[vigsom]

Introduction

This is a report of my first ever travel in First AC in an LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coach. What will unfold in the next few posts is something one would never have imagined in the Indian Railways. Read on to find out.

[vigsom]

How did this travel happen?

I was asked to travel at short notice to a destination I've never been to - Bhavnagar in Gujarat. While most would have happily engaged a cab and done the short 200km drive there, I tried out something different - decided to take a train that would take approx. 3 hours more in view of the extra distance by rail, and this would probably be at the cost of spoiling part of my night's sleep. I took the chance, nevertheless.

Risks involved

1. In view of the rains, I could get drenched while boarding or alighting the autorickshaw or cab to the railway station(s)
2. The train could get delayed, and that would spoil my night's sleep
3. I could get snoring co-passengers for company

How did I mitigate the risks?

1. Carried a thin raincoat - to give just that protection from showers should it pour
2. Tracked the on-time performance of this train - it was a reliable w.r.t keeping time
3. Snoring co-passengers - well, I carried a pair of ear plugs and a wollen head band (which I normally do) while travelling in overnight trains

[vigsom]

The plan is cast

I managed to get the solitary berth in First AC in the overnight Bandra(T) - Bhavnagar Express, which, very recently was blessed with brand new 2022 built LHB coaches. While I am a huge fan of the older coaches, the LHB ones, although much much safer, are not as comfortable as the older ones.

The train arrives on time

The train rolled in to my station on time, and it fortunately wasn't raining. The First AC coach was right in the front, three coaches behind the WAP7 locomotive and I was in without fuss. I moved to Cabin A and there I was, happy to see that nobody else was sleeping there (almost invariably, whenever I've boarded a train at an intermediate station, I've always encountered some passenger sleeping, whom I've had to wake up and ask to move to his/her original berth.

First impressions

1. What I found different in the LHB First AC was that one enters the coach, and almost immediately enters the cabin area via a narrow door. The older coaches would sport a small passage before one opens the door leading to the walkway along the various cabins. Now, to accommodate more berths per coach, every inch of space has been used.
2. The LHB coaches can get real cold thanks to the horribly designed perforated plate to distribute air from the roof. Passengers sleeping on the top berths better come dressed like Eskimos, unless one wants to leave the train frozen.

No blankets or pillows were provided on this train; I'd already brought my bedding so there was no issue.

Time to settle down and doze off

I settled down quickly and then dozed off. The coach was mighty cold - the temperature must have been set at 15-16 degrees C to probably cool those sleeping on the lower berths.

[vigsom]

Good Morning!

It was approx. 6:30am when I got up, and found that the train was running approx. 15 minutes late. After a quick round of freshening up, I moved around the coach to see what was so different about the First AC in the LHB avatar. Most of the First AC in the railways hadn't changed but there was something new.

Exploring the coach

The premium looking passage via the cabins and coupes - shut the door and it becomes one's private room




Steps to get onto the upper berths - found them too un-ergonomic. No grabrail provided to hold on to while climbing up


A dangerous claw to hold the upper berth when folded towards the side - the "claw", although sharp isn't required. Why would the berth need to be folded up anyways? No idea.


Upper berth - sample. Wide enough for comfortable travel


Tables placed in a cabin - to help passengers dine in comfort

[vigsom]

Exploring the coach (Contd.)

The best place to be in the Indian Railways - a First AC Coupe


Odour Controller - something I'm seeing for the first time. Is this to control toxic gases that emanate in the cabin in the mornings?


Volume control for speakers - yet to listen to music in a train


The Odour Controller, Speaker, Volume controller and safety chain - all in one frame


Wide lobby near the doors


Squeaky clean washroom


and now, the unbelievable in the Indian Railways - an only bath with an AO Smith water heater

[vigsom]

Closing in on our destination

Entering Sihor Jn.


Bhavnagar welcomes you!

The first sight to unfold at Bhavnagar was a lady waiting on the platform with a trolley. I first though she was a railway employee designated to take the guard/driver trunk to their room. It was after a while that I realised that she was a porter. And I saw an even older lady lugging a huge trolley-load of luggage down the platform, without sweat.



Once outside the platform, I was awestruck by the beauty of the station building - the platform, although neat, was nothing out of the ordinary, but the station building sure was.



And, that was probably the end of class, because outside the station, it was not class but chaos.

[vigsom]

Closing Comments

Indian Railways never ceases to surprise us. From a cold brrrr coach, to a hot water bath area, to old lady porters to a class railway station building - Indian Railways gives you experiences of a lifetime. Get on a train just for the experience!!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[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.

[jigar1791@gmail]

Originally Posted by narayans80

LHB coaches were just getting started then, I think Bhopal Shatabdi was the first to get one.

1st train to sport LHB rake was the NDLS - Lucknow Shatabdi. However, the rake was withdrawn soon after to address operational shortcomings and work on passenger feedback received.

Officially, Mumbai Rajdhani (12951) is the 1st train in India to get LHB coaches, IIRC somewhere towards the end of 2003.

[shresan23]

Nice writeup. I am yet to travel in the first class segment of Indian Railways. I do hope to travel atleast once. Anything i should check for or keep in mind?

[coolmind]

Originally Posted by vigsom

The Odour Controller, Speaker, Volume controller and safety chain - all in one frame
Attachment 2331700

Thanks for the details.
Has anyone noticed the lock to the odour controller! Can see only in India

[BoneCollector]

Nice.

I got an opportunity to travel on Tejas Rajdhani (Rajendra Nagar to New Delhi) last week in 1st AC. We were allotted a coupe. This journey was the 1st train journey for my son.

At Rajendra Nagar station.


@Vigsom there is a grab handle to climb the stairs although I agree that it's not at all ergonomic.




Enjoying the view. He loved the journey a lot, can't say the same for me.


At New Delhi railway station.

This train is well maintained and has a very punctual run. Tejas coaches are good but due to speed, I couldn't sleep well.

[Sach_511]

In 2010 just after getting married, I travelled to Vaishno Devi with my wife from Delhi and booked 2nd AC. I reached the station promptly on time, but no idea why before entering I just checked the chart pasted outside of the coach and found no berth is mentioned against my name. I got really getting worried but the TT came to my rescue and helped me to understand the two letters mentioned against my name (forgot those two letters) and that I had got bumped to first class.

Moving on, this is my sole journey in a first class, that too in the coupe with my wife. It was fantastic and that time Duranto had no stop from Delhi to Jammu, hence had a blissful night's sleep in personal coupe. In the morning when the train was about to leave Jammu station to shunting yard, the guard had to beat the hell out of the gate to wake us from our slumber.

[jkrishnakj]

My most memorable 1 AC journey was by Pandian Express from Madurai to Madras. This was during my childhood and ages and ages ago.

Having been used to normal sleeper class journeys from Madras to Bombay by the Dadar express, this was such a huge change. My dad was a super hero to my eyes that day. We had a coupe of 4 berths and it was just our family. Some memories are ever etched.

Vigsom: suffice to say that your train logs have inspired me to try trains again and I’ve done the Bangalore/Hyd/Bangalore sector 3 times over the past three months.

Whilst the Rajdhani to Hyd is more a standard experience that one would expect, the Kacheguda express bogies, from Hyd to Bangalore are jaded and old. My wife said that I was smelling ‘Train’ when I walked in home.

The worst was my travel 2 weeks back from Hyd to Blr by the Garib Rath. Got a fully packed train and I bender knew that this train had a side middle berth and the lucky fairy made me experience the side middle. Torture is a lesser word. The journeys were a mix of 2/3 AC depending on availability.

I surely will be taking more train journeys to Hyd and back. Have been learning each time.