Traveling by train in India is an extremely economical choice of transportation. Not only can you move great distances for a fraction of the cost of a car and driver, but you still get the benefit of seeing the countryside. Out of 6 journeys to India, I’ve “trained” it on four occasions. Two trips were short haul destinations during my first trip, while the third and longest, was a 6 hour express from Chennai to Bangalore.

Train travel in India is well documented both in books and travel guide form. In the books, it’s used as a story-line to set up a scenario where one or more characters finds themselves. A situation develops and the character(s) has no choice but to face what comes next. Love, glamour, suspense, intrigue…it all happens during an overnight train excursion. A Passage to India comes to mind. In the travel guides, the story-line is reality; you need to move from point A to point B safely, quickly and with as few hiccups as possible.

7:00 A.M. My point A was Agra, Uttar Pradesh, well known for being the home of Taj Mahal. Point B was Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, just 118 kms to the South. My travel partner and I arrived early to the station for our scheduled departure. If you haven’t heard or read about it already, trains run notoriously late. Fortunately we were met by a prearranged representative from our travel agency who happily waited with us for the train.

7:30 A.M. Initially we waited on the platform under the assumption of the overhead displays that the train was in fact, on time. Waiting next to us was a Indian family of 5, currently living in the UK but on holiday in India. As the wait ensued, we struck up a conversation with the mother of the family. She was a very educated, sharp, factual person armed with travel guides and information about her families’ trip. Our new friend shooed away beggars and taught us quick phrases in Hindi to assault the beggars with as they became too aggressive.

It was all here…India that is, happening right in front of me. Tourists from all over were standing next to local and traveling Indian men, women and children. Food merchants handed over their specialties in exchange for the numbered paper they desperately crave. Shoe shiners toiled through the platforms with their well used supplies which actually make shoes look worse. Porters huddled into small groups passing the time with idle conversation. Police strolled from one end to the other seeming not to have a thought one way or the other. And mixed in-between the tourist, nervous yet eager to maneuver through the infamous train ride in India, the business man now late for an appointment, the mother bringing her children home to visit her mother in the village, were the beggars. I saw the legless man pulling himself along the pavement with his arms, void of hands most likely purposely chopped off. The “mother” holding what she claims is her child  in desperate need to visit the hospital. And there was the blind man perched against a food stall so that you can’t help but look at him as you spent your money on food.

9 A.M. By this time the train was an hour late and the representative, still holding watch over us, suggested we move into the first class waiting area. My travel partner and I exchanged contact information with the UK family, paid our respects and moved on. A TV sitcom could be written around the events that take place in the first class waiting area. Take a good size room, tuck it into a corner away from the crowds, include large windows over-looking the train platform, and you have the setting. Now add two white foreigners surrounded by a bevy of Indian businessmen. One man was shaving in a small wash basin attached to one of the walls while another was taking an improvised bath from another basin. To my left, a briefcase lay on the ground with it’s owner seated on top of it crossed legged, eyes closed, praying. One man paced back and forth reading some papers aloud. And during all this, our representative would run in and out to update us on the latest train arrival information he had just heard.

11 A.M. The train was coming!  Our representative hurriedly moved us toward the A/C Class cabin along with a porter. We were instructed to follow the porter on board. He would place the bag on the overheard bag rails but stay with him to ensure the bags remained our property. It sounded easy  yet with the crush of people on the platform, being my first train ride ever, and the stories previously read, I was apprehensive. In short order, we found two seats, secure our luggage and bid the porter farewell with a folded Rs 50 note in his hand.

Shortly after boarding, our much delayed train experience was pulling out of the Agra station. Destination, point B.

Tips and further reading for successful train travel in India:

• Monitor your luggage carefully at the train station and while aboard. Some travelers do bring a locking device to “chain” their bags to the overheard luggage rails. Even in the A/C first class cabins, don’t let your guard down.
• Be wary of beggars at the station. They tend to be more aggressive here. Watch your pockets, and ensure any valuables are not easily removable. Passports and money should be in a discrete area on your body, preferably with an undercover neck pouch or a secret waist wallet.
• Keep in mind even though trains are notoriously late in India, they can sometimes run early. If the train arrives early, once all passengers appear to be on board, the train will leave before it’s schedule departure time. Arrive with enough time buffer to avoid this.
• Porters are easily found in the parking lots, near taxi and bus stands and on the train platforms. Should you need help with luggage, look for the men in red.
• Bathrooms on non sleeper car trains can be quite filthy. Plan your needs ahead at the station and be sure to bring wet ones or hand sanitizer and bum wipes just in case.
• Do not eat or drink the food on the train. Food stalls at the station are also not great places to indulge in hunger cravings. Many mid-level to high-end hotels will prepare a bagged lunch if you order the night before. Bottled water can be purchased for a small upcharge at the station.
• Single females should be aware of their surroundings. Befriend fellow passengers on the platform if possible. Use a porter for your luggage in order to keep your body and arms free.
• India by Train, A Comprehensive How To Guide by The How-To Traveler