India is a land of dreams
Where images, however fleeting are remembered long after the journey's end
The railway is her lifeline crossing not only distances-
But bridging the boundaries of her many cultures
For over 900 million people the railway has become a great unifier
over one-and-a-half million must work to keep it going
The great Indian railway touches the lives of everyone
For nothing is more a part of this country
than the trains which are part of its soul
Over a century ago
the sound of the steam locomotive could be heard across the land
as it rolled through the desert and the plains of India
In those days
villages and cities were isolated by vast distances
and the coming of the train would change them forever
Legends were told of the great fire eater that walked on lines of steel
and breathed white clouds of smoke
Those who did not fear it came to see it for themselves
In remote outposts where there were no stations
banyan trees often marked the train stop
And people anticipated its arrival like the coming of a great ship
There was always entertainment to greet the travelers
celebrating the trip for the magical event that is was
What had taken weeks by bullock cart could now be made in a matter of days
The hero was the driver
He was assigned one engine for life
and cared for it as though it were a part of him
making sure it was fed coal and watered
It was like a living creature preparing for the long journey ahead
If there ever was a heart and soul of the railway
it began here
with these locomotives
They were the symbol of the British Empire
and held the romance of an age
when men and machines united the country for the first time
But this era couldn't last forever
Now, the super fast express trains command the rails
and are moving India into a new century
The railway is a living legacy of the British, who dominated the subcontinent
for nearly two hundred years
They laid down the first rails in 1850
and by Indian independence dozens of railways
reached across hundreds of princely states and territories.
Today, all have been merged into one
Stretching nearly 40,000 miles
and connecting over 7,000 stations
it is the largest railway under a single management in the world
The frontier Mail, the Tamil-Nadu Express the Punjab Mail
all long-distance trains, renowned in history
But one of the oldest is the Grand Trunk Express
and it travels nearly the length of the country
Indians love to travel
whether it be on a religious pilgrimage or to visit relatives far away
They pack everything and bring everyone
They can go anywhere in the country for less than seven dollars
Space has a whole different meaning on an Indian train
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