The Indian subcontinent is a vast expanse of natural beauty and some of the most breathtaking sights in the world. North India is a significant of part of the sub-continent, and is home to more than half a billion people. Providing connectivity to a population of this magnitude requires a transportation system that is extensively well networked. The Indian Railways has more than a big web of tracks and trains. With a multitude of journeys and places it touches, passengers are spoilt for choice. Any place rural or urban, one can be certain that there will be a train passing through it. The dry regions of Rajasthan, the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, and the coast of Bengal are some of the very few places the railway grid fails to reach.
Trains offer an experience unmatched by any other form of transport. Some train journeys that traverse the vast beauty of the North are:
- Dibrugarh-Rajdhani Express is a combination of two train journeys. The superfast Rajdhani express starts from Kolkata and reaches Assam fairly quickly. It zips through the vast stretches of green paddy fields and tea plantations. It makes for a quick but insightful trip into the serenity of the North-East. As night approaches, the train jets across the Brahmaputra River and finally stops at Guwahati. The other part of the journey is the trip from Tinsukia to Ledo. The uniqueness of this passage is the proximity of tracks to people’s houses. It gives an unusually breathtaking look of lives in the villages of the North-East.
- Nizamuddin Duronto Express is one of the fastest journeys across the plains of the North, the Duronto express reaches from Delhi to Pune in less than 20 hours. Along the way, one can see a varying degree of terrain, from rivers to mountains and deserts to villages. The service and food on board is quite good, and the trains are relatively new.
- Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey is one of the newer siblings of the old and grand Palace on Wheels. This journey connects the cities of Mumbai and Delhi via sojourns in Rajasthan. The locomotive exemplifies luxury and remains one of the few ways to travel and live like the Rajput kings. As the train moves during the night, one can enjoy sights such as the Ranthambore National Park, the caves at Ajanta and Ellora, and the Taj Mahal. On board, one can choose from two fine restaurants, enjoy the Thar Desert in the bar or take a cosy nap under the duvet.
Other than these trains a majority of heritage rails also run in North India, namely the Darjeeling Himalayan Express and the Kalka- Shimla express. These trains still give the novelty and experience in what it is like to travel in a steam-powered locomotive. To find out seat availability, PNR status enquiry, train run times and ticket bookings, one can check at Railways official website and many other private service providers such as nationalnewsy. These sites even bundle in hotels and other reservations for a full vacation experience.
