Rail Travel in India: Trains, Classes, Tickets and Tips for Visitors

A schematic map of India's rail network, as of 2019. (Photo: Flappiefh, CC BY-SA 4.0)

India's trains are run by one government body, Indian Railways (IR), over tracks running well over 60,000 km and carrying nearly 20 million people a day. Trains are not always on time, but on many routes they are the fastest and cheapest way to travel, and the best way to see the countryside and meet its people.

The first commercial service ran on 16 April 1853, from Bori Bunder in Mumbai (today's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) to Thane. In 1944 the government took over the private companies that had built most of them. The country once had several track gauges; since 1992 most lines have been converted to broad gauge, 1,676 mm, leaving narrow gauge mainly to the hill railways.

Kinds of train

The fastest and most expensive trains are air-conditioned, reserved throughout and given priority over other traffic, running at up to 130–160 km/h and almost always on time. The New Delhi–Varanasi Vande Bharat Express, for example, takes 8 hours; every other train on that route takes at least 12. The cheapest trains are slower, lack air-conditioning and carry unreserved seats.

• Overnight trains have berths: among them Rajdhani (New Delhi to state capitals, top priority), Duronto (few stops) and Garib Rath (air-conditioned at lower fares).
• Intercity trains link nearby cities and return the same day, with seats only: Vande Bharat, Tejas and Shatabdi among them.
• Express and Mail trains stop only at major stations and carry every class. "Superfast" only means an average speed of at least 55 km/h, which adds a surcharge to the fare.
• Passenger and local trains stop almost everywhere and can be badly delayed and crowded, though suburban locals are the quickest way across Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune.

Classes

Each coach carries a code — S1 is the first sleeper coach — and stations display each train's order of coaches, so you know where to stand.

Overnight

• First AC (1A): lockable four-berth cabins and two-berth coupés, carpeted, the cleanest toilets, beds made up by an attendant. The dearest class, found only on important trains.
• Second AC (2A): open bays of four berths plus two along the side, each with a curtain, reading light and charging socket.
• Third AC (3A) and AC 3 Tier Economy (3E): a middle berth added and no curtains; noisier, cheaper. The middle berth folds away during the day, outside 10 PM–6 AM.
• Sleeper (SL): the same layout without air-conditioning, with fans and windows that open. It is how most Indians travel overnight: hot, sometimes shared with passengers who have no reservation, and for the adventurous, the way to see India.

In the air-conditioned classes, bedding comes round in the evening.

A First AC four-berth cabin. (Photo: Prateek Karandikar, CC BY-SA 4.0)

A typical sleeper coach. (Photo: Dforest, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By day

• Executive Chair Car (EC): wide seats in rows of two and two that turn to face the way you travel, often with meals included. The most comfortable way to travel by day.
• AC Chair Car (CC): rows of three and two, found on most intercity trains, and worth choosing over second sitting on busy routes.
• Second Sitting (2S): rows of three and three without air-conditioning, often shared beyond its seats.

Unreserved: General coaches, at both ends of the train, are packed well beyond their seats. An unreserved ticket is good on any train on its route, but only within 24 hours of purchase.

Executive Chair Car on a Vande Bharat Express. (Photo: GKP77, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mountain railways

Narrow-gauge "toy trains" climb to the old hill stations through tunnels, over bridges and around loops. All three are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (completed 1883): six hours for the 83 km from New Jalpaiguri, near Siliguri, to Darjeeling, climbing by reverses — the train runs into a siding and backs up the next stretch — and by loops where the track crosses itself. The Batasia Loop, beyond Ghum, has the finest views.
• Kalka–Shimla Railway (completed 1903): built to reach Simla, summer capital of British India; 96 km through the Shivalik Hills, over 864 bridges and through 107 tunnels.
• Nilgiri Mountain Railway (completed 1899): the steepest in India, climbing 1,877 m over 46 km from Mettupalayam to Ooty, the only line in the country to use a rack and pinion.

