The Indian Railway network is unbelievably large. As you may know already, it is the world’s second largest railway network with thousands of trains and stations. The railway carries over 9000 million passengers each year. Most Indians prefer this mode of transport for its affordable ticket rates and also because availability of seats in train is not much of a problem with so many trains running to and fro the same place. The starting point of trains in India is Jammu and it travels till the Kanyakumari tip. Let us meet some trains, which cover the longest routes in the country.
The Vivek Express – There are a total of four different Vivek trains, which run on the railway network. These trains were initially introduced to pay tribute to the legendary Swami Vivekananda and hence the name Vivek. The longest route covering Vivek Express is the one which starts from Dibrugarh in Assam till Kanyakumari in the south. This is the longest distance in India and globally it is the 8th longest in terms of both time as well as distance.
The Himsagar Express – The second longest route in India is taken by the very old Himsagar Express. The route is the second longest in terms of time and distance. The train starts from the southernmost tip of the country, i.e. Kanyakumari and ends at Jammu Tawi. It covers an approximate area of 3500kms. If you every board this train, you will cross a total of 9 states on your journey! It is like traveling most of the country on wheels of the train.
The Navyug Express – The Navyug express started operating only a few years ago. The term Navyug itself means a ‘new era.’ This train runs weekly from Mangalore to Jammu Tawi and in the railway network is the third train to travel the longest route in terms of the distance alone. The Navyug Express crosses 10 states in total. It is like an Indian expedition on the train itself!
The Dibrugarh Express – Can you imagine traveling on the train for 3 long days? Well, sounds very boring but hundreds of passengers aboard the weekly Dibrugarh to Yesvantpur Express to travel from Bangalore to Dibrugarh. The train takes three long days to cover the route. It is the railway’s fourth train to run on the longest route.
The Jammu Express – The Tirunelveli Jammu Express begins its long journey from Tirunelveli and ends at Jammu Tawi. This train runs only twice a week and the Indian railways has ranked it the fifth train to run the longest route in terms of the time and distance.
A traveler who knows how to turn the boring into interesting will always choose a train journey over flight irrespective of the time taken to cover the distance. There is so much one can do on a train journey, from reading, writing, playing and of course, making new friends from other parts of the country. So, it is time to take the long route and explore your country and people better.
