Trains That Whistled in the Night, 3, Fast Facts
Great Railway Journeys Through India
Indrail Pass
Great Rail Journeys Through India
India possesses one of the largest railway systems
in the world. Unbelievably some 10,000,000 people ride India's
11,000 odd trains everyday between 7,085 stations. Journeying by
train through any part of the Indian countryside is very enjoyable and the
scenery very attractive. But we recommend, arguably, some of the
most scenic or enthralling journeys to take within India:
- Kalka, Himachal Pradesh -- Simla, Himachal Pradesh :
A ride through beautiful mountainscape.
- New Delhi, Delhi -- Agra, Uttar Pradesh :
The Taj Mahal is visible from your railway bogey as you pull into Agra.
- New Delhi, Delhi -- Jaipur, Rajasthan -- Bikaner,
Rajasthan - Ajmer, Rajasthan -- Jodhpur, Rajasthan -- Udaipur
Bikaner - Jaisalmer, Rajasthan:
A ride aross the Rajasthan deserts where
the quaint villages and the colourfully dress Rajasthani people provides a fascinating
backdrop. This hopping journey (you will have to change trains) can accomplished in any order.
- Calcutta, West Bengal -- New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
-- Darjeeling, West Bengal:
A winding toy train journey of eight hours
through beautiful jungles and hillside.
- Calcutta, West Bengal -- Puri, Orissa:
The train travels along the coast for a good portion of this journey.
- Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh -- Bhubaneshwar, Orissa:
The train meanders around the shores of the magnificent Chilka Lake.
- Guwhati, Assam -- Rangapara, Assam -- North Lakhimpur,
Assam - Murkong Selek, Assam:
Many stretches of this journey is accomplished along the Brahmaputra river.
- Silchar, Assam - Dharmanagar, Nagaland:
Great views through lush countryside in a very remote part of India.
- Bombay, Maharashtra - Pune, Maharashtra:
Beautiful views of the ghats and the Sahyadri mountain range. One can travel
by a double-decker train.
 - Cochin, Kerala -- Alleppey, Kerala -- Kottayam, Kerala
-- Trivandrum, Kerala:
A short journey through the awesome Kerala backwaters.
- Mettapulayam, Tamil Nadu -- Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu:
A toy train ride up the forested Nilgiris.
- Mangalore, Karnataka -- Mysore, Karnataka:
The countryside and jungles make this route quite unforgettable.
- Trichur, Kerala -- Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu:
A wonderful way to see Kerala.
- Mysore, Karnataka - Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu:
A gorgeous journey through a rather vast section of South India.
Indrail Pass
The Indian Railways offers the Indrail pass to tourists
who wish to tour India by rail. These passes are sold only to
foreign passport holders and Indians who live abroad and are payable
in US dollars or pound sterling. Indrail pass holders are exempted
from paying any extra charges like reservation fees, sleeper charges,
or charges for super fast trains. These passes are sold through
general sales agents in London, New York, Sydney, Frankfurt, Tokyo,
Paris, London, Toronto, Bangkok, Port Louis, Helsinki, Sharjah,
Kuala Lumpur, Muscat, Amsterdam, Dhaka. They are also sold at
major railway stations all over India.
The Indian Railways can also book exclusive railway
coaches for group tours where facilities like a kitchenette, a sitting
room, a dining room and other amenities are available. For information
about booking coaches one must contact any of the zonal offices
of the Indian Railways, depending on which sector the group wishes
to travel through.
The fare structure is:
| Period |
AC Class |
1st Class |
2ndClass |
| ½ day |
52 |
24 |
10 |
| 1day |
86 |
39 |
17 |
| 2 days |
160 |
70 |
30 |
| 4 days |
220 |
110 |
50 |
| 7 days |
300 |
150 |
80 |
| 15 days |
370 |
185 |
90 |
| 21 days |
440 |
220 |
100 |
| 30 days |
550 |
275 |
125 |
| 60 days |
800 |
400 |
185 |
| 90 days |
1060 |
530 |
235 |
|
Tickets for children (ages 5 to 11) are half price.
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