "Reckless". The band then travelled to the UK to begin sessions on their fourth album with Nick Launay at the Manor Studios in Oxford.


title: INXS

text: The album "The Swing", released in April 1984, received significant attention from around the world, as "Original Sin" became the band's first No. 1 single in Australia and was popular worldwide with fans and reviewers. During 1984, the single reached no. 1 in Australia (for two weeks in January), Argentina, and France; No. 6 in New Zealand; No. 11 in Canada; No. 23 in Switzerland; No. 31 in the Netherlands; and No. 58 in the U.S. However, "Original Sin" was largely ignored in the U.K., and INXS would not have any Top 50 chart success in the United Kingdom until the 1985 album "Listen Like Thieves".


title: INXS

text: During 1984, INXS toured non-stop, performing across Europe, the UK, the US and Australia. By December 1984, "The Swing" had gone double platinum, making it one of the five biggest domestic albums in the history of Australian music at the time.


title: INXS

text: In March 1985, the band re-entered Sydney's Rhinoceros Studios to record the Listen Like Thieves album, together with producer Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, The Pretenders, Elton John). As the band was finishing the recording sessions, Thomas stated that the album was not good enough and still had no "killer" track. Andrew produced a demo tape of a funk song he had been working on called "Funk Song No. 13" and evolved it into "What You Need".


title: INXS

text: Whilst the band was recording, WEA released "Dekadance", a limited edition 12" Vinyl and cassette only EP of INXS remixes from their albums "The Swing" and "Shabooh Shoobah".


title: INXS

text: On 19 May 1985, INXS won seven awards at the 1984 "Countdown" Music and Video Awards ceremony. They performed "Burn for You", dressed in Akubras (hats) and Drizabones (outdoor coats/oilskin jackets). The band performed five songs for the July 1985 Oz for Africa concert, in conjunction with the Live Aid benefit. Two INXS songs, "What You Need" and "Don't Change", were also in the BBC broadcast and are contained on Live Aid's four DVD boxed set released in 2004.


title: INXS

text: "Listen Like Thieves" was released in October 1985 to critical approval, reaching No. 3 on the Australian charts and No. 11 on the US charts. With the release of "Listen Like Thieves", the band developed a rock sound influenced by Led Zeppelin and XTC while remaining true to the band's original roots in Aussie pubs. It was also the first album to feature songs written by a combination of band members, with Andrew Farris and Hutchence becoming the primary songwriters in the years to follow. The first U.S. single from the album, "This Time", stalled at No. 81 in late 1985, but the next single, "What You Need"—released there in early 1986—became a top five "Billboard" hit, bringing INXS its first break-out US success. The single was also a top 20 hit in Canada and reached No. 2 in Australia (September 1985), but only reached No. 51 on the UK charts. The British press dismissed the album, with New Musical Express calling the band 'INX-cusable' and a reviewer declaring "Listen Like Thieves" to be a 'complete and utter turkey'. In the United States, however, "Rolling Stone" wrote: "INXS rocks with passion and seals the deal with a backbeat that'll blackmail your feet."


title: INXS

text: In August 1985, INXS toured ahead of the release of "Listen Like Thieves", touring South America before returning to Melbourne to play for Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales at a concert. The concert was filmed and later released on a home video entitled "Living INXS"; an edited version of the concert was played on MTV in the U.S. in 1985 on its Saturday night concert series. In November, December, January, and February, INXS toured North America, Europe, and New Zealand. The band then took a two-month break, with Andrew Farriss writing and producing "You're Gonna Get Hurt" for Jenny Morris (who had previously been a backing vocalist with the band), and Hutchence featuring in Richard Lowenstein's second feature film "Dogs in Space". Lowenstein had previously made the video clip for "Dancing on the Jetty". Whilst a song from the movie, "Rooms for the Memory", written by Ollie Olsen, with vocals by Hutchence charted, the movie was received well by critics but was not a commercial success. Beginning in May 1986, the band performed 32 European shows (including support for Queen at their Live at Wembley '86 concert on 12 July), 42 U.S. shows, and 12 Australian shows. America's influential Musician magazine called INXS "the best live band in the world."


title: INXS

text: Whilst on an eight-month break before beginning work on a new album, their manager Murphy decided to stage a series of major outdoor concerts across Australia, featuring INXS, Jimmy Barnes, Models, Divinyls, Mental as Anything, The Triffids and I'm Talking. To promote the tour, INXS recorded two songs with Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel: The Easybeats cover "Good Times" and "Laying Down the Law" which Barnes co-wrote with Beers, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, Hutchence and Pengilly. "Good Times" was used as the theme song for the Australian Made series of concerts in the summer of 1986–1987. It peaked at No. 2 on the Australian charts, and months later was featured in the Joel Schumacher film "The Lost Boys" and its soundtrack, allowing it to peak at No. 47 in the US on 1 August 1987.


title: INXS

text: After the success of "What You Need" and "Listen Like Thieves", the band knew their new material would have to be even better and wanted every song on the album to be good enough to be a single. They recorded "Kick" in Sydney and Paris, produced by Chris Thomas. According to the 2005 official autobiography, Atlantic Records was not happy with the result; the label offered the band $1 million to go back to Australia and record another album, but the band declined.


title: INXS

text: Despite Atlantic's protests, "Kick" was released in October 1987 and provided the band with worldwide popularity. The album peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 3 on the US "Billboard" 200, No. 9 in UK, and No. 15 in Austria. It was an upbeat, confident album that yielded four Top 10 US singles: No. 1 single "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside", "New Sensation", and "Never Tear Us Apart". "Need You Tonight" peaked No. 2 on the UK charts, No. 3 in Australia, and No. 10 in France. The band toured heavily behind the album throughout 1987 and 1988. The video for the 1987 INXS track "Mediate" (which played after the video for "Need You Tonight") replicated the format of Bob Dylan's video for "Subterranean Homesick Blues", even in its use of apparently deliberate errors. In September 1988, the band swept the MTV Video Music Awards with the video for "Need You Tonight/Mediate" winning in 5 categories. "Kick" was, by far, INXS's best-selling album of all time.


title: INXS

text: During 1989, Hutchence collaborated with Ian "Ollie" Olsen on a side project, Max Q, the two had previously worked together on Lowenstein's film "Dogs in Space". The rest of the band also took a break to work on side projects, but soon returned to the studio to record their follow-up album to "Kick".


