Take a scenic 1.5-2-hour rural train ride from Marwar junction to Khamli Ghat. The metre-gauge train chugs through tunnels and past waterfalls, offering fantastic views and an authentic experience. The journey was made famous by Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale ‘The Man Who Would Be King’.
It offers a wonderful insight to rural Indian railways, connecting small stations like Phulad, Goram Ghat and Khamli Ghat manned by lone stationmasters. The route travels on the highest track on the Western Railways of India. It passes through the Aravalli scrub jungle, through tunnels and over bridges. Monkeys wait along the track and near the stations to be fed by tourists.
The train was simply known by its number ‘222’ before becoming popular with tourists through social media. The engine and coaches were of more authentic vintage, aimed at ferrying its rural clientele.
Now rebranded as the ‘Valley Queen’, its rolling stock has been upgraded to use more comfortable air-conditioned passenger coaches with panoramic windows. The train is still pulled by a diesel engine, but with a tasteful faux-steam engine fabrication stuck on to the front. While these changes may not appeal to a dedicated railway enthusiast, the charm of the train journey remains unchanged.
