Five Types of Trains to Experience in India

Indian railways have one of the largest networks in the world and forms the lifeline of domestic transportation and logistics in the country. For me as a millennial, the thought of a train journey brings back nostalgia. Over the years, I have experienced the crowd of a general bogey, the liveliness of second-class travel as well as the comfort of the air-conditioning through journeys in the upper-class cabins. Through this article, I would like to share five of my unique experiences of travelling in special trains operated by the Indian railways.

1. Vista Dome trains:

The best experience in these trains is by opting for a day journey to truly observe the beautiful landscape through the glass dome roof. The one that I have done is the vista dome ride from Bangalore to Mangalore. The view of the green forest of the western ghats, dark tunnels and deep gorges is an experience to add to your bucket list.

2. Double-decker trains:

I realized that my ticket from Bangalore to Salem was on a double-decker train only after arriving at the platform. My seat was located on an air-conditioned cabin on the top deck, offering a completely different experience for my journey.

3. Mountain trains:

Listed as one of the UNESCO heritages, the Kalka-Shimla train, Darjeeling-Siliguri and the Nilgiris mountain railways collectively offer a travel back in time. All these trains ply on the OG narrow gauge railway lines and the interiors too are still kept the same way that they used to be.

The Himalayan Queen Trains. Top: The narrow gauge train between Kalka & Shimla; Bottom: The broad gauge train between Delhi & Kalka

4. Luxury trains:

These trains offer opulent experiential tours covering iconic landmarks across the states that they operate in. The Maharajas’ Express, the Golden Chariot, the Deccan Odyssey, Palace on Wheels are some of these luxurious trains one must experience.

5. Rail buses:

These are actually single bogie trains that comprise the engine and the cabin in the same segment which is why they are called buses. The one which I had travelled in was the Bangarpet-Kolar railbus, now decommissioned from service. You can also experience the railbus which are run by the mountain railways.