title: INXS

text: In October 1990, INXS released "X", which was produced by Chris Thomas. The album peaked at No. 3 in Australia, No. 5 in the US, No. 2 in the UK, No. 5 in Switzerland and No. 10 in Sweden. It followed in the same vein as "Kick", and added harmonica to some songs. "X" scored hits with "Suicide Blonde" and "Disappear" (both Top 10 in the US). "Suicide Blonde" peaked at No. 2 in Australia, No. 11 in the UK and in Switzerland. Other singles from "X" were "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side", which had less chart success.


title: INXS

text: INXS performed at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1991, during their "Summer XS" tour stop in London to a sold-out audience of 74,000 fans. This performance was recorded and filmed to become "Live Baby Live", a live album that was released in November 1991 and peaked in the Top 30 in the Australia and UK album charts. The album had less success on The "Billboard" 200. A video version of the album was also released under the same title.


title: INXS

text: This concert was the band's most well-attended show of all time; according to a 2017 article by Paul Donoughue of ABC.net.au, it "solidified [INXS's] place in pop history".


title: INXS

text: On 28 March 1992, INXS performed at the controversial Concert for Life at Centennial Park in Sydney (a fundraiser for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Centre), and other performers included Crowded House, Yothu Yindi, Jenny Morris, Diesel, Ratcat and Def FX. Due to inclement weather, the expected attendance of 100,000 never came through, and the event only raised $500,000.


title: INXS

text: "Welcome to Wherever You Are", produced by Mark Opitz and released in August 1992, was an experimental album using sitars and a 60-piece orchestra while adding a more "raw" sound. It received good critical reviews and went No. 1 in the UK and in Sweden; No. 2 in Australia and Switzerland, and No. 3 in Norway, but had less chart success in the US (peaking at No. 16). Singles from the album included "Taste It" and "Baby Don't Cry", which were Top 20 successes in UK but had less success in US and Australian markets.


title: INXS

text: "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts", produced by Opitz, was released in November 1993 and peaked at No. 3 on the UK charts, No. 4 in Australia, No. 8 in Sweden, No. 9 in Switzerland, No. 14 in Norway; it did not reach the Top 50 in the US. The title track featured The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde, and another track--"Please (You Got That)"—featured Ray Charles. The band made a full video album for the record using unknown Australian students to direct with help from Richard Lowenstein. "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts" received mixed reviews, and was the last record under INXS' contract with Atlantic in the States. The band took time off to rest and be with their families, while Hutchence remained in the public eye through modelling and film acting.


title: INXS

text: In 1997, the group released a comeback album titled "Elegantly Wasted", which garnered mixed reviews. It fared respectably in Australia (No. 14), Canada (No. 14), France (No. 30), UK (No. 16) (where INXS had more success in the 1990s than in the 1980s), Belgium (No. 7), Switzerland (No. 13), but only No. 41 in US.


title: INXS

text: On 22 November 1997, Michael Hutchence was found dead in his Sydney Ritz-Carlton hotel room. On 6 February 1998, New South Wales State Coroner Derrick Hand presented his report, which ruled that Hutchence's death was a suicide while depressed and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Despite the official coroner's report, there was continued speculation that Hutchence's death was accidental.


title: INXS

text: After Hutchence's death, INXS did not perform publicly for almost a year, and then only made a few one-off performances with different guest singers until 2000. On 14 November 1998, they played at the Mushroom 25 Concert with Jimmy Barnes fronting for two songs: "The Loved One" and "Good Times". On 12 June 1999, they headlined the opening of Stadium Australia in Sydney, with US singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby and Russell Hitchcock as guest vocalists, they performed "New Sensation", "Kick", "Never Tear Us Apart" and "What You Need".


title: INXS

text: In December 2000, INXS performed a concert with singers Suze DeMarchi and Jon Stevens sharing the spotlight. The former lead singer of Australian band Noiseworks, Jon Stevens began singing with INXS on regular basis. INXS played as one of the headline acts at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and then toured through South America and Europe. Stevens was officially named a member of INXS in 2002, and the band started recording new material in November. Stevens left the band in October 2003 to pursue a solo career, and only recorded a contractual obligation song called "I Get Up."


title: INXS

text: INXS returned to the news in 2004 when it was announced that a new reality television program titled "" would feature a contest to find a new lead vocalist for the band. The show, which debuted on the CBS network on 11 July 2005, featured 15 contestants vying for the position of lead singer. The show was executive produced by "Survivor"'s Mark Burnett and hosted by Brooke Burke and Jane's Addiction and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro.


title: INXS

text: On 20 September 2005, J.D. Fortune won the eleven-week competition, which culminated in his singing the Rolling Stones's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and INXS' "What You Need" in the finale to become the new lead singer of INXS.


title: INXS

text: With Fortune as lead singer, INXS released the single "Pretty Vegas" on 4 October 2005. The single reached No. 5 on the iTunes Store ranking of daily most downloaded songs on its first day. It peaked at No. 9 in Australia and No. 37 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and became a huge radio airplay hit in Fortune's native Canada. On 29 November 2005, "Switch"—the band's first album with Fortune as lead singer—was released in the United States via Epic Records. The band's new line-up started a world tour in support of "Switch" in January 2006. In September 2006, INXS and Epic Records parted ways. The band then performed at the 2006 NRL Grand Final.


title: INXS

text: INXS toured Australia and New Zealand in March 2007, with Simple Minds and support band Arrested Development. After the cancellation of a 31 August 2007 show in Cleveland, Ohio, INXS placed a statement on their website stating "Due to ongoing medical issues with Garry Beers' hand, the band's doctor has urged the band to not play more than three shows in a row or risk permanent damage to Garry's hand."


title: INXS

text: The band signed with Petrol Electric Records in December 2008, reuniting them with former manager Chris Murphy. On 16 February 2009, J.D. Fortune told Entertainment Tonight Canada that INXS had let him go from the band with a shake of the hand at an airport in Hong Kong. On 23 February 2009, Chris Murphy, INXS creative director and global business strategist and former manager, in an interview with "The Daily Telegraph", said J.D. was not sacked and, in fact, "the band made it known to him that they had not ruled out seeing a return by Fortune." He also stated J.D. was next on his list to call regarding a major recording contract he was negotiating for the band.


title: INXS

text: In an interview with "Sun Media" published on 6 March 2009, J.D. Fortune clarified his claim that he had been fired at an airport. After returning to Canada from Hong Kong, Fortune believed there were still two more legs of the INXS 2007 tour to complete. When the rest of the tour was cancelled and the band did not return his calls for 10 months, he believed he was out of the band.


title: INXS

text: On 30 November 2009, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, and Kirk Pengilly performed an acoustic version of "Don't Change" with the Qantas Choir at the Pride of Australia Awards. On 8 December 2009, INXS announced they would be embarking on a world tour commencing with a performance in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The band announced on 11 February 2010 that J.D. Fortune would be vocalist for the performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics, but that it would be a one-off performance; the band added that a vocalist for the subsequent world tour had yet to be announced. The band performed at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on 24 February 2010 with guest singers J.D. Fortune and Argentine singer Deborah de Corral.


