A Useful Guide for Traveling India by Rail

Traveling by train in India is the easiest and most pleasant way to travel the country.

However, it can be an overwhelming experience for the first time traveler of India Rail. From booking your ticket to boarding the train, India has a way of making things difficult and confusing for the foreign visitor.

Here are some travel tips to help make your India Rail experience easier.

Cars are divided into different classes, you will need to know which class you want to travel on. For overnight trips, it is recommended to travel in higher class berths for comfort and safety.

Car Classes 1AC - Air conditioned, private room with locking doors. 


2AC - Air conditioned two tiered beds, 4 people to a berth


3AC - Air conditioned, three tiered beds, 6 people to a berth


CL - Chair Class padded reclining seats with air conditioning


SL - Sleeper Class, Non air conditioned tiered berths. 
2nd class - unreserved seating, free for all 1,2 and 3 AC are travelers best bets for overnight trains. They are clean, cool and comfortable. 

Booking your tickets online

This is the most convenient way to book India rail tickets and it saves you commission charges at travel agents and a trip to the train station. Here are the steps that we have made work to booking our India Rail Tickets.

1. Find out your station code and train number to your destination at www.indianrail.gov.in

2. With your information gathered from that website, go to www.irctc.co.in to book your ticket. You may have problems with your credit card working once you go to pay, don’t panic there are several portals to choose from. If the first portal doesn’t work start making your way down the list, one will eventually accept your card.

3. Once you have paid, you will receive your eticket with seat, berth and car number.

4. Print it out and you are set to go. Booking your tickets at the train station
1. Go to the computer reservation desk.
2. Get a form and fill it out. Don’t stand in line, get this form first from the counter.
3. Get in line and fill out the form while standing in line.
4. Know the name of the train station that you want to go to.  Stops are not always the same name as the city and the ticket agent may not know the stop that you want by simply stating the city.

Waiting lists, what does it mean? India Rail is a very busy mode of transportation and chances are you will be put on a waiting list if you book your ticket on a popular route without advance notice. This does not mean that you won’t make it on the train, it means that you will just have to wait until the day of your travel to see if your ticket will actually confirm.

Note: Only take the chance with a waiting list if you are high on the list. There is a good chance that you will confirm on a wait list of 10 or less for class AC3. Wait list on 2AC or 1AC has less of a chance of confirming because there are less seats.

The way to check your waitlisted ticket.

Your ticket will have a PNR number on it. A couple of hours before your scheduled departure, go to www.indianrail.gov.in, punch in your PNR number and it will tell you if your seat is confirmed. If it is, you will receive your seat, berth and car number. You can also call the number printed on your ticket to check for a confirmation.
 

At the Train Station

The work isn’t over yet once you have your seat number and train ticket in hand. You now have to figure out where to get on the train. Trains are very long in India and if you are standing at the wrong end of the platform, you may not have time to get to the proper car number before the train leaves. Here are steps to help make your train station experience less stressful. Train stations have various levels of technology, but they all have ways of finding out the information you need.

1. Some stations have a computer that you can go to and punch in your PNR number from your ticket. It will then tell you your car number, platform and engine number (where to stand on the platform)

2. Other stations have an electronic board to view. Look for your train number (it is printed on your ticket) along with your class. Match this information to what is on the board, and the chart will tell you what platform, engine number and car number you need to get on to.

3. Some train stations are basic and only have an electronic print out stapled to a board. You will still be able to find all the information that you need (ie, car number and platform number) however the paper may not tell you where to stand - (your engine number) The best advice we can give you is to stand in the middle of the platform, watch for your designated car number and then run after it while it goes by.

On the Train

1. Keep your ticket and ID handy, the car captain will be by to check your information.

2. Know the stop immediately before your destination. Not many trains announce stops and you will need to know when to get off on your own accord. There you have it. The steps to traveling India Rail. From booking your tickets to boarding. Enjoy your India experience and remember, a little patience goes a long way.

Written and contributed by Dave & Deb
www.theplanetd.com

The photos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at commons.wikimedia.org & Traveldudes.org.