[thanixravindran]

Indian railways are quite active in Twitter. My family recently were on Charminar express and ordered the IRCTC e-catering to be delivered at seat from Fasoos at Tambaram station. But food is not delivered though it was prepaid and train started. I regularly order Domino's Pizza and it was never missed. My wife was cursing me as they have to now take onboard catering (which is avoided as much as possible) and lost money too as we all know how tough it is to get money back by raising complaint.

I sent a tweet to IRCTC ecatering and railsewa and immediately they raised a complaint in railmadad and investigated within few minutes. Apologized for the non delivery of food, refunded with UPI in next few minutes. They also sent a onboard catering person to take order who also apologized (they generally come after Egmore) and a 100 rupees voucher for redemption. All of it even before train reached Egmore in 30 mins. My wife told food was also good.

My other few tweets about Secunderabad station cleaning and non working on automatic ticketing machine is also attended promptly. Hope they continue to remain service oriented and redress their design and operational shortfalls

[vishy76]

This post sums up my experience of travelling by 2-tier and 3-tier AC in the Indian Railways. I regularly commute from Bombay to Baroda and back, and have experienced 2-tier and 3-tier coaches on a handful of trains. I will list down the trains:

1. Bhavnagar SF (Bandra Terminus - Bhavnagar) No. 12972
2. Golden Temple SF Mail (Amritsar - Mumbai Central) No. 12904
3. Bhagat ki Kothi - Dadar Western SF (Bhagat ki Kothi in RJ - Dadar) No. 20483
4. Jaipur SF (Mumbai Central - Jaipur) No. 12979

3-Tier Coach

I will start with 3-tier coaches and why I ended up canning the idea of using them altogether.

What I liked:

• Fairly cost effective for the price sensitive traveller who wants to travel in an air conditioned coach
  
• Not a huge deal if a majority of your journey is at night and you aren't awake most of the time
  
• Virtually no difference between a side seat on the 3-tier and 2-tier coaches

What I didn't like:

• All the best if you have been alloted the top tier and have to sleep. Apart from being cramped, there's an entire blizzard blowing up there with the AC on full blast.
  
• Seating is not comfortable if you are in the 6-seater compartment. Your journey could be so-so or an absolute nightmare depending on what sort of passengers you have for company
  
• As classist as this might sound, the lower ticket costs do reflect in the sort of co-passengers you have in most cases

I had been using 3-tier for my travel between Baroda and Bombay for a good 4-5 months. There were very few to no instances where my co-passengers were uncooperative. Most would end up chatting with me and give me good company, while others would go about minding their own business; both of which I appreciate a lot.

Unfortunately, all this changed on the 20th of November 2022. I was to board train no. 12904 from Vadodara. Reached the station before time, the train arrived around 10 minutes late which is the standard generally, and I boarded. I walk up to my seat, only to find around 6 adults + 4 kids in it with no place to sit. My co-passengers were apparently from a rural area up north. They gave me a rather weird look, as if I was in the wrong. My limited experience has told me it's not wise to be blunt with co-passengers for two reasons:

• There's an extremely high if not sureshot chance that you are going to spend your entire journey (in this case close to 6 hours), sitting next to them
  
• There's no real advantage blowing your lid off for someone you only have to tolerate for 5 hours and then forget for the rest of your life

Mercifully, one elderly women did get up and return to her seat. This is when I realised that I was cornered. This was an entire family of 10-15 people travelling together. Two compartments were theirs barring my seat. I couldn't do anything. I had to tolerate the kids for 6 hours. I have nothing against kids in general, but one was constantly kicking me when he was sleeping (on what he thought) was his seat. The woman sitting bang opposite to me had the audacity to rest her legs on (whatever was left) my seat.

No amount of kind requests would reduce this behaviour. The two tiers on top were occupied already by (wiser) gentleman who had boarded before me and decided to stay away from this frenzy. There were wrappers and food items thrown all around the compartment.

In the end, I genuinely was in doubt whether I had paid for a 3-tier ticket or a general ticket.

I decided to ditch 3-tier for good and switch to 2-tier instead.

