By Uday, India

y favorite railway in the world is Australia's transcontinental railway. The line runs from Sydney on the east coast to Perth on the west coast, traversing a whole continent and connecting two oceans-the Pacific and the Indian. Hence the train which travels this route is called the Indian-Pacific. It spans a distance of 4,202 km (2,610 miles) and crosses three time zones-farther than London is from Istanbul.
      For most of the journey the train travels through some of the most rugged and barren landscapes in the world. In one section, it crosses the Nullarbor Plain, which is an arid, treeless plain with a moon-like landscape the color of cayenne pepper. The word "Nullarbor" is derived from the Latin nullus arbor, meaning "no trees." Nothing but parched, infertile limestone soil surround the track and stretch endlessly into the horizon. For one distance of almost 474 km (296 miles) there are no bends at all in the line; it is the longest stretch of straight railway track in the world.
      Traversing the great featureless plain, the train is the only moving feature in the desolate landscape. Even though there is only desert outside, the comfort, amenities, and relaxed atmosphere on board make the journey enjoyable.
      After a seemingly endless journey, the train reaches its final destination-the city of Perth. It feels like arriving in another world altogether. The wealth of the city, beautiful streets, glittering buildings, parks and open spaces, a beautiful river flowing into the sea-it is hard to believe that just a little while before we only saw dust and scrub all around us. We have arrived at a shining new city, but only after huge, vast emptiness.