Shower in 1st AC train - Has anyone taken it?

sb_amd_us

A rather unusual question...but I'm sure someone in this forum would have an answer...If not then Steven for sure would know this(sorry mate...did not want to put unnecessary pressure on you...but you're the best when it comes to trains in India). Has anyone taken a shower in 1st AC train in India? Is it safe and do you recommend? I'll be travelling with small kids and wife in July. Plan is to take a night train from Chakki Bank which reaches Ajmer by 12:45pm and the hotel I want to check in is in Pushkar. I wanted to first finish siteseeing in Ajmer itself and then check in the hotel in Pushkar later that evening. If shower in the train is possible, it could save us couple of hours.

And....if anyone has any recommendation about the hotel which is on the lake and has nice views. I was thinking about Pushkar Palace.

steven_ber

I've taken 2 showers in 1st AC, both on my first trip, but I'm struggling to picture the shower room and what was in it.

The first train was the Nilgiri Express, the shower experience was OK, can't really remember much about it, but it was my first train journey in India, so if I can't remember much about the shower, there couldn't have been anything bad about it, the only thing I do remember is thinking "there's loads of time after Coimbatore to take a shower", then..... "what, we're at our destinaton already" (I wasn't aware that the railways often add extra time to the timetable to help the train arrive 'on time'.

The 2nd train was the Trivandrum-Chennai Express, and here's a warning, the water ran out as I was taking a shower (very close to the end of the journey), I had to get some bottled water to finish the job.

Remember that on your train, it starts from Jammu, so has a long journey till Ajmer, have a couple of bottles of water ready just in case.

I can't remember if there was hot water in the shower, I think there must have been, I wasn't so adaptable in those first days, and would have found it difficult to have a cold shower.

You'll each be given a towel with your bed linen in 1st AC, but you'll need to supply everything else for the shower.

Be careful with your kids, the shower water isn't drinking water, and kids just love drinking water in the shower, I'm sure you'll be doing everything you can to stop them drinking tap water in India, the shower water is just as risky.

Hopefully someone else will reply with more details, I'd just advise to shower one person at a time (just in case the water runs out) and have fun.

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sb_amd_us

Thanks Steven,
It's good to know that shower exists in Train and people indeed take them. We'll give it a shot and cross our fingers. I've never travelled in 1st AC before so looking forward to it. I'll definately have the plan B ready as you suggested.

shahronakm

Never new that 1st AC have shower facility. So far not travelled in First AC would love to travel some time.

Ronak.

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brishti

are first class AC's still available???
gosh! i thought they were all gone!

had two separate journeys in this coach, decades ago -
mokamaghat [bihar] to calcutta
and
calcutta to new jalpaiguri.

took a shower in the first ride -
it was awesome!!!
showering in a train - you dont ever get to do that.
all i remember is that the shower area was miniscule -
and yup - as steven suggested, better take extra bottles of water in with you!

shahronakm, you must try out first a/c once.
must be extremely expensive - could compare to one of them cheap flight fares now.
but its worth the money - just once!
wall to wall carpeting, a wash basin in the cabin and the coach attendant comes in and lays out your bed!!!
i wonder if its still like that.
bliss - absolute bliss!!!


:brishti

Nick-H

It's first-class non-AC that is being phased out.

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brishti

aah...



:brishti

sssall

Ok, I'll admit to travelling on class 1A last month.

I saw toilets on either end of the carriage with Indian and a western type. But didn't see any showers although I wasn't looking for one. And I didn't see anyone coming from either end with wet hair or towels wrapped round them.

I'll have look out for one next time, if there is a next time.

atala

I travelled in 2AC recently and it had a shower in the Indian toilet room. I was surprised to see that, but probably it is done. Are 1AC showers seperate from toilets?

When i opened this thread I was expecting to read how people manage to keep their clothes clean while taking a shower in an Indian toilet. Except if you walk around with just a lunghi.

sb_amd_us

Atala: I travelled in 2nd AC twice so far during my trips to India and I did not see shower in 2nd AC. Only 1st AC has but not sure if they're seperated from toilet room.

steven_ber

I've only travelled in 2-tier air con 4 times, and never looked for a shower, but I'm wondering, was your carriage a combined 1AC/2AC carriage? (one half of the carriage 1AC the other half 2AC).

What train was it?

I'm sure the shower in 1AC was just a shower, and didn't have a toilet in there, but I really hope my memory isn't getting confused with experiences on Thai trains.

Upper Class waiting rooms are available on larger train stations, they're a great place to shower, individual shower rooms (no towels), clean and comfortable, though do remember, there are separate Upper Class waiting rooms for males and females, after 20,000kms on Indian trains I didn't realise this and got some horrified looks when I emerged completely refreshed from an Upper Class waiting rooms for ladies on my last trip.

wat

Till the late 80's some AC 1st classes had bath tubs. Didn't find one when I travelled last year.

Nick-H

Well, one would I suppose

shahronakm

Brishti, I wanted to try it once, after hearing your experience will def. try it. I think it will be costlier or comparable to Air fare depending upon the sector.

Ronak.

himmat01

I travelled in 2AC recently. The train had an extra large toilet with a shower area but the fixtures had been removed. This was a 1980s coach.

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