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The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond

Table of Contents

“The Great Train Journey” by Ruskin Bond is a delightful collection of short stories that takes readers on a memorable ride through the enchanting world of Indian railways. Published in 2019, this anthology captures the essence of train travel, showcasing the unique experiences, fascinating encounters, and vivid landscapes that unfold within the rhythmic motion of the tracks. With his signature warmth, wit, and keen observation, Bond masterfully paints a tapestry of human emotions and evokes a sense of nostalgia, making “The Great Train Journey” a captivating read for train enthusiasts, admirers of Bond’s work, and those yearning for a literary escape.

Charming Characters

Protagonists and their journeys.

In “The Great Train Journey,” Bond introduces a cast of endearing protagonists who embark on memorable train journeys.

The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond From young children to seasoned travelers, each character embarks on a personal journey of self-discovery, encountering new experiences and forging connections along the way. Readers are invited to share in their joys, sorrows, and moments of reflection.

Quirky Co-passengers and Railway Personnel

Alongside the protagonists, Bond introduces a colorful array of co-passengers and railway personnel who add depth and charm to the stories.

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The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond From friendly strangers to eccentric characters, these interactions on the train provide moments of levity, wisdom, and unexpected connections, enhancing the richness of the narratives.

Evocative Descriptions and Sense of Place:

Bond’s vivid descriptions transport readers to the heart of train journeys across India. Whether it’s the majestic landscapes of the Himalayas, the bustling cityscapes of Delhi, or the serene beauty of rural countryside, Bond captures the essence of these settings with his evocative prose. The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond His attention to detail allows readers to visualize the passing scenery, hear the sounds of the train, and feel the rhythm of the tracks beneath their feet. The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond The sense of place created in “The Great Train Journey” is immersive and adds a layer of authenticity to the narratives, inviting readers to embark on their own literary voyage.

Nostalgia and Sentimental Reflections:

Bond’s writing often evokes a sense of nostalgia, and “The Great Train Journey” is no exception. The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond Through his heartfelt and sentimental reflections, he taps into the universal longing for simpler times and the yearning for a bygone era. The trains become a metaphor for the passage of time and the fleeting moments that make up our lives. Bond’s nostalgic undertones resonate with readers, evoking a longing for the romanticism and enchantment associated with train travel.

Humor and Wit: Bond infuses his stories with gentle humor and wit, adding a delightful touch to the collection. Through amusing anecdotes, playful banter, and unexpected twists, he creates a lighthearted atmosphere that balances the nostalgia and introspection. The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond The humor not only entertains but also serves as a reminder of the unpredictable and often humorous nature of human interactions, even within the confines of a train compartment.

Celebration of Indian Railways:

“The Great Train Journey” is a celebration of the iconic Indian Railways, which have become an integral part of the country’s cultural fabric. Bond’s love for trains and railways shines through his narratives, portraying them as more than just a mode of transportation. The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond The railways become a symbol of unity, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, fostering connections, and serving as a conduit for shared experiences and stories.

“The Great Train Journey” by Ruskin Bond is a charming collection of short stories that captures the magic, nostalgia, and human connections found within the world of Indian railways. Bond’s evocative descriptions, captivating narratives, and nostalgic reflections create an immersive reading experience that transports readers to the heart of train travel. The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond With its blend of sentiment, humor, and keen observations,

“The Great Train Journey” is a delightful homage to therich tapestry of train journeys and the indelible memories they create. Bond’s ability to capture the essence of human emotions, his appreciation for the beauty of the Indian landscape, and his skill in crafting engaging narratives make this collection a must-read for both train enthusiasts and lovers of literature alike. “The Great Train Journey” is a literary voyage that invites readers to embark on a captivating and unforgettable ride through the heart and soul of India’s railways.

Q1: Who is Ruskin Bond?

A: Ruskin Bond is a renowned Indian author known for his works in English literature. Born in 1934, Bond has written numerous novels, short stories, and books for children. His writing often reflects his deep connection to nature and his experiences growing up in the Indian Himalayas.

Q2: What is unique about “The Great Train Journey” compared to other works by Ruskin Bond?

A: “The Great Train Journey” stands out from Bond’s other works due to its focus on train travel as a central theme. While Bond’s writing often incorporates elements of nature and his personal experiences, this particular collection is dedicated to capturing the essence of train journeys in India, evoking a sense of nostalgia and celebrating the unique experiences and encounters that occur on trains.

Q3: What can readers expect from “The Great Train Journey” in terms of writing style and tone?

A: Ruskin Bond’s writing style is characterized by its simplicity, evocative descriptions, and gentle humor. In “The Great Train Journey,” readers can expect the same lyrical prose and keen observations that Bond is known for, as well as a nostalgic and reflective tone that creates an atmosphere of warmth and sentimentality.

Q4: Are the stories in “The Great Train Journey” interconnected or standalone?

A: The stories in “The Great Train Journey” are standalone narratives that revolve around the theme of train travel. Each story presents a unique scenario, set in different locations and featuring distinct characters. While they are not directly interconnected, the collection as a whole explores the diverse experiences and emotions evoked by train journeys.

Q5: What audience would enjoy “The Great Train Journey”?

A: “The Great Train Journey” appeals to a wide range of readers. Train enthusiasts, fans of Ruskin Bond’s works, and individuals with an appreciation for evocative storytelling and themes of nostalgia, human connection, and travel will find this collection particularly engaging. The book also offers an accessible introduction to Bond’s writing for those new to his work.

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Book review: the great train journey by ruskin bond.

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The book takes the reader along with the train...always Ruskin Bond stories are marvelous....while reading ,it gives the reader a vintage feeling...this is what a reader expects...

