Knowing the Indian Train

shashank.aggarwal

1. In Golden triangle, ideally the monsoon should not play the spoilsport..almost no cancellations and even if they are delayed they should not be more that 1-2 hours. Because Rajasthan and Agra are known to be parched lands, and they are parched because they don't get much rain.

2. Temperature would be the same as outside, which will vary through the journey, i guess in range of 28 - 38 C. I would prefer not to travel in the afternoon.

3. None of the AC class comes near sleeper class. The price difference is huge. I guess atleast 2.5 times.

4. Well you have to reach the staion in advance, and have to find out on which platform the train is supposed to come..so you wait for the train and once the train is there you can simply board any sleeper class coach (they are in highest number in trains).. and after that move inside the train and find your exact coad and berth (all sleeper class coaches are connected) and cometimes people with 1st AC also have to board the sleeper class, then they get down at next staion and change the coach..

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Elviira

Thanks - what a relief that the monsoon shouldn't affect that much...(could I skip malaria tablets as well )I don't know if heat is so good either, just read from a finnish paper that 70 people have died in India now because of heat So considering weather: early morning or evening trains would be best? What's the food like in ac classes? Should I be at the station 1 hour earlier or what is well in advance in India?

What I meant being anywhere near sleeper class is distance , not money. How easy is go from class to class (if you want to see outside of the windows and then later enjoy a/c...and because we'll have our luggage with us which obviously needs to be dragged around..)

ba9rn

Well, according to my doctor that area of India is classed as low risk - even in Monsoon. He recommends "bite avoidance", but would have prescribed doxycycline (an antibiotic) if I had insisted. Basically, it's up to you, but I prefer to cover myself with Deet than take medication, particularly as Malaria is treatable these days.Food is OK - especially in trains with a 'Pantry Car' (they cook food on board). They will order food from the next station for you otherwise.I would say 30 minutes is adequate. Stations are good 'people watching' venues anyway, so an hour would fly by!You would have to book in A/C to do this (otherwise, I doubt you would find a place). It would be easier to drag your bag along a station platform than through the train (and the through passages are sometimes locked), so you would be better off waiting for the next station if you want to move around.

Anyway, you CAN see out of the A/C windows. There is a heavy tint (to aid the aircon) but it's not as bad as made out by some.

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shashank.aggarwal

I am not sure about the food, however I guess it would be nothing extraordinary, should be bearable (again this is assumption, as I have never experienced the AC class food)..

You should target 1 hour in advance at the station, just to keep buffer for traffic and given that you would be here in monsoon and you will never know when it would start pouring..otherwise 30 minutes should work fine..

physically they would be just adjacent, or maybe couple of coaches apart..however couple of things..

1. I am not sure if you would be allowed in sleeper class with a AC ticket, not because of the price difference, but the sleeper class might have full bookings..

2. Not sure if the AC class and Sleeper coaches would be connected internally, if they then its fine, otherwise getting off at station and boarding the other coach, that too carrying the luggage would be a BIG hassle..

3. Well all the journey between Delhi/Agra/jaipur, none will last more that 6 hours..I mean Delhi - Agra is 4 hours..Agra to Jaipur would be around 5 hours and Jaipur to Delhi 6 hours...(very small Travel duration as per Indian standards)..

bariloche

I like sleeper class or second class for day travel, depending on the length of the journey, and AC2 for overnight. The advantage of the second class and sleeper class is the opportunity to talk to people and have open windows. At night, there is greater comfort in AC2 and you're not going to meet a lot of people anyway while you are asleep. There is a problem with the upper bunk on the left (seen from the seats across the aisle in that the air conditioning vent blows on you all night and it is quite cold.

Elviira

Im bit confused with CC Class,,,Can I book it if I don't have IndRailPass? (got confused from information on other website) And once again,how is that class like?

ranjan154

CC Class is the Chair Car, for shorter journeys, means you will have only chair to seat no sleeping. This can be booked separately .This is good for shorter duration.