Luxury trains

In 1982 Rajasthan's tourism corporation and Indian Railways revived the maharajas' way of travel with the Palace on Wheels, an all-inclusive eight-day loop from New Delhi through Rajasthan's royal cities and Agra. Others followed, among them the Deccan Odyssey in Maharashtra, the Golden Chariot in the south and the Maharajas' Express, one of the costliest train rides in the world.

The Palace on Wheels at Jaipur. (Photo: Rainer Haeßner, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Tickets

You must hold a valid ticket before boarding; travelling without one is a criminal offence. Buy online from IRCTC, the railways' booking site, or its Rail One app, or at a station counter by filling in a paper form. Foreign mobile numbers do not always receive IRCTC's one-time code. Carry photo ID for everyone on the ticket, and the printed ticket or the message on your phone.

• Book early. Trains fill fast, above all in the summer (April–June) and winter (December–January) holidays. First AC and Executive Chair Car are usually easier to get.
• Avoid touts and agents who offer to book for a fee; doing it yourself is easier and cheaper.
• Foreign tourist quota: many important trains keep a few seats for visitors on tourist visas, at the same price, bought with a passport and foreign currency or proof of exchange.
• Tatkal: a small quota released one day before departure at an extra charge, with no refund if you cancel.

Confirmed, RAC or waitlisted. A ticket shows CNF (confirmed), RAC or WL (waitlisted). Track it by the 10-digit PNR number at the top of the ticket, online or by dialling 139: cancellations move people up, and the final chart is drawn up about 4 hours before departure. RAC lets you board and share a berth, sitting, until the ticket examiner finds you one of your own. A ticket still waitlisted when the train leaves does not let you into a reserved coach; you can claim a refund instead.

If the train runs more than three hours late and you choose not to travel, file a TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) online before it departs for a full refund; cancelling instead costs a fee.

On board

Unreserved coaches are at the ends of the train, air-conditioned coaches fill one half and non-AC reserved coaches the rest; luggage goes under the seats. For sleep, the upper berths are best if you keep your own hours, since the lower and middle berths are the seats by day. Each coach has four toilets, usually two squat and two sit-down.

Making sandwiches in the kitchen coach. (Photo: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Food. Hot meals are served on almost every train. A waiter takes orders an hour or two before mealtimes, and the food is usually cooked at stations and loaded on board; trains with a pantry car cook breakfast on the train. Expect thalis and biryani. On Rajdhanis, Shatabdis, Durontos and Vande Bharats, meals are part of the fare. Tea is everywhere. Politely refuse food or drink from strangers — it is occasionally drugged so that the passenger can be robbed. Smoking and alcohol are illegal on trains and at stations.

Stations

Every station has signs in English and Hindi, and usually in the local language too; clocks use 24-hour time. Major stations have free RailWire Wi-Fi, cloak rooms, and retiring rooms and dormitories for passengers with a reserved ticket. When lost, ask the station master, who will speak English.

A departures board at Howrah station, with coach positions. (Photo: শরদিন্দু ভট্টাচার্য্য, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Scenic routes

Ordinary trains cross spectacular country too. The Konkan Railway, completed in 1998, runs from Mumbai through the Western Ghats to Madgaon and down the coast to Mangalore. The Kashmir Railway, from Jammu to Baramulla, crosses the Chenab River on the highest railway bridge in the world.

The Western Ghats from an ordinary train on the Konkan Railway. (Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Stay safe

Rail is much safer than India's buses or cars, but watch your bags: chain and lock them to the hooks under the lowest berth, or keep them at your head. Doors are often left open, even on premium trains, so mind your step. Non-AC coaches and rush-hour locals can be severely overcrowded. Report a crime to the Government Railway Police (GRP) — the Railway Protection Force cannot investigate — and other problems through the RailMadad app or by calling 139 from an Indian phone.

A crowded train. (Photo: Ejaz Rizvi, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sources

• "Rail travel in India" from Wikivoyage, by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changed: rewritten in hubnx's own words and condensed; fares, prices, contacts, the list of railway zones, booking-site steps and anything else likely to date left out; each photo under its own licence, credited in its caption. This page is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.