Archives are recognized as primary source of rare documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime to highlight its origin and development. It is considered to be the significant legacy which makes them truly precious. The term archival records/materials, signifies any physical medium which is employed to transmit information, such as paper, photographs, audio/ video tape, computer tapes/disks, etc. Indian Railways have constantly preserving the wide range of archival and library collections demonstrating historical development and origin of railways at following locations:
1. National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Vadodara
2. Indian Railways Institute of Electrical Engineering Nasik (IREEN)
3. Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering (IRICEN), Pune
4. Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur
5. Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET), Secunderabad
6. Indian Railway Institute of Transport Management (IRITM), Lucknow
7. Railway Board Library, Ministry of Railways , New Delhi
8. Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow
9. National Rail Museum Archive, New Delhi
10. National Archives of India, New Delhi