Indian trains have five classes. The cheapest is seater class which consists of unreserved, metal seating. There are usually five to eight seater carriages on a forty carriage train, but they probably hold around 35 percent of the total passengers. They sit on the seats, floor, overhead luggage racks and hang out of the open doors.
The next class, in both price and occupancy, is sleeper class. Three tier bunks fold down to form seats in the day. There are no blankets or pillows and night, and the air conditioning consists of a fan placed very close to the head of the person on the top bunk. Seats are supposed to be reserved, but this is generally ignored, particularly in the day when five or six people sit on the three person bench. If you have a bottom bunk it is not unusual to wake up with someone sitting at, or even on, your feet. There are normally around fifteen sleeper carriages. This is the class we have been taking for short (five hour) journeys. It is also the class we thought we had taken on our first train journey from Mumbai to Goa.
The class we had actually taken was 3AC, short for 'Three Tiered. Air-Conditioned'. It is arranged in the same way as sleeper class, but the reservations are kept to. You are given pillows, sheets and blankets - which you need, as the air conditioning is sometimes even too cold. There are usually eight to ten 3AC carriages, filled mostly with families and single women.
Having mixed 3AC up with sleeper class, I couldn't understand why anyone would pay more for the next class up . We unfortunately didn't figure out the difference until our first over night journey - twelve hours from Cochin to Chennai, for which we had booked sleeper. We waited a long time for our blankets, which never turned up, and we didn't get much sleep because of the open train doors letting in the thundering sound of passing trains. An up grade was 'not possible madam' - except for the price of 2500rs (five times the price of a 3AC ticket in the first place). At one point we considered sleeping in shifts, because of the suspicious looking man who spent the first hour of the journey starring up at us. Fortunately he got off at the next stop, at which point I felt guilty for assuming the worst of him. We slept curled around our rucksacks and were woken by the singing, chatting and loud phone conversations of the twenty people sitting on the eight seats below us. At least we had booked top bunks.
The next class up is 2AC. This is the class we are booked in for our thirty hour train journey to Kolkata tomorrow (1AC was fully booked). Bunks are arranged in a similar way to sleeper and 3AC, but only two high, meaning there is space to sit up on your bed, and fewer people in a compartment. There are usual five 2AC carriages on a forty carriage train.
1AC consists of private compartments of two or four bunks. There is a bell to call an attendant, who can bring more blankets or direct the required food vendor to your compartment. I have heard rumors of included meals, carpets and even tvs in 1AC, but the ones I have peeked into are as basic as 3AC, just private. I think we will still try and upgrade for our journey tomorrow.
The next class, in both price and occupancy, is sleeper class. Three tier bunks fold down to form seats in the day. There are no blankets or pillows and night, and the air conditioning consists of a fan placed very close to the head of the person on the top bunk. Seats are supposed to be reserved, but this is generally ignored, particularly in the day when five or six people sit on the three person bench. If you have a bottom bunk it is not unusual to wake up with someone sitting at, or even on, your feet. There are normally around fifteen sleeper carriages. This is the class we have been taking for short (five hour) journeys. It is also the class we thought we had taken on our first train journey from Mumbai to Goa.
The class we had actually taken was 3AC, short for 'Three Tiered. Air-Conditioned'. It is arranged in the same way as sleeper class, but the reservations are kept to. You are given pillows, sheets and blankets - which you need, as the air conditioning is sometimes even too cold. There are usually eight to ten 3AC carriages, filled mostly with families and single women.
Having mixed 3AC up with sleeper class, I couldn't understand why anyone would pay more for the next class up . We unfortunately didn't figure out the difference until our first over night journey - twelve hours from Cochin to Chennai, for which we had booked sleeper. We waited a long time for our blankets, which never turned up, and we didn't get much sleep because of the open train doors letting in the thundering sound of passing trains. An up grade was 'not possible madam' - except for the price of 2500rs (five times the price of a 3AC ticket in the first place). At one point we considered sleeping in shifts, because of the suspicious looking man who spent the first hour of the journey starring up at us. Fortunately he got off at the next stop, at which point I felt guilty for assuming the worst of him. We slept curled around our rucksacks and were woken by the singing, chatting and loud phone conversations of the twenty people sitting on the eight seats below us. At least we had booked top bunks.
The next class up is 2AC. This is the class we are booked in for our thirty hour train journey to Kolkata tomorrow (1AC was fully booked). Bunks are arranged in a similar way to sleeper and 3AC, but only two high, meaning there is space to sit up on your bed, and fewer people in a compartment. There are usual five 2AC carriages on a forty carriage train.
1AC consists of private compartments of two or four bunks. There is a bell to call an attendant, who can bring more blankets or direct the required food vendor to your compartment. I have heard rumors of included meals, carpets and even tvs in 1AC, but the ones I have peeked into are as basic as 3AC, just private. I think we will still try and upgrade for our journey tomorrow.
Are the toilets the same as in China - a hole in the floor?
ReplyDeleteI found it fascinating that you could buy anything to eat or drink, but just had to get the right vendor!Is it the same on Indian Trains?
Its amazing how after a few weeks of travelling, that the simple things like blankets and fresh water are so very well received! Emma x