title: INXS

text: On 22 April 2010, INXS announced that Fortune would again front the band for a performance on 10 July 2010 at Townsville, QLD, Australia, and then again on 16 July 2010 in Broome, WA, Australia During a radio interview with Kirk Pengilly and J.D. Fortune in July 2010 just before the Broome concert, Pengilly confirmed that Fortune had returned as the band's permanent singer. In August 2010, Petrol Records issued Australian radio stations with a one-track promo "Never Tear Us Apart" featuring Ben Harper on vocals, a preview from the upcoming INXS Michael Hutchence tribute album "Original Sin". On 25 September 2010, the band performed before the 2010 AFL Grand Final. On 19 October 2010, it was announced in the Courier Mail that INXS, fronted by J.D. Fortune, would tour as part of the A Day on the Green winery concerts in February."


title: INXS

text: The band recorded an album in memory of Michael Hutchence titled "Original Sin". Released in November 2010, the album featured well-known singers from Australia and around the world, including Ben Harper, Patrick Monahan, and Rob Thomas.


title: INXS

text: In March 2011, INXS confirmed they would return to the United Kingdom and headlining with support from New Zealand band Shihad for an outdoor event called Southern Sounds on Clapham Common, London on Saturday 11 June. The event was an all-Australian, New Zealand and South African celebration lineup, with INXS fronted by J.D. Fortune. INXS toured extensively throughout 2011 with singer J.D. Fortune to support the album "Original Sin".


title: INXS

text: The band released a demo of a song, called "Tiny Summer" in streaming format on their official website in September 2011, along with news that J.D. Fortune had left the band again and that Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin would be the band's frontman for their forthcoming tour of Australia, South America and Europe in November and December 2011. On 6 October 2012, INXS were the headline act at the annual charity ball organised by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondent's Club.


title: INXS

text: During a concert on 11 November 2012 at the newly opened Perth Arena, while supporting Matchbox Twenty, INXS announced that they would no longer be touring. Kirk Pengilly stated that it was appropriate to finish where they had started 35 years earlier. Jon Farriss admitted that he was "getting teary" before the band performed their biggest hit, "Need You Tonight". In 2014, INXS released a tell-all history of the band on an Australian television interview special, "The Story Behind INXS". During the interview, Jon Farriss made the statement, "Never say never" regarding the possibility that the band could record and perform more music in the future.


title: INXS

text: In 2013, Australian TV network Seven Network announced that it would produce a miniseries focusing on the band's behind-the-scenes stories called "". Band member Tim Farriss was a pre-production consultant on the show. The miniseries commenced production at the end of June 2013 and premiered on 9 February 2014; the finale aired the following Sunday night (16 February 2014). The miniseries rated very highly for both nights and created a renewed interest in the band, which translated to a resurgence in sales of their music that brought them once again to the number one position on the Australian popular music charts. Luke Arnold was cast as Michael Hutchence, Alex Williams as Kirk Pengilly, Nicholas Masters as Tim Farriss, Hugh Sheridan as bass guitarist Gary Beers, Ido Drent as Jon Farriss and Andy Ryan as Andrew Farriss. In addition, Damon Herriman played band manager CM Murphy and Samantha Jade played Kylie Minogue. Given the popularity of this TV miniseries, there was talk of a Broadway musical and a feature film about INXS in the future.


title: INXS

text: In 2019, a documentary film was released about Michael Hutchence titled "Mystify". A was also released featuring INXS tracks.


title: INXS

text: According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), INXS has sold over 30 million units in the United States alone, making them the third-highest selling Australian music act in the United States behind AC/DC and The Bee Gees. INXS has sold an estimated 75 million records worldwide.


title: INXS

text: INXS has been nominated for numerous music awards, including ARIA Awards, Grammy Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards.


title: INXS

text: INXS has won seven Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside The Saints. This induction recognised their achievement of a "significant body of recorded work" and that they "had a cultural impact within Australia". INXS has won six other ARIA Awards, including three for 'Best Group' in 1987, 1989 and 1992.


title: INXS

text: "Countdown" was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine "TV Week" but then independently. The were succeeded by the ARIA Awards. INXS won seven awards at the 1984 awards ceremony, which was broadcast on 25 May 1985. On 20 April 1986 they won three further "Countdown" awards for 1985. They won further award in the final awards in 1986, from five nominations.


title: INXS

text: The International Rock Awards (1989–91) was a music award ceremony broadcast on ABC Television, to honor the top musicians in the genre of rock music.


title: INXS

text: The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. INXS won two awards in that time.


title: INXS

text: The Pollstar Concert Industry Awards is an annual award ceremony to honor artists and professionals in the concert industry.


title: William Fichtner

text: William Edward Fichtner (born November 27, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on "Invasion", Alexander Mahone on "Prison Break", Carl Hickman on "Crossing Lines", and Adam Janikowski on "Mom". His film appearances include "Heat", "Contact", "Armageddon", "The Perfect Storm", "Go", "Crash", "Black Hawk Down", and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".


title: William Fichtner

text: Fichtner was born on Mitchel Air Force Base on Long Island and raised in Cheektowaga, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. He is the son of Patricia A. (née Steitz) and William Frederick Fichtner. He has German ancestry.


title: William Fichtner

text: He graduated from Maryvale High School in 1974. After graduating from Farmingdale State College in 1976 with an associate degree in criminal justice, he attended the College at Brockport, State University of New York and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice in 1978. He then studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.


title: William Fichtner

text: On May 18, 2008, Fichtner received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Farmingdale State College. In his acceptance address, he credited Farmingdale admissions counselor Don Harvey with his decision to study acting. Harvey, who became a lifelong friend, took Fichtner to his first Broadway show.


title: William Fichtner

text: Fichtner began his acting career as Josh Snyder in "As the World Turns" in 1987. He has since appeared in the films "Contact", "Heat", "Armageddon", "Go", "Equilibrium", "Black Hawk Down", "The Perfect Storm", "The Longest Yard", "Crash", "Ultraviolet", "Drive Angry" and "The Dark Knight". Mainly a character actor, one of his few leading roles is in "Passion of Mind", also starring Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgård. His role in "Crash" won him a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award and a Best Acting Ensemble award from Broadcast Film Critics Choice. He appeared in the CBS sitcom "Mom" from 2015 to 2021.


title: William Fichtner

text: Credited as Bill Fichtner, he voiced in the video games "" and "". Between 2005 and 2006, he also starred in the sci-fi TV series "Invasion" as Sheriff Tom Underlay. After "Invasion" was canceled, he played ruthless FBI Agent Alexander Mahone in three seasons of "Prison Break" (2006–2009). In 2009, he co-presented the Vezina Trophy (for goal tending) at the National Hockey League awards show. He later guest starred as judge Christopher Mulready in "The West Wing" episode "The Supremes." He also had a role as the Gotham National Bank manager in the feature film "The Dark Knight" and as Jurgen in "Equilibrium".


title: William Fichtner

text: In June 2009, Fichtner had a recurring role as TV producer Phil Yagoda on "Entourage". He also voiced Master Sergeant Sandman in the 2011 video game "". He also played Eric Sacks in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2014).


title: William Fichtner

text: Fichtner is a fan of the NFL team the Buffalo Bills, and appeared in a commercial for them before the 2014 season. He narrated the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Four Falls of Buffalo", chronicling their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990–93.


title: Josephine Langford

text: Josephine Langford (born 18 August 1997) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her starring role as Tessa Young in the "After" film series. She also portrayed Emma Cunningham in the Netflix film "Moxie" while also portraying Zoey in upcoming Netflix romcom "The Other Zoey" and Katy Gibson in "Gigi & Nate".


title: Josephine Langford

text: Langford was born in Perth, Western Australia, and raised in Applecross, a riverside suburb of Perth. She is the youngest daughter of Stephen Langford, a flying doctor and the director of medical services at the Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations, and Elizabeth Green, a pediatrician. Her older sister, Katherine Langford, is also an actress.


title: Josephine Langford

text: As a child, Langford became interested in music and played the saxophone, the violin, and the piano. She's also played cricket in her childhood. In 2008, at the age of 10, Langford wrote and performed a song called "Shadows" for a music competition, which won her the "Song of the Year" title. She also wrote two more songs, "Lonely" (2007) and "Sea Shanty" (2008).


title: Josephine Langford

text: Langford started taking acting classes at the age of 13. In 2012, she began taking acting classes at Perth Film School. At the age of 14, she began appearing in several short films such as "Sex Ed" (2013), "When Separating" (2013), and "Gypsy Blood" (2014). She made her screen debut in the indie film "Pulse" (2017), which screened at film festivals. She also starred as a supporting actress the same year on the American horror film "Wish Upon", acting alongside Joey King. She also made her television debut in 2017 on the Australian series "Wolf Creek".


title: Josephine Langford

text: In July 2018, Langford was cast as Tessa Young in the film "After", based on the 2014 new adult fiction novel of the same name written by Anna Todd. The film premiered in 2019, and grossed $69.7 million worldwide. She won a Teen Choice Award for her role as Tessa. Langford and co-star Hero Fiennes Tiffin reprised their roles in the sequel, "After We Collided", which was released in September 2020. In 2019, Langford also appeared in the American horror anthology web television series "Into the Dark" as Clair.


title: Josephine Langford

text: In November 2019, Langford was cast as Emma Cunningham in the Netflix film "Moxie", which is based on the novel of the same name written by Jennifer Mathieu.


title: Homicide

text: Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no intent to cause harm. Homicides can be divided into many overlapping legal categories, such as murder, manslaughter, justifiable homicide, assassination, killing in war (either following the laws of war or as a war crime), euthanasia, and capital punishment, depending on the circumstances of the death. These different types of homicides are often treated very differently in human societies; some are considered crimes, while others are permitted or even ordered by the legal system.


title: Homicide

text: Criminal homicide takes many forms including accidental killing or murder. Criminal homicide is divided into two broad categories, murder and manslaughter, based upon the state of mind and intent of the person who commits the homicide.


title: Homicide

text: A report issued by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime in July 2019 documented that nearly 464,000 people around the world were killed in homicides in 2017, a number significantly in excess of the 89,000 killed in armed conflicts during the same period.


title: Homicide

text: Murder is the most serious crime that can be charged following a homicide. In many jurisdictions, murder may be punished by life in prison or even capital punishment. Although categories of murder can vary by jurisdiction, murder charges fall under two broad categories:


title: Homicide

text: In some jurisdictions, a homicide that occurs during the commission of a dangerous crime may constitute murder, regardless of the actor's intent to commit homicide. In the United States, this is known as the felony murder rule. In simple terms, under the felony murder rule a person who commits a felony may be guilty of murder if someone dies as a result of the commission of the crime, including the victim of the felony, a bystander or a co-felon, regardless their intent—or lack thereof—to kill, and even when the death results from the actions of a co-defendant or third party who is reacting to the crime.


title: Homicide

text: Manslaughter is a form of homicide in which the person who commits the homicide either does not intend to kill the victim, or kills the victim as the result of circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed to the point of potentially losing control of their actions. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th century BC. The penalty for manslaughter is normally less than the penalty for murder. The two broad categories of manslaughter are:


title: Homicide

text: Another form of manslaughter in some jurisdictions is constructive manslaughter, which may be charged if a person causes a death without intention but as the result of violating an important safety law or regulation.


title: Homicide

text: Not all homicides are crimes, or subject to criminal prosecution. Some are legally privileged, meaning that they are not criminal acts at all. Others may occur under circumstances that provide the defendant with a full or partial defense to criminal prosecution. Common defenses include:


title: Homicide

text: The availability of defenses to a criminal charge following a homicide may affect the homicide rate. For example, it has been suggested that the availability of "stand your ground" defense has resulted in an increase in the homicide rate in U.S. jurisdictions that recognize the defense, including Florida.


title: Homicide

text: Scholars study especially large homicide events (typically 50,000 deaths in five years or less) as mass killings. Some medium- and large-scale mass killings by state actors have been termed massacres, though not all such killings have been so named. The term "democide" has been coined by Rudolph Rummel to describe "murder by government" in general, which includes both extrajudicial killings and widespread systematic homicide.


title: Homicide

text: Killings by government agents might be called "murder" or "mass murder" in general usage, especially if seen by the commentator as unethical, but the domestic legal definitions of murder, manslaughter, etc., usually exclude killings carried out by lawful government action.