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noice I really liked it as i love trains it really is marvelous

this book is intresting to read and

this book is good and suitable for all ages and gives train vibes to readers and chapter include meeting new people

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The Great Train Journey By Ruskin Bond Book Review

Bhumika Goel / June 2021

The great train journey is a collection of 14 short fictional stories written by Ruskin Bond. As the name of the book indicates, each story is set inside the train. Every story penned is relatable to the usual train journeys anyone can experience on northern railway tracks in India. The train journeys are set from Dehradun. The various stations in the journey are the places of origin of different stories.

Characters:

The different characters in the stories are real. Each character grows with the story. Animal loving grandfather to hard working farmer, innocent Suraj to self-important Mr. Dayal each character enters and exit the stories with its own charm and pace.

Grandfather definitely wins over all the characters. His love for animals and tricks he plays on grandmother seemed so familiar.  It reminded me of my grandfather.

Recommendation:

The great train journey book is no doubt a good read. The funny incidents and stories are relatable to the local train passengers.

However, the unusual love story of author, in the book, seeks parental guidance for growing children.  

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The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond

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• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Book Details

The Great Train Journey

Author: Ruskin Bond

Issue By: Gyan Publication

Published: 1 year ago

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24 of the world’s most incredible train journeys

Jan 2, 2024 • 11 min read

As you cross the continental US aboard the California Zephyr, you’ll see prairies, deserts, mountains and canyons galore © Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock

From cutting through the countryside to connecting a country’s great cities, the world’s best railway journeys offer entirely new perspectives on a destination.

Train travel always delivers plenty of magic. Sometimes it’s in the cars, as you meet fellow travelers, or as you eat and sleep with the sound of wheels rolling on the steel rails beneath you. Sometimes it’s outside, in the landscape the train traverses – offering an adventure, an experience, an insight into the heart of a nation.

Our upcoming book,  Amazing Train Journeys ,  rounds up the world’s greatest railway rides. Pulled from its pages, these 24 train journeys are truly first-class.

1. The Reunification Express, Vietnam

Start:  Ho Chi Minh City End:  Hanoi Departs: Daily Distance:  1072 miles (1726km) Duration:  Two days

This is one of Southeast Asia ’s best-loved railways – and one of the  most epic overnight train journeys in the world . There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam ’s twin metropolises as this train rattles through historic cities and swooshes beside spectacular coastlines.

2. The California Zephyr, USA

Start:  Chicago End:   San Francisco Departs: Daily Distance:  2438 miles (3924km) Duration:   52hrs 40mins

For soaking up the scenic grandeur of the North American continent, nothing compares with Amtrak ’s California Zephyr , one of the US’ best train journeys . This classic three-day ride travels across prairies, deserts, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada on its way from the Midwest to the West Coast.

3. The Lake Titicaca Train, Peru

Start:  Puno End:  Cuzco Departs: Three times a week Distance:  241 miles (388km) Duration:  10 hours

Traversing the Altiplano, from the shores of Lake Titicaca to the bustling heart of the ancient Incan empire, the railway from Puno to Cuzco cuts a ponderous but picturesque path through the snow-dusted peaks and voluptuous valleys of the Andes, across the epic Peruvian plains , passing hardy bowler-hatted llama farmers and traveling through remote towns and villages.

4. The Beijing-to-Lhasa Express, China

Start:   Beijing End:   Lhasa Departs: Daily Distance:  2330 miles (3750km) Duration:  40 hours

From the futuristic architecture and imperial wonders of Beijing, the Z21 train transports its passengers from the neon lights of urban China  across the Tibetan plateau , where it glides past grazing yaks, fluttering prayer flags, snow-capped mountains and boundless blue skies. At your destination, magenta-robed monks await. 

5. The TranzAlpine, New Zealand

Start:   Christchurch End:  Greymouth Departs: Daily Distance:   139 miles (223km) Duration:  4hrs 30mins

Under five hours, this journey is surely one the world’s finest and most scenic one-day train rides. Commence the TranzAlpine experience in Christchurch, before speeding along the Canterbury Plains and climbing quickly through the snow-capped mountains of the Southern Alps, then descend through a thrilling tunnel to emerge among the lakes, streams and rainforests of the South Island ’s West Coast. 

6. The Bergensbanen, Norway

Start:  Oslo End:   Bergen Departs: Four times a day Distance:  308 miles (496km) Duration:   6hrs 30mins

This astonishing train is one of Europe’s best railway rides  – and one of the least well known outside of Norway . It covers the spectrum of the Nordic country’s natural splendor: climbing canyons, crossing rivers, burrowing through mountainsides and traversing barren icescapes.

7. Tazara Railway, Tanzania and Zambia

Start:  Dar es Salaam End:  Kapiri Mposhi Departs: Twice a week Distance:  1160 miles (1860km) Duration:   46 hours

Few trains in the world offer the chance – and we should point out that it’s a chance rather than a guarantee – of spotting big game from your seat. The Tazara ( Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority) does just that. The highlight, though, is the chance to spend two days watching everyday life out of the window, and enjoying the clamor and chaos when the train pulls to a halt – scheduled or unscheduled.

8. The Sunset Limited, USA 

Start:   New Orleans End: Los Angeles Departs: Three times per week  Distance: 1995 miles (3211km)  Duration:  Two days

The ultimate American railroad ride: east to west, coast to coast, clean through from the bars of New Orleans to the breakers of the Pacific Ocean. If you’ve always dreamed of crossing the States, but don’t much relish the prospect of two weeks spent cooped up in an automobile, then a ride on the Sunset Limited is the answer. Sit back and let America’s landscapes buzz by: from Louisiana’s bayous, past the high-rises of Houston, across the deserts of Texas and Arizona , over the Californian hills all the way to LA’s golden beaches. Saddle up, partner: it’s gonna be quite a ride.

