Follow In The Footsteps Of......

The biggest in Asia, the Indian railways run on 40,000 miles of track and reach every corner of the vast subcontinent. The brainchild of Governor General Lord Dalhousie in 1853, it would become the biggest engineering project of its time and instrumental in every chapter of India's history.

The BBC Four series found Sergeant in a role far removed from his more celebrated one as the scourge of Margaret Thatcher et al. Starting his 3,000-mile trip in Kolkata, the jovial Sergeant crossed India from east to west, travelled through turbulent Bihar state, visited the Victorian railway town of Jamalpur, and discovers why the construction of the Dufferin Bridge at the holy centre of Varanasi resulted in Victorian technology and ingenuity clashing with ancient religion, before ending his journey at the border with Pakistan.

There he witnessed the daily phoney confrontation between Pakistani and Indian border guards, wearing improbable uniforms, trying to do outdo each other with military swagger in front of their good-natured, but vocal supporters.

In the second episode, he travelled north to south to discover how the railways not only shaped India’s history, but also its future.

Starting in New Delhi, he revealed how the railways' extraordinary construction story began with locomotives and track being shipped from British shipyards. He visited Gwalior to discover the extent of collusion between the privileged maharajahs and the British Empire, and at Victoria Terminus he demonstrated the politics and the power behind its grand design.

But it was at Bhore Ghat - just outside Mumbai - where he discovered the 19th century British engineers' crowning construction achievement and the extraordinary human cost that made it all possible.

His conclusion was that today it is India's railways that continue to change the lives of its one billion people in ways that would have delighted its colonial architects.

However, India isn’t only for those who revel in the world of railway engineering. Haslemere Travel has expert knowledge of a variety of luxurious train journeys for those who just wish to experience this fascinating country without recourse to roads or endless flights.

And now you can enjoy India in the utmost luxury on board the Maharajahs Express . As you step on board, you will find yourself transported back in time to embark on “the voyage of a lifetime”.

The trains have two restaurants, a bar and five carriages for Deluxe Cabins, six for Junior Suites, two for Suites and one for a very grand Presidential Suite.

Every cabin has large, panoramic windows and come with individual temperature controls, the first of its kind in India and all boast state-of-the-art facilities: LCD televisions, DVD players, direct dial telephone and internet, to name a few. In-house movies and TV also keep you entertained through the journey.

Let Haslemere Travel sort out your ideal timetable for travel in India, so that you can witness this glorious, often impossible, but always captivating, country. Ring 01428 658777.