title: Homicide

text: Deliberate massacres of captives or civilians during wartime or periods of civil unrest by the state's military forces include those committed by Genghis Khan, the Golden Horde, the troops of Vlad the Impaler, the British Empire in its colonies, the Empire of Japan, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, the Herero and Namaqua genocide, being the 1st genocide of the 20th century and committed by the German Empire, The Holocaust, the Nanjing Massacre, the Katyn Forest Massacre of Polish citizens in 1940 and the massacres of political prisoners after the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the Three Alls Policy, the massacre of Soviet Jews at Babi Yar, the mass murder of the Hungarian, Serbian and German population in Vojvodina in the "Vengeance of Bacska", the murder of 24 unarmed villagers by British troops in the Batang Kali massacre during the Malayan Emergency, the mass killings in Indonesia during Suharto's rise to power, the murder of suspected leftists during Operation Condor in South America, the murder of Vietnamese civilians by American soldiers in the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War, the genocidal massacres of the Maya population during the Guatemalan Civil War, the massacre at El Mozote during the Salvadoran Civil War, and repeated attacks on civilians during the Syrian Civil War including the Al-Qubeir massacre.


title: Homicide

text: Actions in which the state indirectly caused the death of large numbers of people include man-made disasters caused by the state, such as the famines in India during British rule, the atrocities in the Congo Free State, the Khmer Rouge years in Cambodia, the Holodomor in Soviet Ukraine and wider Soviet famine, the famines and poverty caused by the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China, and the famine in Yemen triggered by the U.S.–backed Saudi Arabian-led intervention and blockade.


title: Homicide

text: A 2011 study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime brought together a wide variety of data sources to create a worldwide picture of trends and developments. Sources included multiple agencies and field offices of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and national and international sources from 207 countries.


title: Homicide

text: The report estimated that in 2010, the total number of homicides globally was 468,000. More than a third (36%) occurred in Africa, 31 percent in the Americas, 27 percent in Asia, five percent in Europe and one percent in Oceania. Since 1995, the homicide rate has been falling in Europe, North America, and Asia, but has risen to a near “crisis point” in Central America and the Caribbean. Of all homicides worldwide, 82 percent of the victims were men, and 18 percent were women. On a per-capita scaled level, "the homicide rate in Africa and the Americas (at 17 and 16 per 100,000 population, respectively) is more than double the global average (6.9 per 100,000), whereas in Asia, Europe and Oceania (between 3 and 4 per 100,000) it is roughly half".


title: Homicide

text: UNODC, in its 2013 global report, estimated the total number of homicides worldwide dropped to 437,000 in 2012. The Americas accounted for 36 percent of all homicides globally, Africa 21 percent, Asia 38 percent, Europe five percent and Oceania 0.3%. The world's average homicide rate stood at 6.2 per 100,000 population in 2012, but the Southern Africa region and Central America have intentional homicide rates four times higher than the world average. They are the most violent regions globally, outside of regions experiencing wars and religious or sociopolitical terrorism. Asia exclusive of West Asia and Central Asia, Western Europe, Northern Europe, as well as Oceania had the lowest homicide rates in the world. About 41 percent of the homicides worldwide occurred in 2012 with the use of guns, 24 percent with sharp objects such as knife, and 35 percent by other means such as poison. The global conviction rate for the crime of intentional homicide in 2012 was 43 percent.


title: Homicide

text: The 2011 Global Study on Homicide reported that "[W]here homicide rates are high and firearms and organized crime in the form of drug trafficking play a substantial role, 1 in 50 men aged 20 will be murdered before they reach the age of 31. At the other, the probability of such an occurrence is up to 400 times lower. [H]omicide is much more common in countries with low levels of human development, high levels of income inequality and weak rule of law than in more equitable societies, where socioeconomic stability seems to be something of an antidote to homicide. In cases of intimate partner and family-related homicide cases, women murdered by their past or present male partner make up the vast majority of homicide victims worldwide."


title: Homicide

text: In the mid-second millennium, local levels of violence in Europe were extremely high by the standards of modern developed countries. Typically, small groups of people would battle their neighbors using the farm tools at hand, such as knives, sickles, hammers, and axes. Mayhem and death were deliberate. The vast majority of Europeans lived in rural areas as late as 1800. Cities were few, and small in size, but their concentration of population was conducive to violence and their trends resembled those in rural areas. Across Europe, homicide trends show a steady long-term decline. Regional differences were small, except that Italy's decline was later and slower. From approximately 1200 AD through 1800 AD, homicide rates from violent local episodes, not including military actions, declined by a factor of ten, from approximately 32 deaths per 100,000 people to 3.2 per 100,000. In the 20th century, the homicide rate fell to 1.4 per 100,000. Police forces seldom existed outside the cities; prisons only became common after 1800. Before then, harsh penalties were imposed for homicide (severe whipping or execution) but they proved ineffective at controlling or reducing the insults to honor that precipitated most of the violence. The decline does not correlate with economics or measures of state control. Most historians attribute the trend in homicides to a steady increase in self-control of the sort promoted by Protestantism, and necessitated by schools and factories. Eisner argues that macro-level indicators for societal efforts to promote civility, self-discipline, and long-sightedness are strongly associated with fluctuations in homicide rates over the past six centuries.


title: Indian Railways

text: Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a total route length of . or 83% of all the broad-gauge routes are electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC electric traction .


title: Indian Railways

text: In 2020, Indian Railways carried 808.6 crore (8.086 billion) passengers and in 2022, Railways transported 1418.1 million tonnes of freight. It runs 13,169 passenger trains daily, on both long-distance and suburban routes, covering 7,325 stations across India. Mail or Express trains, the most common types of trains, run at an average speed of . Suburban EMUs run at an average speed of . Ordinary passenger trains (incl. mixed) run at an average speed of . The maximum speed of passenger trains varies, with the Vande Bharat Express running at a peak speed of .


title: Indian Railways

text: In the freight segment, IR runs 8,479 trains daily. The average speed of freight trains is around . The maximum speed of freight trains varies from depending on their axle load with 'container special' trains running at a peak speed of .


title: Indian Railways

text: , Indian Railways' rolling stock consisted of 2,93,077 freight wagons, 76,608 passenger coaches and 12,729 locomotives. IR owns locomotive and coach-production facilities at several locations in India. It had 1.254 million employees , making it the world's eighth-largest employer. The government has committed to electrifying India's entire rail network by 2023–24, and become a "net zero (carbon emissions) railway" by 2030.


title: Indian Railways

text: The first railway proposals for India were made in Madras in 1832. The country's first transport train, "Red Hill Railway" (built by Arthur Cotton to transport granite for road-building), ran from Red Hills to the Chintadripet bridge in Madras in 1836-1837. In 1845, the "Godavari Dam Construction Railway" was built by Cotton at Dowleswaram in Rajahmundry, to supply stone for the construction of a dam over the Godavari River. In 1851, the "Solani Aqueduct Railway" was built by Proby Cautley in Roorkee to transport construction materials for an aqueduct over the Solani River. These railway tracks were dismantled after these projects were completed and no longer exist.


