Indian Train System

I’m sharing my practical knowledge about the travel ‘culture’, what to expect (also not to expect), types of classes, facilities, cost of travel, reservation etc for anybody who wants to know in details about this.

It is impossible to explain the whole of Indian railways in words. However I guarantee anybody new to Indian railways would be wiser about this subject at the end of the reading. For an experienced traveler also there could be many unknown and useful aspects of train travel in India. I hope this will enlighten anybody who is keen to know about train travel in India.

Unlike the standard information approach typically you can see at the rail info site, guides etc. Here I’m trying to take a hands-on approach on train travel in India to give you a ‘feel’ of it.
Knowing the train and the system goes a long way in a comfortable travel.

Here the train starts…

A typical long distance Indian train has the following coach configuration.


The engine (!) in the front with the driver and his assistant. The ‘Guard’ at the tail end of the train is the overall in charge of the train. Trains run Diesel or Electric depends upon the route.