India’s affluent middle class is rekindling its affair with long-distance train travel, as sharp jumps in domestic airline ticket prices push many former frequent fliers back to the railways.

India has seen a boom in domestic air travel, as low-cost carriers – led by Air Deccan – brought the once-seeming luxury of air travel within the reach of a far greater number of Indians. They had previously relied on the country’s colonial-era rail system for most long journeys.