MUMBAI CST RAIL STATION

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We arrived into Mumbai airport around 10am on the 11/11. The flight had not been that bad actually as it was half empty so we utilised the spare seats and managed to get some sleep. We cleared baggage really quickly and set off to get a taxi.

We had decided that we would get to the railway station that tonights train to Goa was leaving from (Mumbai CST). Once we had droppped our baggage off in the secure lockers we would go for a look around the surrounding area as we had 12 hours to kill - at this point pre-taxi journey that at least was our plan.

We bought a pre-paid taxi from the kiosk in the airport and set off in search of our taxi number. The taxi we found was a little interesting to say the least, tiny and seriously knocked about but it was not really a big deal so we loaded up and set off, as he secured his boot with a long piece of string!.

We both knew to expect poverty everyone knows that about India. We had seen the slums on the landing into the airport just tiny shacks stretching for what looked like miles. The taxi journey across the city was about a half hours drive, it was reasonably steady and surprisingly comfortable. We passed through the bustling streets where people were pretty much living anywhere they could find 1 metre of space. Chidren being bathed in the street, kids playing in the gutters, large bowls of rice every 40 metres that the locals were enjoying. From the relative safety of taxi this way of life seems almost acceptable after all it's India - we were told to expect this!!

Then the taxi stopped right in the middle of one of these streets. The driver barked and pointed at a large building set back from the road and gestured that this was our rail station. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

So having had a 6 second heart attack and a very fearful look at Tim I decided the only way was to get on with it. Leaping from my seat I grabbed my backpack dumped it to the side of the pavement trying desperately hard not to think of what was all over the pavement. Tim looked slightly surprised at this point so I realised that the picture that was unfolding before our eyes was not something he had seen before either.

There were people everywhere!

Hauling on our backpacks we headed into what looked like the entrance to the station, the stream of people seemed like thousands the majority of which we heading in one direction - the station platforms.

We got inside and it seemed semi okay, the people were scattering onto different platforms and the crouds had thinned a little. We needed to collect ourselves so we decided to go to a platform find a quiet spot and Tim would go off and investigate the situation. Seemed like good sense as the backpacks are really hard work in 30 degree heat.

So there he left me at the end of the platform feeling very concered about the next 12 hours but relatively at peace as we had escaped the crouds. Tim had only been gone 5 minutes when I was appproached by a lad of around 12. He put out his hand to shake mine and I took it, he asked my name etc.... He seemed to want to sit next to me which I was not going to let happen so I'm frantically trying to find away to politely say ''bugger off'' Girls are watching from the next platform giggling away and I all of a sudden realise that actually I am the only westerner here and I have no idea where Tim is!

Panic panic panic!!!!! As composed as I could be I asked the boy to leave me alone. He just stood there looking at me. He put out his hand again but this time I didnt take it. I kept looking at the floor in the slight hope that when I looked up he would be gone but he wasn't. I kept looking for Tim down the platform hoping to see him in the distance but I couldn't. In the end I scowled at the boy and very firmly told him to go away - and he did!! hoorah. Only to go and lie on the bench at the back of mine constantly snorting and spitting everywhere. Lovely.

Tim was gone around 20 minutes in the end but it felt like a lifetime I was so relieved to see him walking back up the platform carrying what appeared to be tea !!!!

To cut a long story short neither of us were over comfortable. After our tea we headed back into the station, Tim has sorted the platform number it was leaving from but he wanted to check our e ticket was okay so we headed off for the next building and the foreign ticket office. After a long wait in a very hot and very busy room we had our ticket deemed worthy and we were told our seat numbers would be allocated 2 hours before the train leaves. This would be posted to the board at the end of the platform. As we had 1st class sleeper tickets Tim found out that there was a first class lounge to use so we decided to go and find it.

I have never in my wildest dreams seen so many people in one place. The noise is head pounding, people are asleep on the floor in the middle of the arrival area. They are sat eating next a the rail track full of excrement, rats and dogs. The constant throat clearing and spitting made me feel physically sick and the sweat running down my face and back was at this point unbearable. However team work got us to the lounge and it was cool, quiet, had it's own toliets and shower and a TV. Thank you lord!

We sat in here most of the day Tim kept popping down and getting tea and checking the train details but we read our books slept a bit and come 5pm enjoyed a pack of biscuits and our 4th cup of tea that day. The foyer just seemed to get busier and busier. At one point Tim came back from one of his runs and announced that he had seen the biggets people chain ever stretching through the platforms and entrance right out onto the street. He reckoned over 500 people we in that chain. Chaos is not the word

The train got delayed in the end it was supposed to leave at 11pm but a porter Tim has befriended told him it would be at least 12.30. We went down to the platform at 11. We searched the boards for our names to find out our seat allocation and after 20 minutes of fighting with every other peron in 1st or 2nd class we realised our names were not on the list. The porter told us our tickets were not correct and we had not had then changed from an internet ticket to a rail ticket. This guy had to be kidding, we had sat in the station all day waiting for a train that we may not even get on. This was not happening!! The porter told us to wait for him and he would come back and help. The platform was complete pandamonium at this point and instead we decided to go and see the station manager which paid off when he wrote our seat numbers on our e-ticket and told us not to worry. I could have kissed him - but obviously refrained !!!

We thought we had seen it all during those 11 previous hours but believe me being on that platform for the next 90 minutes was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. People just kept coming, at one point we were convinced everyone would spill onto the track. We looked down the platform and figured that the strecth of people had to be at least a mile. The mind boggled! The friendly porter came back and found us and he told us where to stand on the platform He was really friendly and kept reassuring he would help us find our carriage.

The urgency in the air as the train pulled into the station was scary people began to jostle and fight to stand closest to the edge. We stood out of the way as 3rd class passengers surged to get right up to the carriage sides. Before the train had even stopped people were throwing their bodies onto the train. Passengers trying to get off were lost in the barrage of limbs all desperate to secure a seat in the 3rd class carriages.

Everything happened at once, the porter who told us to wait back until the crowds had lifted then came rushing past us. Luckily we had put our back packs on as he grabbed me by the hand and pulled me though the crowds Tim right behind us. He took is onto the train and straight into our carriage where he proceeded to show us how to lock the door, turn on each light, lay the beds down and most importantly (to him) inform us that this was considered the honeymoon suite and we were not expected to sleep that night. We just looked at each other and laughed, this guy was off his head if he thought this was anywhere near honeymoon suite!! We had decided to give him a tip as he had been very helpful, Tim had took 100 rupees for him (just over a quid) when he announced that his service to us was 300 rupees. Tim looked set to argue at first but in the edn we just apid him and thanked him as he had been a good guy to have around. The cabin was small but comfortable though and after that last 90 minutes on that platform it was most certainly our sanctuary.

We were given sheets, blankets and soap. We were both still slightly bewildered I think and hooked up on adrenalin because neither of us felt like sleep. It is amazing the amount of crazy things we saw that day and even more amazing that we got through it without a crossed word or complete brain melt down. Still, nightmare over as Goa was only 12 hours away.........

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Photos

mumbai station lobby
View from the landing area of the station entrance

mumbai station
view leading upto our platform

mumbai station
Our platform

mumbai station
people people people