Sleeper Class

The Indian railway system ferries millions of passengers each day. The network is vast and somewhat efficient, but it is by no means world-class, even though it once boasted one of the best luxury train experiences in its heyday. For most Indians, traveling by train typically means opting for sleeper class, although more and more people are now favoring air-conditioned compartments. With airline ticket prices on the rise, many are returning to trains as a more pocket-friendly alternative. The only drawback is the comparatively slow speed in the modern context. A 1000 KM journey takes 24 hours to complete, while, for instance, the TGV crosses the entire France in just a couple of hours.

As for my personal journey, I had to travel to Mumbai over the last weekend. I decided to take the train, commencing my journey from Bangalore on Thursday at 20:30, and arriving in Mumbai around 20:00. The journey was quite peaceful, as I had opted for the general sleeper class, which wasn’t too crowded. I managed to catch up on lots of sleep during the journey. Upon reaching CSTM (formerly VT), I purchased a 1^st class ticket for the local train and reached Kharghar.

On Saturday, I woke up early, sorted out my brother’s old belongings in his apartment, and ensured that ours was also in proper condition. I settled matters with the old tenant and signed a new lease with the new one. By midday, I had accomplished all these long-pending tasks, and I was quite relieved to see my to-do list significantly shortened.

In the evening, I hired a cab to reach Dadar for the return train journey. Unfortunately, I had not purchased my ticket through the TATKAL (immediate) quota and was on the waitlist, which was in the RAC (Reservation against Cancellation) state. With RAC, you can board the train but have to share a seat with someone else.

The train was packed, and there was no way to move up the chart to secure a berth of my own. At Pune, a family boarded who had 7 or 8 confirmed seats but wanted all their seats to be nearby. They agreed to give up 2 seats in return for one, which felt like a gift from the heavens to me and my co-passenger. Such luck had never befallen me before, to be honest. So, I had a good night’s sleep. In the afternoon, I felt sleepy again, but the train began to fill up with regular passengers. This is quite common in the sleeper class, as people without reservations (especially during the daytime) manage to board, given that the general coaches are often so crowded that even flies can hardly squeeze in. This situation continued almost until Bangalore, and the train somehow got delayed by an hour.

All in all, it was an okay journey compared to my college days when it used to take me almost 3 to 4 days to reach home. However, I am certain that I cannot undertake such a journey with Aarush at this age. He will have to wait for a few more years.

Well, this journey might not have been a fancy experience, but I’m sure every common Indian has stories to share about their train journeys. Here is the breakdown of my expenses:

• Train (Bangalore to Mumbai) – INR 468
• Train (within Mumbai) – INR 115
• Cab (Mumbai) – 500 INR
• Cab (Bangalore) – 370 INR

It seems like I spent more on local travel within the city than on the train ticket. Food for thought…