26 Best Train Journeys Across India

Travelling in India always gives some fascinating experiences to the travellers. The superbly diverse ecological and topographical features always stun them, making their travel experience unforgettable. 

Though there are several mediums of transport are easily available in the county which let you travel to every destination of your choice in your chosen time duration. But when it comes to explore the country, there is really no alternative of the Indian Railways.

Indian Railways are truly the lifelines of the country carrying more than 30 million passengers and connecting a total of 65,000 km of distance. 

Almost every nook and corner of India is connected via rail service. And if you really want to see the shades of the country, just hop on to a train and roam around India, we bet you’d start pining for more.

Some of the best rail-routes around India offering some out-of-the-world travel experiences:

1. Vasco da Gama, Goa to Londa, Karnataka

Vasco

Undoubtedly the best rail-journey in India which no one can afford to lose, the route from Vasco da Gama in Goa to Londa in Karnataka is filled with some of the most mesmerizing natural diversities.

This wonderful journey takes you through the meandering curves of the mighty Western Ghats, stunning waterfalls and dense forest. 

The journey becomes even more awe-inspiring during the post-monsoon season as the falls start flowing in full motion. The water sprinkles brush your faces and soak you in a luxurious experience of the beauty of the nature. 

2. Mandapam to Rameshwaram via Pamban

Manadapam

The rail-journey from Mandapam to Rameswaram via Pamban is considered as one of the most dangerous rail-routes in India. But we all must admit that some dangers are beautiful! So, here we put this one on our list as it also offers one of the most amazing rail-journeys in India. 

Running on a narrow bridge built on the turquoise Indian Ocean connecting Mandapam in Tamil Nadu to the Rameshwaram Islands, this rail-journey would surely make you fall in love with it.

3. Jodhpur to Jaisalmer on Desert Queen

DQ

When the surroundings become golden and dry, when the smell of earth transforms into the aroma of sand, when the greenery transmutes into small bushes, layered with the dusts- you know you are in the Thar, the Great Indian Desert! And the journey on the Desert Queen would let you have the most exquisite and intimate desert experience. 

The train runs from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, both the beautiful desert cities in Rajasthan. You will get an authentic picture of the desert livelihood through this joy-ride.

4. New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling on the Toy Train


Darjeeling

How about having a rail-journey at the highest railway station in the world? A joy-ride through some of the most amazing Himalayan environment should not be missed by any chance. 

The toy Train from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, the hill-queen of West Bengal gives us some of the most beautiful travel experiences. The breathtaking views of the bewitching Kanchenjunga, the lush tea estates, the stunning rivers and the winding hilly curve- this rail journey gives you all!

The Toy Train between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling is one of the oldest rail outs in India and in 1999 it was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site.

5. Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam by Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Nilgiri

Even the word Nilgiri makes us feel so close to nature, doesn’t it? With the majestic mountains, the lush green forests and tea estates, the snow-white clouds floating on the clear blue sky-Nilgiri always spells some magic on us. 

Here is that one-of-a-kind rail journey that no one should miss while travelling this part of the country. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway has been serving the travellers for more than 110 years now. 

When the steam gushes from the engine and chugs off towards the beautiful hill station Ooty, you can only expect a blissful journey for another four and half hours.

6. Delhi to Jaipur on the Palace on Wheels

POW

Undoubtedly the best luxury train in India, Palace on Wheels truly justifies its name providing all the royal facilities to the passengers. 

The Palace on Wheels was the first-of-its-kind train equipped with fully air-conditioned deluxe saloons, private restaurants, lounge bar and many other world-class amenities to make your journey a class apart.

7. New Delhi to Ledo, Assam on Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express


Assam

To be precise, this involves actually two trains, but in order to experience some fascinating travelling moments you can surely skip the first half. 

The second half of the journey starts from New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal and ends in Ledo via Tinsukia in Assam. This particular stretch comprises of several vast green paddy fields, tea and coffee plantations and a hugely diverse and dynamic topography.

8. Madgaon to Mumbai on Mandovi Express

India on Trains

A stunning trip awaits you to take on the Mandovi Express to reach Mumbai to Goa or vice versa. The journey takes us through the enchanting Sahyadri hills and the ever wonderful Arabian Sea piercing through numerable quaint villages, eye-soothing greenery, and 92 tunnels and on 2000 bridges! Each moment you spend on this route would be a memorable one.

