Indian Train names have an interesting history. Mostly, trains get their names from the source and destination station or the region. Sometimes they are named after an event or personality. We all know that. However, to my surprise, there are many Indian train names that come from Indian Literature. poetry and authors. Come with me to know some of these:
Indian Train Names Inspired by Literature
1. Kamayani Express – Mumbai to Balia in Bihar
It is named after Kamayani, written in 1936 by Jaishankar Prasad of Varanasi. He is a famous name in modern Hindi literature. His most famous work, Kamayani, an epic poem, tells the story of the great flood. Its central characters are Manu, Shraddha, and Ida, representing human psyche, love, and rationality, respectively. They also represent the triad of knowledge, action, and desire, or Iccha, Gyan, and Kriya Shakti, three primary forms of energy required to achieve or create anything.
Kamayani Express connects Mumbai with Balia in Bihar now but was initially connecting Mumbai and Varanasi, the city of Jaishankar Prasad.
2. Gitanjali Express – Mumbai to Kolkata
Gitanjali written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore way back in 1910 needs no introduction. It is the creation that won him the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is a collection of poems that offer divine offerings of love. They are a part of Rabindra Sangeet. I hope to read them in original Bengali someday as translations can never do justice.
The train connects Mumbai with Howrah – the main station of the city of Kolkata, the city of Rabindranath Tagore. You can still visit his home at Jorasanko Thakurbari in Kolkata. It covers almost 2000 kms to take you from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and connects two of the oldest railway stations in India.
3. Amrapali Express: Katihar in Bihar to Amritsar in Punjab
Amrapali was a nagarvadhu or royal courtesan of Vaishali in present-day Bihar. She lived around 500 BC and was the first female to take Deeksha in Buddhism. Amrapali hosted a huge meal for the Buddhist monks and followed them to become a Bhikuni. She was named Amrapali as she was found at the foot of a mango tree in the royal gardens of Vaishali. Her story is immortalized in the famous novel Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu by Acharya Chatursen.
The train covers about 1800 kms in 38+ hours, passing through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
4. Basava Express – Mysore to Bagalkot in Karnataka
Basava, fondly known as Basavanna as well as Basaveshwara, was a philosopher-poet who lived in the 12th century CE when present-day Karnataka. He was born in a Shaivite family from Bagewadi in Vijayapura district and was named Basava, which literally means Vrishabha or the bull, referring to the Shiva Vahana. Being an ardent Shiva devotee, he started the tradition of wearing Linga on oneself. Basava’s path later gave birth to the Lingayata tradition. I got a glimpse of this path at Jangamwadi Mutt in Varanasi. He also served as a minister of Kalachuri kings. His poetry in the form of Vachanas continues to be sung to date.
The train covers about 1000 kms in 22 hours, traversing via Bangalore, Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, and Vijayapura which we also know as Bijapur. Yes, the train also stops at Bagewadi, the town of Basavanna.
5. Jnaneswari Express – Kolkata to Mumbai
The Dnyaneshwari or Jnaneswari is the commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century. It is the most loved and oldest known scripture in Marathi. Dnyaneshwar Maharaj lived in Alandi on the banks of the Indrayani River, where temples dedicated to him and his works can still be seen. You can easily visit it from Pune.
This train seems to complement the Gitanjali Express, which also joins the cities of Mumbai and Kolkata.
It covers about 2000 kms in 32 hours passing through Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
6. Tulsi Express – Ayodhya to Mumbai
Goswami Tulsidas was a great poet-saint who lived in the late 15th to early 16th CE in the Awadh region of UP. We all know him as the author Ramacharitmanas – an epic retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayana in Awadhi. He also gave us Hanuman Chalisa and many other creations like Vinay Patrika. Tulsidas ji was born on the banks of Yamuna but spent his later years in Varanasi. You can still see his house overlooking the Ganga as well as his Tulsi Akhada which is still practicing.
The train rightly connects the people of many states like Maharashtra, MP, and UP with Ayodhya – the city of Sri Ram, the hero of Ramayana.
7. Thirukkural Express – Kanyakumari to New Delhi
Thirukkural is a classic Tamil poetry consisting of 1330 rhyming couplets called Kurals with each having seven words. Authored by Thiruvalluvar around 200 BCE, and is one of the first works to focus on ethics in India. Thirukkural expounds various aspects of life and is one of the most important works in Tamil. You can see the tall statue of Saint Thiruvalluvar erected close to the southern tip of India at Kanyakumari. Its 133 ft height denotes Thirukkural’s 133 Chapters or athikarams, and the three fingers denote the three themes of Morals, Wealth, and Rejoice.
The train covers about 3000 kms in 47 hours traversing the length of India passing through 6 states.
8. Padmavat Express: Delhi to Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh
Padmavat is an epic poem written in 1540 CE by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. He belonged to Jais, a city in Rae Bareli district of UP. This Awadhi poem is a fictional account of the historic attack on Chittor by Alauddin Khilji. It talks about the beauty of Rani Padmini, the wife of Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittorgarh. The story comes alive when you visit the historic Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan.
