Why I Love Trains

Having undertaken a few journeys in Nepal now, where railways don't exist, and 10hour bus journeys upon questionable roads are standard, i feel it is time to say a few words in praise of Indian trains. While they may be slow (18 hours for 1000km) and dusty, there is nothing quite like a rail journey through India. The standard way to travel is by 2nd class sleeper- there are four or five classes on Indian trains, ranging from 3rd class (unreserved seating which is no joke in the most populous country in the world) right up to first class air conditioned, which is a luxury we have yet to afford. 2nd class sleeper consists of open compartments, each containing six beds, three on each side. The top bunk is permanent, but the middle one folds down in the day to provide a seat back for the bottom bunk. The top is the best to reserve because it means you always have a bed to lie down on or to escape from the frequent chaos that occurs at ground level. The carriages aren't too crowded as seats are reserved, but this still doesn't stop the odd interloper and some trains are considerably more lively than others. In place of a buffet car, railway employees walk regularly up and down the carriage selling various items from hot samosas to bottled drinks, and you are invariably woken at 6 in the morning by the sound of 'CHAI, CHAI, GARRAM CHAI,' echoing through the train. The carriages are constantly a hub of activity and your fellow passengers are usually friendly enough, especially on the more touristy routes, offering conversation and food of variable qualities. But by far the most attractive things about the trains for me is that they are open. Rather than sitting in an hermetically sealed environment as in Europe, the doors never lock. There's nothing quite like hanging out of a train moving at sixty miles an hour (on a good day) and watching the vast Indian plains roll by. This also has the added advantage of enabling you to smoke covertly by hanging out of the doors- vital on 12hour plus journeys. The whole experience really gives you a sense that you are travelling, you can always feel the wind and a cross section of Indian life or countryside is waiting for you- all you have to do is open the door. I'm particularly excited about our last journey back to Mumbai in two months. We are in the middle of the dry season currently and at the moment the landscape is dusty and barren and the rivers are dry. As the monsoon is approaching (its just started raining outside!) I'm looking forward to seeing the change in the countryside, when yellow and brown will be replaced by green and blue.