5 REASONS I LOVE TRAVELING BY INDIAN RAILWAYS AS A SOLO TRAVELER!

Did you know, the fourth largest railway network in the world is managed by Indian Railway? With a route length of 67,368-kilometre and more. Indian Railways was established on 16^th April 1853, which is at present owned by the Government of India.

For me, Journey is as important as the destination, whether it’s the journey of life or my travel journeys. I prefer traveling by train on most of my solo trips, Trains are my favorite mode of transport; I’m always thrilled to plan my solo travels by train. No matter how long I prepare for my trip, book the tickets and pack everything well in advance my excitement truly begins when I’m at the railway station, the rumbling sound of the train getting closer to the platform at the crack of dawn is the sign of a new adventure for me. I find traveling by train very convenient and hassle-free, yes hygiene can be an issue at times, but things are changing, Indian railways are improvising, they’re making an effort to provide quality services to their customers. As a solo traveler, I feel trains are safe, punctual, have pretty good availability and fair cancellations policies.

We all have memories of train travel in India and abroad, I have vivid memories of train travel in India since childhood, I accept that traveling by air is faster, also affordable now, but traveling by train has a special place in my heart. There are a few things in life we complain about, but at the same time we cannot imagine living without them, and honestly, I cannot imagine my life without trains. Also, I am not just talking about traveling in first class, Everything from Rajdhani, Shatabdi to Mumbai local is my favorite. (Well what to say, the child in me is obsessed with trains).

I hear people often complaining of unclean trains, 99% of the trains are cleaned at the beginning and a few more times during the journey(I’m not lying, it’s not profitable to me in any way to boast about Indian railways, I will always promote the truth). Only if people stop littering, the blame game is the easiest of all, isn’t it?

NOTE: 1% are festive and special trains which often run late and are cleaned after the journey begins, this happens in the rarest of rare cases.

Don’t you like trains too? Well, there are plenty of reasons to love train journeys, sometimes we just don’t pay enough attention,

HERE ARE 5 REASONS I LOVE TRAVELING BY TRAIN :

1. • Well-connected routes:

     I love the fact how well the Indian railway has managed to connect cities via rail routes, and as I mentioned earlier it has a route length of 67,368 km and more! I have traveled through several states of India via Train and have so many stories regarding the same. I can peacefully sleep through the loud noises of tea and samosa vendors on a chaotic train, also I consider this a skill, train travels amuse me. Few of my Best train travels have been on the Konkan rail route, if you haven’t traveled on the same, next time you’re traveling to Goa, my suggestion to you is, to ditch air travel and travel via train, especially after the monsoon, you’ll fall in love with the journey. When it comes to punctuality, Trains are mostly punctual unless it’s raining heavily. Multiple trains run on all routes, providing flexible timings. which is your favorite train travel route?

     Tip: Road trips by personal vehicles are fun but looking at climatic conditions and global warming we all should prefer public transport (of course after we’ve defeated this pandemic), public transport helps curb pollution issues, plus saves money on all the petrol we purchase which again is contributing to environmental pollution.

   • Availability and Affordable ticket prices:

     Railway tickets are easily available at stations, if you dislike long queues they’re also available online on Indian Railways (IRCTC) official website, and online travel booking sites like Makemytrip.com, even if you don’t get the ticket, there is another option of booking tatkal tickets a day before your travel journey, and if it’s not peak season chances of getting tatkal confirmed tickets are very high. The pricing of tickets does not burn a hole in your pockets, sleeper and three-tier ac tickets are affordable and easily available. For a solo traveler like me, both availability and affordability are of much importance, and traveling by Indian Railways is a brilliant option for the same. I prefer traveling by train if I have plenty of time reserved for journeys.
     

   • Breath-taking view:

     I’m the most excited person on the train, not really little kids hopping around are usually the excited ones. Ever had such over-excited kids during one of your train journeys? I find that excitement very cute until one of them gets tired, sleepy, and starts crying. Jokes apart, The most beautiful part about train travel is, One minute the train is whistling through the tunnel, the next minute it is racing through a bridge built on a vast river basin, then through Magnificent Paddy fields on both sides. I sometimes wish I was older( I’m not kidding), well they give first preference to senior citizens while allotting side lower births and lower births in general. Side lower birth being my favorite, I love sitting by the window, absorbing nature through my eyes. Daydreaming whilst watching the view, imagining all sorts of scenarios, sometimes pretending to be in a YRF movie(okay, I’m rolling on the floor laughing, I imagine the weirdest stuff) does that ever happen with you?

1. • Trains are spacious and train traveling is relaxing:

     Last, when I checked I was 5”8, I don’t think I will be growing any further now, honestly, flying is tiring, my long legs need spacious legroom, and when I travel by air have to pay extra for the seats that provide comfy legroom, I’m not complaining though. An hour of air travel is like four for me and four is like an eternity in economy class, trains are a savior, I can rest my feet, I can sleep comfortably, even if the trains are chair cars for a short distance, there is plenty of space to rest my giant legs, and honestly comfort is everything. when it’s not a chair car getting a Side lower birth is like getting a birthday or Christmas gift, I can rest, relax and watch the scenery and daydream as I said. Plus I can take a walk after regular intervals if I’m bored, only if the chai and snack vendors are kind enough without yelling chaaaaaaaaaaaai in your ear asking you to get out of their way.

1. • Met the most wonderful people on trains, kindness is everything:

     Last but the most important reason I love my train journeys is that I’ve met the kindest souls on my solo travels. I wrote a project on the most memorable person I met for the final semester of my creative writing exam, and guess what? I met that lovely lady during one of my solo travels to Malvan on Mandovi express, okay finding good people during your journey isn’t about luck, as I say the world is as wonderful as you are. I’m not a very chatty person, but I’ve had amazing conversations with people while traveling, Random conversations about books, education, music, and traveling. People have been kind towards me, with no judgments whatsoever looking at a solo girl traveler. Not just now but even my childhood train travel memories are pleasant and warm. I still remember my family trip to Goa when I was in high school, we were accompanied by a couple in our compartment, they were of my grandparent’s age, and I still remember how generous that gentleman was. After a decade and a half, We still talk about them and remember their generosity. When I meet kind people, I’m filled with joy and gratitude.

These are the top 5 reasons I love train travel; I have so far only traveled within 9 Indian States via Trains; looking forward to traveling through all the states in the coming future. I wish to experience train travel in other countries as well. Tell me about your memories related to training travel? Indian railways are getting better with each passing year, as a passenger, it’s our duty not to litter on the train, also refrain from littering on tracks and stations, as Indian citizens and responsible travelers we must take care of such basic things, and suggest the same to others whenever necessary. To more travel and more travel stories. Until next time, fellow wildflowers! See you next Thursday, until then stay happy and don’t forget to be kind to each other.