9. The Caledonian Sleeper, UK

Start:  London (Euston) End:   Fort William Departs: Daily Distance:  509 miles (819km) Duration:  13hrs 30mins

Segueing from the sooty suburbs and crowded concrete-lined cul-de-sacs of central London to the crisp air and soaring vistas of the Scottish Highlands via one overnight train journey epitomizes the romance of rail travel. Enjoy the buffet-car banter, be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the rails, then wake up to bedside views of towering granite peaks. 

10. Mombasa to Nairobi, Kenya

Start: Mombasa Ends:  Nairobi Departs: Daily Distance:  360 miles (579km) Duration:  5hrs 10mins

The Nairobi–Mombasa railway route is among Africa’s most legendary: it even helped foster the modern concept of safari. The rickety old railway has undergone a rebuild in recent years with smart new stations and a new track laid across the Kenyan savannah . What hasn’t changed is the spellbinding journey, with trains departing from Mombasa and passing in the shadow of Kilimanjaro to the cusp of the Great Rift Valley.

11. Tangier to Marrakesh, Morocco

Start:   Tangier End:  Marrakesh Departs: Daily Distance:  360 miles (580km) Duration:  5hrs 15mins

Nothing can fully prepare you for the magnificence Morocco ’s most evocative city – from the clamor and spectacle of the central square, Djemaa El Fna , to the primary colors of the Jardin Majorelle ; and from the peaceful madrassa of Medersa Ben Youssef to the mad profusion of alleyways. There’s no doubting that a railway journey down the spine of this North African nation is a profoundly uplifting experience.

12. The Rocky Mountaineer, Canada

Start:   Vancouver End:   Banff Departs: Twice a week Distance:  594 miles (957km) Duration:  37 hours

Clattering across the wild Rocky Mountains along a pioneering 19th-century railroad, this train journey is all at once a geological field trip, sightseeing adventure and wildlife safari. It promises cinematic views of Canada ’s quintessential mountain landscapes, plus a bevy of engineering marvels, from dizzying bridges to logic-defying tunnels. And with luck, you might even spy a bald eagle, moose or grizzly bear. 

13. Alexandria to Aswan, Egypt

Start:   Alexandria End:  Aswan Departs: Daily Distance:  670 miles (1100km) Duration:  16 hours

A ride from Alexandria to Aswan means you will travel the length of Egypt 's rail network – and also undertake an odyssey in the company of the great Nile River , with chances to disembark and explore the relics of empires along its banks . Do keep in mind that, for all their plus points, Egyptian trains are not always known for punctuality. 

14. The Serra Verde Express, Brazil

Start:   Curitiba End:  Morretes,  Paraná Departs: Daily Distance:  42 miles (68km) Duration:  3hrs 30mins

One of Brazil ’s most spectacular train journeys, the Serra Verde Express starts in the architecturally bold city of Curitiba and winds its way through dramatic mountain passes covered with tropical rainforest before it drops you in Morretes in the lush state of Paraná. The half-day trip takes in canyons, jagged mountain peaks and verdant lowlands, and the slow-going locomotive allows plenty of opportunities to photograph the cinematic backdrop while traversing some 30 bridges and chugging through 14 tunnels. Aside from the captivating scenery, the journey provides a fascinating glimpse into the past as it trundles through tiny stations dating back to the late 1800s.

15. The Darjeeling Toy Train, India

Start:   New Jalpaiguri End:   Darjeeling Departs: Daily Distance:  55 miles (88.5km) Duration:  7–8 hours

India ’s narrow-gauge steam railways are the stuff of legend, and the bottle-blue Darjeeling Toy Train is the nation’s lead engine. The ride from the Bengal plains to Darjeeling travels past emerald-green tea plantations and precariously balanced, tin-roofed townships, while clouds tumble down the looming massif of Mt Khangchendzonga. Steam engines are now only used for a small section of the route, yet this iconic mountain journey still serves up a sizable slice of history.

16. The Hokkaidō Shinkansen, Japan

Start:  Tokyo End:  Hakodate Departs: Daily Distance:  512 miles (824km) Duration:  4 hours

The Hokkaidō Shinkansen , one of Japan’s iconic bullet trains , takes you from Tokyo to Hakodate, the southern port of Hokkaidō . Along the way, it zooms past picturesque scenes of rural Japan , through mountains and under the sea. The route is only part of it, though: riding the shinkansen – with its food trolleys and staff who bow upon entering and exiting the train car – is a classic Japanese experience.

17. Colombo to Badulla, Sri Lanka

Start:  Colombo End:  Badulla Departs: Daily Distance:  181 miles (292km) Duration:  9–10 hours

One of many unforgettable things about Sri Lanka is the variety and intensity of the color green throughout the year . And for train aficionados, there is no better way to appreciate the country’s full, verdant spectrum than an all-day rail journey from Colombo’s urban gardens at sea level to tea plantations in the Hill Country , via brain-spinning sensory doses of jungle and forest, paddy field and palm tree, mountain and valley, national parks…and human habitation, too. Expect to move slowly – and enjoy one of the most scenic train trips in the world.

18. Bangkok to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore

Start:   Bangkok End:  Singapore Departs: Weekly Distance:  1200 miles (1900km) Duration: Three days

A railway journey from Bangkok to Singapore spans three countries, three capital cities, and – without disembarking once – can be completed in under three days. But to go so fast would be to miss the point of this artery along the Malay Peninsula – a line suited to capricious roaming. You always have the option to hop off – to see tropical islands, to scale the cool heights of tea plantations, and to linger in a trio of metropolises that are each entirely different.

