Getting off the train

lozza_84

I couldn't find any information on this so I started a new thread, hope that's ok.

I was just wondering how easy it is to alight from a train at your stop and how much time you have at a stop before the train pulls away.

I'm travelling on an overnight train and according to the schedule we arrive at my stop at 6.30am. Will I need to set an alarm or will the train attendants wake you? I'm worried if I oversleep and there are only a few minutes at the train station then I won't have time to get my things together and get off. I'm also worried about waking other passengers by getting up too early to prepare for leaving the train.

Also, is it obvious what station you have arrived at, are most stations well signposted and will there be an announcement on the train?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

rajered

The scheduled stoppage at Kundapura is for 2 minutes. It would be better if you set an alarm for 30 minutes earlier than your scheduled arrival.
Stations are signposted. There would not be any annoucement on the train.
The station prior to Kundapura is Byndoor arrival time would around 6:00.

gaurav1441

There would not be any announcement on the train. You need to set an alarm to wake up..

ocean020

Hi,

There is no announcement on the train when you reach a station (Rajdhani is an exception). If you are travelling in sleeper class ofcourse the noise of station will let you know where you have reached as all stations are well marked. If travelling in AC it is always possible to miss the station.

The train usually stops from 10 to 20 mins in any station. You will get plenty of time to get out of train.

The best solution is to set a alarm. You can also tell your co-passengers to wake you up. If travelling in AC, let the attendent (who gives you blankets etc) know and they will surely wake you up.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Ocean

ocean020

only 2 mins stoppage time? sorry please ignore my post about 10 to 20 mins..

lozza_84

I will set an alarm for sure, I'm just aware of my tendencies to sleep through them ;-)

If I did miss my stop it wouldn't be a complete disaster as the train terminates in Mangalore from where I could reach Kundapura fairly easily.

Still, 2 minutes does not sound like a great deal of time.....

Nick-H

Being awake and ready, and getting off at your stop, is totally your responsibility! Take rajered's advice and give yourselves half an hour.

It's nice of you to be concerned about disturbing other passengers; many travellers do not have such sensibilities!

6.30am is actually quite late for many Indians to still be asleep; I suspect that you'll find that the train is already a hive of activity by that time

Digital Drifter

Do ask in your compartment, who else is getting down there. They will splash some cold water on you to wake you up.

That's an Indian custom.

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santos_g15

quite not.they will gently tap you.if you dont get up and snoar like a pig they will probably shake you up.no one will splash water .

Digital Drifter

maaan, it's hard to crack a joke these days.

adityabee

can't agree more... IMer's lighten up - please!!!

best bet as already pointed out is to request your fellow passengers to make sure you are awake - if you are a light sleeper you would be up anyway... if not - by 6 AM they would probably get you awake (if the train is running on time). most small stations only have a 2 minute stoppage (such as the station you are getting off at). it is only the large stations where the trains stop for 10 to 30 minutes as they pick up lot's of passengers booked ahead and also unload cargo and mail etc. (as well as load provisions into the pantry car).

Indian trains (apart from the Rajdhani and perhaps the Shatabdi services) - don't have a public announcement system! this is actually amazing to consider; by my estimation - kitting out a 20 coach train with a basic, no-frills PA system could not cost more than 1500 euros (1 Lakh Rupees). the new coaches had mobile/laptop chargers installed... surely this was a much needed upgrade as well...

Mamta Banerjee... are you listening?

thirdreel

My friend Rahul told me that they'd wake me with a shake.

I said, "Mmm, delicious shake."

As it happened, on my last trip I never needed awakening, cause my stops were all somewhat daytime-ish or the last stop. This next time, I do have one where I'll need to get off and change trains in Jaipur at 3 AM, so I'll need some alarming.

lozza_84

Ha! I think I would quite enjoy that actually, and it would most definately be more effective than my alarm clock

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll make sure to be up half an hour before my stop.

Has anyone had any experiences of waking up on a train and realising you miles from where you were supposed to be? It's happened to me in the UK a few times, usually when I've been engrossed in a good book, but luckily it's never been too far to get back to where I was supposed to be.

Digital Drifter

Not recommended to get down at the next station unless it is a major one OR that you KNOW that you can go back. You might have to wait half a day for a slow passenger back at some wayward station.

davef22

I wouldn't count on the attendent. I travelled in 2 tier AC and asked the attendant to wake me up but I had my alarm as a back up. The attendant was fast asleep and the alarm helped. Any case just have an alarm on your cellphone and watch.