India has an immense territory, with an area equivalent to about 36 times that of mainland Portugal, and the Indian railway system is an essential option for the exploration of that country. In addition to the cultural experience, or self-interest, of traveling on trains in India, trains are the best option for long-haul land travel in India.
Just look at the map of the train network in India, to get the notion that almost the entire Indian territory is covered by this network of passenger and freight transport. In addition, the distances involved are so large that the overwhelming majority of India train travel involves at least a good part of the day (or night), and it is possible, in the case of an overnight trip, to sleep in the trains in India with much more comfort than in a bus.
Finally, despite train accidents in India every year, rail safety is considerably higher than on chaotic Indian roads. In our case, both ten years ago, and this year, we opted for an itinerary heavily based on train travel in India, and for that we purchased a 60 day Indrail Pass.
Ten years ago, everything went as planned. This year monsoons were forced to remodel the itinerary midway through the rains caused by monsoon rains that submerged a few lines, particularly in the northwestern states.
How to buy tickets with Indrail Pass or not
1. Indrail Pass (outside India)
The most convenient way to buy train tickets in India in advance, outside of India and undoubtedly acquire an Indrail Pass, and with this make bookings of the trips you want. Several companies sell the pass and make reservations, but we have used SD Enterprises Ltd. , headquartered in the United Kingdom.
- You must fill out a form with the desired travels and send by email to the company.
- The company confirms availability on trains. If it does not, you can ask for alternate calls. This is all handled by email.
- The company then sends this list by mail along with the pass home (it takes about two or three weeks).
- Once in India, reservations will have to be exchanged for tickets at one of the International Tourist Bureau, for example at the New Delhi station.
Indrail Pass can be taken for 7, 15, 21, 30, 60 or 90 days. You can choose 3 different classes for trains in India. The best, which combines price / quality, is the 1st class, but should try to buy the pass as fast as possible. This year, we treated the pass only 60 days before the trip and we could not get first class passes. We had to travel in AC, which got us rather more expensive.
| Indrail Pass Prices in US Dollars (SD Enterprises Ltd.) | |||
| Duration (Days) | B.C | 1st Class | 2nd class |
| 7 | 270 | 135 | 80 |
| 15 | 370 | 185 | 90 |
| 21 | 396 | 198 | 100 |
| 30 | 495 | 248 | 125 |
| 60 | 800 | 400 | 185 |
| 90 | 1060 | 530 | 235 |
2. In the International Tourist Bureaus, in certain stations in India
It is possible to buy train tickets in India at the International Tourist Bureaus, located at some stations scattered throughout the country. These stations have special counters for tourists, where you can, with the help of an official, book your trains all in India. The train stations in India with this service are:
- Kolkata (very chaotic)
- Chennai
- Bangalore
- Ahmedabad
- Secunderabad
- Jaipur
- Jodhpur
- Varanasi (staff are poorly helpful)
- New Delhi (the best of all we know)
- Agra-cantt
- Mumbai
There, staff assist foreign tourists in booking and purchasing tickets, as well as in travel planning. We visited the International Tourist Bureau of New Delhi at the beginning of our travels, but to exchange reservations made with Indrail Pass for tickets. The service was always flawless. You can also buy Indrail Pass there.
NOTE : The option to book tickets only in India is conditioned by the fact that trains in India are almost always full, making the booking of tickets at the time of day extremely difficult. Depending on the intended class, and the trip in question, it is normal not to be able to get a place for days. There is, for some trains in India, a quota for foreign tourists and Indrail Pass holders, but only applies to a few trains, on specific dates and for certain classes, and almost always only a few places. In practice it is a mirage and it does not work.
ATTENTION : Do not trust men approaching the entrance of New Delhi station, even if they have uniforms that look official, saying that the bureau has closed and that it is now necessary to make reservations elsewhere. Do not believe. Ignore them. These men (who are many and at the same time) work as ticket agents for travel agencies. We fell into this scheme on our first day of our first trip in 2007, and we lost a lot of time until we found out we were in the wrong place.
3. At the stations
It is also possible to buy train tickets in India at other stations, but get ready for a fight. The queues are huge, the staff slow, and the computer system runs on computers from the 80's. You have to fill out a form for each trip with the details of the route and the train you want.
NOTE : This option suffers from the same problem as the previous one. It is very difficult to arrange tickets for the busiest routes, especially between Delhi and Calcutta and Delhi and Mumbai. The same applies between Chennai and Calcutta and between Mumbai and Kolkata.
When in Calcutta we had to reshape our itinerary, we went all day to Sealdah station, where we had the help of an employee and a manager to choose the trains and to fill out the necessary forms. At the end of that day, we learned that it was possible, with a certain latitude of time and destination, to formulate a three-week journey in a few hours at a train station in India. We do not recommend it, however, to travelers less accustomed to improvising. And if you have to, go prepared to spend all day there.