2-Tier coaches

My initial switch to 2-tier coaches was quite pleasant. I will list the reasons down:

What I liked:

• Better comfort when seated. A bench that was occupied by 3 folks previously now only seats 2
  
• More headroom on the top tier. There's only 2 tiers in this coach as the name suggests, which means the top tier need not be as close to the roof as possible to liberate room for the second tier that is present in a 3-tier. This liberates a lot of valuable headroom if you want to sit on top
  
• In most cases, you are guaranteed better company since ticket costs are on the higher side

What I didn't like:

• Ticket prices are high. For short hops, a 3-tier coach will do just fine
  
• Finding tickets at the last moment for 2-tier is tougher, despite the higher ticket costs. This is mainly due to lower seat availability
  
• Based on my latest experience, having the TC "set" you up or allot you a seat even if you don't have a ticket is higher in a 2-tier coach. I have seldom witnessed this on a 3-tier coach

My experience travelling in 2-tier coaches has been very good largely from a comfort POV. The seats feel roomier, even a 6-footer can comfortably sit on the top tier upright and work. All in all, I would say its worth it paying the extra and getting the 2-tier ticket.

What hasn't been good, and applies to most coaches irrespective of 2 or 3-tier is the way in which some passengers behave and the railways allows it. I had a confirmed seat alloted to me on train 12972. Only to have two passengers enter the compartment at Borivali. One had a confirmed ticket, while the other had nothing. He apparently convinced the TC to give him a ticket and paid up around 1200-1300 bucks, a mere 300 more than what I had paid a week in advance for the same seat. I had no qualms with either even then, owing to the fact that I mostly mind my own business and because my seat was unaffected.

However, only an hour later, 3 more folks emerged. They were from a 3-tier or general coach but wanted to have dinner with the gentlemen seated in my compartment. Of course, its obvious who got the shorter end of the stick here. My 1000 rupee ticket was meaningless for a good 1.5 hours where my compartment became a 3 tier effectively. The railways needs to take a strict stand and ensure that passengers who have lawfully paid for a confirmed ticket are not done injustice by people who abuse the system. The guy without the ticket had no remorse for what he had done and even went on to claim that he was confident of getting a seat even without a ticket and hence boarded the train impulsively.

Coming to Bhavnagar SF itself, the IR upgraded the coaches to LHB in around July 2022. When new, the coaches rode flawlessly, didn't have a single squeak and had no swaying or side to side movement. However, only 5-6 months later, and one can feel the lateral movement at higher speeds and the track changes as well. One can also distinctly feel the a jerk when the train picks up speed or slows down. Quite surprising considering how much the railways has been harping about the Centre Buffer Coupling on these coaches. These might be very safe, but I feel the older/heavier ICF coaches rode far better. The LHBs also aren't ageing too well. The March 2022 mfg coaches on 12972 feel like they are 5-6 years old, not months.

To sum things up, I am very impressed with the sort of progress IR has made. These criticisms might sound very blunt, but the fact that I still use IR every weekend is testament that these are overshadowed by a lot of improvements made in other areas which have been summed up by vigsom beautifully on not one, but many threads. There's also the fact that IR in my opinion is the most eco-friendly mode of mass transport even when compared to jetliners.

In the end, it's upto us to ensure that we value the railways as an asset to this country and behave like global citizens, and don't only expect global service standards.

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Attachment 2386697

This post sums up my experience of travelling by 2-tier and 3-tier AC in the Indian Railways.

The problem is not with the railways but with the travelling junta who feel that they can get away with anything under the sun by greasing some palms. It is always this attitude of Higher than thou which is a big bane of our general populace.

Also, there are some kind of passengers who hog the bottom / window seats in the 3 tier and 2 tier coaches and the people allocated upper berths are left lurching in their nests.

I had 2 such experiences after which I swore never to travel by 2 / 3 tier again , My short journeys are now on the ADI Shatabdi OR I simply fly.

1. A long journey in the legendary Gitanjali express turned a nightmare in 2 tier , a guy on 3 tier ticket got himself 'upgraded' (we all know what that means) and spread himself on the lower side berth, he boarded at Nashik / Jalgaon (dont remember the exact station) and did not move a leg all the way till Howrah, me and my wife were left coconed on our upper berths despite having a confirmed side lower berth. As usual the TCs were helpless and the RPF are in their own sweet world.

2. This time on the Swaraj express, the journey was a short one from Borivali to Vadodara. We were a group of 6 and had one lower side berth, one uncle and aunty (booked on one miidle berth and one side upper), the aunty shamelessly slept on our side lower berth and on asking to get up blankly said "Jo karna hain karlo". It was a short journey so we did not create a scene and let it slide.

