The British Empire’s legacy to India is the subcontinent’s railway system. The largest railway under single management in the world, it covers 40,000 miles and has 7,000 stations, with 11,000 trains running every day and 80 million people depending on the train for their livelihood. With a staff of 1.6 million, India’s railway is also the largest employer in the world. Steam trains and other locomotives are nostalgic reminders of a time gone by.A puffing steam train climbs into the Himalaya, a rolling rumble echoes over the holy waters of the Ganges, an astonishing five million commuters rush daily through the Bombay Victoria Terminus – join National Geographic as we journey on one of the world’s largest railways. Since 1853, India’s railway has been a unifying force. Not only did it physically link distant regions, it also connected the myriad of castes, languages, and religions that comprise India. It’s a rich history, riding the sumptuous Palace on Wheels through Rajasthan or the “toy train” to Darjiing, but sadly, the age of steam is dying. At the Black Beauty contest, the beloved steam engines are admired for the last time. From the driver in the steaming locomotive to the station master in the sleepy village, from the family traveling to a wedding to the commuters in the large cities, this great institution reflects the country itself. Many are the faces, and varied are the stories, on THE GREAT INDIAN RAILWAY