one thing we read about train travel in India is that it is always overbooked and the process of getting tickets is arduous. since we had planned our itinerary at home and our schedule was more or less concrete, we booked our all our train tickets electronically a month before; even then, we were on the waiting lists for the coach class we wanted on some trips. booking tickets online was so was easy; there was a slight booking fee but the convenience and peace of mind was well worth it.
We planned to travel four overnight journeys to save some money on accommodations and to make the best of our waking hours. However, we decided to splurge on the class of coach and booked air conditioned second class sleepers. There are two types of A/C second class sleepers: AC2 where seats are grouped into semi-private sections of for seats with two upper and two lower berths facing each other; AC3 has six seats with upper, middle and lower berths. There are non a/c coaches as well as non-sleeper ones; I was not brave enough to experience either.
Our first train experience occurred on our second day india. it was an 18 hour journey from delhi to jaisalmer. We arrived at the train station an hour and a half before scheduled departure; we arrived so early to ensure that we were to be at the right place at the right time (we had an unfortunate train experience when we were in italy last year where we missed our schedule departure due to a mistake in the platform numbering—there was lots of running with our heavy backpacks, something we wanted to avoid in india).
Perhaps we’re destined for unfortunate train experiences. Even though arriving so early, we had no idea where to wait on our platform for our coach. “normal ac 2 and 3 are at the front of the back of the train” we were told by a friendly indian man “I am in an AC sleeper class too so you can wait with me.” We waited with him but when the train arrived, we could not find our coach. Turns out we were standing at the front and our coach was at the back... of a very long train. We had to run the length of the train with our heavy backpacks to get our coach. It was not a fun run.
We never got hang of where to stand to wait for our coach. Eventually we would just wait in the middle of the platform; but half the length of an 18 to 26 coach train is still a long distance, especially with luggage, fighting through crowds of people getting on and off the train, and with a two-minute window to get on the train.
We four train rides in total. Three of which where in AC2, one in AC3. Even in the relatively more comfortable coaches, I could not sleep for more than an hour at a time. sheets, blankets and pillows provided for each berth in the a/c sleeper classes. The sheets are renewed each train ride, coming in a paper bag with the claim that it has been mechanically washed. The pillow and blanket are used again and again; I have no idea when the last time they were cleaned and they smelled. Being little bit of a germaphobe, I was not comfortable with using the pillows or blankets and slept in a mummy position wearing my down jacket to stay warm and using my small backpack to support my head. I must have looked like the most uppity foreigner ever, but i just couldn’t bring myself to curl up in the blankets like everyone else on the coach.
We met people, indians and foreigners alike, who rather enjoyed travelling by train. But we, especially me, hated it... because of the cockroaches and rats running around the floor of the coach; because i am not coordinated enough to squat pee on a moving vehicle and would end up peeing on my shoe more than in the toilet (asian squat kind) hole (and for some reason, i would have to pee 3 times a night on the trains); because people would be listening to music or movies from their phones or computer at the wee hours of the night without headphones; because at every stop, there would be people going on and off the train, in and out of the compartments, trying to find their berth; because the ticket checker would wake us up at the most obscure hour to check tickets for the nth time; because the train is like a moving bazaar and whenever it reached a station, the vendors swarm the coaches, shouting out their fare for sale, because at 6 in the morning, tea vendors would start going up and down the aisles yelling “chai, chai”. I just hated being on the trains; i am not adventurous or down-to-earth enough.
I vowed never ever to do another overnight trip by train in india...that is, unless it was on the golden chariot, a luxury train which consists of private sleeping cabins with actual beds covered in silk sheets.
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