Sanchi is a small town whose expansion has mainly been as a base for tourists visiting the world heritage Buddhist site that crowns a hill at the town's edge. Few of the heavy duty passenger and freight trains that pass through the town's station stop there. But the station is well-positioned for train watching as an incline on the main line begins at the station.

Early morning

Cleaner sweeps the station

A typical station scene with museum-ready redundant equipment still in situ

Danger of death! Hand-rendered official signage

An epic express train passes through - packed to the gunnels with passengers sitting in the doorwells. Indian expresses can take days to cross the sub-continent. Announcements of ten hour delays or more are not uncommon

A freight train is just visible framed by one of the gateways to the main stupa. The carvings depict episodes from the life of the Buddha. The carvings are so fine that they it might be ivory. They are among the finest such gateways in Buddhism.

You are never alone in India - especially if you are doing something out of the ordinary like photographing trains

All freight trains have guards vans and as each freight passes through the secondman and guard wave their green flags. Acknowledged by the station staff waving their green flag in return

Another perfect sunset bleeds into another perfect dusk

A pariah dog kept me close - just visible behind the station sign