Mind you I am an avid railfan and love trains, but these experiences left such a bad taste that I swore away from trains unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, A crisp log, I loved reading it.

Regards
Diesel

[PVS]

Vigsom - thanks a lot for sharing your experiences regarding H/HA travel (AC First class) travel in IR. With the advent of LHB and the continuous Vestibule concept (General Second class coaches being bang next to First AC Coaches with a functioning vestibule and just a glass door separating the two coaches), the sanctity of the First AC has gone for a toss. I undertook a First AC Journey from Nagpur to Secunderabad by 12724 Telangana Express and, I was very disappointed, by the build quality of the coach. The Shower room was a mess, and the geyser was not working. Folks from the adjoining General Second class kept spilling over to the First AC Compartment and had to be shooed away.
And with this new policy of having only 2 or 3 Sleeper class coaches in the newly converted LHB rakes, AC Coaches have now become the de-facto sleeper class coaches. Folks are even travelling unreserved in the corridors of First AC Coaches - I would like to call this "Premium Unreserved AC Class". Check this pic of folks travelling in the corridors of the Prayagraj express - https://freeimage.host/i/img-20221023-wa0022.Dc3m12
You will find this increasingly becoming a norm, especially during festive seasons, when AC 2 Tier coaches are packed to brim with unreserved and mostly ticketless travelers.

Though IR has improved on the cleanliness aspect, it has Kilometeres to go - pun intended, before it offers a good service to the fare paying passengers. And with the the increased focus of IR on freight trains, my guess - Passenger train upkeeping and scheduling will continue to get step motherly treatment

[Asish_VK]

Originally Posted by vishy76

[
2-Tier coaches

My initial switch to 2-tier coaches was quite pleasant. I will list the reasons down:

What I liked:

• Better comfort when seated. A bench that was occupied by 3 folks previously now only seats 2
  
• More headroom on the top tier. There's only 2 tiers in this coach as the name suggests, which means the top tier need not be as close to the roof as possible to liberate room for the second tier that is present in a 3-tier. This liberates a lot of valuable headroom if you want to sit on top
  
• In most cases, you are guaranteed better company since ticket costs are on the higher side

.

From my personal experience, Adding to the above +ves,
- Overall cleanliness of the toilets (may be due to the fact that lesser people to use)
- Lesser vendors inside especially during stops at stations
- Quieter cabin


I have travelled from Hyderabad to Delhi in 2A with my wife and 2 small kids. We got the 49&50 seats (lower and upper) at the end of the coach. There was no opposite seats due to the cupboard arrangement for linen on opposite side.
This was very good for privacy and u can be assured that your kids won't disturb your co passengers. But little bit claustrophobic

[ArTigor]

AC 2 Tier is my absolute favorite, at a 35 to 40% increase in fare above the 3 tier it provides far better travel experience. If the journey is purely overnight then a 3 tier is fine for me.

In addition to all the comparative aspects mentioned above by other members, I have felt that the overall NVH and suspension setup is much better in 2 Tier, is it that they use some better materials & suspension in the 2 tier vs the 3 tier?

The only thing that I absolutely hate about the AC 2 tier is when the side berth is allotted, it actually negates the whole reason of booking a 2 tier, and despite paying that 35% extra rupees over the 2 tier, it feels just like the 3 tier.

[rajeevsulu]

My issues with the three tier are it is very cramped for me. I am 6ft4" and a healthy 90 kgs. If I get the middle berth I am sure to cancel the ticket or stand near the toilet and travel. I book 3 tier only if I don't get 2 tier. Two tier is lovely for me. My train journeys rarely cross 6 hours.Train travel has improved a lot because of the apps and online ticketing. Let it stay improved!

[lpudr]

Well my experience might be biased but I prefer 3 tier over 2 tier. I feel the seats are comfier in 3 tier, especially middle berth. Seats in 2 tier are very hard in one of the trains I frequently travel in(overnight 12 hour journey)
Also, i end up booking most of my travel in tatkal quota so it's easier to get a confirmed ticket in 3 tier.

I've found travelling in trains much relaxing as compared to flights for travel upto 12 hours as it generally is:
easier on the legs,
rid of all queues at the airport,
no need to take out stuff from your hand luggage and keeping it back,
Easier on the pocket,
No mental pressure of weighing the bags and limits.

