Train journeys are always fascinating, especially in India. The Indian railways are the arteries of the country—they traverse the length and breadth of the nation carrying passengers and goods, all the connecting distant places past myriad drastically different landscapes—no two stations are the same, no two routes look similar. A journey in a train teaches you not just about the people, it also teaches you about geography, culture and heritage when you look out of its windows. And for children the coveted window seat brings unbound joy as the wind ruffles their hair, and everything is fascinating and new. The Kangra Valley Train is one of the two mountain trains in Himachal Pradesh, the other being the more popular Shimla train. The train starts at Pathankot Junction in Punjab and saunters along Joginder Nagar in around nine hours.
November 2016, volume 40, No 11