Cross-Country Train Journeys in India

Travel to a country that can easily wrap the moon three times over may come across as a formidable challenge. Many people choose to travel to a single or a couple of well known places instead. On the contrary, train journeys through the Indian subcontinent are the best way to see India in one go.

Himsagar Express

Brace yourself for the journey of your life. This weeklong meandering on the longest train route in India takes you from Jammu in the far north to the last point on Indian mainland, Kanyakumari. On Himsagar Express, you get to travel through 11 Indian states - their hill stations, plains, forests, and trendy cities, and stopover at 75 stations. What better way to get a feel of the eclectic Indian culture!

Route: Jammu Tawi – Pathankot – Ludhiana – Delhi – Bhopal – Gwalior – Vijaywada – Madurai – Coimbatore – Trivandrum – Kanyakumari

Departures: Mondays from Jammu; Fridays from Kanyakumari

Konkan Railway

Declared as a feat of modern engineering, the route of Konkan Railway cuts through the most inaccessible and gorgeous landscapes in the coastal states of India viz. Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. The trains on the Konkan route pass over 174 major bridges, 1679 minor bridges, and a number of tunnels that’ll even give a tambola pro thrills at the sound of the words: two fat ladies.

The 760 km of route is flanked by rugged Western Ghats dressed in evergreen forests, cultivated lands flanked by swaying palms, and rivers that create an intricate array of backwaters in the coastal states of Goa and Kerala. Honestly, there is no better way to get acquainted with the legendary Kerala monsoons than journeying on the Konkan Railway.

Routes: Mumbai – Ratnagiri – Madgaon – Udupi –Cannanore – Calicut – Trichur – Cochin – Trivandrum

Departures: Twice a week