My early-years training not required for high-speed railway

I took the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway within a few weeks of its launch. I couldn't wait to go onboard despite the advice of well-meaning friends who pointed to the delays and glitches and said I should bide my time.

But call me an intrepid railwayman's daughter. I just had to experience it. My father worked for the Indian Railways for a good 40 years and many of my most cherished childhood memories are linked to our long family journeys from the Indian capital, New Delhi, across the vast middle of the country to my hometown in the southern coastal state of Kerala.

Those were the days of steam locomotives and a 28-hour journey was the summer vacation's highlight. I vividly recall how the days leading up to our departure were filled with me and my friends weaving in and out of the rooms of our colonial-style railway bungalow, holding onto the belts of each other's frocks, imitating a train and its carriages. I always wanted to be the engine, so I could puff out my cheeks to produce the distinctive "chuk-chuk" sound of a steam engine.