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Thursday, Jan 31, 2008
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Heritage on wheels

Sandeep Joshi

Three Indian trains among ‘World’s Top 25 Trains’

— File Photos: Vivek Bendre/ Paul Noronha

Royal welcome: Crew of the luxury train Deccan Odyssey waiting for passengers in Mumbai.

NEW DELHI: Three heritage trains in India have been included in a list of the “World’s Top 25 Trains” by the Society of International Railway Travellers. These are the Palace on Wheels, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Deccan Odyssey.

The U.S.-based organisation of those “who love the comfort, romance and fun of great trains” made the selection on the basis of their standards of service and accommodation and passenger enjoyment.

Of the five Asian trains in the list, three are from India. The others are Eastern & Oriental Express (South-East Asia) and the Shangri La Express (China/Tibet).

Others in the list include the Royal Canadian Pacific (Canada), the Canadian Rockies Steam Express (Canada), the GrandLuxe Express (U.S.), the Pride of Africa (South Africa), the Danube Express (Central Europe, Turkey), the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express (Russia), the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (Europe), the Glacier Express (Switzerland), the Royal Scotsman (Scotland) and the Indian Pacific (Australia).

A view of the bar on the train.

“The World’s Top 25 Trains are based on our own experience and that of our writers, editors, members and staff,” write the society’s chief executive officer Owen and its president Eleanor Hardy in the 25th anniversary edition of The International Railway Traveler magazine. The Cover Story features “The IRT Society’s Best-Loved Railway Journeys – 2008.”

They add: “The trains met stringent standards for service, accommodation, scenery, itinerary, off-train experiences and passenger enjoyment. Trains cannot pay to be included in this book; we choose them.”

The Palace on Wheels, comprising 14 air-conditioned deluxe saloons with world-class amenities, is the showpiece of the Indian Railways. It operates between New Delhi and Rajasthan. Its coaches are named after former Rajput states, the aesthetics and interiors seeking to match the royal past.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow gauge “toy train” that runs from Siliguri to Darjeeling, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is still powered by a steam engine.

The Deccan Odyssey travels through Central India over eight days. It has 21 coaches, of which 11 are passenger cars and two are presidential suite cars. It has a conference car, which can double as a dance floor, and two restaurant cars.

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