Knowing the Indian Train

Beach

Your information is so good that people are steeling it.

http://s10.invisionfree.com/HIT/index.php?showforum=2

EDIT NOTE by steven_ber, the info in the link has been changed, it originally had all your Indian Railway statistics at the end of the post, and the gaps between paragraphs were also identical to your thread.

I joined the website and found many articles had been stolen from the Internet, I replied each time reminding them that it's not right to steal information.

I then worked out that the website is the work of our old member Bengal Tiger, I let him know that I knew, so he banned me.

Oops..i'v noticed this post only now Steven!!



Many people before had requested me by PM,email etc to use some of my 'writeups' and photos for 'publishing'. To none, I said no, as it's honest and straight forward way of doing things.

Cut & Paste is not new to the web world. But outright C&P by the site owners themselves are something disgusting. OK, these are done with an intention to 'help' people looking forward to travel in India.

But still they could have requested me or the site admin here to ask for a permission. Atleast people who use the contents could have added a suitable link/trail to the source or a curtesy/credit note....

Has Richard Branson ever travelled on an Indian train? if he did I,m sure he would learn how to do it properly, and our system would be as good as the Indian one. Tony

Dear Beach

somewhere in this thread you have mentioned

"The personal interaction barrier increases with increase in luxury! Somebody tried to explain that this is due to the physical distances in the luxury classes. In a Sleeper class you are more physically close to the co passengers and this increases the drive to interact with others."

Well, you can have feel of India while traveling in Trains. The mannerism, courtesies etc. reflects those of various strata’s of Indian society and the place they comes from. It has nothing to with physical distance between passengers.
The lower/middle class is of more interactive kind, closely interested in lives being lead by their neighbors (both positively and negatively). The intensity increases when your co-passenger is from small town or from rural areas. Vice - versa for those from metros. Generally such people travel in sleeper class or when they can't afford (read poor) or have to travel urgently and could not get reservation (and do not have skills and confidence to bribe the TT) in second class. These people are very helpful. In normal lives they will find a person strange if he minds his own business and does not interact with his neighbors.

The Upper class is religious about minding its own business and to a tourist one of the dull specimen created but harmless to his co-traveler. In their day to day lives they have very limited or no interaction (may not be sure of neighbor’s name... or so they think) with their neighbors. They travel in 2Ac or First class (AC).

In between them is the upper middle class, which travels in 3AC. Some of the middle class specially the government/corporate sector employees who get a reimbursement from the government/companies (normally while traveling on their own they would travel sleeper class). They have high ambition and social mobility rate. Their mannerism is a in-between their aspiration (upper class) and middle class.

The place of residence is also a important factor. People from small town/rural areas are more interactive than from metros. I have known some rich people traveling in sleeper class because they cannot stand the monotony of 2AC.

If you know the language you can travel days in sleeper/second class without feeling bored . Just by listening to conversation of co-travelers one can get a feel of popular views regarding various political, social, cultural issues concerning people.

Though I'm pretty sure, it's been mentioned either by Beach or Steven.

When the clerk at the counter says, the seats are full, it's not necessarily "full", it means, in his lingo, the Quota for the place where you start/board from is full.

So, ask for a ticket either before or after your initial boarding point.

For example, I regularly go to Madurai and Tanjore. and there is only 1 daily train which leaves from Mysore and invariably, when I ask for

SBC-> MDU
SBC->TJR

I'm told that my waiting list/RAC is X. If I ask for a station prior to my boarding point, then I mostly get it.

The clerk will warn you that you HAVE to board at that station which may not necessarily be listened to. You can always board where you wanted to initially.

Be warned, the fare will be higher if you chose the prior station and lower the other way. You might have to "hide" for some time if you chose a later station as a boarding point. :-)

Sometimes asking the clerk will also help(which quota is not filled?) in getting a confirmed seat if you don't mind paying a higher fare.

Dear Digital Drifter,
Your observation:-
""Sometimes asking the clerk will also help(which quota is not filled?) in getting a confirmed seat if you don't mind paying a higher fare.""
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@@@If you (i) have a system; (ii) are aware of the Station Codes (Starting Station/ Boarding Station and Terminating Station) (iii) are aware of the Train Number; you yourself can ascertain the AVAILABILITY and accordingly fill-up the Reservation Form and give the same to the Clerk.
---
Enter Train Number :

Enter Day, Month : - JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct NovDec

Enter Source Station Code :

Enter Destination Station Code :

Enter Class : First ACSecond ACThird ACAC Chair CarFirst ClassSleeper ClassSecond Seating

Enter Quota : Tatkal QuotaLadies QuotaDefence QuotaForeign TouristGeneral Quota

================
If you fill-up the above columns, you will get the availability. In fact if you do this, you will save lot of time so that you can avoid discussions with the Clerk.

