[steven_ber]

AvidTrekker, I wish I was asked the question before I went to Assam; it would have been kinda fun trying to find the answer.

Is the ticket nicknamed 'The heaven and hell ticket'?

I'm sure I've heard of them before, but cant remember where or what route.

Will the info be in the bradshaw? I'll have a look at work.

Finding the train info is fun, though I only refer to the bradshaw in emergencies, (I cant read the bloody thing either) it's the typing that’s difficult, I need a secretary.... anyone know of a pretty, 35-year-old Punjabi secretary?



Note to myself:

There is also a well-timed daily overnight train from Jabalpur (the place with no English signs) and Ujjain to Ahmedabad.

There will be a new train starting soon that will run from Delhi through Jaipur and on to Barmer, in both directions the train will do the Jaipur/Barmer section overnight.

[SHIMLA]

The Indian Railways have been divided into 17 zones(including Konkan Railway) for administrative convenience. Each zone has its own time table which is fairly detailed and is released every year in July.

However, the new time tables this year will be released only in September and the existing ones are automatically valid till August 31. This applies to the "Trains At A Glance"(TAAG) too.

Now, instead of each zone releasing its own time table and the country having 17 zonal time tables, the Railways are contemplating re-organising into only five zones and having only 4 zonal time tables(2 zones will be combined), w.e.f. September 1, 2004 .

Such a step is to be welcomed, let's wait and watch !

[bijapuri]

what's the best way to get from Diu to Aurangabad? Am partial to trains, averse to busses

[mountaingirl]

Hi Steve and gang!

I was trying to find seats on the Trivandrum Rajdhani from Delhi to Madgaon (the train goes on to Ernakulum and Trivandrum from Madgaon) - most of the stations have been cancelled. I tried other trains as well but it was ditto.

Maybe it is because of this

[SHIMLA]

mountaingirl,

The Trivandrum Rajdhani has been diverted via Itarsi, Nagpur and Balharshah, until further notice. This is due to the accident on Konkan Railway. Many trains on the Mumbai-Madgaon route, including the Jan Shatabdi Express, have been temporarily cancelled.

[SHIMLA]

Originally posted by bijapuri
what's the best way to get from Diu to Aurangabad? Am partial to trains, averse to busses

You will have to bus it to Rajkot. Then by train from Rajkot to Bhusawal and Bhusawal to Aurangabad.

However, if the purpose of your visit to Aurangabad is to see Ajanta, then its far better to travel from Rajkot to Jalgaon by train(Jalgaon is just 45 kms. before Bhusawal) and from Jalgaon to Ajanta by road.

[steven_ber]

SHIMLA

That’s interesting news, do you know if the fare changes will apply from July 1st or Sep 1st?

Do you have any idea of which zones will be combined for the purpose of timetables?

SR, SWR & SCR (& maybe KR) would make an ideal southern TT.

[SHIMLA]

Steven,

The fare increase (if any) is always effective April 1, even though the timings come into effect from July. This year I am not aware of any increase in fares, as in the "election" railway budget declared in February, the then Railway minister Mr. Nitish Kumar had not proposed any increase.

Regarding the amalgamation of zones, I do not have information on which two zones will they be. This information I received from IRFCA.

I'll post here again in case I receive any further information on the subject.

[SHIMLA]

The Railway budget will be presented to the Parliament by Shri Laloo Prasaad Yadav on July 6.

Shri Nitish Kumar had presented an interim "election" budget in February.

The Prime Minister has turned down some of Shri Laloo's proposals:
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...ent_id=5020 0

[jarman_ah]

Steven, I can't begin to tell you how valuable -- or should that be invaluable -- all this information is! Having all the transport options at one's fingertips can make all the difference between a holiday that is a smashing success and one where one finishes, exhausted, in a frazzle, having seen nothing. I'll bet there are scores of people who toast your health at the end of every train journey!

[janetdawson]

Recently found solution to all my problems with trains in India
http://www.trainenquiry.com/
it tells you the no of hrs your train is late- so no need to wait at the platform anymore!

[steven_ber]

Janet, still get to the station an hour before your delayed train is 'expected', I have not had time to check out how the 'trainenquiry.com' website operates, it may tell you how many hours a train is behind schedule, if this is the case, a problem may arise.

Many trains have extra time added to sections of the journey to help the train arrive 'on time', this extra time could be anything from 20 minutes to over an hour.

(The easiest way to check this out is by looking at timetable for the same train in the opposite direction and comparing times for stations at the end of each section) (Section = pair of large/important stations)

If an hour is added to the timetable for a particular section and the train is 3 hours behind schedule, it may only be 2 hours late by the time it gets to your station.

Does that make sense??

Indian Railways, always fun......


Has anyone used the 'trainenquiry.com' website?

Is it accurate?

[lobo]

I was looking at the "dehli to dharamasala via the kangra railway".
Roughly (assuming no delays) how long will this take from dehli to the nearest station to dharamasala? Is it easy for the india newbie (when it comes to trains).
How many different trains do you have to take?
I have heard the kangra railway is worth seeing!!!

[janetdawson]

Steven, was travelling from varanasi to delhi some time back- and checked on the internet and the train was marked as 2.5 hours late. So I requested the hotel manager to call up the station and find out.
The manager told me that both the station master of the station and the automated system (it is a number you call up to know how late a train is- it is either 131 or 1331?? supposed to be toll free) are saying that it is on time.
As my hotel was 30-45 min from station- decided that the internet information was not worth the risk- but took along a "The Summons"- John Grisham, just in case.
I reached the station with 15 minute to spare- and then when the arrival time came- no train came!!! they then announced it was 30, then 30 minute later it was 60 minute late and so on- when finally it turned to be late by exactly 2 hour 38 minutes

But then I did finish the summons

[ddutta]

Originally Posted by lobo

I was looking at the "dehli to dharamasala via the kangra railway".
Roughly (assuming no delays) how long will this take from dehli to the nearest station to dharamasala? Is it easy for the india newbie (when it comes to trains).
How many different trains do you have to take?
I have heard the kangra railway is worth seeing!!!

Can check this
http://www.123himachal.com/kangra/train.htm

Delhi - Dharamsala (Train Route ) Delhi - Pathankote & then ,
Nearest broad gauge railhead is Pathankot 95 km. A narrow gauge railway line between Pathankot and Jogindernagar passes through Kangra, 17 km. from Dharamshala.