India’s Most Scenic Railway Stations: 10 Stops Worth Stepping Off For

India’s railway stations are rarely just places to catch a train. Some are grand architectural landmarks; others are tiny hill stations surrounded by mountains, forests or tea gardens. And on some of India’s most spectacular railways, simply arriving at the station can be an experience in itself.

Where the journey begins to feel like part of the destination

​From Himalayan mountain stations perched high above the plains to historic termini in the heart of India’s great cities, here are some of the most scenic and atmospheric railway stations to look out for on your travels.

Darjeeling – railway station with a view

​Few railway stations can claim a setting quite like Darjeeling.

At the end of the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the station sits high in the Himalayas, surrounded by steep hills, tea gardens and, on a clear day, extraordinary views towards the snow-capped peaks of Kanchenjunga.

The railway itself is part of UNESCO’s Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site. Opened in 1881, the narrow-gauge line climbs from the foothills to Darjeeling using ingenious loops and reverses to negotiate the dramatic terrain.

But Darjeeling station is more than the finishing point of a famous railway journey. It is a wonderfully atmospheric place to watch the little steam locomotives come and go, surrounded by the bustle of one of India’s most historic hill stations.

It is also one of the reasons the Indian Magic Tour and Himalayan Narrow Gauge Tour are such special experiences for railway enthusiasts. Both include extensive time on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, including steam-hauled journeys that go well beyond simply taking the train from A to B.

Darjeeling Railway Station by PP Yoonus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ghum – India's highest railway station

Just a short distance from Darjeeling lies Ghum, or Ghoom – the highest railway station in India.

At around 2,258 metres above sea level, Ghum is surrounded by the mountains and forests of the eastern Himalayas. It is one of the defining locations on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, where the railway’s small locomotives seem almost dwarfed by the landscape around them.

There is something particularly magical about arriving here by steam. The combination of the tiny railway, cool mountain air and Himalayan scenery captures exactly what makes India's mountain railways so extraordinary.

Ghum Railway Station by Pinakpani, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shimla – a station at the end of the line

Shimla Railway Station

The approach to Shimla is one of India's great railway arrivals.

The Kalka–Shimla Railway climbs steadily from the foothills into the Himalayas, winding through pine and deodar forests, across bridges and through dozens of tunnels before reaching Shimla. The line rises from around 655 metres at Kalka to more than 2,000 metres at Shimla.

Shimla station itself is relatively modest, but its location is what makes it memorable. After hours of slowly climbing through the mountains, the train emerges into the former summer capital of British India.

The journey is included in several Darjeeling Tours and Beyond itineraries in 2026–27. Rail on All Gauges offers a chartered vintage railbus journey on the line, while Stitching Tracks and the Indian Magic Tour also include specially arranged journeys on the Kalka–Shimla Railway.

Shimla

Shimla Railway Station by Ganesh Mohan T, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Barog – small station, spectacular setting

Barog

​If there is one station on the Kalka–Shimla Railway that deserves particular attention, it is Barog.

Set at around 1,500 metres above sea level, the small station is surrounded by forested hills and has retained much of its old-world character. Indian Railways itself describes Barog station as “eye catching and stunningly beautiful”, while the station restaurant has preserved much of its historic atmosphere.

Barog is also famous for the 1.1-kilometre tunnel immediately associated with the station – the longest tunnel on the Kalka–Shimla line.

It is a perfect example of why travelling through India by train can be so rewarding: sometimes it is the smaller, less celebrated stations that stay with you.

Barog Railway Tunnel

Palampur – Himalayan views from the platform

The Kangra Valley Railway offers a very different Himalayan experience.

Rather than climbing continuously through densely wooded mountains, the narrow-gauge line winds through the much more open Kangra Valley, with fields, villages and tea plantations spread out beneath the dramatic Dhauladhar range. The section around Palampur is particularly scenic, with tea gardens and mountains providing an extraordinary backdrop.

The railway's small stations fit naturally into this landscape. They are often simple, unassuming places, but that is precisely their charm.