19. The Glacier Express, Switzerland

Start:  St Moritz End:  Zermatt Departs: Daily (in season) Distance:  180 miles (290km) Duration:  8 hours

Switzerland is a nation of rail fanatics . And if the Swiss could pick one definitive ride, the honor would surely go to the Glacier Express . This eight-hour journey from ritzy St Moritz to Matterhorn-topped Zermatt unzips the lovely Alpine terrain in the country’s south, corkscrewing up to wind-battered mountain passes, teetering across 291 bridges and rumbling through 91 tunnels. It intentionally moves at a snail’s pace so you take in those out-of-this-world views of meadows, forest, falls and mountains – all through panoramic windows. 

20. The Bernina Express, Switzerland & Italy

Start:   Chur End:  Tirano Departs: Daily Distance:  96 miles (156km) Duration:  4hrs 30mins

We can wax lyrical about the glacier-capped mountains, waterfall-draped ravines, jewel-colored lakes and endless spruce forests glimpsed through panoramic windows on Switzerland’s Bernina Express – but seeing is believing. Rolling from Chur in Graubünden to Tirano in northern Italy , this narrow-gauge train often tops polls of the world’s most beautiful rail journeys. The line has even made UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites – and with good reason.

21. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, England, France, Switzerland and Italy

Start:  London End:  Venice Departs: One to six times per month Distance:  1300 miles (2090km) Duration:  Two days

The promise of traveling from London to Venice cocooned in luxury while sitting in twinkly dining cars with fine china and silver cutlery is surely one that endures in the hearts of all rail enthusiasts. While the Orient Express’ various other 20th-century routes are sadly long gone, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express offers a tantalizing sample of the original on a trip that is surely the best journey back in time ever. But this route gained a new rival in 2023 with the Orient Express La Dolce Vita service  – and, in 2025, a new service on the original route is scheduled to hit the rails .

22. Nova Gorica to Jesenice, Slovenia

Start:  Nova Gorica End:   Jesenice Departs:  Daily Distance:  55 miles (89km) Duration:  Two hours

Here is a near-perfect railway adventure that most people have never heard of. The Bohinj Railway connects two places whose significance can be lost to modern travelers. An unassuming regional train rattling out of a faded-grandeur halt on the Italy– Slovenia border doesn’t even hint at what’s to come. The journey is a spectacular tour of Slovenia’s upland highlights from Nova Gorica, climbing through mountain towns and villages along the Soča River , passing through superb Alpine scenery close to Lake Bohinj , and on past world-famous Lake Bled to Jesenice.

23. The Ghan, Australia

Start:   Adelaide End:  Darwin Departs: Twice a week Distance:   1851 miles (2979km) Duration:  54 hours

Cutting vertically across the Outback heart of Australia , straight through the desolate deserts of the Red Centre, the Ghan is one of the southern hemisphere’s most unforgettable train journeys. This cross-country train service has provided a vital link between Australia’s north and south coasts, traveling north across the country from well-to-do, orderly Adelaide to the tropical, croc-filled creeks of Darwin. Luxurious and legendary, it’s Australia’s elegant version of the Orient Express.

24. Cannes to Menton, France

Start:   Cannes End:  Menton Departs: Daily Distance:  34 miles (55km) Duration:  1hr 20mins

It’s the stuff that travel dreams are made of: a slow train skirting the French Mediterranean coast, through towns whose very names resonate with glamour – Cannes, Antibes , Monaco . On one side of the tracks lies that sparkling sea; on the other, dramatic cliffs interspersed with the gorgeous coastal towns of the French Riviera . You can make a long day of this short trip, hopping on and off to explore a street market, linger at an outdoor terrace, take a breath of history and get a taste of luxury.

This article was first published August 2019 and updated January 2024

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The Great Train Journey Questions & Answers

Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Great Train Journey Questions & Answers. In my previous posts, I have also shared the questions and answers of Nicobobinus , Summer Sun and Nat Comes To Plumfield so, you can check these posts as well.

The Great Train Journey Questions & Answers

Question 1: what time of year is it.

Answer: The year is in its mid-phase because Suraj’s school has closed down for summer holidays which in India usually begins from mid of May and extends till the first week of July.

Question 2: How do we know that Suraj likes trains?

Answer: Suraj keeps waving to the passing trains until only the spiraling smoke remains and feels lonely when the train leaves behind only the hot, empty track. This proves that he likes trains a lot.

Question 3: How do we know that Suraj is bored?

Answer: Sitting inside the carriage, Suraj does not like the smelly, dark and musty compartment and thinks he could have had some fun if his friend Ranji was also there. This proves that Suraj is getting bored.

Question 4: Why does Suraj think that the trees are walking?

Answer: In examining the crates, Suraj was completely engrossed. So, he could not notice that the train had started moving. That is why a little later when he looks up out of the doorway, he thinks that the trees are moving.

Question 5: What sort of things make Suraj curious and how does he react to what makes him curious?

Answer: The things that are bolted, nailed down or concealed from Suraj like parcels, locked rooms, crates and carriage doors make him curious. Whenever he finds any of these things, he tries his level best to discover what it holds inside.

Question 6: Who else is in the carriage?

Answer: A dirty, bearded and scrubby man with paan stained teeth is also there in the carriage who suddenly steps out from behind the crates.

Question 7: Where does Suraj say that he would like to go?

Answer: Suraj tells the hippy that he wants to go all around the world and see new and strange places like England, China, Africa, Greenland and many more.

