Knowing the Indian Train

Perfect, 60, 61 and 62 are all on one side with 59 opposite.

Don't be surprised if someone is sleeping in 60, it's a lower berth and the person who should be in the middle berth opposite may have read the reservation chart and knows you won't be boarding till morning, so just slept in your berth, tickle their feet and they'll wake up.....OK, maybe not a good idea, but just make a little noise and they'll wake up.








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Steven.

Do you know the Train Number, which Catwin
is taking?:-)

It's either 8047 (Amaravathi Exp) or the carriages from Kacheguda that attach to the Amaravathi (7603).

A good piece for getting information about Indian Railways. I would like to make a correction: Indian middle class is not doing all the things while travelling in AC III class as elaborated in the article. It depends when a passenger is familiar with his/her co-passenger while in journey.

The Tatkal Tickets can now only be booked TWO DAYS (instead of 5 earlier) in advance of the journey. For instance, for travelling on the 3rd January, Tatkal booking opens on 1st January at 8.00 a.m. !

Good Wishes

This article shows the true story of thr Indian railways, Let me share an experience with you:
After consequtive air journeys, It was a day when I have to go to a place nearby (about 150 Km) in a train, I was amazed to see the facilities in AC & Sleeper compartments. AC chaircar seats were more or less same as the plane seats. I was pretty impressed by the trains and also by the humbleness of the TTE who helped me upgrade my class. Bur the toilets are smelly n need to improve...

It's pretty nice to hear a 'compliment' for the IR staff, who normally get brickbats only and nobody, except for a few like you, who put on record their appreciation .. Great and thanks ( I am not an employee of the IR, but rather a train crazy fellow)

Let me share another experience:
This time I decided to travel in Second class (unreserved).
Very true, As written in the article, I saw people were talking to each other, some were singing and some were arguing. They were sharing newspaper and food among themselves. But in first class (AC)people does not interact so much...

In GS (unreserved class) yes it is very much there, and if by chance you are looking tired or old, or famished, they will make space for you.. Others will get whatever you want from the sellers on the platform if you are not next to it. But one has to be careful. But in general it is safe as a safe.

Re AC, you noticed it too!!! Hmpf@ snooty people, very conscious of their AC status, 1AC is snootier than 2AC and 2AC is snootier than 3AC an 3AC is snootier than 2SL...

I had a ticket on 1AC, and my god, it was horrible. I was doorplating, and everyone in the four seater was giving me dirty looks and making remarks train is running late. I told them the reason why, and they gave me strange looks. Turned out I was right unfortunately..for them. They treated me like a VIP after that! Not that I wanted it. In fact, that trip, I joined the coach after informing the Ticket examiner and boarded the unreserved coach to observe the engine working, train working and the sweets sounds of the rail way, and the sights,and when I came back, they called the TT... but I had the ticket, and when the next station came, there were visitors - friends - and did they have a shock !! But not in 2SL. Somehow it's pretty boring in AC, except you are in physical comfort. But then, I guess I am mad about railways, so.. take it with a pinch of salt or dashes of it. Cheers

PS: I had taken a shower and dressed up before my friends came, and they in turn were shocked.. I am known as the dust in the hair, face, clothes, everywhere type of traveller! Now it's different..

Hi, I was glancing through the article again.I found two corrections required:

1.Tatkal is now two days in advance of date of journey.
2. Tatkal charges have now been reduced
3. Tatkal is now available between intermediate stations.
4. It's NOT BREAK Van, it's BRAKE Van, both in the title and in the text.

Could you look into these please and update it so that it becomes more contemporary and 'as of now' status?

Good wishes.

Time and Thoughts are used in good measure in this article.
Good work !.
Some corrections are to be made on the current scenerio.
Currenly bookings are Available from 3 months instead of the earlier 2 months.
Some Trains are having 3E coaches in which instead of 8 berths, 9 berths are there.
But all in all, this article is good to understand the Outer face of Indian railway.
Will someone now come up with the inner face of Indian Rail.
How it runs ?. How Station Masters pass on the control of trains to each other ?. What pre-cautions they always take ?. How linesman do their work ?. What checking they do by sitting just before the start of every Platform, whether it is day or night?.
So many questions.
Will anybody come up with the answers!.
Harish

Let me try and answer the inside working of Railways. I am no expert though; For about 7/8 kms of tracks, there are gangmen between stations who plod up and down, day and night, rain or no rain, with a set of hammers, 'nails' who check each and every 'bolt' on their beat. If you have ever noticed when your train is passing by sometimes you hear a whistle from outside the train. That is the gangman who is saying here I am on duty. The loco pilot lets out a short burst of horn to acknowledge his presence.

Second, the Loco Pilot and Assistant Loco Pilot (LP and ALP), and the guard of the train watch out for any unusual sight on the tracks alongside, and when approaching trains comes in the opposite direction, they exchange signals, green for okay, orange for watchout, and red in rare instances when they have spotted something; when this red happens, they immediately inform the station ahead that something is wrong on the opposite track.

Where it is single track operation, since the oncoming train can pass only after this train has passed, they drop a caution notice to the Station master, who in turn warns them of track conditions ahead.

As for station masters communicating with each other, they have hand sets/phones establishing link directly, and ask for clearance, and inform that xxx train is being dispatched from their end, and ask for their okay. If the recieving station has problems, say line blocked, and alternate line being provided, they inform the dispatch station. The dispatch station gives in writing to the LP/ALP that at so and so km marking, they are being diverted to another track, hence observe caution/speed restriction.

Further block instruments do not allow SMs (Station Masters) to set a signal to go, unless the track circuitry is complete, in the sense that the previous should have passed the 'block' if a train is occupying it. In the event there is a block (train occupying it) this normally won't allow the SM to give the 'go' or 'pass through' because his control panel would be locked by the track circuitry. There is also something known as axle counters.. these count the numbers of axles that have passed through the signal territory, and if the corresponding number has not passed, the axle counter which is linked to the signal behind it, does not allow it to be turned yellow/green, as the case may be. Further, now LPs and ALPs/Guards have been given wireless sets on which they can keep in touch with the SMs and ascertain status.. Sometimes signals do not work; faulty line, bulb fused, power off (rare, but not so rare). The LP halts the train immediately and is not supposed to move unless authorised in writing by the SM concerned or the guard. For more details on working of trains, I recommend www.irfca.org for those interested.

Good wishes !

Astonishing!

Thank you for a really interesting insight into the railway workings.

Dear Mr. Dhar
Thanks for the updation.
So many times I had heard the whistle on rail but only now I realised what that meant for.
All other details are also new to me. Thanks once again for sharing these to us.
But now one thing is coming to my mind - How You know these inside details ?.
Whenever I approached any railway men on duty, either their stern face blocked the conversation or their extra workload prevented me to ask more. Want to know, how you got these details ?.
If possible, please share these with us also.
regards
Harish

Means they have stopped issuing WL tickets for that particular train/class/day of journey.