THE GREAT TRAIN JOURNEY

‘The first time I saw a train,
I was standing on a wooded slope outside a tunnel, not far from Kalka.
Suddenly, with a shrill whistle and great burst of steam, a green and black
engine came snorting out of the blackness.. “A dragon!” I shouted. “There’s a
dragon coming out of its cave!”’The charm of travelling by a train as it
speeds its way out of a tunnel or a jungle and passes through nondescript
villages and towns is unmatched. There also exists a joyful curiosity in
unfolding the mysterious lives and destinations of its passengers.Ruskin Bond
has been writing tales about the hinterland for decades, but this is the
first time his stories revolving around trains and railway stations of
small-town India have been brought together in a single collection. Classics
such as ‘The Eyes Have It’ and ‘The Night Train at Deoli’ rub shoulders with
tales of big cats taking refuge in railway tunnels and strangers who strike
up a friendship while waiting at a platform.So, hop on and allow one of
India’s greatest storytellers to steer you through the Great Train Journey.