The train covers 660 kms in about 12 hours, taking you through the Gangetic plains and passing by the city of Jayasi.
9. Matsyagandha Express – Mumbai to Mangalore in Karnataka
Matsyagandha literally means the Smell of the Fish. It seems like an appropriate name for the train that runs along the Western coast of India or the Konkan coast. Fishing is an important industry on this coast, so the name fits well. But, there is a literature connection as well. Matsyagandha is one of the names of Satyavati – the fisherwoman who was the queen mother of Hastinapur in Mahabharat. There is a famous Narendra Kohli novel called Matsyagandha.
The train covers about 1200 kms in 18 hours.
10. Aranyak Express – Kolkata to Bhojudih in West Bengal
Aranyak means the forest. It is a famous novel by the Bengali writer Bibhutibhushan Bandhopadhyay. He is better known for his autobiographical novel, Pather Panchali that was made into Apu Trilogy films by Satyajit Ray. Aranyak brings out a contrast between the life of a city and the forests.
The train covers a little over 300 kms in five and a half hours.
11. Godaan Express – Mumbai to Gorakhpur
Godaan is a popular Hindi novel by Munshi Premchand. Published in 1936 as the last creation of Premchand, this novel has been adapted into a film as well as a series. It is one of the first Hindi literature books picked up by most people.
Train covers 1730 kms in 34 hours.
12. Tapaswini Express – Puri in Odisha to Hatia in Jharkhand
Tapasvini means a female ascetic and it is also a literary masterpiece by famous Odia poet Gangadhar Meher, who was born into the family of weavers.
The train covers about 700 kms in 16 hours.
13. Gurudev Express – Nagercoil In Tamil Nadu to Kolkata
Gurudev is the popular name of Rabindranath Tagore– a Bengali poet, novelist, musician, and playwright, and Asia’s first Nobel laureate who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 CE.
The train covers 2600 kms in 46 hours, passing by West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and then ending again in Tamil Nadu.
14. Hatey Bazare Express – Kolkata to Saharsa in Bihar
Hatey Bazare is a novel by Bengali author Bolai Chand Mukhopadhyay who wrote under the pen name of Banaphool and came from Purnia in Bihar. This story of a doctor was also adapted into a film.
Train covers 600 kms in 16 hours between the states of West Bengal and Bihar.
15. Agnibina Express – Kolkata to Asansol
Agnibina is a collection of 12 poems by Kazi Nazrul Islam in 1922.
The train covers 200 kms in three and a half hours and stays within West Bengal.
16. Kaifiyat Express – Azamgarh in UP and Old Delhi
Named after Kaifi Azmi – the poet, film lyricist, and songwriter, who hailed from Azamgarh.
The train covers 800 kms in fourteen and a half hours, mostly in Uttar Pradesh once it leaves Delhi.
17. Kandari Express – Howrah – Digha in West Bengal
This one is named after the famous poem Kandari Hushiar by Kazi Nazrul Islam. Kandari means the captain of the ship and hushiar means to be watchful. Kazi Nazrul Islam is the national poet of Bangladesh.
The train covers 186 km in a little more than 3 hours.
18. Padatik Express – Kolkata to New Alipur Duar in West Bengal
Subhash Mukhopadhyay was a Bengali poet of the 20th century. His first volume of poetry was called Padatik or The Foot-Soldier
The train covers about 700kms in about 14 hours.
19. Rupasi Bangla Express – Santragachi to Purulia in West Bengal
Jibanananda Das is a popular Bengali poet known for his poem Rupasi Bangla, meaning The Beautiful Bengal, written in 1934.
Train covers 330 kms in 6 hours traversing across West Bengal.
20. Tutari Express – Mumbai to Sawantwadi in Maharashtra
Titari, which literally means a trumpet, gets its name from a Marathi poem by Krishnaji Keshav that inspired many to fight back against British Rule. One of the few Indian Train Names that have roots in freedom struggle.
The train covers 650 kms in 10 and a half hours, travelling along the Konkan coast.
21. Ganadevta Express – Kolkata to Azimgunj in West Bengal
Named after a Bengali novel Ganadevata by Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay.
The train travels a distance of 280 kms in 4+ hours.
Do you know of any more Indian Train Names inspired by Literature? Or, would you want trains to be named after your favorite author or work of literature? Tell us in the comments below.
What a creative and thoughtful exploration of Indian train names inspired by literature and poetry! This post beautifully connects the world of travel with the rich literary heritage of India.
This is such a fascinating read! I never realized how deeply literature and poetry have influenced our railway names. It’s amazing to see how culture and travel connect in such a unique way. Makes me look at these trains with a whole new appreciation—beautifully written.
This is such a unique and informative post! I didn’t know so many Indian trains were inspired by literature. Trains like Matsyagandha and Aranyak really caught my attention.
We love how travel and culture come together through stories like these. Thanks for sharing such a meaningful read!