Train Varanasi-Gaya-Calcutta dangerous?

Paleface

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bonded

There is a first class / upper class waiting room at Howrah Station. There is a retiring room also.

sarkar

2AC/3ACs are quite safe but in sleeper class traveling through bihar is nothing but harassment.

My last experience from Patna to Kolkata in sleeper class was horrible, Yes horrible. 100s of people with their old parents, wives, crying children and friends squeezed into the sleeper class compartment without ticket.

I had no choice but to squeeze in between them in my own reserved seat from 5PM to 12AM when they get off at some station. TT came after after midnight after the compartment was empty. Even the TT was saying us to avoid traveling by sleeper class in that train.

kevin_Bkk

A hundred thousand thanks to Paleface for that useful link.The same number thanks to Bonded, but please, what is a retiring room? Is it a place that one can sleep? Sakar too, many many thanks, but your warning scares me. I remember the chaos of Indian trains before, but I thought that if I travel first class sleeper, I could be sure that no, non ticket holding interlopers would force me out of my seat. I traveled with a party from Chennai to Bubanishower and then to Gaya by second class, because it was an organised pilgrimage. There was a certain sense of chaos, but I felt safety in numbers. This time I will be alone.I shall follow your advice then, Shakar.

machadinha

Retiring rooms are like hotel rooms at railway stations yes. I've never used one yet; apparently they go from just passable to quite nice, and I know they go at widely varying room rates. Can sometimes go from dorms to private rooms. You'll find them at most non-totally-minor stations; they can be convenient (and sometimes, but far from always, a real bargain) for an overnight stop of course (although you'll likely find hotels around the station area anyway); they'll also tend to be noisy, of course, just because of the passing trains and crowds and announcements and whatnot. If looking for such and not seeing them directly signposted, just enquire with the station master or someone.

When Sarkar mentioned "sleeper," he will have meant Sleeper Class, this regularly leads to confusion; it is the second-to-lowest class, just above Unreserved. Despite its name, the higher classes can normally be slept in as well, of course. So his description of people hitching an unreserved ride (Sleeper is reserved) doesn't apply to your class of 1A (what you referred to as first class sleeper).

If you've traveled to India a very long time ago, I can't be exactly sure, but I think Unreserved class used to be called Third Class; today's Sleeper Class would then probably have been known as Second Class or so. Confusingly, today's Second Class means (if I remember correctly) a reserved cabin at the level of Sleeper Class, but with seats only, no berths, and (hence) deployed only in the daytime, not for overnight journeys.

For a better grasp of the various train classes, see also here: http://www.seat61.com/India.htm#classes.

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Brisso

[quote=sarkar;819479]
My last experience from Patna to Kolkata in sleeper class was horrible, Yes horrible. 100s of people with their old parents, wives, crying children and friends squeezed into the sleeper class compartment without ticket. I[quote]

I had the same experience Benares - NJP - people flooding in from unreserved class. To make it worse, I was with a young woman and a dozen or so men sat leering at her most of the way. I had to chase one away when he climbed into her berth that night - whether he was looking for space or something other I can't say. Maybe 3A is the go on this route.

pantelis

it seems that through their booking site they don't accept international visas but rather cards issued from India

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sarkar

IRCTC accepts all International Visa/Master Credit cards.
You have to select payment gateway as AXIS PG or CITI PG.

pantelis

Thanks for this important info

machadinha

There have in fact been some problems reported with the online booking system, see here, also for some possible solutions: Anyone else having problems paying for tickets with the IRCTC for the last few days?

goingback

Oh no, we are a British family of 4 travelling on this train mid-November! I will be using my elbows I think!

sarkar

If you are in AC coach then it will be fine. In sleeper class you may find some local passengers also.

LonelyWoolf

I'm travelling mid-November on this route, too! I take the SHRAMJEVIN EXP from Delhi to Rajgir, AC2, for a better/saver feeling . After that by bus to Bodhgaya via Gaya or by direct bus.