Dan's Adventure

Back when I was planning my time in India I was unsure whether to book train tickets in advance or to wait and book them as I went once in India. Looking back I am very glad that I booked the tickets in advance, as there is no way that I would be able to visit all the places I want to visit if I had booked in India. If I had waited to book trains once in India I would no longer be on my own timescale, but that of the ticketing system, I would need to travel whenever there was any availability at all. Although there is always a chance that the wait list could clear by the time the train arrives, meaning that if you were on it, you could have a seat, the chances are slim. For my journey from Agra to Sawai Modhopur, the nearest town to Ranthambore National Park, I was on the wait list from the moment I booked back in August at position 15. In the time that has passed since then I moved up all of five places to position 10. It was looking more and more unlikely that I would be on that train. The sleeper trains on the days around it were all booked out as well so in the end I switched from a sleeper train and took the hit of an extra night in Agra so that I could get the afternoon train the day after I originally wanted to travel.

Every train that I have so far travelled on has been full, the platforms are packed and watching the race for seats in the sleeper carriages is always amusing. People try to get on the train before it has even fully stopped at the station. I have been travelling in three tier AC, meaning that there are three tiers of bunk beds on either side of a compartment, with 2 side bunks facing in from the opposite side. Sheets, blanket and a pillow are provided but it has always been a bit too hot to use the blanket. When the AC works it’s good, but if its broken it’s going to be one hell of a hot journey. There is space below the bottom bunk for bags and I’ve been chaining mine to the seat to act as a deterrent against potential bag snatchers that walk through the carriages.

The only problems I have had so far with the trains are firstly that the beds are too short for tall people. My feet dangle over the ends so if I’m at the end of a carriage they inevitably get hit every time the door opens! And secondly the lack of consideration that some people have. On the train from Jalgaon to Varanasi I boarded the train at around 7pm and the other people in my compartment were all asleep with the lights off. I locked up my bag and climbed up to my bunk, put my headphones in and tried to fall asleep. As soon as the clock struck 2am they were all awake, lights were on and they were talking loudly, at times even shouting at each other. I asked them to be quiet, others asked them to be quiet, but they continued until the sun rose before going back to bed. Ear plugs were useless against them. Bizarre, annoying and just lacking in any kind of consideration for everyone else around them.

One thing to keep in mind when travelling by train in India is that they run on Indian time. They arrive when they want and are nearly always delayed. After three weeks of travelling by train I have yet to have one depart on time or arrive on time. When the departure is delayed it makes it pretty difficult to tell when you will arrive at your destination. Logic would dictate that that if you leave 3 hours late, you will arrive 3 hours late, but as my train from Agra to Sawai Modhpur will prove, this isn’t always the case. The train arrived half an hour earlier than I expected and I only just made it off the train. There are no announcements and at the smaller stations signs in English are rather difficult to spot.

I am now in Jaisalmer and have one final 19 hour train to catch to Delhi, what are the chances that it will be on time?