Train Experiences

Daal_face

My departure to India is approaching fast and the more I think about it, the more anxious I feel. One of the aspects giving me the most anxiety is train travel. I have my tickets booked and I've done some reading about the trains (seat61 and indianrail.com) but I'd like to hear some personal experiences and tips that any of you have about riding the trains, like what to expect, how early beforehand should I show up before my expected departure, are most stations dirty, clean, crowded, disorganized, orderly and will it be easy to find my train? Also is there a major difference between 2a and 3a classes? I'd appreciate any stories or tips you may have..scary, helpful, funny, etc. Thanks!

steven_ber

Big stations = Organised chaos, but great fun.

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machadinha

All I can say is you'll be alright DaalFace, you'll get into it as soon as you start moving around, you'll have no other option. There are probably millions of passengers being transported each day so there must be some "system to the madness" right.

Have a nice 1.

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jennifericous

ya i never found the train stations any more chaotic than the rest of india. you dont need to arrive more than 15-20 mins before the train. unless u want to be sure where your platform is. if ur a female travelling alone i advise trying to get the top bunk just for privacy.
my personal experience with the trains were great. i loved lookin out the window and seein the countryside changing. travelling with 4 girls and a guy attracted quite a lot of unwanted attention. lots and lots of staring-but u should kindly remind them of the sign that says any harassing or staring at females is punishable by a fine or up to 2 yrs in prison.

JamesB

Trins in India is really a great way to travel in India. I was born in India and came to USA and spent more years in USA then in India. Every time I travel by train in India I had nothing but FUN. Make sure you reserve the seat in AC coach. Also take some chain lock for your luggage if you are travelling by your self. Also take some tissue paper for the toilet. Many local travelers who travel by train in First or second class will be able to communicate with you in english. Biggest advise is not to accept any type of food or drinks from the other passenger in your cabin. You can make friends while travelling but do remember not to accept any food or drinks. You can purchase food and drinks from station without getting off the train through window. If it's over night train then nothing to worry about in most areas but just be careful with locals wandering around in trains without the reservation.
any further question please send me PM through this site. I will be more then happy to give you some information.

Have FUN in India. I am sure you will enjoy.

machadinha

2SL did it for me alright, as did unreserved. The women I know are still alive too.

Leith

Finding your carriage and seat can sometimes be a hassle.....I normally seek a porter....fling him 100rp....and these problems are then solved.

machadinha

For 100 Rs. I'm sure they would be yes.

lonelyaztec

When you are travelling by train, you will find a lot of vendors in the stations...selling food.

The idly / dosa / vada or bada / egg omelette and bread are the best things to eat.

You can have chai / coffee / lassi / cold badam milk also.

Drink bottled mineral water only.

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steven_ber

I would advise people to leave a minimum 30 minutes, especially when using one of the bigger stations, a last minute dash to the train can help you lose your concentration when you board the train, this is the time when a thief will take advantage, get there early, then you can remember to get the water and newspaper that you didn’t realise you needed, and a relaxing cup of chai.

Some stations can have 14 platforms or more, the bridges to get to the platforms can be very crowded and slow moving, some trains can have 24 carriages (and your carriage will be at the other end of the train), even if you find the 'chart display boards' (on the platform) to indicate your carriage, it can be difficult to find the carriage, sometimes it is difficult to even work out where the front or the back of the train is.

The platforms can be chaotic as can the carriages, there are sometimes as many people waving goodbye to travelling family/friends as there are people on a train, and Indian people carry soooo much luggage, add all the vendors, beggars, the porters, the goats, dogs, and the occasional cow and you get a sense of how chaotic it can all be.

A train can hold 2000 people, add the number of people on the platform (New Delhi station sells over 50,000 platform tickets some days), then consider that the train on the adjacent platform may also be loading/unloading and you can imagine how busy it can be.

Arriving early doesn't take away from your India experience, quite the opposite, I never tire of people watching on a train platform, it's one of those things that always remind me of why I love India.

vsp27759

Dear Daal Face,
Your observation:-
""One of the aspects giving me the most anxiety is train travel. I have my tickets booked and I've done some reading about the trains ""
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@@@Unless it is confidential, can you indicate
i)the trains in which you have made Advance Reservation for your journey,
ii) Class in which you are travelling,
iii) the ticket status,
iv) the Sectors in which you are travelling,
v) dates on which you are going to be in the Trains.

noflylist

keep little change for kids who come to clean yr carriage, it will make their day
hire an older porte to find yr compartment etc

Nick-H

...'cleaning' the carriage is their excuse for being therer. They are not cleaners, and it would be illegal for the railways to employ them.

They seek out the coins and the stuff that has been dropped or left there by people and can, apparently, do very well out of it!

But, by all means be generous

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LilyB

Very true. We had at least one mad dash to our carriage when it turned out to be at the opposite end of the train from where we thought it would be.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we arrived at one station extremely early for some reason and there wasn't another soul in sight. As we were leisurely looking for our carriage we passed a car with an older couple standing in the doorway, staring down at the extra long drop to the platform. I stopped, held out my hand for their luggage, then helped them down. Some of the steps up (and down) can be real whoppers, and there were a few times when I was happy to have my husband do the same for me.

The train trips themselves were always a good experience.

Digital Drifter

Point there, Nick. But it does help that they clean out the carriage after the awful dreck which the canteen serves and people discard within and out of the carriage.

"do very well out of it"

in this context is not exactly even living wages is it? First off, as you hinted, these kids should have been in school and Railways should be a little more strict in getting them off working in the carriage. Short of stealing, these chaps are doing exactly what pan handlers do without the hassling. One thing I remember a 'smart' homeless person did on the Tube stations was to press the 'coin change' and check the coin slots for small change.

That was really clever, IMO.

These kids are no different.

From-the-indignant-of-having-given-Rs-2-to-the-kid-on-Madras-train-yday Dept.

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