Question 8: When Suraj thinks about his parents for the first time, what does he imagine that they will think?

Answer: Suraj imagines that when he would not return home in the night, his parents would think that he has either run away or been kidnapped or been involved in an accident.

Question 9: What warning does the man give Suraj?

Answer: The man warns Suraj to keep out of sight if he does not want to be caught by people in the train.

Question 10: What presents does Suraj imagine that he will bring back for his friend?

Answer: Suraj imagines that if possible, he would bring an African lion or a transistor-radio for his friend.

Question 11: Why do you think the man was on the train?

Answer: The man was on the train as it was his usual routine to travel in that compartment.

Question 12: When Suraj thinks about his parents’ reaction to his disappearance, he feels a few different emotions. What shows us that he is excited at first? How does he feel later on?

Answer: Suraj seems to be very excited in the beginning because he is enjoying the ride thinking that the train would take him to the sea from where he would go to distant land in a ship. However, later on, he feels very sorry for his parents because he knows that they would miss him dearly.

Question 13: Why doesn’t the man tell Suraj that the train takes a circular route?

Answer: When the man discovers that Suraj neither has a ticket nor has any idea about his destination, he assumes that Suraj is running away from his home. He wants him to unite with his family. That is why he never tells Suraj that it is just a local goods train which takes a circular route.

Question 14: Read the line and answer the questions:

‘He stuffed one into each pocket and climbed on to wooden rack in a corner.’

(a) Whom does ‘he’ refer to and where is ‘he’ at the moment?

Answer: ‘He’ refers to Suraj and at the moment, ‘he’ is in one of the compartments of a local goods train.

(b) What did he stuff into his pockets and why?

Answer: He stuffed apples into each of his pockets because he suspected that the apples would not stay in the compartment much longer and he needed supplies to prevent himself from starving during his long journey.

(c) Where did he climb and why?

Answer: He climbed onto a wooden rack in the corner of his compartment to keep himself out of sight because he did not want to be caught by the people in the train.

(d) What happened when the train stopped at the siding?

Answer: Two labourers stepped into Suraj’s compartment and moved all the crates towards the door which were then taken over by others. So, these were The Great Train Journey Questions & Answers.

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The great train journey audible audiobook – unabridged.

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.

• Listening Length 3 hours and 35 minutes
• Author Ruskin Bond
• Narrator Ranvijay Pratap Singh
• Audible release date March 1, 2023
• Language English
• Publisher Audible Studios
• ASIN B0BRYN4LNB
• Version Unabridged
• Program Type Audiobook
• See all details

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Compensation payouts to UK rail passengers for delays hit £100m a year

Record sum follows cancellation or part-cancellation of almost 320,000 train services in past year

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Compensation paid to passengers for train delays in Britain has reached record levels, with annual payouts surpassing £100m and the number of claims for delayed or cancelled trains continuing to grow.

Payouts to passengers for disrupted journeys reached £101.3m in the year to April 2023 – up by 155% from £39m in 2021-22.

The latest official data from the rail regulator , the Office of Rail and Road, suggests the financial hit is likely to be much higher again in 2023-24. The number of approved claims recorded across all train operators in Britain until early January – 4.6m – exceeded the previous year’s tally with several months remaining.

While the compensation total partly reflects a rebound in train travel after the Covid crisis, the growing figures far outstrip the 40% rise in passenger numbers.

Almost 320,000 train services were cancelled or part-cancelled in the past year in Britain. Strikes, staff shortages, damaged rail infrastructure and mechanical failures on trains all contributed to a year of disruption and delayed journeys across the railways. Labour said it showed that the taxpayer was “carrying the can” for worsening rail services.

Though wholesale rail reform has been promised, under current contracts, the compensation bill is funded by the taxpayer – the government pays operators a management fee regardless of performance and carries the cost of lost revenue.

The payouts for delays covered only scheduled services, as trains that are removed from the timetable usually do not trigger compensation – a policy that has drawn huge criticism on lines such as Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express .

The growing bill partly reflects increasing automated payouts. Some train operators now issue refunds immediately to passengers who have booked advance journeys through their websites, or to registered season ticket holders during disruption. The industry has also improved its response to complaints; more than 99% of claims are resolved within 20 days.

Labour said some of the worst operators for cancellations were being rewarded for failure. CrossCountry and Avanti West Coast’s parent companies have paid out millions to shareholders and were awarded contract extensions by ministers last year.

The shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “Thanks to this government, it makes no difference to the management fee private rail operators receive if services are delayed or cancelled – they pick up a lucrative, publicly funded cheque regardless. It is the taxpayer forced to carry the can for our broken, dysfunctional rail network.”

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Labour has said that if elected, it will bring train operations back into public ownership as contracts expire.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, said they apologised to everyone affected, adding: “When train delays or cancellations do occur, it’s important that customers know how to claim for compensation. We have taken steps to simplify this process and the ORR [Office of Rail and Road] data confirms that 99.5% of all delay compensation claims were closed within 20 working days. “Performance on the railway is not as good as it should be. The rail industry is working hard to make trains more reliable, and we’re recruiting and training new staff to improve resilience.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “This increase reflects a combination of an improved compensation claims process, Aslef’s industrial action and the impact of weather-related disruption.

“We have made no secret about the need to reform the railways and while we work with the industry to deliver our rail reform plan, we continue to hold the industry account for disruption that is within their control and to ensure value for money for taxpayers.”

