With the notable exception of a few private trains and some urban transport lines, almost all trains in India are operated by the national company Indian Railways (IR).
With 1.4 million employees, IR is the eighth largest employer in the world. IR operates the third largest rail network in the world (after the United States and the China) and the first in terms of passenger kilometers. The network covers more than 60 000 km, serves about 7,500 stations and about 20 million people use it every day. Indian trains are not among the best or fastest in the world, but the service is efficient (although delays are frequent). Traveling by train in India is an exciting experience in many ways. It is certainly the best way to meet and take the time to chat with local people, and on many routes the train is the fastest, most comfortable and cheapest way to travel.
- Indian Railways
- seat61 – One of the many websites in English provide detailed information, about the peculiarities of the train in India.
Understand
"The nation's lifeline" (The Lifeline of the Nation) as it is more or less officially called, The origins of the railway in India go back to the British Raj. It developed from the 1850s to quickly become one of the largest in the world. Linking all the big cities and a good number of villages in all the Indian states, it constitutes an essential element in the daily life of many Indians who use it to go to work, to return home to see their family (sometimes crossing the whole country). !), transporting goods, etc.
The standard track gauge on most lines is 1.676 meters, significantly larger than the standard gauge of 1.435 meters. This allows the trains to be larger and more massive. Some lines are however still metric gauge which was the standard of most networks in British India. The wide gauge conversion of most of these metric tracks is nonetheless underway or planned. The change of gauge always requires a change of train when it occurs. The network also has several mountain routes with a spacing of less than 1 meter. The trains that run there, the "toy trains" (Toy trains) are no less famous, two of them (the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Kalka Shimla Raylway) being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Large trains not very fast and sometimes crowded, huge stations teeming with activity even in the middle of the night, itinerant tea vendors, sometimes (very) long delays constitute the daily picture of the train traveler.
Trains, even the fastest, rarely run at more than 40 km / h of average (counting the stops) but cover very great distances crossing the country up and down. Night trips are the most common, and most trains have sleeper cars.
Trains and classes
Train categories
In India, all trains have a five-digit number as a unique identifier, and a name.
It is very useful to remember these two components when you want to take a train, because they allow you to question other travelers on a particular train. In addition this information is reproduced on the sides of the cars.
The name usually (but not always) specifies the category to which a given train belongs, these categories mainly resulting from the average speed of the trains.
These categories are, from fastest to slowest:
- Superfast : these very fast trains connect the main cities with very few intermediate stops. This category is subdivided into Rajdhani, Duronto, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and Farib Rath that offer different levels of comfort.
- Express Where Mail : these fairly fast trains serve the main stations and generally include several classes, with or without compulsory reservation.
- Fast Passenger : these trains serve most stations and include seats with or without reservation but no air conditioning.
- Passenger : these trains serve almost all the stations, some of them only include general class wagons.
- Local : these short-distance trains serve all stations and correspond to the image of trains with passengers traveling on the roof or hanging from the doors of the wagons.
In addition to these normal trains, the network includes mountain trains and some generally very luxurious private lines.
Seat classes
Indian trains do not include less than 10 different classes, but not all of them are present in all trains, with the exception of the general class, all classes (theoretically) require a reservation.
Night trains
Most Indian trains make at least part of their journey at night, and these trains almost always include sleeper cars:
- AC First Tier (1A) – this is the most expensive and luxurious class of IR railways (excluding private trains). Like all AC classes, these wagons are air conditioned. The bunks are organized in compartments of two or four beds, which can be closed and locked. Sheets are provided and a steward comes to make the beds. This class is not present on all night trains but only for important connections.
- First Class (FC) – equivalent in terms of comfort to class 1A, but without air conditioning, this class is rare and only found on a few old trains. Sheets are extra.
- AC Tier 2 (2A) – the second class with air conditioning, each wagon is made up of areas crossed by an aisle and comprising on one side four berths in the transverse direction and on the other side two additional berths in the longitudinal direction. The berths on both sides are isolated from the corridor by curtains. Sheets are provided. Class present in most express.
- AC Tier 3 (3A) – With air conditioning, same principle as for 2A but with six berths instead of four transversely, and no separation of the beds from the corridor. Sheets are provided. Class present in almost all Express and Mails.
- AC Tier 3 Economy (3E) – With air conditioning, organization similar to that of 3A with an additional bed in the longitudinal direction, that is to say 9 beds in all per zone. This class is only present on the Garib Rath.
- Sleeper Class (SL) – this is the lowest class for sleeper trains, crossing the country from side to side in SL will cost less than 10 €. It is organized in the same way as class 3A (six transverse beds and two longitudinal beds per zone, without separation from the corridor; some recent SL wagons also have a third longitudinal bed as in 3E), the main differences being as follows : no air conditioning, very fine upholstery of the benches, no sheets provided.
In all classes of trains with three upper berths (3A, 3E, SL), the intermediate berth is raised during the day to allow all passengers in the area to sit on the lower bench. Heavy sleepers will therefore prefer the highest bunk which allows them to return to lie down if they wish when they want.
