We have been waiting with great anticipation for our overnight train trip to Bikaner and the Thar Desert. This will be our first experience traveling on the Indian train system so we are excited to see what is in store for us.
Background on the Indian Train System
The Indian train system has tremendous ridership. It is the most effective and economical way to travel around the country. There are thousands of trains that run every day in every direction. Here are the classes you can choose to travel by:
Second Class (General Compartment) – you need no reservation for this class. You can buy tickets for this class at the counter at the station even when the train is standing at the platform ready to leave. Second class is the cheapest way to travel on the Indian railway system. For less than $10 US you can travel 2,000 miles. The only catch is there are no seat reservations, and no sleeping berths either, so you would have to sleep sitting up for two nights to travel that far. If you do get a seat, there is no guarantee you can hold onto it. You would have to keep your luggage, or any other personal object on the seat when you go to the toilet or walk around the train. An empty seat is open to anyone! You often see the poorest of Indian people traveling in these cars. We witnessed what was almost a riot as the second-class cars of another train were being loaded. The cars were being rushed by people trying to get on any way they could, through the windows and even running around on the tracks and between the cars to get in the back doors. It was CRAZY!
Second Class Sleeper Compartment – The sleeper class is the main chunk of a typical express train in India. You need a reservation to travel in this class. You have to bring your own bedroll also. Each compartment has seats for 6 that convert to sleeper berths at night. There is no AC in this class, so when it gets warm and stuffy, it can be hard to sleep.
AC 3-Tier Sleeper – This is the class we chose to travel by (thank god for the AC!). Our round trip ticket for the two eight-hour journies cost only $20 US each. Bedding and a towel are provided in this class. This class is widely used by the Indian middle class.
First Class AC – This is the highest luxury class in the railway system. The cost is roughly comparable with economy class airfare. The elite class of Indians and business executives travel in this class.
AC Chair Car – These cars are only attached to day-running trains. They look more like an economy-class seat on an airplane, although with a little wider seat. It costs slightly less than the AC 3-tier class.
Cargo Cars – Anything and everything goes here. Bags of mail, huge boxes and crates, goats (yes, we saw some walk by us on the platform), absolutely anything that needs to be moved from point A to point B.
Toilets – No glamour here. Put your feet on the stainless steel footrests and squat and leave it (right on the tracks!) :o) It's liberating! Bring your own TP too.
The Jaipur station was teaming with people, many of whom got here early and are sleeping on the floors, benches, etc. so they can get in line for a good spot in the 2nd class cars. Once we sorted out which platform we needed to get to, we started off in that general direction. Clean is not a way to describe this environment. The smell of human urine grew more intense the closer we got to the tracks......the toilets on the trains empty right onto the tracks, so of course if one goes to the toilet while the train is in the station, well, there you are! Not to mention that people feel free to relieve themselves on the tracks right in front of each other. The rats running around the tracks were also quite amusing, something to watch while we waited for our train.
Our train pulled into the station; we found our coach and proceeded to our berths.
We had the greatest time getting ready for bed and folding ourselves into origami-like shapes to get into our berths. It was hilarious! It was a nice feeling hearing others being gently rocked off to sleep by the movement of the train. For me, it was a hormonal night of sleeplessness listening to other people snore :o)
Rowan trying to start a tickle fight
Shrikant trying to start a pillow fight
Oops! Getting busted by the Traveling Ticket Examiner asking for 'our papers'.
Our train arrived in Bikaner at 4:50am and our driver was there waiting in the dark to pick us up. He took us right to our accommodation where we proceeded to take a nap before we started our day.
