A KENDAL man is hoping to raise £13,000 by travelling 7,500 miles around India on a train.

Andrew Galvin, a self-employed gardener, will embark on the 14-day adventure this week in aid of a charity which helps vulnerable children who live on the streets. He will set off from Mumbai on Friday with 20 others from across the country in the one-million-rupee adventure, which he said would be ‘inspiring’.

Andrew, of Low Garth, who organised the trek with university friend Mark Lester, said: “We thought it would be good to see India by rail and Mark suggested that we should do it for a worthy cause as well as for ourselves.

"By travelling by rail it will be a great opportunity to get a slice of Indian life as the Indian railway is culturally alive.

“But the people we are going to encounter at times are people who are sleeping rough in railway stations and children who are trying to earn money by selling goods on the trains, which is why we have decided to support the Railway Children.”

The group will travel around the entire country hopping on board 17 trains.

The longest journey will a 13-hour train ride travelling 2,396km from New Delhi-Dibrugarh Town Rajdhani to New Tinsukia.

Andrew said: “We’ll spend much of the time talking to other passengers. It will be hard work but I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Railway Children charity helps vulnerable children and provides relief to those in conditions of need, hardship or distress and in particular to those living on the streets.