Due in particular to the curvature of the train roofs, the ceiling height of the high berths in 3A, 3E and SL is limited. In addition, the longitudinal berths are slightly shorter than the transverse berths.
Day trains
There are three different comfort classes in seated trains with reservation:
- AC Executive Chair Car (EC) – it is the most comfortable class, with air conditioning and four seats across the width of the wagon. It is only available on certain major Superfast routes.
- AC Chair Car (CC) – this air-conditioned class has five seats across the width of the wagon, with a comfortable seating position. It is present on most Superfast and Express day trains.
- Second Class (2C) – these wagons do not have air conditioning and have bench seats. Although they are supposed to be accessible by reservation, these wagons with spartan comfort are often squatted by general class passengers and it can be difficult to find space.
General class (GS or II)
This is the most basic class of Indian railways. It is present (in large quantities) in almost all trains (including night trains despite the absence of berths) except the major Superfast routes. It allows you to cross the country for the equivalent of a few euros but for that you have to make big compromises on comfort and privacy. The seats are made up of wooden or non-upholstered fabric benches, the wagons are open to the four winds and are almost always crowded. Some people spend long hours standing or sitting precariously on their luggage or on the luggage racks. If it may be interesting to take this class for discovery, over short distances and lines not too busy, we can not decently recommend it for a long trip, and definitely not for whole nights.
Air conditioning or not
The following classes have air conditioning: 1A, 2A, 3A, 3E, EC, CC. The air-conditioned cars have their windows sealed and have doors that are more or less airtight at the ends of the corridors. This helps to regulate the temperature but also to prevent dust from infiltrating the wagons. Air-conditioned class travel is therefore recommended during the summer (April-June), monsoon (July-September) and winter months in some regions (December-January), or in very dusty regions in the Tar desert, around Bikaner and Jaisalmer in particular.
On the other hand, the windows cannot be opened and are often very dirty, it is difficult to appreciate the landscape in the air-conditioned cars. Likewise, the doors at the end of the wagon are usually closed between the stations (it is always possible to unlock them nevertheless).
Conversely, unconditioned wagons are more subject to significant temperature variations in the country as well as to dust. The temperature in these wagons is generally very bearable during the intermediate periods (October-November and March). The windows are mostly open (with long horizontal bars) but it is possible to lower a window or a metal shutter.
Sanitary and food
Sanitary
Almost all of the wagons are equipped with four toilets (two at each end) two "Western" (Western style) with a bowl and two "Indian" (we would call Turkish).
The cleanliness of the toilets in the trains depends mainly on the class in which you are and the distance from the starting point of the train. Generally speaking, cleanliness is acceptable by Indian standards.
Each sanitary block contains a non-potable water basin. However, there are no showers on the trains.
Food
In AC classes it often happens that the conductors offer meals. Only the most important trains have a kitchen on board, otherwise these meals are loaded during a long stop in a major city. The time of the meal is therefore dependent on the time of this stop!
The meals offered are thalis and the choice is almost always given between vegetarian or non-vegetarian, all for around 100 rupees. These thalis include dal, aloo, rice, sauces and chapatis. The trays are such that it is easy to spill sauces (very staining) on oneself. No way, however, to choose the power of curries which are invariably relatively strong for Western palates.
In addition to these meals, the street vendors spend their time getting into the wagons. There is almost always a vendor of chai (Indian tea, with a lot of milk, sugar and a mixture of spices) but also chips, (more or less) fresh drinks, fruits and various seeds.
Stations
Inquire and book
Planning
Reservations for most Indian trains begin three months before the relevant train's departure date, and seats often get crowded very quickly.
Therefore, unless one is prepared to travel regularly in GS class without a reservation, it is difficult to take reservations at the last moment for trains.
The best way to plan your trip is still to look at a map of the rail network. If a direct line exists between two points on the map, it is almost certain that trains run along that line. The up-to-date map of the Indian rail network: [1]
The next step is to consult timetables. Each Indian numbered train operates at a fixed time, a certain number of days in the week. The famous guide Trains at a glance of Indian Railways (in English) provide the various up-to-date timetables for all lines and major stations across the country.
Three main websites (all in English) provide specific information for planning train travel in India:
- Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Inquiry – Despite its outdated look and simplistic interface, this is the official Indian Railways train information site. Overall, this site is difficult to use on its own as it does not really allow you to plan a trip but rather corroborate or supplement information gathered elsewhere. It provides precise information on trains, their timetables, available places, etc. provided that we already know which train we want to consult. As an official site, however, it has direct access to Indian Railwyas databases, which will often provide more up-to-date information than on other sites.
- eRail – This site has a relatively simple but extremely efficient interface! Fill in the points of departure and arrival, the desired date and the site returns all the existing connections between the cities requested, more than to find the suitable one. The site also gives the ticket prices for the different classes available as well as the number of seats remaining in each class for the selected trains (when it gets to retrieve this information from the IR servers. Certainly the fastest way to review the different options.
