Indian rail trips on ‘iconic journeys’ list

Palace on Wheels, Darjeeling Toy Train and Deccan Odyssey among world’s best

PARIS: Three Indian trains have been named in a list of the world’s top 25 iconic rail adventures. The US-based Society of International Railway Travellers published the list in a special edition of its magazine to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Three heritage trains of Indian Railways — The Palace on Wheels, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or Toy Train and the Deccan Odyssey — have been included in the list.

The trains, chosen on the basis of travelling experience of the people, met stringent standards for service, accommodation, scenery, itinerary, off-train experiences and passenger enjoyment.

The list includes a variety of trains from the first-class Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, which crosses eight time zones from Europe to Asia, to the Shangri-La Express of China and Tibet. Other rail journeys included Switzerland’s Glacier Express and South Africa’s Pride of Africa (Rovos Rail).

Australian trains to receive a nod are The Sunlander (Brisbane to Cairns), The Ghan (Adelaide to Darwin), and The Indian Pacific, which travels from Perth to Sydney, stopping in Adelaide. Society of International Railway Travellers president Eleanor Hardy said the 25 trains chosen represented the group’s best-loved railway journeys.

“The World’s Top 25 Trains are based on our own experience and that of our writers, editors, members and staff,” she said in a statement. “The trains met stringent standards for service, accommodation, scenery, itinerary, off-train experiences and passenger enjoyment.”