title: Indian Railways

text: India's first passenger train, operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway and hauled by three steam locomotives ("Sahib", "Sindh" and "Sultan"), ran for with 400 people in 14 carriages on broad gauge track between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane on 16 April 1853. The Thane viaducts, India's first railway bridges, were built over the Thane creek when the Mumbai-Thane line was extended to Kalyan in May 1854. Eastern India's first passenger train ran from Howrah, near Kolkata, to Hoogly on 15 August 1854. The first passenger train in South India ran from Royapuram-Veyasarapady (Madras) to Wallajaroad (Arcot) on 1 July 1856.


title: Indian Railways

text: On 24 February 1873, a horse-drawn tram opened in Calcutta between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street. On 9 May 1874, a horse-drawn tramway began operation in Bombay between Colaba and Parel. In 1879, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was established which built several railway lines across the then Hyderabad State with Kachiguda Railway Station serving as its headquarters. In 1897, lighting in passenger coaches was introduced by many railway companies. On 3 February 1925, the first electric passenger train in India ran between Victoria Terminus and Kurla.


title: Indian Railways

text: The organization of Indian railways into regional zones began in 1951, when the Southern (14 April 1951), Central (5 November 1951), and Western (5 November 1951) zones were created. Fans and lights were mandated for all compartments in all passenger classes in 1951, and sleeping accommodations were introduced in coaches. In 1956, the first fully air-conditioned train was introduced between Howrah and Delhi (Presently known as Poorva Express). Ten years later, the first containerised freight service began between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. In 1974, Indian Railways endured a 20 day strike, which damaged the nation's economy.


title: Indian Railways

text: In 1986, computerized ticketing and reservations were introduced in New Delhi. In 1988, the first Shatabdi Express was introduced between New Delhi and Jhansi; it was later extended to Bhopal. Two years later, the first self-printing ticket machine (SPTM) was introduced in New Delhi. In 1993, air-conditioned three-tier coaches and a sleeper class (separate from second class) were introduced on IR. The CONCERT system of computerized reservations was deployed in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in September 1996. In 1998, coupon validating machines (CVMs) were introduced at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The nationwide concierge system began operation on 18 April 1999. In February 2000, the Indian Railways website went online. Individuals can book reserved tickets in online through Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation's (IRCTC) official website (www.irctc.co.in). On 3 August 2002, IR began online train reservations and ticketing. The Railway Budget was usually presented two days before the Union budget every year till 2016. The central government approved merger of the Rail and General budgets from next year, ending a 92-year-old practice of a separate budget for the nation's largest transporter. On 31 March 2017, Indian Railways announced that the country's entire rail network would be electrified by 2022 or 2023, and become a net-zero (carbon emission) railway by 2030.


title: Indian Railways

text: On 22 March 2020, Indian Railways announced a nationwide shutdown of passenger rail service to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in India. This became part of a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The railway shutdown was initially scheduled to last from 23 to 31 March, but the nationwide lockdown, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March, was to last 21 days. The national rail network is maintaining its freight operations during the lockdown, to transport essential goods. On 29 March, Indian Railways announced that it would start service for special parcel trains to transport essential goods, in addition to regular freight service. The national rail operator has also announced plans to convert coaches into isolation wards for patients of COVID-19. The railways have since reopened are currently functioning in 2022.


title: Indian Railways

text: Indian Railways is headed by a Four-member Railway Board whose chairman reports to the Ministry of Railways. The Railway Board also acts as the Ministry of Railways. The officers manning the office of Railway Board are mostly from organised Group A Railway Services and Railway Board Secretariat Service. IR is divided into 18 zones, headed by general managers who report to the Railway Board. The zones are further subdivided into 71 operating divisions, headed by divisional railway managers (DRM). The divisional officers of the engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal and telecommunication, stores, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial, security and safety branches report to their respective DRMs and are tasked with the operation and maintenance of assets. Station masters control individual stations and train movements through their stations' territory. In addition, there are a number of production units, training establishments, public sector enterprises and other offices working under the control of the Railway Board.


title: Indian Railways

text: Staff are classified into gazetted (Groups A and B) and non-gazetted (Groups C and D) employees. Gazetted employees carry out executive / managerial / officer level tasks. As of March 2017, the number of personnel (Groups A & B) constitutes 1.2% of the total strength, while Group C & D account for 92.6% and 6.2% respectively.


title: Indian Railways

text: There is no direct recruitment of Group B employees in Indian Railways and they are recruited by departmental promotional exams of Group C employees. Recruitment of Group A employees is carried out by the Union Public Service Commission Civil Service exam. Recruitment of Group C junior engineers and depot material superintendents is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board. Group C employees are recruited by 21 Railway Recruitment Board or RRB, which are controlled by the Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB). Group D staffs are recruited by 16 Railway Recruitment Cells or RRCs.


title: Indian Railways

text: The training of all groups is shared among seven centralized zonal training institutes and 295 training centers all over India.


title: Indian Railways

text: IR offers housing and runs its own hospitals, schools and sports facilities for the welfare of its staff.


title: Indian Railways

text: Following is the list of public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other organizations in which Indian Railways has a stake and are related to rail transport in India:


title: Indian Railways

text: By 1990s, steam locomotives were phased out and electric and diesel locomotives, along with a few CNG (compressed natural gas) locomotives are used. Steam locomotives are used only in heritage trains. Locomotives in India are classified by gauge, motive power, the work they are suited for, and their power or model number. Their four- or five-letter class name includes this information. The first letter denotes the track gauge, the second their motive power (diesel or electric), and the third their suitable traffic (goods, passenger, multi or shunting). The fourth letter denoted the locomotive's chronological model number, but in 2002, a new classification was adopted in which the fourth letter in newer diesel locomotives indicate horsepower range.


title: Indian Railways

text: A locomotive may have a fifth letter in its name, denoting a technical variant, subclass, or sub-type (a variation in the basic model (or series) or a different motor or manufacturer). In the new diesel-locomotive classification, the fifth letter refines the horsepower in 100-hp increments: A for 100 hp, B for 200 hp, C for 300 hp and so on. In this classification, a WDM-3A is a 3100 hp, a WDM-3D a 3400 hp and a WDM-3F a 3600 hp locomotive. Diesel locomotives are fitted with auxiliary power units, which saves almost 88 percent of fuel during the idle time when a train is not running.


title: Indian Railways

text: Presently Indian Railways rolling stock (bogies) are being manufactured by ICF, MCF and RCF. Where as Locomotives are manufactured by Chittaranjan Locomotives, Varanasi Locomotives, Patiala Locomotives. All these are owned and operated by Railways Department. But Indian Railways also procure rolling stocks from BEML and BHEL which are other government organizations.