The Kangra Valley Railway is one of the highlights of Rail on All Gauges and Himalayan Narrow Gauge, both of which give travellers considerably more time on this fascinating and still relatively little-known railway than a conventional sightseeing trip would allow.

Kangra Station

Palampur Himachal Railway station by Ron.Tyler1995, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coonoor – tea country and mountain railway magic

Further south, the scenery changes completely.

Coonoor sits among the tea-covered hills of Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris and is an important station on the UNESCO-listed Nilgiri Mountain Railway. As the train climbs from the plains towards Ooty, tropical vegetation gradually gives way to forests, tea estates and cooler mountain scenery.

The Nilgiri railway is particularly remarkable because of its rack-and-pinion system, which allows the train to tackle gradients that would be impossible for a conventional railway. UNESCO recognises it alongside the Darjeeling and Kalka–Shimla lines as one of India's Mountain Railways.

Coonoor is therefore more than a scenic station: it is one of the places where the engineering, history and landscape of the railway come together.

The Indian Magic Tour includes a steam-hauled journey on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, with an optional extension to Ooty for those who want to spend longer in the Blue Mountains.

Coonoor Railway Station by E.Saravanan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Matheran – a railway station in the forest

​The Matheran Light Railway provides yet another completely different experience.

From Neral, the tiny two-foot-gauge railway climbs into the Western Ghats towards Matheran, a hill station where motor vehicles are not permitted. The railway follows an extraordinarily winding route through thickly wooded hills, with sharp curves, bridges and changing views across the surrounding landscape.

Matheran station marks the end of the line and sits at the heart of this wonderfully old-fashioned hill station. The station buildings and railway infrastructure themselves are recognised for their heritage significance.

It is a highlight of the Konkan Railways & the Malabar Coast tour, which combines the Matheran narrow-gauge railway with the spectacular scenery of the Konkan coast further south.

Matheran Station by Arne Hückelheim, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai – when the station is the attraction

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus by Sailko, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Not every scenic railway station needs mountains.

In the middle of one of the world's busiest cities stands Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, one of India's great railway buildings. Its elaborate Victorian Gothic architecture is combined with Indian architectural influences, creating a building that is as much a piece of heritage as a functioning railway station.

The station was completed in 1888 and became a symbol of Mumbai's emergence as a major international port. Today, millions of commuters pass through it, making the contrast between its extraordinary historic architecture and the sheer energy of modern Mumbai particularly striking.

It is an especially memorable starting point for the Konkan Railways & the Malabar Coast tour, which begins in Mumbai before heading south onto the spectacular Konkan Railway.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus by Tewaryan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rameswaram – railway, sea and sky

Few railway settings in India are more dramatic than Rameswaram.

The railway journey towards the island traditionally crossed the Pamban Bridge, stretching out across the waters of the Palk Strait. The historic bridge is one of India's great railway engineering landmarks, with the sea stretching away on either side.

The South India & Sri Lanka by Rail itinerary includes the Pamban Bridge as one of its headline railway experiences, alongside the journey across southern India before continuing by sea towards Sri Lanka.

Railway operations across the historic bridge have been subject to changes and reconstruction, so this is one part of the journey where arrangements and access naturally depend on current railway conditions. But the setting remains extraordinary – and perfectly captures the sense of adventure that comes from exploring India by rail.

Boat Mail Express in Rameswaram by Suryaprakash.REIT19, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The best railway stations are part of the journey

​What makes India's railway stations so memorable is that they rarely exist in isolation.

A station might be surrounded by Himalayan peaks, hidden among tea plantations or reached after hours of winding through mountain forests. It might be a tiny heritage building where a steam locomotive pauses for water, or a vast architectural landmark in the middle of a city.

And that is perhaps the real appeal of travelling through India by train. The railway doesn't simply connect the highlights. It becomes part of the experience itself.

From the Himalayan mountain railways to the Konkan coast and the southern tip of the country, Darjeeling Tours and Beyond creates journeys where the trains, stations, landscapes and destinations are all part of the story.

Explore our 2026–27 escorted rail tours and discover India from a different perspective