The Indian Railways is one of the largest rail networks in the world with a route length of more than 68,000 km. Well, that’s quite a number to acknowledge! In India, trains make for a significant part of daily travel and it is one of the most used means of transport amongst the masses. That’s the reason there is no dearth of trains in the country. The Indian Railways connect the majority of small towns, districts, and cities. Whether you want to go to Mumbai from Delhi or Jaipur from Agra or Hyderabad from Bangalore, you always have a buffet of trains available for your journey. But how many types of trains are available in India? Here, we are going to discuss different types of trains and their specialties.
Local Trains
Local trains in India are usually used by daily commuters. They connect different districts and localities either within the same city or from the centres to the outskirts of the cities. The seats for local trains cannot be reserved in advance as you have to book general tickets directly from the ticket window prior to train arrival. You can also buy a monthly pass to travel on local trains.
Passenger Trains
Passenger trains connect one city to another city and one district to another district in India. In most of the passenger trains, the reservation facility is not available. They can be local trains, inter-state trains, and inter-city trains. To book their tickets, you can either download a train booking app or directly visit the ticket window.
Express Trains
If you wish to enjoy a relaxing and fast journey, then you should book express trains. They do not take much time as using them you can reach your destination in almost half the time in comparison to local trains. Some of the most popular express trains in India include Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express.
Semi High-Speed Trains
These are the fastest trains in India that reduce the time between two cities by a huge margin. These are the trains that generally run at a speed of more than 150 Kmph and only connect major cities of the country. So, if you are coming from or going to a small town, you wouldn’t be able to board them. Gatimaan and Vande Bharata Express are some of the semi high-speed trains in India.
Luxury Trains
If comfort and convenience are what you look forward to while on a holiday tour, then luxury trains would be the perfect options for you. These trains are expensive and are generally used by hardcore travellers and explorers as they connect all the major tourist destinations of the country including Delhi, Agra, Udaipur, Jaipur, Varanasi, Mysore, and more. Travel like a royal and relish the best of delicacies. Some of the popular luxury trains in India include Maharaja Express, Palace on Wheels, and Golden Chariot.
Toy Trains
Toy trains are actually tourist trains that are usually available at tourist destinations in India. They run at an extremely slow speed as they are completely open and are meant for exploring nearby places. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Nilgiri Railways are the most popular toy trains in India.
Super Fast Trains
Another category of trains that run at high speed is superfast trains. However, they do not run as fast as express trains as their speeds are limited to 90 Kmph. The Superfast trains are available across all major cities and towns in India. You can download a travel app like Goibibo to book your train seats. The app can also be used to book domestic hotels, flights, adventure activities, cabs, and buses.
Goods Carrier Trains
As the name suggests, these are the trains that carry goods from one place to another. It is not meant for passengers and hence, cannot be used for commutation between two cities or towns.
Metro Trains
Metro trains connect the localities of a metropolitan city. They are usually cheap and make the most used form of transport in major cities. Metro trains in India are available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and more.