Train of thoughts

18048 VSG Howrah Express - Hospet to Guntakal (A to B)

12975 Jaipur Express - Guntakal to Sawai Madhopur (B to C)

I love Indian trains. It is always with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation that I board a train in India. Climbing on board laden with bags, shuffling forward through the carriage looking for your berth, assessing your fellow passengers as they assess the new arrival, and then settling in. If it is already night, making your bed (sheets, a pillow and a blanket are provided in AC classes). I love that you can stand in the open doorway and watch the world go by. I love the fact that there is a constant stream of chai, coffee and food vendors coming through with all manner of snacks. If I’m even mildly hungry, I’ll crane my neck as the young man comes through shouting out the name of whatever it is (usually indiscernible to me), and my fellow passengers, who by then have noticed I’ll try almost anything and will drink endless cups of sweet, hot liquid (they are only Rs5 and are very small little plastic cups) given half a chance, then explain what the morsel might be and if I haven’t sampled the latest offering before, I’ll duly fulfil my obligation to try it. Bhaji, pakora, ‘veg cutlet’ (as opposed to ‘non-veg cutlet’) – the majority of it is deep-fried something. Often only moderately tasty and invariably extremely greasy, this has yet to defer my excitement at the delivery of snacks. There is even a lunch and dinner service where they come and take your order in advance (of course completely necessary for long journeys), which I guess is why it is actually the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

It is mind-boggling when you actually examine the intricate network of the Indian railway system. They transport 11 million passengers and 1 million tons of freight per day, according to the sign. And the trains themselves go on forever. Although trains are commonly delayed for hours, it is still a logistical wonder that they run as well as they do when you think of how long the journeys are, how many stations there are and how many people they employ. How they organised themselves before computers is beyond me.

I was impressed to see the cleaning team in action working their way through with industrial equipment and attire.

and more snacks on the platform...

this is the view of one train in two directions, you can't see the beginning or the end

This trip I have only travelled Sleeper class for day trips as I am partial to the extra comforts that 3AC or 2AC affords for overnight and supposedly it is a bit safer in terms of theft. I certainly wouldn’t feel as comfortable getting out the laptop in Sleeper. Also, the wait list for tickets in AC classes tends to be shorter, although I suspect the turnover is less too so it’s probably much of a muchness. That said, Sleeper class is invariably more entertaining and stimulating as the people who can afford to travel in the other classes are usually middle-aged businessmen. Conversely, they usually have a better grasp of English so you can have more involved conversations. All classes have their pros and cons and it always ends up that you befriend almost everyone in the carriage and the journey becomes interesting on one level or another.

sleeper and 2nd AC

The journey from Hampi to Ranthambore National Park involved getting a train from Hospet to Guntakal (about 2 and a half hours) and then boarding my 33 hour train all the way to Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. I was feeling quite pleased with myself that I had found this particular route (it only runs twice a week) as it meant I could do most of the journey in one go. I was excited as it would be my longest journey to date. I think I am fond of these journeys for the same reason I like long flights – it is that time where you truly have time on your hands because there is only so much you can do. It is your transition time between two states, of location and of mind. Or in other words, you don’t feel guilty just sitting staring into space to pass the time.

Something I was not expecting to see - transvestites in saris working their way through the carriage. Apparently this is not as unusual as one might expect (and I did see it on another train a few days later). They come through and clap their hands twice - clap, clap - and then passengers (men) give them money for a blessing, or to avoid embarrassment as otherwise they might be singled out. It seems that everyone seemed to understand the system, much like no one batting an eyelid as singing/dancing children come through busking, or cripples dragging themselves down the aisle begging... I was surprised and highly entertained by the spectacle and the lovely 'ladies' were wonderfully camp, posing for their photos. It made me even more curious about the gay community in India, as for the most part, it is so covert. Would make an interesting documentary...