Train travel the way to go in India

Reuters

TRAIN IN VAIN? While the Indian railways have a reputation for being crowded, for foreign travellers it's a colourful and more expedient way to see the country.

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Many Indians think nothing of spending more than 24 hours on a train trip. It's simply a way of life.

For foreign travellers it's a colourful and more expedient way to see the country, where roads are mostly bad and car trips extremely time consuming.

While cheaper plane tickets are making air travel another option, an early morning takeoff from a major city can be as confusing and crowded as tackling any train station.

Trains are popular for long distance travel. While people usually go by bus for short distances, it's possible to book sleeping berths in some buses.

The British built a vast rail network and it's still the world's biggest under one management with almost 63,000km of track and 6867 stations.

With 1.6 million staff, Indian Railways is also the world's biggest employer.

But the system became rundown and was in loss for many years, apparently partly due to theft until the latest minister for rail stepped in. It's now said to be making a huge profit.

But delays are still inevitable. While I was in India recently, one road trip from Jabalpur in Madya Pradesh to Bandhavgarh National Park that should have taken four hours expanded to more than six due to a long wait at a train crossing.

The station master had been given information a train was coming but he couldn't say when.

"Ten minutes", was his answer every 10 minutes.

Gradually more and more people arrived at the barrier while the locals sat by, watching in amusement.

It was suggested there was another route 40km away so we turned around and continued on our drive passing cattle, trucks, buses and sari-clad women sitting side-saddle on the back seat of bicycles.

As many others before me have said, India is big and unpredictable. Not organising a place to stay or pre-booked train tickets is a bad idea.

You can book tickets with Indian Railways over the internet even though you usually have to do this two to three months ahead. Don't leave it till the last minute.

If you're in the country and buying a ticket you have to go to the railway station, fill in a reservation slip, with the train, train number, date of travelling and your personal details and address. And sign it. You need to show your passport. Then you pay your money and get a printed ticket.

This may again mean booking a long way ahead.

The different classes to choose from are first, second and third classes all airconditioned, and three more classes which are not airconditioned. And there's a general department. The most important thing to remember - always stick to airconditioned.

Second class is not that different to first class but you can upgrade.

Another tip is women at any train station can go first in the queue when buying tickets.

And there are some special rights for foreigners. Because tourism is so important to India, there are tourist quotas for many express trains, and special offices or counters for foreigners in major cities and destinations.

An Indian advised that on some smaller trains the foreign quota is around five tickets for each. So if the train's full you can ask for the foreign quota and you'll get a seat. Or you can go to the station master and if it's urgent he can get you a VIP seat.

"You have to know the system," he said.

Some people do still climb on top of the train and hang off the edge, as in the movies. Police and army constables travelling to different towns for their tests often sit up top.

Two days later we left from Umaria near the national park on a 14-hour overnight trip to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, with second class airconditioned tickets on the Uktal Express.

Just getting on the train was a process in itself. We first had to go the inquiry office and find out what platform the train was arriving at.

Our guide said to keep our ears open for announcements because the news might keep changing, the train could change platforms or be delayed or cancelled.

Tickets show the train number, date of travel, the coach, seat and berth numbers.

Porters are the best people to help you find your berth. They know where to stand on the platform to be in the best position to jump on the train.

Porters need to be paid at least 30 rupees per bag.

There's a ticket-checking machine outside the compartment and your name and details will be there. Check and reconfirm, even making sure you're on the right train.

Once aboard, find your bunk and stick to it. You're provided with sheets and a rather hard pillow.

Despite the numbers on the train, I found it quiet with fellow passengers keeping to their curtained berths, apart from one woman I saw cleaning her teeth in the morning.

It must have been something to do with the swaying motion but I was up and down the ladder from my top bunk (second tier) all night visiting the bathroom.

Climbing back up again, one Indian man from a berth across the corridor said to me: "It's very difficult isn't it?". I nodded.

In the morning, food sellers came through the train with welcome pots of marsala chai and food. But it's a good idea to take your own bottled water and munchies.

Another way of getting around - usually by locals - is the odd-looking jugad, only really seen on the road between Agra and Jaipur to the north. It's made from water pump motors, using spare parts and tyres from tractors and jeeps.

They transport cattle, fodder and sometimes people. Don't worry if you haven't got an international licence, you don't need any licence to drive a jugad because it's not a registered vehicle.