- Indian Rail Info – this unofficial site is the most comprehensive of all sites including information on IR trains. It is also quite complicated to use. A veritable gold mine, it provides information on prices, the number of places available, estimates of the average train delay based on historical records, changes to the route, the usual composition of trains ... simulate trips with a change, which can be appreciable.
When researching these sites, it is important to note the numbers of the trains you plan to reserve as well as the standardized codes (two, three or four letters) of the departure and arrival stations. This information will then speed up the reservation process.
The departure dates indicated on the sites correspond to the departure dates of trains from the station in question. However, the train can be on its way since the day before, or even the day before, and this notion must be taken into account when looking for information on a train.
Example: The 13049 Amritsar Express train runs daily. It departs from Kolkata Howrah (HWH) to 13 h 50 on D-day, passes to Varanai (BSB) at 8 h 30 on day D 1 and arrive in Amritsar (ASR) at 10 h 20 on D-Day 2. To obtain information concerning the space available on this train, if you wish to go to Varanasi on a Tuesday, you will have to look for the train passing through Varanasi on Tuesday. On the other hand, if you want to have an estimate of the delay of the train in question, you will have to look for the train leaving Kolkata on Monday. Fortunately, all of India is in the same time zone at UTC 5:30, which makes things easier.
Reservation
online booking
Online booking sites
Main websites for booking tickets online:
- IRCTC – it is the official Indian Railways reservation site. As for the other official sites, the interface is rather confusing, but once you get used to the site, navigation on it is rather fast and reservations are made without too much trouble (except during Tatkal schedules). This public site is the safest way to book online, its main flaw is that it does not accept payments by credit cards issued by non-Indian banks (with the exception of American Express cards issued in certain countries. ). In addition, the registration process on the site is complicated as it is necessary to manually bypass automatic systems which were designed for Indians only.
- Cleartrip – it is a private site of good reputation having a system of computerized data exchange with IRCTC and thus making it possible to make reservations without going through the official site. Curiously, some trains are available for booking on IRCTC but not on Cleartrip, most of them are however available. This site has the huge advantage of accepting international Visa and Mastercard cards, and its interface is more intuitive than IRCTC's. On the other hand, registering on this site implies having first registered on the IRCTC site and then following a specific liaison procedure, the task is complicated for travelers wishing to register from abroad. A large number of steps must be followed, scrupulously respecting an established order, otherwise the connection between the two sites will be impossible and it will then be necessary to attempt to create new accounts on the two sites to succeed in this connection.
- 12Go Asia – is a private site offering the option of purchasing train tickets (e-tickets) without the need to create a new user account. The ticketing process is very simple: choose your route, fill in your personal details and make your payment. Then, the 12Go Asia agency sends you the tickets.
Registration on IRCTC and Cleartrip from abroad
In all cases, you must start by registering on IRCTC:
- go to the IRCTC registration page (from the IRCTC home page, click on "Sign up" next to the "Login" button).
- complete the registration form. All fields marked with a star are required, but you will notice that the "Mobile" number necessarily begins with 91 (the country code for India) and does not accept numbers starting with a zero. In this case, enter any phone number that meets the specifications.
- Once the registration form has been completed on the IRCTC site, you should receive an email from IRCTC confirming registration, providing a password to access the site and giving a link to complete the "One- time pass ", a verification code that was sent to the mobile number that you entered in the previous step ... and that you therefore did not receive.
- The message received from IRCTC should then be forwarded to the e-mail address [email protected] by specifying that, being a foreigner and therefore not having a valid Indian mobile phone number, we did not receive the One-time pass. You must attach a copy of your passport (identity page) to this email and request that the One-time pass be sent by email.
- Customer service generally responds positively within three working days of the request by sending a One-time pass by email.
- Cleartrip registration: at this stage, if you want to be able to use Cleartrip to make reservations do not enter the One-time pass on the IRCTC website. Instead you need:
- Create an account on the site of Cleartrip (click at the top right on "Your trips" then on "Register") by providing the information and following the proposed procedure.
- Start a train reservation attempt: trains tab, fill in a request, for example From NDLS to BSB, with a random class and date, that's not important for the moment).
- In the results page that appears, click on "check aviability" in front of any result.
- In the pop-up window that then opens, click on "Already received OTPs? Proceed to activation".
- On the next page, enter the e-mail address used for registration on IRCTC, the password received in the first confirmation email from IRCTC and the One-time pass received following the above procedure.
- If all goes well the two accounts (IRCTC and Cleartrip) should now be linked and booking possible from the Cleartrip site. If you do not follow this procedure and you enter the One-time pass on the IRCTC site beforehand, this One-time pass becomes unusable and it is impossible to receive another by email from IRCTC customer service. It will therefore be impossible to link the two accounts and use Cleartrip ...
- Finalization of IRCTC registration: linking the two accounts on Cleartrip also activates the IRCTC account. However, if you do not wish to use Cleatrip you can skip the above steps and enter the mobile One-time pass on the link provided for this purpose in the first IRCTC email, in order to activate this account.