• Rail industry
• Rail transport
• Transport policy
• Consumer affairs

More on this story

Rail passengers face rolling strikes but London Underground action called off

Network Rail to spend £2.8bn to cope with effects of climate crisis

New train services between London and Scotland get go-ahead

Siemens to invest £100m in Chippenham rail factory site in Wiltshire

UK ministers look to install highly paid boss to spearhead rail reform plan

£140m rail plan to tackle Elizabeth line and Great Western problems

Draft rail reform bill published ‘fittingly late’, Labour says

Profits of UK’s private train-leasing firms treble in a year

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Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?

The environmental protection agency says “forever chemicals” must be removed from tap water. but they lurk in much more of what we eat, drink and use..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. And this is “The Daily.”

[THEME MUSIC]

This month for the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency began to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals, known as forever chemicals, in America’s drinking water. But the chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, are in far more than just our water supply. Today, my colleague Kim Tingley explains.

It’s Wednesday, April 17.

So Kim, any time the EPA announces a regulation, I think we all sort of take notice because implicit in it is this idea that we have been exposed to something — something bad, potentially, lead or asbestos. And recently, the EPA is regulating a type of chemical known as PFAS So for those who don’t know, what are PFAS chemicals

Yeah, so PFAS stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They’re often called forever chemicals just because they persist so long in the environment and they don’t easily break down. And for that reason, we also use them in a ton of consumer products. They’re in makeup. They’re in carpet. They’re in nonstick cookware. They’re in food packaging, all sorts of things.

Yeah, I feel like I’ve been hearing about these chemicals actually for a very long time. I mean, nonstick pans, Teflon — that’s the thing that’s in my mind when I think PFAS.

Absolutely. Yeah, this class of chemicals has been around for decades. And what’s really important about this is that the EPA has decided, for the first time, to regulate them in drinking water. And that’s a ruling that stands to affect tens of millions of people.

So, help me understand where these things came from and how it’s taken so long to get to the point where we’re actually regulating them.

So, they really actually came about a long time ago. In 1938, DuPont, the people who eventually got us to Teflon, they were actually looking for a more stable kind of refrigerant. And they came upon this kind of chemical, PFAS. The thing that all PFAS chemicals have is a really strong bond between carbon atoms and fluorine atoms. This particular pairing is super strong and super durable.

They have water repellent properties. They’re stain resistant. They’re grease resistant. And they found a lot of uses for them initially in World War II. They were using them as part of their uranium enrichment process to do all these kinds of things. And then —

Well, good thing it’s Teflon.

In the 1950s is when they really started to come out as commercial products.

Even burned food won’t stick to Teflon. So it’s always easy to clean.

So, DuPont started using it in Teflon pans.

Cookware never needs scouring if it has DuPont Teflon.

And then another company, 3M also started using a kind of PFAS —

Scotchgard fabric protector. It keeps ordinary spills from becoming extraordinary stains.

— in one of their big products, Scotchgard. So you probably remember spraying that on your shoes if you want to make your shoes waterproof.

Use Scotchgard fabric protector and let your cup runneth over.

Right — miracle product, Scotchgard, Teflon. But of course, we’re talking about these chemicals because they’ve been found to pose health threats. When does that risk start to surface?

Yeah, so it’s pretty early on that DuPont and 3M start finding effects in animals in studies that they’re running in house.

Around the mid ‘60s, they start seeing that PFAS has an effect on rats. It’s increasing the liver and kidney weights of the rats. And so that seems problematic. And they keep running tests over the next decade and a half. And they try different things with different animals.

In one study, they gave monkeys really, really high levels of PFAS. And those monkeys died. And so they have a pretty strong sense that these chemicals could be dangerous. And then in 1979, they start to see that the workers that are in the plants manufacturing, working with these chemicals, that they’re starting to have higher rates of abnormal liver function. And in a Teflon plant, they had some pregnant workers that were working with these chemicals. And one of those workers in 1981 gave birth to a child who had some pretty severe birth defects.

And then by the mid 1980s, DuPont figures out that it’s not just their workers who are being exposed to these chemicals, but communities that are living in areas surrounding their Teflon plant, particularly the one in Parkersburg, West Virginia, that those communities have PFAS in their tap water.

Wow, so based on its own studies, DuPont knows its chemicals are making animals sick. They seem to be making workers sick. And now they found out that the chemicals have made their way into the water supply. What do they do with that information?

As far as we know, they didn’t do much. They certainly didn’t tell the residents of Parkersburg who were drinking that water that there was anything that they needed to be worried about.

How is that possible? I mean, setting aside the fact that DuPont is the one actually studying the health effects of its own chemicals, presumably to make sure they’re safe, we’ve seen these big, regulating agencies like the EPA and the FDA that exist in order to watch out for something exactly like this, a company that is producing something that may be harming Americans. Why weren’t they keeping a closer watch?

Yeah, so it goes kind of back to the way that we regulate chemicals in the US. It goes through an act called the Toxic Substances Control Act that’s administered by the EPA. And basically, it gives companies a lot of room to regulate themselves, in a sense. Under this act they have a responsibility to report to the EPA if they find these kinds of potential issues with a chemical. They have a responsibility to do their due diligence when they’re putting a chemical out into the environment.

But there’s really not a ton of oversight. The enforcement mechanism is that the EPA can find them. But this kind of thing can happen pretty easily where DuPont keeps going with something that they think might really be a problem and then the fine, by the time it plays out, is just a tiny fraction of what DuPont has earned from producing these chemicals. And so really, the incentive is for them to take the punishment at the end, rather than pull it out early.

So it seems like it’s just self-reporting, which is basically self-regulation in a way.

Yeah, I think that is the way a lot of advocacy groups and experts have characterized it to me, is that chemical companies are essentially regulating themselves.

So how did this danger eventually come to light? I mean, if this is in some kind of DuPont vault, what happened?