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steven_ber

You do not need an Indrail pass to book any class, the pass is just another way to buy tickets.

Most trains can be booked up to 90 days in advance, but a few short distance daytime trains (the ones likely to have CC) can only be booked 30 days in advance.

Air con chair class (CC) carriages have a few different designs, but all are comfortable, try to walk through to the non-air-con carriages for a different experience, if they're not crowded, you'll almost certainly enjoy the experience.

A couple of photos of the inside of a CC carriage. (not my photos)

Older CC carriage.

Newer CC carriage.

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How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

Mickey S

Many stations have illuminated overhead signs along the platform edge indicating where specific carriages will stop. You just go and sit near the sign that corresponds to your reservation.

On the other hand, Indian trains pull into major stations very slowly and tend to hang around for rather more than two minutes. If you wait near the middle of the platform then it's not usually difficult to work out which direction your carriage is in and walk to it before the train has even come to a complete halt.

steven_ber

Or just get a porter to carry your luggage, show him your ticket and he will put you right next to the door you need.

wdp4

Monsoons are perhaps the best time to travel by train India. Trains in the north generally do not get delayed in this period, but trains coming from South and the East may face delays as the rains there are far more substantial. Coming to your question

there are plenty of trains between these 3 cities. Going by your itinerary what I can suggest is that you take Taj Express (train #2280) from Delhi (leaves from Nizamuddin station at around 0700) to Agra (arr 1000). Book AC Chair Car which will cost you around 300 INR. The entire train, including the non-Ac coaches is interconnected so you can have a good look around.

You may choose to spend that day and the next in Agra and then take the train # 2988 from Agra to Jaipur (Agra dep. 1740hrs) arriving at jaipur at 2220 hrs. In this train too you can book yourself in AC (AC3 class) and go around the non AC coaches which are connected.

From Jaipur to Delhi you may choose to travel by train # 2413 departing Jaipur at 1635 and arriving in Delhi at 2215 hrs. Book yourself in AC3 class and again you can choose to visit the non-AC coaches.

The temperatures during this period would be between 34-38 deg C with high humidity. If you travel in the AC coaches, you can leave the lugagge in the compartment while you roam aroud the trains - it is relatively safe. But don't take my word for it

hope this helps your case a bit

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Elviira

Thanks,

Would you happen to know if there's similar kind of trains later in the evening? I was thinking of leaving Delhi with a train that leaves 18.40 (can't remember the name). I tried to book it already but my payment couldn't be processed because of communication failure ! Does this happen often? They claimed I'd used several windows to book or used back button...which I didn't.Is their food on ac cc class?

Mickey S

Welcome to the world of IRCTC!

Your experience is absolutely normal. Don't worry - just keep on trying (even though it's a pain to have to start all over again). You can rest assured that your card will not be debited for any failed transactions - I've always checked my statement very carefully indeed after periods of communication failure and have never had a problem.

Elviira

I got the trains booked:
9.7.2007 2616 GT Express Delhi-Agra 1st class
11.7.2007 2988 GWL JP Intercity Agra-Jaipur ac cc

Where can I get the bus tickets from Jaipur to Neemrana? (Nearest town was Bohrar or something)

Ibasicly have hotels chosen (Jaipur:Pearl Palace,Agra Taj Plaza) but Delhi is still a mystery...Ajanta quoted quite high prices...almost same as Neemrana Fort Palace!!

Mickey S

Don't forget to print the resevation details and take them with you to show the ticket inspector. (You can print them again at any internet kiosk in India if you lose them).

Don't worry about that yet; wait until you get to Jaipur and just go to the main bus station (it's on Station Road, between the old town and the railway station). There's an advance reservation office there. The privately-run deluxe buses are a much nicer way to travel than the state-run buses, especially at this time of year when a/c is an absolute must.

From Neemrana to the airport you're probably better off getting a car and driver. It shouldn't cost too much.