The national rail network

The Indian National Rail Network is vast and quite complicated. Veloso Tours can help you with the planning of your trip and the best rail options to include in your itinerary depending on your requirements and budget. 

Be prepared for a hectic (yet charming) environment where friendly local people are keen to chat to you - train travel is the best way to get to know and understand local life. Others will try to sell you chai, street food and souvenirs. Your experience will be safe, although we advise keeping a close eye on your belongings at all time.

Indian stations are a joy to experience too, from the quant hill station at Shimla and the incredible Toy Train to the magnificent colonial Chhatrapati Shivaji (Victoria) Terminus in Mumbai. Local trains stop regularly enabling you to go for a stroll and perhaps stock up on some snacks.

Journey times a slower than the UK and can be unreliable, so an element of patience is required. Prices are very reasonable. Some popular examples are: 

• Mumbai to Delhi - takes about 16 hours overnight on a sleeper train - approx £60
• Delhi to Agra - 2 hours and a great way to start exploring from Delhi - about £10
• Delhi to Shimla (via the Toy Train) - daytime, about 10 hours - approx £30
• Delhi to Madras - overnight sleeper about 36 hours - about £70

There are several types of trains, from long distance express trains to local passenger trains, which are the slowest and stop at every station along the way. The long distance trains are faster and have specific names, such as the Shatabdi Express trains linking Delhi with Agra or Shimla or the Duronto Expresses linking Mumbai to Delhi or Kolkata. The Tejas Express trains will get you from Delhi to Goa. Express trains usually have refreshments included in the price. There are no restaurants or bars on Indian trains, as included or optional food is offered by the train attendants from the on board kitchen.

There are up to 8 classes of seats or sleepers to choose from. For overnight sleepers, we would recommend 1st class or 2nd class air-conditioned and for daytime journeys we suggest the air-conditioned car class. 

It is important to book early to secure your seat as the trains get booked up very quickly, at least 100 days prior to departure. Some tickets open closer to departure, so we can’t guarantee you will get every ticket you request.