Well, there’s a couple different things that started to happen in the late ‘90s.

The community around Parkersburg, West Virginia, people had reported seeing really strange symptoms in their animals. Cows were losing their hair. They had lesions. They were behaving strangely. Some of their calves were dying. And a lot of people in the community felt like they were having health problems that just didn’t really have a good answer, mysterious sicknesses, and some cases of cancers.

And so they initiate a class action lawsuit against DuPont. As part of that class action lawsuit, DuPont, at a certain point, is forced to turn over all of their internal documentation. And so what was in the files was all of that research that we mentioned all of the studies about — animals, and workers, the birth defects. It was really the first time that the public saw what DuPont and 3M had already seen, which is the potential health harms of these chemicals.

So that seems pretty damning. I mean, what happened to the company?

So, DuPont and 3M are still able to say these were just a few workers. And they were working with high levels of the chemicals, more than a person would get drinking it in the water. And so there’s still an opportunity for this to be kind of correlation, but not causation. There’s not really a way to use that data to prove for sure that it was PFAS that caused these health problems.

In other words, the company is arguing, look, yes, these two things exist at the same time. But it doesn’t mean that one caused the other.

Exactly. And so one of the things that this class action lawsuit demands in the settlement that they eventually reach with DuPont is they want DuPont to fund a formal independent health study of the communities that are affected by this PFAS in their drinking water. And so they want DuPont to pay to figure out for sure, using the best available science, how many of these health problems are potentially related to their chemicals.

And so they ask them to pay for it. And they get together an independent group of researchers to undertake this study. And it ends up being the first — and it still might be the biggest — epidemiological study of PFAS in a community. They’ve got about 69,000 participants in this study.

Wow, that’s big.

It’s big, yeah. And what they ended up deciding was that they could confidently say that there was what they ended up calling a probable link. And so they were really confident that the chemical exposure that the study participants had experienced was linked to high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy induced hypertension.

And so those were the conditions that they were able to say, with a good degree of certainty, were related to their chemical exposure. There were others that they just didn’t have the evidence to reach a strong conclusion.

So overall, pretty substantial health effects, and kind of vindicates the communities in West Virginia that were claiming that these chemicals were really affecting their health.

Absolutely. And as the years have gone on, that was sort of just the beginning of researchers starting to understand all the different kinds of health problems that these chemicals could potentially be causing. And so since the big DuPont class action study, there’s really just been like this building and building and building of different researchers coming out with these different pieces of evidence that have accumulated to a pretty alarming picture of what some of the potential health outcomes could be.

OK, so that really kind of brings us to the present moment, when, at last, it seems the EPA is saying enough is enough. We need to regulate these things.

Yeah, it seems like the EPA has been watching this preponderance of evidence accumulate. And they’re sort of deciding that it’s a real health problem, potentially, that they need to regulate.

So the EPA has identified six of these PFAS chemicals that it’s going to regulate. But the concern that I think a lot of experts have is that this particular regulation is not going to keep PFAS out of our bodies.

We’ll be right back.

So, Kim, you just said that these regulations probably won’t keep PFAS chemicals out of our bodies. What did you mean?

Well, the EPA is talking about regulating these six kinds of PFAS. But there are actually more than 10,000 different kinds of PFAS that are already being produced and out there in the environment.

And why those six, exactly? I mean, is it because those are the ones responsible for most of the harm?

Those are the ones that the EPA has seen enough evidence about that they are confident that they are probably causing harm. But it doesn’t mean that the other ones are not also doing something similar. It’s just sort of impossible for researchers to be able to test each individual chemical compound and try to link it to a health outcome.

I talked to a lot of researchers who were involved in this area and they said that they haven’t really seen a PFAS that doesn’t have a harm, but they just don’t have information on the vast majority of these compounds.

So in other words, we just haven’t studied the rest of them enough yet to even know how harmful they actually are, which is kind of alarming.

Yeah, that’s right. And there’s just new ones coming out all the time.

Right. OK, so of the six that the EPA is actually intending to regulate, though, are those new regulations strict enough to keep these chemicals out of our bodies?

So the regulations for those six chemicals really only cover getting them out of the drinking water. And drinking water only really accounts for about 20 percent of a person’s overall PFAS exposure.

So only a fifth of the total exposure.

Yeah. There are lots of other ways that you can come into contact with PFAS. We eat PFAS, we inhale PFAS. We rub it on our skin. It’s in so many different products. And sometimes those products are not ones that you would necessarily think of. They’re in carpets. They’re in furniture. They’re in dental floss, raincoats, vinyl flooring, artificial turf. All kinds of products that you want to be either waterproof or stain resistant or both have these chemicals in them.

So, the cities and towns are going to have to figure out how to test for and monitor for these six kinds of PFAS. And then they’re also going to have to figure out how to filter them out of the water supply. I think a lot of people are concerned that this is going to be just a really expensive endeavor, and it’s also not really going to take care of the entire problem.

Right. And if you step back and really look at the bigger problem, the companies are still making these things, right? I mean, we’re running around trying to regulate this stuff at the end stage. But these things are still being dumped into the environment.

Yeah. I think it’s a huge criticism of our regulatory policy. There’s a lot of onus put on the EPA to prove that a harm has happened once the chemicals are already out there and then to regulate the chemicals. And I think that there’s a criticism that we should do things the other way around, so tougher regulations on the front end before it goes out into the environment.

And that’s what the European Union has been doing. The European Chemicals Agency puts more of the burden on companies to prove that their products and their chemicals are safe. And the European Chemicals Agency is also, right now, considering just a ban on all PFAS products.

So is that a kind of model, perhaps, of what a tough regulation could look like in the US?

