Transport

---

Trains

On my previous three trips covered by this blog, I visited countries that didn't really have a railway system - I think each of them had something like just one main railway line. That meant I spent most of my travelling within the country sitting on long-distance buses, usually quite cramped, waiting 3 or 4 hours for the next rest stop. I really wanted to travel around India by train because I had read in a number of places that it was a great way to experience the country, and also for a mode of travel that would enable me to stretch my legs out fully, get up and walk around, and go to the loo whenever I wanted. Because sleeper trains are so much a part of the Indian railway system, it would also mean that I could cover some of the longer distance whilst asleep. I had planned a route starting and finishing in Mumbai that would use 7 train journeys, 4 of them overnight. After reading various pieces of on-line advice, I decided to buy a 15-day IndiaRail pass and to reserve my accommodation on the 4 overnight legs. I did this through S.D. Enterprises in London and they were efficient and helpful. I was leaving the other 3 legs open in case I wanted to change my itinerary whilst here, but in hindsight it would have been better to have booked them all because seats on Indian trains can get booked up a long time ahead of departure. Luckily I was OK, being able to book the remaining ones a couple of days ahead, though it did entail some long queues and I was always given "waiting list" tickets which meant I wasn't sure that I would actually have a seat. Before a train departs, a copy of the seat reservation list is pasted up outside by the side of one of the doors. Before you board a train you need to check that your name is there and sit on the seat indicated. If you don't, once the journey has started the ticket inspector will come along with his own copy of the list and insist that you move.

There are about 5 different classes of travel on overnight trains in India. I had bought a 2AC/3AC rail pass which meant in preference I would be given 2nd class air-conditioned accommodation, unless it was all taken, then 3rd class. In fact all my seats were 2AC. A 2AC carriage has about 8 compartments, each with 6 sleeper berths - 3 lower and 3 upper. Most carriages don't have compartment doors (though I did travel on one train that did), instead there are heavy curtains that you can draw across. The main different from 3AC is that their berths are in 3 tiers rather than two. The upper berths can be folded back but almost never are. If they were, they would make the compartments look a lot brighter because with the heavy dark-coloured curtains they do look rather dull. However, many Indians frequently take naps during the day and on the one occasion when I decided to fold back the upper berth above me, within 10 minutes someone put it back down so he could have a nap. Each 2AC carriage has a sink and two toilet compartments at each end of the carriage. Normally one of the toilets is "Indian Style" and other "Western Style" i.e. with a seat!

In addition to the long-distance trains that I travelled on, there are also many local trains which are much more basic. The frequently travel with the doors open and the doors are usually a popular place to stand, haging on and leaning out. There is now glass in the their windows but there are bars across the windows. I never saw anybody travelling on a train roof though! I suspect these days it probably rarely happens as most passenger trains in India are electric so there are very high-voltage electric power lines only a couple of feet above the roof. What is common to see however is people (and cows, goats, dogs, rats ...) freely wandering around in and among the tracks. There is no security preventing people accessing them and in fact I often saw shanty-hamlets of tents pitched right next to a railway track, and sometimes mothers with babies simply sitting on the rails. A lot of people also wander up and down the trackes scavenging useful stuff thrown away by others.

Auto Rickshaws

An auto rickshaw is a low-powered three-wheeled taxi contraption with a motor bike (or even scooter?) engine, a seat in front front the driver and a bench seat behind for passenegers. They are prevalent throughout India and are also commonly known as "tuk-tuks". Tuk-tuks are common in most other south Asian countries as well, though the ones in Cambodia are built quite differently - there they are trailers which hook on to the back of an actual motor bike. In Allahabad there was also a larger version called a Vikram which had two rows of passenger seating rather than one and they operated a bit more like a bus. You would imagine from looking at an empty one that a tuk-tuk is designed for 2 or 3 passengers, yet it is not uncommon to see 6 or even 8 people packed into one, using two tiny extra seats on either side of the driver.

Cycle Rickshaws

Cycle rickshaws are common in many Indian cities but not all, for example I didn't see any in Bhopal but they were everywhere in Amritsar, Delhi, Agra, Allahabad and Varanasi. They are purpose-built and like most bicycles in India are single-geared. They are often powered by quite elderly blokes and when you're in one watching him pushing down on the pedal, you wonder how he manages. On even a gentle upward slope it is common to see the driver walking along pushing it - I assume that with just the one gear they simply cannot bring enough power onto the pedal to start on a hill. Cycle trailers are used for a variety of different reasons as well as just one or two passengers. Frequently they are to be seen carrying mountains of boxes, newspapers and just about anything else. In Varanasi I saw many school transport vehicles which were pulled by a bicycle and carrying anything up to a dozen kids (usually primary schools kids though!).

Taxis

Normal cars are also used as taxis but as tuk-tuks usually tend to charge only half as much for the same journey, taxis tend to be reserved for the well-off. Airports, and often railway stations, have pre-paid taxi (and sometimes autorickshaw) booths. Apart from these situations though it is always best to agree the price with the driver before setting off.

Buses and coaches

The main cities like Delhi and Mumbai have extensive local authority bus services, and some smaller cities have enterprising people running standard routes, like with the Vikrams in Allahabad. There is also a very extensive set of coaches covering longer journeys between cities, but as I said I decided to opt for trains instead this year.

Animal power

I saw horses pulling carriages carrying people in quite a few places in India. Outside the Taj Mahal I saw camels being used to pull passengers but I suspect that was purely a tourist attraction!

---

Photos

A train reservation list ...
.. with my name on it!

A Delhi auto-rickshaw
These are commonly referred to "tuk-tuks" throughout south Asia