title: Indian Railways

text: A new wagon numbering system was adopted in Indian Railways in 2003. Wagons are allocated 11 digits, making it easy for identification and computerization of a wagon's information. The first two digits indicate "Type of Wagon," the third and fourth digits indicate "Owning Railway," the fifth and sixth digits indicate "Year of Manufacture," the seventh to tenth digits indicate "Individual Wagon Number," and the last digit is a "Check digit."


title: Indian Railways

text: IR's bulk requirement of wagons is met by wagon manufacturing units both in public and private sectors as well as other Public Sector Units under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways.


title: Indian Railways

text: On long-distance routes and also on some shorter routes, IR uses two primary types of coach design types. ICF coach, in production from 1955 until Jan 2018, constitute the bulk of the current stock. These coaches, considered to be having inadequate safety features, are slowly being phased out. As of September 2017, around 40,000 coaches are still in operation. These coaches are being replaced with LHB coach. Introduced in mid '90s, these coaches are lighter, safer and are capable of speeds up to .


title: Indian Railways

text: IR has introduced new electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets for long-distance routes. One such, Train-18 is under operation and another, Train-20 is expected to run from 2020. These train sets are expected to replace locomotive-hauled trains on long-distance routes.


title: Indian Railways

text: On regional short-distance routes, IR runs Mainline electrical multiple unit (MEMU) or Diesel electrical multiple unit (DEMU) trains, depending on the traction available. These train sets are self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration and are expected to reduce congestion on dense routes. Passenger locomotive-hauled trains, having frequent stops, are slowly being replaced with train sets across India.


title: Indian Railways

text: On suburban commuter routes around the large urban centers, IR runs trains with normal electric multiple unit (EMU) coaches. These are popularly called as "local trains" or simply "locals".


title: Indian Railways

text: Indian Railways is a vertically integrated organization that produces majority of its locomotives & rolling stock at in-house production units, with a few recent exceptions.


title: Indian Railways

text: The repair and maintenance of this vast fleet of rolling stock is carried out at 44 loco sheds, 212 carriage & wagon repair units and 45 periodic overhaul workshops across various zones of IR.


title: Indian Railways

text: As of 31 March 2020, IR network spans of track length, while the route length is . Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from , though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is 180 km/h (110 mph) during trial runs. Almost all the broad-gauge network is equipped with long-welded, high-tensile strength 52kg/60kg 90 UTS rails and pre-stressed concrete (PSC) sleepers with elastic fastenings.


title: Indian Railways

text: The tracks and and narrow gauge tracks are present on fewer routes. All of these routes, except the heritage routes, are being converted to broad gauge. The metre gauge tracks were (3.53% of total route network) and narrow gauges tracks were (2.36% of total route network)


title: Indian Railways

text: As of 1 April 2022, IR has electrified 80% or of the total broad-gauge route kilometers. Indian Railway uses 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction on all its electrified tracks.


title: Indian Railways

text: Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Kurla on the Harbour Line, on 3 February 1925 on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) at 1500 V DC. Heavy gradients in the Western Ghats necessitated the introduction of electric traction on the GIPR to Igatpuri on the North East line and Pune on the South East line. On 5 January 1928 1500 V DC traction was introduced on the suburban section of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway between Colaba and Borivili, and between Madras Beach and Tambaram of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway on 11 May 1931, to meet growing traffic needs. The 3000 V DC electrification of the Howrah-Burdwan section of the Eastern Railway was completed in 1958. The first 3000 V DC EMU service began on the Howrah-Sheoraphuli section on 14 December 1957.


title: Indian Railways

text: Research and trials in Europe, particularly on French Railways (SNCF), indicated that 25 kV AC was an economical electrification system. Indian Railways decided in 1957 to adopt 25 kV AC as its standard, with SNCF their consultant in the early stages. The first 25 kV AC section was Raj Kharswan–Dongoaposi on the South Eastern Railway in 1960. The first 25 kV AC EMUs, for Kolkata suburban service, began service in September 1962. For continuity, the Howrah–Burdwan section of the Eastern Railway and the Madras Beach–Tambaram section of the Southern Railway were converted to 25 kV AC by 1968. Because of limitations in the DC traction system, a decision was made to convert the electric traction system of the Mumbai suburban rail network of WR and CR from 1.5kV DC to 25 kV AC in 1996–97. The conversion from DC to AC traction was completed in 2012 by Western Railway, and in 2016 by Central Railway. Since then, the entire electrified mainline rail network in India uses 25 kV AC, and DC traction is used only for metros and trams.


title: Indian Railways

text: Indian Railways announced on 31 March 2017 that the country's entire rail network would be electrified by 2022. Though not a nascent concept, the electrification in India now has been committed with a fresh investment of to electrify the entire network and eliminate the cost of fuel under transportation which will amount to a massive savings of overall. This will be a boon for savings for the Government to channelize the investments in modernization of the railway infrastructure. Close to 30 billion units of electricity will be required for railway electrification on an annual basis by 2022, leading to excellent opportunities for IPPs of conventional power.


title: Indian Railways

text: IR uses a range of signalling technologies and methods to manage its train operations based on traffic density and safety requirements.


title: Indian Railways

text: As of March 2020, around of the route uses automatic block signalling for train operations – concentrated in high density routes, large cities and junctions. Remaining routes are based on absolute block signalling with trains manually controlled by signal men from the signal boxes typically located at stations. Few low density routes still use manual block signalling methods with communication on track clearance based on physical exchange of tokens. In a few sections, intermediate block signalling is provided to further enhance line capacity with minimal investment. As of March 2020, 602 block sections have intermediate block signals on IR.


title: Indian Railways

text: IR primarily uses coloured signal lights, which replaced semaphores and disc-based signalling (dependent on position or colour). IR uses two-aspect, three-aspect and four (or multiple) aspect color signalling across its network.


title: Indian Railways

text: Signals at most stations are interlocked using panel interlocking, route-relay interlocking or electronic interlocking methods that eliminate scope for human signalling errors. IR uses track circuiting, and block proving axle counters for train detection. As of March 2017, 6,018 stations across IR have interlocked stations and multi-aspect signalling. Around 99% of key routes (A, B, C and D) have track circuitry or block proving axle counters for automated train detection. Also, IR has about 59,105 route kilometers of optical fiber cable network across India, that is used for train control, voice and data communication. Around of the route is covered by GSM-R based Mobile Train Radio Communication.


title: Indian Railways

text: In December 2017, IR announced that it will implement ETCS Level 2 system for signalling and control on key routes with an investment of . Currently IR uses Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) on the busy Ghaziabad – Kanpur route and real-time train monitoring systems on Mumbai and Kolkata suburban routes.


