The entire continent of Africa is trying to unify its railway system under the organization called the African Union of Railways.
I am especially certain that the people of India are proud of their railways. It seems impossible to find a number or a comprehensive list of films shot at C.S.T (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as V.T. or Victoria Terminus), where a significant amount of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire was shot. Imdb does provide a list of 1,755 films that were filmed in Mumbai. I suspect that up to half of them had scenes of C.S.T. In addition, India has the three longest railway stations in the world, and six of the top-10 longest stations.
Thus, in virtually any and every place, working on a train can be and is romantic and rewarding.
Freight Train Conductor
Being a freight train conductor is probably the best of the best. It combines the leadership and responsibilities of ship captains and of truck drivers with the love of cargo and commerce the air cargo ground services personnel enjoy.
For better or for worse, it also combines the extreme weather conditions that all of these people have to undergo. Anywhere and everywhere, there can be extreme snowfall, cold, heat (with or without high humidity) and other weather conditions. At the beginning of every monsoon season in Mumbai, the enormous rainfall can flood train stations and areas along the rails, forcing all trains to stop. In unguarded areas, people dissatisfied with the way things are often sabotage train tracks,
causing accidents and sometimes even deaths. Of course, none of these are everyday occurrences and most of them are predictable, preventable or something to which you can provide a proper response or action.
It is also a physically demanding job.