Train Over Plane: Why Slow Travel Is Making a Comeback

6. Indian long-distance trains: Cultural immersion and continuous landscapes

In regions like India, long-distance trains never fully disappeared as cultural mainstays. They continue to offer immersive windows into daily life and geography. Travel writers note that the passing scenes on Indian routes function like a microcosm of a country, with varied landscapes and community life visible from the carriage. Indian Rajdhani and other named services combine speed, regular schedules, and onboard services that keep them in consistent use by locals as well as visitors. For international travelers, those trains provide proximity to regional food, local interactions, and rhythms that flights can’t replicate. The example reminds readers that the comeback isn’t uniform: in some places, rail never fell out of favor, and in others, it’s resurging because operators modernized comfort and reliability. That mix of continuity and renewal is a useful contrast for North American audiences where long-distance rail faced decline but still offers iconic routes worth exploring.