9. Kanyakumari to Thiruvananthapuram on Island Express

Kanyakumari

The Island Express runs between Kanyakumari and Thrituvannthapuram, one of the oldest routes of the country. 

The total two-hours of the journey would let you pass through some thick greenery, long nature-strips, and rows of palm and coconut trees, several water-bodies and some amazing village-settlements. Island Express takes you to a typical South Indian voyage!

10. Mumbai to Delhi via Jaipur on the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey


Deccan

One of the most luxurious trains in India, the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey is truly an elegant experience no one should miss if they can afford. The Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey runs between Mumbai and Delhi via Rajasthan.

In fact, if money is not a matter of concern for you, you surely can have a taste of royal treatments inside the train. 

The train is purely made for the affluent tourists to have a lavish travel experience including tiger-spotting at the Ranthambore sanctuary, encountering the history at the mesmerizing caves of Ajanta & Ellora and visiting the epitome of love- Taj Mahal.

11. Bangalore to Goa on Golden Chariot

Golden

Golden Chariot is one of those few trains those give you that royal feeling onboard while travelling across the Indian cities. Golden Chariot runs from Bangalore to Goa and is equipped with all the luxury facilities you experience on trains like the Deccan Odyssey.

The train travels through sandstone caves, boulder-strewn verges, the wonderful Kabini wildlife Sanctuary, the world heritage sites of Badami and Hampi, several palaces and finally the hills before stopping at Goa.

12. Golden Triangle on The Maharaja’s Express


Maharaja

Voted for one of the leading luxurious trains in the world, the Maharaja’s Express is a super-speciality luxury train travelling through the desert state of Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra. It offers some unique package trips to experience the charm of the royal India in a typical royal way!

13. Kalka to Shimla on Himalayan Queen

Kalka

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the route from Kalka to Shimla and vice versa is full of natural beauties. A 92-km long journey on the toy trains takes you through 102 tunnels (you see it right!) and 82 bridges. 

Interestingly, this track was awarded a world record by the Guinness book of world record for having the steepest rise in altitude en route. 

The journey takes around 5-6 hours to complete hence can become a little too tiresome for those in a hurry; but if you are a nature-loving person, the Himalayan Queen would certainly offer you a memorable ride.

14. Jammu to Udhampur on Jammu Mail

Jammu

Travelling from Jammu to Udhampur by train would be another incredibly beautiful journey in India. This journey awes us with the height of engineering advancements as well as the beauties of Mother Nature all along the way. 

The train runs among the rocky carves of the great Shivalik mountain range, steep valleys and some roaring rives. The copiousness of tunnels and bridges give some breathtaking views of the region.

15. Rantagiri to Mangalore on Matsyagandha Express

Ratnagiri

Travelling through the southern parts of India has its own distinctness. The sheer abundance of greens, water-bodies and mountains those are completely different from the ones at the north and north-east India and some magnificent bridges. 

The beautiful rail-route from Ratnagiri to Mangalore via Mudgaon and Honnavar boasts all these sublime features which could be a total delight for every passenger passing through it.

16. Pune to Delhi on Duronto Express


pune to delhi

One of the fastest running trains in India, Duronto is a super-speciality train which cuts off the normal New Delhi to Pune journey of 26 hours to a 20-hour splendid trip with a stunning surrounding filled with green fields, water bodies, rural establishments, salt pyramids, deserts and medium to small hills and hillocks. This beautiful trip would you want to travel again and again on this route.

17. Qazigund, Srinagar to Baramulla on DEMU Train

quzigund

A lesser known route, the rail-journey from Qazigund, Srinagar to Baramulla by DEMU train would be a pleasure of eyes for the enthusiasts. 

The trip ensures some of the most hypnotising views of the surroundings. The trip taken during winter promises even more spellbinding experience of the snow-clad environment.

18. Guwahati to Silchar

Guwahati

If you want to explore the north-eastern Indian flavour, you must travel via rails. When the train moves on through the lush green valley of Haflong, the enthralling River Jatinga, the serpentine tracks along the river bank, the vast verges of tea plantations at the Barak Valley, you know you are in Assam. 

The train route from Guwahati to Silchar via Lumding is a must-take rail-journey for travellers who seek to feel the nature a little more intimately.

19. Kollam to Sengottai


Kollkam

The rail route from Kollam to Sengottai was started a long back in 1907; since then the route has been making the travellers undergo some of the most charming rail-experiences. 