[Small Bot]

I'm 189 cms long and my perennial issue is with the leg room. I have never been able to stretch myself fully while sleeping in any tier of train coach at any given point in time. Unless I want to bless somebody's forehead or stomach with my size 12 feet.
It's very uncomfortable to lie on your sides or with your knees up throughout the night with the lack of sufficient cushioning.
That's said, I prefer trains to any other mode of long distance transport. The legroom in buses and economy airlines is almost non-existent for larger dudes like me. I invariably end up being crunched up like an embryo.

[JKBKS]

I am planning to travel by train to Delhi from Bangalore with our pet dog in last week of March 2024 and am told that we can only take 1st AC Coupe. This will be my 2nd train journey ever, 1st being 30 years ago when in college.

I did some googling and found 3 relevant trains- Rajdhani (travel time ~34 hrs), Duronto (travel time ~32 hrs) and Karnataka express (travel time ~38 hrs). I am also asthmatic and avoid cold temperatures but dont have an option now. So below are my queries and will be really thankful if people can help me select the right train:
1. Which is the better train to take of these 3?
2. Can we get temperature increased/controlled in a 1st AC Coupe?
3. How's the food included in ticket price? Can we order food separately which some people have mentioned above and how easy or difficult is it to do that?
4. Anything else i should be aware of before I take the trip?

Thanks in advance.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

I am planning to travel by train to Delhi from Bangalore with our pet dog in last week of March 2024 and am told that we can only take 1st AC Coupe. This will be my 2nd train journey ever, 1st being 30 years ago when in college.

I did some googling and found 3 relevant trains- Rajdhani (travel time ~34 hrs), Duronto (travel time ~32 hrs) and Karnataka express (travel time ~38 hrs). I am also asthmatic and avoid cold temperatures but dont have an option now. So below are my queries and will be really thankful if people can help me select the right train:
1. Which is the better train to take of these 3?
2. Can we get temperature increased/controlled in a 1st AC Coupe?
3. How's the food included in ticket price? Can we order food separately which some people have mentioned above and how easy or difficult is it to do that?
4. Anything else i should be aware of before I take the trip?

Thanks in advance.

1. I'd pick the Rajdhani, train No. 22692.
2. Temperature control in LHB coaches (the current ones which are typically red and silver in colour) is pathetic. They set the coach real cold, and even with "adjustments", the temperature change isn't noticeable. Only workaround is to cover one's head and carry suitable woolens
3. Food is reasonably good; you have an option to say no to food and order at select stations via the IRCTC ecatering option. I've tried this option out twice at two different stations and found the food satisfactory
4. Please get to know clearly (well before you embark on the journey) the Railways procedure (documents required for the doggie, ticket etc.) to get the doggie on board . It would be good to know someone at the boarding station to help in case of issues. Reach the station well in advance so that you have time on hand for last minute hiccups. This was what I learnt from the owner of a doggie who was on board one of my journeys. Do take the dog out for a short walk on the platform at every major halt.

Posting a pic (at Pune Jn.) of a German Shepherd and a Beagle that were my co-passengers on 1AC on Yeswanthpur - Barmer AC Express in end-2022

[JKBKS]

Originally Posted by vigsom

1. I'd pick the Rajdhani, train No. 22692.
2. Temperature control in LHB coaches (the current ones which are typically red and silver in colour) is pathetic. They set the coach real cold, and even with "adjustments", the temperature change isn't noticeable. Only workaround is to cover one's head and carry suitable woolens
3. Food is reasonably good; you have an option to say no to food and order at select stations via the IRCTC ecatering option. I've tried this option out twice at two different stations and found the food satisfactory
4. Please get to know clearly (well before you embark on the journey) the Railways procedure (documents required for the doggie, ticket etc.) to get the doggie on board . It would be good to know someone at the boarding station to help in case of issues. Reach the station well in advance so that you have time on hand for last minute hiccups. This was what I learnt from the owner of a doggie who was on board one of my journeys. Do take the dog out for a short walk on the platform at every major halt.

Posting a pic (at Pune Jn.) of a German Shepherd and a Beagle that were my co-passengers on 1AC on Yeswanthpur - Barmer AC Express in end-2022
Attachment 2551796

Thank you for the prompt response and info Sir. Booked Rajdhani (22691) with WL3-4. Now need to find someone who can get these confirmed, get me a Coupe and also help with doggie related formalities!! Shouldn't be a problem though

[ALTIMAed]

Originally Posted by narayans80

First AC experience depends on the train. Have experienced it twice, once on the Delhi-Madras TN express and another on Jaisalmer-Delhi.

