Book Review: The Train to Darjeeling & Other Railway Tales

The Train to Darjeeling & Other Railway Tales by Sanjoy Mookerjee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The biggest organization on the planet, our own railway system provides the wheels on which the nation moves. Often referred also as the lifeline of the nation, the mighty railway system is the most powerful symbol of national unity and pride."

--- Ashwani Lohani, Former Chairman, Railway Board

Railway is the most common means of transport in our country. It's hard to find an Indian who has never travelled by railway, either for commuting to work or for taking a vacation. However, we are often unaware of the lives of the railway employees.

The author of this book, Sanjoy Mookerjee, was an officer of the prestigious Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) as well as a railway heritage enthusiast. In his words, this book "is the culmination of anecdotes heard and experiences gathered during my long innings with the Indian Railways." Peppered with photos collected from the photo repository of the Indian Railways and illustrations and drawings derived from various sources, this book offers a delightful collection of railway anecdotes and at the same time, offers great insights into the working of the railways and lives of railway employees.

The book starts with the eponymous tale, "Train to Darjeeling" describing the author's journey to Darjeeling to take a vacation as a kid along with his parents. I experienced almost a childlike glee while reading about a kid's excitements while travelling by train. Then there are some really funny anecdotes like "Regal Encounter", "Who revised the Budget?" and "The first official journey". "The Tusker Regiment" warmed up my heart. In "Those Were the Days", he describes his training period as a probationer at the Railway Staff College, Baroda, now re-christened as the National Academy of Indian Railways. With the author, we also take a vicarious tour of the royal campus at Baroda. "Rescue" highlights one rescue operation undertaken by the Indian Railways during a flood situation in 1978 and the dedication towards public service shown by the railway employees during the difficult time. Then there are anecdotes related to Computerisation of Passenger Reservations on Indian Railways. After going through all these heart-warming tales, "A mother's wish" simply teared me up. The book ends with the tale of how the author's efforts as a Railway heritage enthusiast culminated in the setting up of the Railway Heritage Park at Tinsukia.

Overall, a pleasurable read.

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