Apart from all the other natural beauties the route goes through, the best part comes when it crosses the captivating Cardamom Hills. The beauty of the route not only lies on the beautiful nature, the architecture marvel of the famous 13-arched bridge would also make your trip a memorable one for sure.

20. Vizag to Arakku Valley

Vizag

If you have already come across the gorgeous Bay of Bengal and now looking for something new in this region, here we propose a rail-trip from the city to the beautiful Arakku Valley to experience nature a bit closer than usual. 

With the wavy Eastern Ghats, the lush green coffee plantations and the dense forests and several tunnels and falls en route, the journey from Vizag (Visakhapatnam) to Arakku is a delight for the nature-lovers. 

On a more interesting note, this is among those very rare broad gauge hill railways in the country which was actually set up for carrying the iron ore from the mines of Chhattisgarh to the port city Vizag.

21. Koraput to Rayagada


Koraput

Another enthralling rail-journey that gives you some stunning downhill experiences from the altitude of 800 mts at Koraput to Rayagad at 200 mts. The surrounding dense forests add a more glamourous touch to the journey.

22. Agra to Gwalior on Chambal Express

Chambal

The infamous Chambal has always been on the headlines for being one of the most notorious places in India. Many of us were grown up listening to some fascinating and gruesome stories about the dacoits from Chambal. 

Even till a few years ago, the town was reported to have the maximum numbers of robberies, extortion and murders in the country. 

But in the recent years, all those bad news have taken a big break, Chambal has emerged as one of the growing towns. Despite having all the stigmas of being a notorious place, a ail journey from Agra to Gwalior via Chambal would be an amazing experience for the travellers.

23. Neral to Matheran on the Toy Train

matheran

From Neral to Matheran offers one of the most beautiful toy-train journeys in India. Matheran is a piece of beauty snuggled in the Western Ghats painted in greens and is one of the most popular weekend destinations in Maharashtra. 

Interestingly there is no other commutation medium is allowed at Matheran, hence one has no option but to either walk on the hilly and muddy roads or to travel via toy-train to reach the town. 

The beautiful panoramic view of the area during this one and half an hour of joy ride would make your vacation even more excellent.

24. Siliguri to Alipurduar via Hasimara

siliguri

This amazing rail-journey would let you travel through some stunning wild environments. The train from Siliguri to Alipurduar runs through numerous streams, falls, tea estates and interestingly four beautiful wildlife sanctuaries - Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaldapara Sanctuary, Chapramari forest and the Buxa Tiger Reserve. 

It would never be an impossible situation when you encounter some wild animals such as elephants waiting to cross the track while you pass by.

25. Bhubaneshwar to Brahmapur

bbsr

If you’re a travel freak and submit yourself onto the nature when it beckons, you must have visited Chilika Lake, the stunning tourist attraction in Odisha. But most people reach the destination via roadways. 

Not many people opt for this morning train-trip from Bhubaneshwar to Brahmapur running through a beautiful surrounding of the Eastern Ghats. 

This wonderful train-journey through the vast greenery and mountains up to the ever beautiful Chilika would always be a special memory for you.

26. Himmatnagar to Udaipur


Aravalli Railways

One of the oldest mountains in India, Aravalli has some dynamic features consisting grey rocky surface, steep ridges, scattered bushes and wavy mountains. 

The train-journey taken via this route would let you have a beautiful rendezvous with history and the amusing folk lores of the region.

Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express- Route: New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), Tinsukia , Ledo (Assam): You can soothe your eyes by enjoying emerald green paddy and tea plantations on both sides. 

Nizamuddin Duronto Express- Route: Pune (Maharashtra) to New Delhi: The 26 hrs Journey covers a fantastic route with the most varied topography and the onboard service is excellent. The train trundles past rivers, deserts, mountains and villages and alongside pyramid-like salt mounds drying in the sunshine.

Mandovi Express- Route: Madgaon (Goa) to Mumbai: The breathtaking journey will takes you through golden paddy fields lined with tropical trees, wild ans erotic flowers and over endless stretches of water leading out to sea.

Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey- Route: Mumbai to Delhi
  • Island Express- Route: Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) to Trivandrum (Kerala)
  • Himalayan Queen- Route: Kalka (Haryana) to Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)
  • Jammu Mail- Route: Jammu to Udhampur (Jammu state)
  • Golden Chariot-Route: Bangalore (Karnataka) to Goa

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