The Social Life Of Indian Trains: Amitava Kumar’s Insightful Journey Through India’s Railways

In his latest nonfiction work, The Social Life of Indian Trains: A Journey, Amitava Kumar turns his keen, introspective gaze to one of modern India’s most enduring symbols: its railway network.

Aleph Book Company published the book in December 2025 as part of its Essential India series. It is a slim yet evocative work. Rather than a conventional travelogue, it offers a meditative exploration of how trains have woven themselves into India’s society, history, and psyche.

Kumar, renowned for his sharp nonfiction, such as A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb, as well as his lyrical novels, embarks on journeys aboard iconic routes: the epic Himsagar Express, spanning over 3,700 kilometres from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and the charming Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, immortalised in films and songs.

Through these travels, he examines the gigantic enterprise that is Indian Railways. It is the world’s largest employer under a single management.

The network moves millions of people daily, amounting to several times India’s population each year.

What elevates Kumar’s book beyond mere description is his signature blend of personal observation, historical context, and social commentary. He traces the railways’ colonial origins.

He also celebrates their democratic chaos, from unreserved compartments teeming with migrant workers to shared chai and conversations across classes.

The rhythmic clatter of trains evokes both nostalgia and the steady march of progress.

Drawing from his New Yorker essay on the Himsagar Express, Kumar poignantly highlights deep inequalities. He contrasts air-conditioned berths for the privileged with overcrowded general coaches for labourers.

The divide mirrors broader social disparities in Indian society.

Yet the tone remains affectionate and wonderstruck. Kumar extols the ‘magic of train travel’, arguing that railways will continue to grow in importance as Indians traverse vast distances for work, family, and leisure.

Cultural references, trains in Bollywood, literature, and everyday folklore, underscore how this iron network has shaped national identity.

At under 200 pages, a deliberate choice for the Essential India series, the book is concise, accessible, and beautifully written.

Kumar’s prose flows as smoothly as a train gliding through the countryside. It is a perfect companion for anyone who has boarded an Indian train or dreamt of doing so.

For readers familiar with travel classics like Monisha Rajesh’s Around India in 80 Trains, Kumar offers a more literary and introspective counterpart. Instead of an exhaustive itinerary, the book provides a profound reflection on mobility, migration, and belonging.

Highly recommended for train enthusiasts, India watchers, and anyone seeking a thoughtful portrait of a nation in motion.

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