Travel around India by Train

You can meet people from all walks of life and see many things you have never even imagined.

India has an extensive and surprisingly efficient train system, but the trains themselves vary greatly. Some are good, others are really terrible; some nearly always run on time, others are usually late; some are well-kept, others are really dirty. There are regional differences also: the trains in the South tend to be cleaner and safer than in the North. 

Understanding Timetables

If you aren't at a major train station with an International Tourist Bureau, it can sometimes be confusing and frustrating to try to figure out the trains, especially if you are planning a complex itinerary. At most big stations you can buy a timetable called Trains at a Glance, which lists all of the major trains with reason-able accuracy, though it doesn't list many local trains and many small stations. If you will be doing a lot of train travel, it is almost essential. There are many regional versions of Trains at a Glance, some better than others, but they are all laid out about the same. There is also a more complete version, called the Indian Bradshaw, although it is not as readily available.

The main station in some cities is listed under a different name than you might expect: for instance, in Hyderabad, the main station is Secunderabad, while Howrah is the name of the main station in Kolkata (Calcutta). Some cities have several stations: which are often far apart, so you need to know which one you want.

While schedules for some of the major long-haul trains are listed on a single timetable, for many trains you have to look at two or three timetables. Every train has a number as well as a name, and these are listed at the top of the page. The following row shows which days of the week the train operates. Not all trains are daily, and some trains to remote destinations only go once a week. In the next row, you will see that some columns have numbers and others don't. If there is no number, the train is starting out from the first station listed. If there is a number, then the train is coming from somewhere else and the number indicates which timetable you have to consult to get that information. A corresponding row at the bottom of the page gives the number of the timetable you have to look up to see the next part of the train's route. Consequently, one train can appear on several timetables. Except for some of the less important routes, which may list "up" and "down" trains on the same page, most schedules will show train routes in only one direction. Distances are shown in kilometers. Some timetables include alternate routes.

Many trains are overnight trains, and some take as long as three or four days, so if you are taking a long journey, check the departure and arrival days carefully so you don't mess up your connections. It takes time to figure out a long or complex journey using these timetables, especially if there are many places where you have to change trains.

If you look closely at a timetable that lists many trains, you'll notice that the trains don't all start and stop at the same places even though they are on the same timetable, and many trains may not be going where you want. However, with careful reading you can easily come up with some interesting itineraries. Unless you simply want to get to your destination as quickly as possible/ you'll probably want to see what interesting places lie along the

way, or not too far off of it, and plan a f the effort to spend an hour or two stops accordingly it’s . 165 worth the effort to spend an hour or two going through Trains at a Glance with a guidebook and and map In hand. Even if you are going to the Tourist Bureau to book your ticket it’s easier if you have already come up with at least a tentative itinerary to work with and with some alternate possibilities, as well. Read more best option about  Palace on Wheels Tour by train and Indian Maharaja Train Tour