TN express 1AC was a different league. The upholstery was fabric in place of usual rexine. The 2 berth coupe wasn't a given, we requested and got it after Bhopal the next morning.

For tall XL sized dudes like me, 1AC berth are a godsend 2AC is a tad on the shorter side.

The maintenance of cleanliness in a 1AC is more regular. This happened only in the TN express. Not so on the JSM-DEL.

I think TN rake was ICF Perambur at that time (2008). LHB coaches were just getting started then, I think Bhopal Shatabdi was the first to get one.

Food is nothing to write home about, its more or less the same you get elsewhere.

Tamil Nadu Express - a name that rekindled fond memories, when I used to travel from New Delhi to Mangalore via Madras. TN Express was a prestigious train those days. It would run continuously for hours without stopping. It was the most preferred train on that route, all other trains giving it a pass. If I remember correctly, it just had 4 or 5 stoppages for the entire route.

[DigitalOne]

Short review of an AC 2-tier journey by the 22692 Bangalore - New Delhi Rajdhani express.

My last long distance train journey was by the same train by AC 1-class back in 2015. Four of us had travelled then, and by a quirk of seat allotment we didn't get the same cabin - 3 berths were in one cabin while 1 berth was in another. The fourth passenger refused to switch berths, so it turned out be a minor irritant. Otherwise, I recall that the journey was quite pleasant.

So the itch of a long distance train journey had to be scratched . When an opportunity presented itself in the form of a wedding of a relative, I took it a booked a AC 2-tier in advance. I booked the side lower and upper berths since I wanted at least 1 window seat.

Pros
1. Clean toilets; this was our biggest apprehension before the journey.
2. General cleanliness was maintained. The cabins were being cleared of garbage regularly. Not so much near the vestibule but I guess they had to wait for the stations to clear the garbage out.
3. Our train reached on time even as many trains/flight got delayed due to fog in North India that week.
4. Large windows.
5. The ride quality was quiet and smooth.
6. Consistent and steady speeds over 100 kmph.
7. Clean linens.
8. AC worked perfectly. While the outside was biting cold, it was quite pleasant inside. Getting down at H.Nizamuddin station at 5.30 AM during a 'cold wave' was an experience by itself .

Cons
1. Food was okay, but got monotonous by the second meal. It probably is a better idea to take the "No Food" option, and book food via IRCTC delivery. I saw some passengers getting Dominos pizza delivered at Nagpur.
2. Choosing side seats turned out be a minor mistake. The seats are narrower, and it is not very comfortable to sit for long durations.

Other observations:

Pretty impressive infrastructure being developed along this North - south trunk route. All along the Secunderabad - Kazipet - Balaharshah - Nagpur - Itarsi route, a 3rd and 4th line is being built vigorously. I think the Itarsi- New Delhi stretch is already trebled(?). I guess in another 2-3 years this entire route would be trebled/quadrupled thus separating goods and passenger traffic and offering better speeds for both.

Dark blue liveried Alstom WAG 12 engines look seriously hot.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by PVS

Folks are even travelling unreserved in the corridors of First AC Coaches - I would like to call this "Premium Unreserved AC Class".
<snip>
Though IR has improved on the cleanliness aspect, it has Kilometeres to go - pun intended, before it offers a good service to the fare paying passengers.

It's not just IR, any railway system that has high footfall can suffer from travesties due to unforeseen circumstances, especially during the holiday season. I had booked a first-class ticket with confirmed seats on an LNER service for me and my family from London to Edinburgh this Christmas weekend. My train got cancelled in the last minute and I was nonchalantly told to get a refund or just board the next LNER service which was supposed to leave in 15 minutes. What I did not know at the time was 3 previous services to Edinburgh were also cancelled. By the time I walked up to the train with my aged parents and loads of luggage, it was full to the brim. I was left with no option but to travel the entire trip standing. People literally had nowhere to move, it was chore for people to even get in and out of the train or go to the toilet.

To make matters worse the storm had knocked down the power lines and the train just stopped in the middle of nowhere with heavy winds threatening to topple it. What was supposed to be a 4-hours 15-minute ride on a modern Azuma class high speed train, turned into a nightmarish 9-hour 30-minute trip that I had do standing all along. No exaggeration, the attached picture will speak for itself. So yes, it's easy to say our system is screwed up, but I believe, baring rare exceptions like Japan most public transportation system have challenges that they find impossible to control at times :-)