Top 10 unforgettable Indian train journeys

New Delhi: India has some of the most spectacular and unforgettable rail journeys in the world. It is considered the third largest rail network in the world, and the rail system is efficient, if not always on schedule. You can step aboard the Palace on Wheels and set off on an unforgettable rail journey to the fabled cities of Rajasthan. Here we bring to you the top ten train journeys that you will never forget:1. Darjeeling Toy Train - New Jalpaiguri to DarjeelingDarjeeling's tiny steam train was initially built as a tramway to exploit the difference in the price of potatoes between Darjeeling and Siliguri, and the hill railway is now considered a World Heritage Site. Travelling at a speed of 12kmph, the Toy Train trundles through dense forests, curving around tea plantations.2. Duronto Express - Pune to New Delhi The Duronto Express from Pune to Delhi cuts six hours off the normal 26-hour journey. It covers a fantastic route with the most varied topography and the onboard service is excellent. From 11am until sunset, the train trundles past rivers, deserts, mountains and villages.3. Goa Express - Goa to Londa The train speeds up through thick jungle, hugging the curves of the mountainside. Keep your eyes peeled for waterfalls in the distance, which increase as the trees thin and the view turns to deep valleys and peaks. On the approach to Londa the sun should just be setting which gives the strange red clay surroundings an ominous glow.4. Golden Chariot - Bangalore to Goa The train weaves across Karnataka and is a popular choice with Indian families on holiday. En route the tour stops at Kabini wildlife sanctuary before arriving at the incredible world heritage sites of Hampi and Badami, strewn for miles with boulders, rock-cut sandstone caves and palace and temple ruins.5. Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express - Guwahati to Ledo Starting in West Bengal, the super-fast Rajdhani reaches Assam in no time, vast stretches of emerald green paddy and tea plantations on both sides. Unlike south India's rolling greenery, this expanse is completely flat. As night falls, the train sweeps past the Brahmaputra river on the approach to Guwahati and crawls through the city's slums.6. Indian Maharaja - Mumbai to Delhi The elegant Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey connects Mumbai and Delhi via Rajasthan and is the closest option to travelling like the Rajput kings once did - so it's not cheap. During the day, you can go tiger-spotting in Ranthambore, visit the rapidly deteriorating caves at Ellora and Ajanta and spend an afternoon at the Taj Mahal.7. Jammu to Udhampur India undertook one of its most challenging railway projects ever by building a line to connect Kashmir with the Himalayan foothills. The line is officially called the Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla link (JUSBRL). The 345km route crosses major earthquake zones, and is subjected to extreme temperatures of cold and heat, as well as inhospitable terrain.8. Himalayan Queen - Kalka to Shimla toy train India's pretty little metre-gauge railway - famous for its 102 tunnels, 87 bridges and 900 curves - was built in 1903 when English ladies would take their leave of the heat and "summer" in Shimla. The train used by commuters and those selling their wares up and down the hillside, rather than functioning solely for camera-wielding tourists.9. Island Express - Kanyakumari to Trivandrum The Island Express leaves at 10.30am and takes just over two hours to reach Trivandrum. As it inches through dense greenery, tightly-packed palm trees and long grassy verges, typical of Kerala, the train fills with a cool lemony-green hue.10. Mandovi Express - Madgaon to Mumbai The Konkan Railway is a stunning route up to Mumbai that hugs India's southwest coastline. The British considered its construction but abandoned the daunting task, leaving it to the Indians to bore through mountains, cross hundreds of rivers and build 92 tunnels and 2,000 bridges.