There’s two sides to that question. And the first side is that a lot of people feel like it would be better if these chemical companies had to meet a higher standard of proof in terms of demonstrating that their products or their chemicals are going to be safe once they’ve been put out in the environment.

The other side is that doing that kind of upfront research can be really expensive and could potentially limit companies who are trying to innovate in that space. In terms of PFAS, specifically, this is a really important chemical for us. And a lot of the things that we use it in, there’s not necessarily a great placement at the ready that we can just swap in. And so it’s used in all sorts of really important medical devices or renewable energy industries or firefighting foam.

And in some cases, there are alternatives that might be safer that companies can use. But in other cases, they just don’t have that yet. And so PFAS is still really important to our daily lives.

Right. And that kind of leaves us in a pickle because we know these things might be harming us. Yet, we’re kind of stuck with them, at least for now. So, let me just ask you this question, Kim, which I’ve been wanting to ask you since the beginning of this episode, which is, if you’re a person who is concerned about your exposure to PFAS, what do you do?

Yeah. So this is really tricky and I asked everybody this question who I talked to. And everybody has a little bit of a different answer based on their circumstance. For me what I ended up doing was getting rid of the things that I could sort of spot and get rid of. And so I got rid of some carpeting and I checked, when I was buying my son a raincoat, that it was made by a company that didn’t use PFAS.

It’s also expensive. And so if you can afford to get a raincoat from a place that doesn’t manufacture PFAS, it’s going to cost more than if you buy the budget raincoat. And so it’s kind of unfair to put the onus on consumers in that way. And it’s also just not necessarily clear where exactly your exposure is coming from.

So I talk to people who said, well, it’s in dust, so I vacuum a lot. Or it’s in my cleaning products, so I use natural cleaning products. And so I think it’s really sort of a scattershot approach that consumers can take. But I don’t think that there is a magic approach that gets you a PFAS-free life.

So Kim, this is pretty dark, I have to say. And I think what’s frustrating is that it feels like we have these government agencies that are supposed to be protecting our health. But when you drill down here, the guidance is really more like you’re on your own. I mean, it’s hard not to just throw up your hands and say, I give up.

Yeah. I think it’s really tricky to try to know what you do with all of this information as an individual. As much as you can, you can try to limit your individual exposure. But it seems to me as though it’s at a regulatory level that meaningful change would happen, and not so much throwing out your pots and pans and getting new ones.

One thing about PFAS is just that we’re in this stage still of trying to understand exactly what it’s doing inside of us. And so there’s a certain amount of research that has to happen in order to both convince people that there’s a real problem that needs to be solved, and clean up what we’ve put out there. And so I think that we’re sort of in the middle of that arc. And I think that that’s the point at which people start looking for solutions.

Kim, thank you.

Here’s what else you should know today. On Tuesday, in day two of jury selection for the historic hush money case against Donald Trump, lawyers succeeded in selecting 7 jurors out of the 12 that are required for the criminal trial after failing to pick a single juror on Monday.

Lawyers for Trump repeatedly sought to remove potential jurors whom they argued were biased against the president. Among the reasons they cited were social media posts expressing negative views of the former President and, in one case, a video posted by a potential juror of New Yorkers celebrating Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. Once a full jury is seated, which could come as early as Friday, the criminal trial is expected to last about six weeks.

Today’s episode was produced by Clare Toeniskoetter, Shannon Lin, Summer Thomad, Stella Tan, and Jessica Cheung, with help from Sydney Harper. It was edited by Devon Taylor, fact checked by Susan Lee, contains original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for The Daily. I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’
• April 5, 2024   •   29:11 An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Kim Tingley

Produced by Clare Toeniskoetter ,  Shannon M. Lin ,  Summer Thomad ,  Stella Tan and Jessica Cheung

With Sydney Harper

Edited by Devon Taylor

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun for the first time to regulate a class of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals” in America’s drinking water.

Kim Tingley, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains how these chemicals, which have been linked to liver disease and other serious health problems, came to be in the water supply — and in many more places.

On today’s episode

Kim Tingley , a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.

Background reading

“Forever chemicals” are everywhere. What are they doing to us?

The E.P.A. issued its rule about “forever chemicals” last week.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Advertisement

New Vertical Core at LAX will help connect passengers with planned people mover

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles International Airport held a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday to celebrate a major aspect of its ongoing massive renovation project.

The new vertical core at the Tom Bradley International Terminal will help passengers with connections to the planned people mover train system.

Los Angeles World Airports has invested over $335 million on three vertical cores - one at the Bradley terminal, one between terminals 4 and 5, and updgrading one at terminal 7.

"This project alone has created over 3,600 jobs," Mayor Karen Bass said. "Many of them for local workers. And it includes graduates of the Hire LAX apprenticeship readiness program. This project also puts over $167 million into our local businesses."

The walkways will be built by American, Delta, and Southwest Airlines between multiple terminals. These walkways can be reached by elevator or escalator and will eventually connect to the automatic people mover.

Sources tell Eyewitness News that trains will be put on the track in a few months for testing. Delays have put back the opening of the people mover to possibly fall 2025.

"When this facility, the automated people mover opens it's going to connect us to a train station a couple miles away from here," said John Ackerman, CEO of LAWA. "We're actually extending our airport by over 2 1/2 miles to the east and we're creating more access for our customers and more importantly for employees and we're connecting to the LA metro system."

The plan is to have the system done before a massive influx of visitors arrives in Los Angeles for the World Cup in 2026 - and of course the Olympics in 2028.

Related Topics

• LOS ANGELES
• WESTCHESTER
• LOS ANGELES COUNTY
• LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

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