title: Indian Railways

text: Bangladesh is connected by the four times a week "Maitree Express" that runs from Kolkata to Dhaka, weekly "Bandhan Express" which began running commercial trips between Kolkata and Khulna in November 2017 and biweekly "Mitali Express" which runs between New Jalpaiguri Junction and Dhaka.


title: Indian Railways

text: Indian and Bangladeshi governments has started work on a new rail link to ease surface transport. India will build a railway linking Tripura's capital Agartala with Bangladesh's southeastern city of Akhaura, an important railway junction connected to Chittagong port, resource-rich Sylhet and Dhaka. An agreement to implement the railway project was signed between the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina during the latter's visit to India in January 2010. Total cost of the proposed project is estimated at . The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) is constructing the new railway tracks on both sides of the border. Of the rail line, of tracks fall in Indian territory. The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) is laying the connecting tracks for the new rail link on the Indian side, up to Tripura's southernmost border town, Sabroom – south of Agartala. From Sabroom, the Chittagong international sea port is away.


title: Indian Railways

text: No rail link currently exists with Bhutan as of 2021. An long railway line from Hasimara on the New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar line in West Bengal to Toribari near Pasakha town of Bhutan was planned to be built via Satali, Bharna Bari and Dalsingpara. However this project was scrapped due to opposition from locals. In 2020, a new line survey was conducted by the IR for a long line from Mujnai on the New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar line to Neyopaling village under Phuentshopelri Gewog in Samtse.


title: Indian Railways

text: No rail link currently exist with Myanmar as of 2021. The Jiribam–Imphal railway line, currently under construction is planned to be extended up to the Indo-Myanmar border at Moreh and to be connected to Tamu on the Myanmar side. Then a missing link needs to be built from Tamu to the existing railhead at Kalay of the Kalay–Pakokku–Chaung U–Myouhaung (Mandalay) line. The construction of this missing link, as per the feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs through RITES Ltd, is estimated to cost .


title: Indian Railways

text: Two rail links to Nepal exist as of 2021, with a third under construction. A line from Raxaul to Sirsiya (near Birgunj) was opened for freight traffic in 2005 as per an agreement made between the Indian and Nepali government on 2004. In 2018 an MoU was signed between the Indian and Nepali government to extend the Raxaul–Birgunj line to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu.


title: Indian Railways

text: The Jaynagar to Janakpur line was opened on 2020 till Kurtha after which the section was handed over to the Nepal Railways in 2021. Services on the section are yet to begin on the line owing to staffing problems of Nepal Railways. The Kurtha–Bijalpura construction is underway and it has been proposed to extend the line to Bardibas.


title: Indian Railways

text: Construction of the Jogbani to Biratnagar railway line is underway as of 2021. The first phase consisting of railway line is already completed from Bathnaha to Nepal Customs point and the remaining portion of the project from Nepal Customs point to Biratnagar is under construction.


title: Indian Railways

text: Two trains operate to Pakistan: the "Samjhauta Express" between Delhi and Lahore and the "Thar Express" between Jodhpur and Karachi. However, as of August 2019, they have been cancelled due to the tension over Kashmir.


title: Indian Railways

text: No rail links currently exist with Sri Lanka. However The Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, Initially Connected Madras (#Chennai_Egmore) to #Thothookudi Via Train & Thothookudi to Colombo via streamer later 1) Madras (#Chennai_Egmore) to Dhanushkodi Pier through Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express 2) Dhanushkodi Pier to Talaimannar via Boat 3) Talaimannar to Colombo.Yalzhpannam (Jaffna) During 1900's it was a combined train and steamer ferry service between India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Connecting Chennai and Colombo, the system initially utilised a rail-to-sea operation, but changed to a rail-to-sea-to-rail operation. Passengers could buy a single ticket for the journey. Now at present, it runs from Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram via Villuppuram, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Karaikkudi, Devakottai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, Mandapam and Pamban.


title: Indian Railways

text: Tuticorin–Colombo, in the late 19th century, the railway portion of the route within India was from Madras (Chennai) to Tuticorin. At Tuticorin, passengers embarked on the boat mail steamer to Colombo in Ceylon. The train took 21 hours and 50 minutes for the journey from Madras to Tuticorin. The Boat Mail was one of the early trains to be given vestibuled carriages, in 1898.


title: Indian Railways

text: Dhanushkodi–Talaimannar, in 1914 after the Pamban bridge was built, the train's route changed and it went from Madras to Dhanushkodi. A much shorter ferry service then took the passengers to Talaimannar in Ceylon, from where another train went to Colombo. The long ferry journey was considerably shorter than the long Tuticorin-Colombo route.


title: Indian Railways

text: IR categorizes its railway stations by commercial importance into three different categories namely Non Suburban Group (NSG), Suburban Group (SG) and Halt Group (HG). These are further subdivided into subcategories based on their commercial importance (namely from NSG 1 to NSG 6, SG 1 to SG 3 and from HG 1 to HG 3). The commercial importance of a station is determined by taking into account its passenger footfall, earnings and strategic importance. These categories are used by IR to decide on and provide the minimum essential amenities required by each station.


title: Indian Railways

text: Prior to December 2017, the commercial importance of a station was determined only on the basis of its earnings and as such the stations were categorized into seven categories based on it, namely A1, A, B, C, D, E, and F categories.


title: Indian Railways

text: IR has several classes of travel, with or without air-conditioning. A train may have one or several classes. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating, and the Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Garib Rath Express, Double Decker Express, Tejas Express, Humsafar Express, Duronto Express, Yuva Express, and Vande Bharat Express have only air-conditioned classes. Fares for all classes differ, and unreserved seating is the least expensive. Fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat Express trains include food. In September 2016, IR introduced dynamic fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains (except 1AC and EC classes) to increase revenue. Long-distance trains usually include a pantry car, and food is served at the passengers' berth or seat. Luxury trains (such as Palace on Wheels) have separate dining cars, but these trains cost as much as—or more than—a five-star hotel room.


title: Indian Railways

text: A standard passenger rake has four unreserved (general) compartments, two at the front and two at the rear (one of which may be for women). The number of other coaches varies by demand and route. A luggage compartment may be at the front or the rear. On some mail trains, a separate mail coach is attached. Lavatories are communal, and Indian- and Western-style. The classes in operation are (although a train may not have all these classes):


title: Indian Railways

text: At the rear of the train is the guard's cabin. It contains a transceiver, and is where the guard usually gives the all-clear signal before the train departs. The guard's cabin is also called SLR.