ROWGHAT, Nov. 7 -- At around 6.30 in the morning of a late October day, a train with around 30 passengers leaves the station at Rowghat, in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district. It will pick up more at Tadoki, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, and Kewti, before reaching its destination, Dallirajhara, around 100km away.

The 12-carriage train soon enters a dense forest; the morning sunlight falls through the trees as the train rolls past hills, streams and small settlements. The beauty of the landscape is not lost on siblings Anil Potai and Anjani Potai, students of Swami Atmanand College in Raipur and residents of Narayanpur.

"There are streams almost every kilometre . It is so beautiful," Anjani says, recording the landscape on her phone.

Her brothe...