Page 754 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

752  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Travelling by Train Food items, such as biscuits, and
reading material, are sold by
For most visitors, train journeys add a fascinating new vendors en route. Toilets are
dimension to their experience of India – there are few better of the Indian and Western-
ways of getting to know the people and see the countryside. style. Carry your own toilet
The Indian Railways network is the third largest in the world, paper, soap and towel.
Train times are subject to
with tracks running over 115,000 km (75,000 miles) and change. The printed timetable
connecting over 8,000 stations. Over 14,000 trains run daily, is available in most station
transporting an average of 24 million people. Trains are bookshops, or check the
always crowded, so try to book your tickets in advance. very useful official websites:
There are computerized ticket counters at railway stations, www.indianrail.gov.in and
www.irctc.co.in
and most travel agents can also get tickets for you.
Train Tickets, Fares
The Railway Network the large cities such as and Reservations
The Indian rail network, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, It is important to make train
established in 1853, runs the Thiruvananthapuram and bookings well in advance
length and breadth of the others. The superfast inter-city for a confirmed reservation.
country. The network is divided train, the Shatabdi Express, Railway stations now have
by region, and there are 16 connects main cities with many computerized ticket counters,
zonal divisions. Delhi is served well-known tourist destinations, otherwise the hotel travel
by Northern Railways, Mumbai with connections such as counter or a travel agent can
by both Central and Western Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi– arrange reservations for a fee.
Railways, Kolkata by Eastern Dehradun and Delhi–Agra. The Never buy tickets from touts, as
Railways and Chennai by Konkan Railway (see p441), on this is both illegal and unreliable.
Southern Railways. All four cities the western coast, offers speedy Tickets can be booked up to
have either two or three main connections to Maharashtra, four months in advance, and
train stations, so it is important Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. reservation fees are nominal.
to confirm from which station Each train is known by its You will be asked for your age
your train is leaving. Indian name and number. When and gender, and these details
Railways employ over 1.6 million consulting the information will appear on your ticket, along
people, making them one of the board, do check both, since with the coach and seat
world’s largest single employers. there may be more than one number. Once you are at the
“Shatabdi” for example. Trains station, find your coach and
have first- and second- class look for your name and seat
Trains and Timetables
chair-cars, and two- and three- number, which are usually
Of the three kinds of trains tiered sleeper coaches. If these posted on a list outside the
(passenger, express and mail), are air conditioned, the fares coach. If on a waiting list, arrive
it is best to take the air- increase. Sleeper coaches have at the station early to take
conditioned express trains, as berths that fold back during advantage of any last-minute
they have fewer stops and offer the daytime to provide seating. cancellations. The station-
better facilities and services. Fares for express trains such master will help.
They provide fast and punctual as the Shatabdi or Rajdhani If reserved tickets are
connections to some of include meals and mineral unavailable, you can get an
India’s most important cities. water, and the Rajdhani RAC (Reservation Against
The Rajdhani Express links the also provides its overnight Cancellation) ticket. This allows
capital, Delhi, to most of passengers with bedding. you to board the train and
find seating space. You may
eventually be given a berth, but
there is no guar antee. Reserved
tickets can be cancelled, for a
fee. If cancellation is more than
a day in advance, a nominal fee
is charged; up to 4 hours before
train departure, the charge is
25 per cent of the fare, and
less than that, you forfeit
50 per cent of the fare.
Stations at Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata and Chennai as well
as other major cities have
Churchgate Station, Mumbai, during rush hour special booking counters for

752-753_EW_India.indd 752 26/04/17 11:50 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.7)
Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm