AROUND
INDIA
IN
80
TRAINS
Praise for
Around India in 80 Trains
A wonderfully wry and witty debut. Crackles and sparks with life
like an exploding box of Diwali fireworks.
William Dalrymple, author ofThe Last Mughal
A great big lovely shambling train ride of a book, offering wonderful
views, hilarious interludes, all sorts of dodgy characters and some
very peculiar smells, all for the one ticket.
Giles Coren, bestselling author andTimescolumnist
One can only envy Monisha Rajesh as she embarks on this epic
journey through the vast tangle and bewildering extension of Indias
railways. The ticketing bureaucracy is mad, the travelling companions
infinitely varied, the pleasure, discomforts and revelations such that
she is guaranteed what even the wriest and most sceptical traveller
yearns for: some deeper knowledge of oneself.
Tim Parks, travel writer and Booker Prize nominee
I love train trips and I love travelling around India. If you do too,
then this book is a wonderful companion.
Irvine Welsh, author ofTrainspotting
First published in the UK by
Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2012
35 Spafield Street
Clerkenwell, London
EC1R 4QB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7239 0360
Fax: +44 (0)20 7239 0370
20 Park Plaza
Boston
MA 02110, USA
Tel: 888 BREALEY
Fax: (617) 523 3708
www.nicholasbrealey.com
www.80trains.com
Monisha Rajesh 2012
The right of Monisha Rajesh to be identified as the author of
this work has been asserted in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN: 978-1-85788-595-8
eISBN: 978-1-85788-948-2
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the publishers.
Train illustrations by Sroop Sunar
www.sroopsunar.com
Other illustrations by Kriti Monga
www.turmericdesign.com
Printed in the UK by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc.
First published in the UK by
Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2012
35 Spafield Street
Clerkenwell, London
EC1R 4QB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7239 0360
Fax: +44 (0)20 7239 0370
20 Park Plaza
Boston
MA 02110, USA
Tel: 888 BREALEY
Fax: (617) 523 3708
www.nicholasbrealey.com
www.80trains.com
Monisha Rajesh 2012
The right of Monisha Rajesh to be identified as the author of
this work has been asserted in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN: 978-1-85788-595-8
eISBN: 978-1-85788-948-2
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the publishers.
Illustrations by Kriti Monga
www.turmericdesign.com
Printed in the UK by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc.
For Baby Rajesh, who is still on board.
May all your journeys be filled with adventure.
Contents
AROUND
INDIA
IN
80
TRAINS
Outline map Daniel Dalet/d-maps.com
THE 80 TRAINS
| Anantapuri Express from Chennai to Nagercoil |
| Passenger train from Nagercoil to Kanyakumari |
| Himsagar Express from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum |
| Trivandrum-Mangalore Express from Trivandrum to Mangalore |
| Matsyagandha Express from Mangalore to Madgaon |
| Mandovi Express from Madgaon to Mumbai |
| Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey from Mumbai to Delhi |
| Visitors train: The National Railway Museum in Delhi |
| Kerala Express from Delhi to Kottayam |
| Sabari Express from Kottayam to Coimbatore |
| Nagercoil Express from Coimbatore to Madurai |
| Nagercoil-Chennai Express from Madurai to Trichy |
| Passenger train from Trichy to Thanjavur |
| Trichy-Nagore passenger train from Thanjavur to Nagapattinam |
| Passenger train from Nagapattinam to Trichy |
| Passenger train from Trichy to Chennai |
| Charminar Express from Chennai to Hyderabad |
| Hyderabad-Mumbai Express from Hyderabad to Mumbai |
| Local train from CST to Parel |
| Local train from Parel to CST |
| Local train from Churchgate to Andheri |
| Local train from Andheri to Churchgate |
| Koyna Express from Mumbai to Neral |
| Toy train from Matheran to Neral |
| Deccan Queen from Mumbai to Pune |
| Pune-Nizamuddin Duronto Express from Pune to Delhi |
| Delhi Metro from Central Secretariat to Rajendra Nagar |
| Sampark Kranti Express from Delhi to Jhansi |
| Bhopal Shatabdi Express from Jhansi to Delhi |
| Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani from Delhi to Ahmedabad |
| Somnath Express from Ahmedabad to Veraval |
| Passenger train from Veraval to Talana |
| Passenger train from Talana to Una |
| Passenger train from Delwada to Sasan Gir |
| Dhasa-Veraval passenger train from Gir to Veraval |
| Somnath Express from Veraval to Rajkot |
| Saurashtra Mail from Rajkot to Dwarka |
| Okha-Puri Express from Dwarka to Ahmedabad |
| Ranakpur Express from Ahmedabad to Jodhpur |
| Jaisalmer Express from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer |
| Passenger train from Jaisalmer to Lalgarh |
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