travel
February 12, 2026
‘The intimate and the epic’: the best way to understand India is to travel by train
Being a passenger in this vast country is ‘a full-blooded immersion in the local’, says the novelist whose latest protagonist is lured by the romance of the rails
TL;DR
- Train journeys in India are described as a 'full-blooded immersion in the local', inscribing fellow travellers, languages, landscapes, and climate on the mind.
- The author recalls a difficult 1998 journey from Mumbai to Dehradun, which, despite its hardships, became a cherished memory.
- Mahatma Gandhi eventually used the railways to understand India, mirroring the author's recommendation to use them for simple travel between places.
- Sharing a compartment with strangers offers an exposing yet potentially invigorating experience, as stories unfold during the journey.
- Food is a crucial part of the railway experience, with opportunities to buy fresh local produce and regional specialties like vada pav, chikki, and ograni.
- The author and his family prefer train travel for its sustainability and the unique experience it offers, even for their young daughters.
- Delays and incidents, such as footbridge collapses, derailments, or collisions with animals and vehicles, are often dramatic and instructive about Indian life.
- Passenger trains, though simple, are highly recommended for a deep immersion into the local, connecting the intimate and the epic.
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