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The wonder trains of India range from the luxurious Palace On Wheels to the heritage toy train of Darjeeling.
To bring back the luxury of the royal days of the kings and princes, Indian Railways runs special luxury trains like the Palace on Wheels and the Royal Orient. You may realize your dream to be a prince or a princess as well as experience the ambience and the aura that will take you to the regal era - aboard the Palace on Wheels. The chugging Palace on Wheels will make you live in a palace. The Palace on Wheels is so true to its name and is bound to sweep you off your feet.
The royal experience onboard the Palace on Wheels covers colorful destinations like - the pink city of Jaipur, the desert city of Jaisalmer, the city of forts and palaces- Jodhpur, the entry point to the Ranthambore - Sawai Madhopur, city echoing the tales of romance and valor - Chittaurgarh, the Lake Bharatpur, the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, the city of the Taj - Agra. The wonderful luxury train of India Palace on Wheels fulfils its promise of 'A Week in Wonderland'.
India also boasts of the Hill Railways. Amongst the wonder hill trains of India is the Darjeeling toy train. Besides an exotic toy train over 100 years old, Darjeeling, set in the north-eastern Himalayas boasts of some of the finest teas and spectacular sunrises over the Kanchenjunga and the tip of Mt. Everest.
The wonderful train makes you believe that riding piggyback on Tom Thumb carriages for about eight hours can cover the treacherous 83 kilometers between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The gauge is narrow, only 0.6096 m but the journey is something that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world. Fascinated by the ethereal beauty of the Kanchenjunga, Franklin Prestage, the agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway formulated the plan for Darjeeling Railway in 1878. Construction of the railway line up to Darjeeling was completed by July 1881 and the earliest locomotive came from Atlas Works in Manchester. The Darjeeling Steam Tramway Company, which was formed later, became the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company in September 1881.
The train passes through lush, green forests of sal, toon and teak trees with splendid views of the tea gardens and mountains. Near Mohanadi station, the train passes through bluff rocks and one large protruding rock is tragically known as Artillery Man's Rock for the man who committed suicide there. Similarly, above the road is Gladstone Rock for the supposed resemblance to the statesman. The wonderful toy train treat of India is indeed a great piece of Indian heritage. The Darjeeling toy train deserves to be treated as precious national asset and preserved with care and pride.
The toy train takes you to Kurseong, famed for its orchids. The view from here is splendid. On one hand you see the plains and on the other a wondrous view of Kanchenjunga. You need not alight to walk through the bustling town because the train takes you right down the main street and through the bazaar. The Choom Monastery is worth a visit. From here onwards the descent to Darjeeling begins. At Batasia, the train takes the famous double loop and offers the vest view of Darjeeling with the Kanchenjunga in the background. You actually need to be aboard the wonderful toy train of India for an unparallel experience.
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