4. Through the internet
Theoretically it is possible to buy train tickets in India directly from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website, or IRCTC , but the registration process is time consuming and bureaucratic. After registration, the desired trains must be searched and, at purchase, the foreign cards are now accepted (theoretically). However, we were unable to register to buy tickets with this option. In addition, it is only possible to book a maximum of six trips per month , which was not in line with our itinerary.
Classes on the train - Which tickets to buy
The train carriages in India are divided into classes, which we present. Each of the classes fall into three categories. The best tickets are for trains of category AC (which corresponds to the 1st class of European trains), then the first class (corresponding to the 2nd class of the European trains) and then the 2nd class (which corresponds to the 3rd class of the European trains ). Within each of these three categories there are different classes. It is convenient to know them because the ticket prices are different and the conditions too.
AC first class (1A)
It is the most expensive class, and the carriages can be exclusive of this class, or divided with the following class. The cabins are closed, with two or four beds, and equipped with air conditioning. The bed linen (sheets, cover for the cushion, and blanket) and a small face towel are included. The carriages are numbered H (exclusive) and HA (divided with class 2A).
Executive chair car (EC)
Carriages with seats, air-conditioned, mainly dedicated to short trips between cities, with rows of four seats (2 + 2). The carriages are numbered E.
To travel in these two classes (1A and EC) must buy the Indrail Pass of Class AC.
1st Class
AC two tier (2A)
These carriages also have air conditioning, but the cabins are open to the hallway, however having curtains. The beds are distributed in 2 levels (totaling four beds in the cabin), plus two beds parallel to the corridor, one at the window level, another at the top. These carriages are numbered by the designation A. These carriages have bed linen.
AC three tier (3A)
Similar to two-tier AC carriages, but without curtains separating cabinets from the hallway, and with three levels of beds (totaling six beds in the cabin). The carriages are numbered by the designation B. These carriages have bed linen.
AC chair car (CC)
Similar to EC carvings, but with rows of five seats (2 + 3). The carriages are numbered C.
To travel in these three classes (2A, 3A, and CC) you must purchase the Indrail Pass 1st Class.
2nd class
Sleeper class (SL)
The most common class on Indian trains (often with more than ten carriages on a single train). The layout of the seats is the same as the 3A carriages but with less comfortable seats. They are very crowded, but places are reserved. There is no air conditioning and the windows are open, unlike all previous ones. The carriages are numbered S. They do not have linens.
Second seater (2S)
Similar to AC chair car, but without the air conditioning. Places are reserved and windows open.
Unreserved / General (UR / GEN)
This is the cheapest class, but the carriages are always overcrowded, and places are not reserved. The carriages are numbered GEN. It is in these carriages that you have to run to get a seat! It's the real Indian adrenaline!
For these three classes (SL, 2S, and GEN) must buy the 2nd Class Indrail Pass.
Tips for surviving trains in India
To find schedules and trains in India you want to do the work from home. You should check the Indian Railways website and search for the desired route. Look for several options, especially time. There are trains that only run on a few days of the week. Keep this in mind. Always have a plan A, B and C. Do not forget, you will travel in India and setbacks are part of the trip. When there is no direct train between the places you want to travel, use the map, and do partial research.
Discover the trains you want
Time for connection scales
It is necessary to be attentive to the news, and never risk doing chained journeys with little connection time (having at least a few hours), which was something we did not take into account when we made a call in Bangalore for only half an hour, and we were lucky take the train. The ideal is to give at least one to two hours for the connection.
Train delays in India
It is a fact that, given the number of trains in India in motion and the average duration of travel, some delays are inevitable. However, as a general rule, our experience is that the trains in India are quite punctual, that is, most of the trains in which we were delayed (if this occurred) did not exceed one hour. But for example, this year monsoons have greatly conditioned the circulation of trains in various parts of the country, leading to delays of many hours. It was the case of our trip from Varanasi to Delhi, which did not materialize in due time , forcing us to buy an internal flight. The train delay was 22 hours. The lines between Delhi and Kolkata or Mumbai have many delays. Outside these lines, delays are reduced.
Take alternative train schedules
Carry a set of alternative train schedules with you in case you lose a train, the train is canceled or you have a very long delay. Believe me, this is going to work for you since the internet access in the train stations is very difficult and the staff are not always helpful. Have this paper handy, with the train time and number.
food
Although in some trains in India, usually making the connection between the most important cities, it is possible to have a meal on board, the hygiene conditions are always unpredictable, as well as the spicy character of the meals. We advise to always carry enough food and drink for the trip in question, but there are people who do better than we do with the Indian food. The only time we ate food on the train we picked up a bacterium that caused Carla to vomit and defecate blood for 3 days. We never took any more chances. In the main stations there are biscuits and drinks for sale to unpack.
Take the time of your train
Having the train schedule you are traveling on is very useful. You can have it on your phone, or on paper. So you can check which stations are going by and if there are any delays. This way, it controls your itinerary better and possible contingencies.
