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All Aboard for the Best Train Journey’s Through India by Jon Simpson
Without a shadow of a doubt, the best way to see India is not on a plane at 35,000 feet, but at ground level on the incredible Indian railway system. In fact, no visit to India is complete without experiencing the bustle of Indian railway stations and having a safe & comfortable journey on an Indian express train with the tea seller’s welcome cry of ‘Chai, chai, garam chai’ coming down the aisle. On a long distance express all seats and berths are reserved and it’s a safe, civilised, cheap and comfortable way to get around India and by using overnight Sleeper trains from city centre to city centre you save on hotel bills into the bargain.
Indian Railways have enchanted dreamers and inspired authors and filmmakers from all over the world. That’s because there’s no other railway like India’s on Earth. Book flights to India then join the 18 million daily passengers, 1.4 million employees and 17,000 trains operating on 64,000 kilometres of track and see the parts of India that most never see! Here are the ten most awe-inspiring journeys.
Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express
Route: New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), Tinsukia , Ledo (Assam)
This journey involves two trains, but you can’t take the second without the first as the Tinsukia to Ledo segment is the easternmost tip of the railway. The journey begins in West Bengal aboard the super-fast Rajdhani and reaches Assam in next to no time. Take in the stunning views of vast glistening green paddy and tea plantations on either side. As night begins to fall, the train sweeps past the Brahmaputra River then crawls through the slums of Guwahati. From Tinsukia, the morning passenger train zooms through breath-taking landscapes before arriving at the end of the line having squeezed past the backs of people’s houses so closely you can see right into their windows.
Journey time: 16 hours 30 minutes then 1 hour 30 to Ledo; £17 in second-class sleeper
Goa Express
Route: Vasco da Gama (Goa) to Londa (Karnataka)
The train inches past Goan beaches as families splash in the water, friends chat in huddles by the track and the smoke from late afternoon cooking floats through the carriages. Bright pink blossoms hang so close you can reach out and touch them as the train heads straight into the heart of Goan village life. The train speeds up on approach to the Western Ghats hugging the curves of the mountainside. Look out for waterfalls in the distance as the trees thin and the views turn to deep valleys and mountain peaks. As you approach Londa the sun should just be setting which makes the red clay surroundings glow a fiery orange. Spectacular.
Journey time: 3 hours 30 mins; £2 travelling in sleeper class
Nizamuddin Duronto Express
Route: Pune (Maharashtra) to New Delhi
This is one of the new non-stop express trains connecting major cities. The Duronto Express from Pune to Delhi cuts six hours off the normal 26-hour journey and covers a beautiful route with such amazingly varied landscapes. The on-board service is also excellent. From 11am until sunset, the train rolls past rivers, deserts, mountains and villages and salt mounds drying in the sun. There are tasty meals included in the ticket price, second to none cleanliness, spanking new interiors and phone sockets, berths and bottle holders. The added benefit is that the trains are also derailment-proof. That’s one less thing to worry about!
Journey time: 20 hours; £28 in second class A/C sleeper
Mandovi Express
Route: Madgaon (Goa) to Mumbai
Between the Sahyadri hills on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, the Konkan Railway has incredible views on the route up to Mumbai, hugging India’s southwest coastline. Indians bored through the mountains, crossed hundreds of rivers and built 92 tunnels and 2,000 bridges to enable this route. The Panvalnadi bridge is currently the highest viaduct in India. The train doors are usually left open on this awesome journey, taking you through shimmering paddy fields lined with coconut and mango trees, tiny villages and infinite stretches of water that meander out to the sea.
Journey time: 12 hours 15 mins; £15.50 second class A/C sleeper
Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey
Route: Mumbai to Delhi
This elegant train, the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey, connects Mumbai and Delhi via Rajasthan and is the closest option to travelling like the Rajput kings once did. It’s possible to cover the same route by passenger train, but most local trains ‘overnight sleepers don’t have air-conditioning. During the day, try tiger-spotting in Ranthambore, or visit the caves at Ellora and Ajanta. A definite must -do is spending an afternoon at the Taj Mahal. On-board activities include relaxing under a giant duvet, dining in a choice of two lovely cars, swapping travel stories with fellow passengers or sipping Bombay Sapphire gin while watching the beauty of the Thar Desert swish by.
Great Rail Journeys offers a 10-night tour, including seven nights on the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey plus flights, from £2,925pp based on two sharing
Himalayan Queen
Route: Kalka (Haryana) to Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)
India’s lovely meter-gauge railway is famous for its 102 tunnels, 87 bridges and 900 curves. It was built in 1903 when English ladies would leave the summer heat in Shimla. The train is now used by commuters and those selling their wares up and down the hillside and not just tourists. As Shimla approaches, tiny red flowers bloom all around and thin rivers of water run down the steep ledges. Cows frequently linger on the track, but the train stops regularly en route anyway so that passengers can stop and take tea and perhaps a hot pakora or two!
Journey Time: 5 hours 10 mins; 46 pence each way
Island Express
Route: Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) to Trivandrum (Kerala)
Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India and the place where three oceans meet, is a brilliant spot to start a railway adventure. The Island Express takes just over two hours to reach Trivandrum. As it inches through tropical greenery, palm trees and tall grassy verges typical of Kerala, the train fills with a cool lemony-green hue. Giant creepers hang down from the jungle-like outdoors and if you look carefully you’ll see churches and tiny houses painted like sweets among them.
Journey time: 2 hours 15 mins; 40p in general class
The Toy Train
Route: New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling (West Bengal)
The hill railway that Darjeeling’s tiny steam train runs on is now considered a World Heritage Site. Travelling at a speed of 12kmph, the Toy Train trundles through dense forests, curving around tea plantations, so close that you can almost touch the tea-pickers with their baskets strapped to their heads. Famous for its reverses, loops and the spiral at Agony Point, the railway line eventually crosses a main road through the town and runs alongside the lovely local street stalls. If it’s a clear day you should be able to see the snow-capped tip of Kanchenjunga.
Journey time: 7 hours 15 min; 60pence in standard class
Jammu Mail
Route: Jammu to Udhampur (Jammu state)
The stretch of railway from Jammu to Udhampur has extended the northernmost reach of the Indian Railways into the foothills of the Himalayas and show incredible feats of skills as the track weaves around the rocky faces of the Shivalik mountain range. There are jaw-dropping views, especially from across the Gambhir Bridge. On the approach to Udhampur, the land flattens out into what seem to be meadows. If you find yourself waiting for the frequently delayed train, the station restaurant at Jammu Tawi does the best omelette sandwiches.
Journey time: 3-hour round-trip; 27p each way
Golden Chariot
Route: Bangalore (Karnataka) to Goa
This is a popular train with Indian families on their holidays. The train weaves across Karnataka with an en route stop at Kabini wildlife sanctuary before arrival in the incredible world heritage sites of Hampi and Badami. The views are of strewn boulders, rock-cut sandstone caves and a palace and temple ruins. Sit by your cabin window the evening before arriving in Goa and watch the sun stream through the forests before setting on the hills. On-board the rooms are neat, elegant and well-equipped with en-suite showers and the beautiful dining cars are straight out Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Magical.
Kuoni travel offers nine nights on the Golden Chariot train journey, including flights and transfers, from £2,965pp based on two sharing
About the Author
A true travel author, Jon loves nothing more than taking exciting journeys across the globe waiting for the next piece…
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