Train travel in India is more than just a means of transport. It truly is part of the culture and as a visitor, it is part of the experience of exploring the country. The Indian train network spans 63,000 km of rail routes and has 6,800 stations.
I am more of a driving (or walking) kind of traveler and almost always avoid traveling by train. That is, unless the train network is well-known, special, or historical in itself (see the article on Traveling by Train in Japan). Indian train travel falls surely into this bracket, as the rides are a sightseeing experience in themselves.
That being said, my experience is quite limited since, so far, I have only taken the train from Jaipur to Agra and from Agra to New Delhi. As such, with less than 1000 km of train travel in a very small and touristic region of the country, I can hardly call myself an expert. So these are not so much tips for beginners by an expert, but rather musings and impressions from a first-time traveler myself, coupled with some information that I gathered before and after my trips. The info that I have sourced externally mainly comes from the Indian Rail website and the blog The Man in Seat 61 (Mark Smith, the blog creator, is arguably the guru of travel by train, and his website is packed to the brim with extensive information and overviews; be sure to check it out if you are looking for more information on traveling by train).
Basics
After China and Russia, India has the largest and most extensive train network in the world. The Indian railway system operates 9,000 passenger trains, transports almost 18 million passengers every day, and employs approximately 1.4 million people. As such, Indian rail is a behemoth in transportation, and traveling by train in India is a strong part of the culture and comes with its own quirks. Train travel in India is much more than a transportation method; it is also a part of the country’s culture.
The Railway Network
India is divided into 18 zones, as follows:
- Northern Railway (NR)
- North Eastern Railway (NER)
- Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR)
- Western Railway (WR)
- Southern Railway (SR)
- South Central Railway (SCR)
- South Eastern Railway (SER)
- Eastern Railway (ER)
- Central Railway (CR)
- South Western Railway (SWR)
- North Western Railway (NWR)
- West Central Railway (WCR)
- North Central Railway (NCR)
- South East Central Railway (SECR)
- East Coast Railway (ECoR)
- East Central Railway (ECR)
- Metro Railway Kolkata
- South Coast Railway
Passenger Classes
Differently from many other countries where there are generally 2 or 3 classes, Indian rail trains have 11 classes (although most are only subtle modifications). Also, even though there are many classes, each train will offer only a handful of them and they are mostly divided between sleeping and chair trains.
Below, you may find the commonly used names and general descriptions of each class:
- Unreserved General Class (UR), or General Seating (GN): These are 2nd class unreserved seats. Reservations are clearly not required and this corresponds to the image foreigners have of train travel in India: Overcrowding to the max.
- Second Seating AC (2S): These are 2nd class reserved seats.
- Chair Car (CC): This is comparable to European 2nd class, with 2 or 3 sets of chairs along the width of the train car and air conditioning.
- Executive Chair Car (EC or 1A): Comparable to European 1st Class, with 2 seats along the width of the train car and air conditioning.
- Executive Anubhuti chair car (EA): This is only available on the Shatabdi Express trains and is similar to the Executive Chair class but with extra amenities such as seat-back TVs.
- 1st class (F or FC): This is the legacy first class, which has now been substituted by AC2.
When it comes to long commutes and sleeper compartments, there are the following distinctions:
- Sleeper Class (SL): This is the basic sleeper class with 3 tiers of bed structures, no bedding, no air conditioning, no privacy, and quite dirty.
- Three-Tier Air-Conditioned Class (3A or AC3): A more comfortable sleeper class. Windows are tinted, so there is slightly more privacy. Beds have bedding and towels and most importantly, they have air conditioning.
- AC 3-tier economy (3E): This is a variation of the above AC 3-tier with an extra berth in each bay of berths on the longitudinal side of the aisle.
- Two-Tier Air-Conditioned Class (2A or AC2): Similar to AC3 but with two stacks of beds instead of three and more privacy from the curtains in each compartment. This class is quiet and people do not interact with each other and want to rest. Bedding and towels are also provided.
- AC first class (1A or AC1): This is the most comfortable and expensive. Compartments have carpets, air conditioning, and lockable doors, and beds have bedding, towels, and pillows.
Train Categories
Like the many classes, there are also several types of trains, mostly related to the various zones and routes.
- Local trains: the slowest ones, which stop at every station.
- Mail & Express trains: this type is the most widespread and the most diverse, as there can be more modern carriages or older models
- Rajdhani express trains: these are the most modern, high-speed, and comfortable trains and are used to connect the capital, New Delhi, with other major destinations such as Mumbai and Kolkata. They are reservation-only and include air conditioning and meals.
- Shatabdi Express trains: this is the best category of trains, with air conditioning, fast transit speeds, and refreshments included in the fare.
- Tejas Express trains: similarly fast and high-quality trains like the above Shatabdi Express trains but traveling on lesser-beaten routes.
- Vande Bharat Express trains: these are the most modern and still rare, operating on only a handful of routes. Like the two above, they are high-speed and include refreshments in the fare.
- Duronto Expresses: these are similar in quality to the Rajdhani Express trains but aimed at long-distance commutes and sleeper trips.
Tickets
Reserved seats can be booked online on the official IR website: www.indianrail.gov.in
Alternatively, like in much of Asia, tickets can be found on 12go.asia.
There are several mobile apps that can be used for booking and tracking reservations and timetables. The Indian Rail IRCTC, PNR Status app is the official one from Indian Rail.
Timetables
Indian railways are generally very efficient, but Indian trains do run late. Delays are also on a larger scale, often amounting to hours rather than minutes. The Indian Rail IRCTC, PNR Status app can come in handy in these cases.
Hygiene
I can’t say much here. In the sense that what I would say is expected. All trains are quite filthy (except in Japan, where they are orders of magnitude cleaner than airplanes), and Indian trains are even more so. It is a good idea to bring your own toilet paper; for example, you may encounter abysmal toilets but this also highly depends on the train class.
Quirks & Etiquette
As said at the beginning, train travel is part of Indian culture, and chai is an inseparable part of it. There will always be chai.
As for personal anecdotes, I encountered many balloon vendors. People were wandering through the wagons selling inflatable balloons, which apparently were quite successful and sought after by the kids and soon the wagon was filled with these giant inflated balloons.
Another thing was gypsies (although definitely the wrong choice of words here) walking through the wagons and blessing (or cursing) the passengers. By giving a small offering, they would pat your head (with a blessing that, for me, was unintelligible). Alternatively, if ignored and the offer is not given, as in my case, they would make the loudest, most striking clap I have ever heard in my life, accompanied by other cursing chants (again, which I would not know what were).
Safety & Security
Safety in India is an important topic. Most risks on trains, as well as elsewhere, are related to scams or pickpocketing in busy train stations. When it comes to scams, it is relatively common to be approached with the most varied stories of canceled trains, closed ticket offices, or even more blatantly moved across the street where their uncle probably operates.
An unfortunate part of India is that the people are very friendly but there are also myriads of scams so it is always best to politely ignore or refuse these approaches.
Landscapes
This is where trains in general outshine other means of transportation, as taking a train ride as opposed to a flight allows one to see the landscape, rural areas, small towns, and life in a very genuine way while being comfortably commuted.
As mentioned in the introduction, I had limited experience using trains in India, but what I saw was quite heartbreaking. It was clearly expected but the misery of the general living conditions and also the innate repulsion from pollution and trash were certainly an experience in themselves, albeit a disheartening one.