Such excellent information! It's totally invaluable to all travellers to India, particularly first timers like me!

Thanks Beach, this will save me plenty of hastles I'm sure!

Keep up the good work!

A quick question about berths on the sleeper class.... how big are they? Could I sit up on one? The top one if I am able to get it? Also, I am quite small (but nibble!) but what is the appropriate way to climb to a top berth? Is there a ladder? Also, if I have to get up in the middle of the night (and I will ) to visit the facilities, is there away to climb down without stepping on my neighbors below? Lastly, it seems that immediately after our arrival in Delhi we will need to take the train to Chennai....advice as far as temperature? Is there a need for heat in January in Delhi? I am wondering whether to lug a sleeping bag or just a sleep sheet...

I guess that was more than one question.... I am just so excited!

Oops, thought of some more questions. I read in a post from a year ago that some trains would have wireless internet broadcast on them (there was an article from "The Hindu" but now it is gone. Anyone know if that actually came about? Also are there power ports anywhere on a train where I could charge a laptop? Esp. in sleeper class? Does anyone know how long the train ride is from Delhi to Chennai- the schedule gives times, but not dates. Wondering, is it 36 hours or 60? Thanks!

The bi-weekly Rajdhani Express takes 28.5 hours. It leaves Hazrat Nizamuddin at 15=30 and reaches Chennai the next night at 20=05.

Dear Adriane&Salvador
The following is the schedule of 2622 New Delhi-Chennai Central Tamil Nadu Express, ONE OF THE MOST CONVENIENT TRAINS operated by Indian Railways:-
-------
You Queried For Train No Train Name Date Runs From Source Runs On
2622 TAMIL NADU EXP 03/11/2005 NEW DELHI MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN


SNo Stn Code Stn Name Route No. Arrival Time Dep. Time Distance Day Remark
1 NDLS NEW DELHI 1 Source 22:30 0 1
2 AGC AGRA CANTT 1 01:07 01:10 198 2
3 GWL GWALIOR 1 02:38 02:41 317 2
4 JHS JHANSI JN 1 04:03 04:15 415 2
5 BPL BHOPAL JN 1 07:55 08:00 705 2
6 NGP NAGPUR 1 14:15 14:25 1094 2
7 BPQ BALHARSHAH 1 17:25 17:35 1305 2
8 WL WARANGAL 1 20:47 20:49 1550 2
9 BZA VIJAYAWADA JN 1 00:15 00:25 1759 3
10 MAS CHENNAI CENTRAL 1 07:10 00:00 2190 3
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..........which consumes 32 Hrs.40 minutes,that is, 4 Hours.15 minutes more than Rajadhani Express (28 Hrs.25 minutes)
=====================
V.Srinivasa Prasad
3.11.2005/16.35 hrs.

I am trying to figure out whether a "upper side" or just an "upper" berth is better for looking out the window. Could someone let me know?

Thanks,

Greg in New York City

Sleeper class seats are as follows...

Upper Side = window seat
lower Side = window seat
Upper = aisle seat
Middle = middle seat
Lower = window seat

Note, in Sleeper Class the side berths are only 166 cms long, the others are 184 cms long.

Dear Greg,
Your observation:-
""I am trying to figure out whether a "upper side" or just an "upper" berth is better for looking out the window. Could someone let me know?""
-------------
@@@The answer is Upper Side, because you will have one window at your disposal during day-time and during night you need to occupy your Side Upper Berth for the purpose of sleeping.
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@@@Hence, it is always advisable to have Side Lower Berth, so that you can have One Window during day time and two windows during night time. :-)
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@@@But, one thing. If you select Aircon Coaches (IA,2A,3A and ACC), then you cannot see anything, whether it is daytime or night-time.
=========
V.Srinivasa Prasad
9.11.2005/16.30 hrs.

Of course you can see the outside scene clearly during daytime, from a window of an A.C. coach ! Why can't you ??

Even during the night, you can see the outside scene provided its lit.