[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by mobike008

we fall in tall and heavily built category and i sure would suffocate in that tiny weeny space..

Well, the suffocating part only comes later. First you have to think how you will contort your body and manage to slide into that berth.

Originally Posted by Proxima

Agreed that the reservation and cancellation charges should be lowered and the tatkal duration should be lowered to 3 days. But the tatkal concept is 'basically' good. Anyway, a private air bus (non-a/c and non-volvo) costs more than a comfortable and in most cases faster train (sleeper class). So I think the charges are fair.

I have no issues with the fares - in any class. Neither do I mind paying the premium for tatkal. But thinking the same way, is it not logical to offer reduced fares, if I book 3 months in advance? And while Tatkal is surely a good thing, Tatkal means 'instant' or 'immediate', and I guess 'a day before' applies more to it than '5 days before' or even '3 days before'.

Agreed that IR is pretty good except for the few irritants above that I can live with. What cannot be condoned is the new 3/3/3 configuration in SL and 3AC coaches. Try it once and you will agree.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Venu, can imagine your predicament. I dread to think of getting a seat on side upper since we fall in tall and heavily built category and i sure would suffocate in that tiny weeny space..LOL

Goodluck to get a seat of your choice and happy journey!

Thanks Avi. I hope I can tell you about my travelogue on my return, instead of a 'tortureolog' !

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

@vnabhi - if you are allotted side berths, your will ticket / option ought to say "side <whatever>".

And the side berths in 3-3-3 configuration coaches are longer. And the cushions are softer. Only issue is the horizontal space. And that negates all other advantages.

[meerkat]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

... Tatkal is surely a good thing, Tatkal means 'instant' or 'immediate', and I guess 'a day before' applies more to it than '5 days before' or even '3 days before'.

Agreed that IR is pretty good except for the few irritants above that I can live with. What cannot be condoned is the new 3/3/3 configuration in SL and 3AC coaches. Try it once and you will agree.

You seemed to have missed one other Tatkal irritant, ... you must buy the
ticket from terminus to terminus, even if you are planning to travel only a
relatively small part of a long route!

I've already suffered from the 3/3/3 fiasco, and am looking forward to its
end. However, although the removal was promised many weeks back, it
still seems to be alive and well. Dreading the thought of a very long journey
in a week's time.

[SS-Traveller]

Shri LALOO PRASAD says . He's going to be the star of the day today, with his Rail budget. I'm going to be all ears after 11:30 AM. This guy's brilliant - shoves in a 3rd level between the side upper and side lower seats, and not one complaint or bad press about it! Forget the train, let's just drive!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

And the side berths in 3-3-3 configuration coaches are longer.

Well, even before 3-3-3 came in, they had increased the length of the side seats in the coaches coming out of the factory - maybe based on user feedback. And also all these 3-3-3 coaches are anyway jugaad - they just modified the existing coaches to fit the extra berth. Atleast I don't remember seeing coaches that come from factory as 3-3-3. So, don't think length is a positive fallout of coach configuration becoming 3-3-3.

Originally Posted by meerkat

You seemed to have missed one other Tatkal irritant, ... you must buy the ticket from terminus to terminus, even if you are planning to travel only a relatively small part of a long route!

Thanks, meerkat. How could I have forgotten that irritant!! This was also not a requirement when they launched Tatkal initially. This was also added later on to make the extra money.

Originally Posted by meerkat

I've already suffered from the 3/3/3 fiasco, and am looking forward to its end. However, although the removal was promised many weeks back, it still seems to be alive and well.

Yes, as per what I read here + the feedback form and stuff, I thought this is going to be history. But guess what, they seem to have also modified the booking s/w to accomodate this. Yesterday I booked tickets for 5 family members and thinking that they all can be together, I opted for 2 LBs, 2MBs and 1 UB. But while the ticket mentions berths as I requested, they just do not match with the 3-3-2 configuration. For eg, they allotted me berths 55 and 56 which are SL and SU in 3-3-2, but in the ticket it is mentioned at LB and MB. God, looks like this has been set in concrete.

[condor]

meerkat : You seemed to have missed one other Tatkal irritant, ... you must buy the ticket from terminus to terminus, even if you are planning to travel only a relatively small part of a long route!

Not always. There are a small number of sectors where you can get a tatkal tkt from a midway station to the last point. But the catch here is that the last station is always where the train's journey ends.

eg:
A train's route is A-B-C-D. Tatkal is always avlbl from A-D. B-D may not have it, but C-D can have it.
On the return journey, D-C does not have tatkal facility : You will need to take a D-A ticket.

supremeBaleno : Well, even before 3-3-3 came in, they had increased the length of the side seats in the coaches coming out of the factory - maybe based on user feedback.

Am yet to come across a sleeper coach (SL class ) where the side-berth is long enough/ has been lengthened. If they increase the length of the side berth, they will have to increase the corresponding width of the main section - which is a bigger loss of space & money.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by condor

Am yet to come across a sleeper coach (SL class ) where the side-berth is long enough/ has been lengthened. If they increase the length of the side berth, they will have to increase the corresponding width of the main section - which is a bigger loss of space & money.

condor, I don't know how 'long' would be long enough - depends on height of various people. But what I noticed is that there are 2 types of coaches floating around. One is the old type with short side berths in which I have to sleep diagonally and the other long ones where I can stretch out comfortably. And I am only 5' 7". So for taller people, even the longer variety might not be enough.

[zaks]

I traveled to Delhi in Nizamuddin last month and it had only 2 berths on side.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

In Kerala, some coaches of the TVC - Lokmanya Tilak "Kurla" Netravati Exp and TVC - Mangalore "Malabar" express are 3/3/3. i noticed that the space at entry/exit doors is less; to accomodate the wider cabin sizes. So not all trains and not all coaches have 3/3/3. And I believe they are no longer issuing tickets for the 3rd berth.

I do agree that people above 6 feet height might head into problems on any side berth 3/3/3 or 3/3/2.

[supremeBaleno]

For me, the only interesting part of the Railway budget last week was the railways abolishing the extra berth and going back to the good old 3/3/2 configuration. Really a relief.

[thiyags22]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

In Kerala, some coaches of the TVC - Lokmanya Tilak "Kurla" Netravati Exp and TVC - Mangalore "Malabar" express are 3/3/3. i noticed that the space at entry/exit doors is less; to accomodate the wider cabin sizes. So not all trains and not all coaches have 3/3/3. And I believe they are no longer issuing tickets for the 3rd berth.

I do agree that people above 6 feet height might head into problems on any side berth 3/3/3 or 3/3/2.

Came by Island express (Kanyakumari to Bangalore via coimbatore) yesterday night and they still had the 3 side-berths. So much confusion around with people claiming side-berths have been removed and hence it should not be used (they were not able to sit in the side-berths) and TTE having a chart with approx 81 names per coach. it would be better if the Railways works on it at the earliest.

Thiyags

[given2fly]

Did Laloo really announce this in the rail budget? Woohoo. I hated my space being taken away on side lower birth. It's back then.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

For me, the only interesting part of the Railway budget last week was the railways abolishing the extra berth and going back to the good old 3/3/2 configuration. Really a relief.

[supremeBaleno]

Yes, he did. But it would take some time for them to remove the extra berth, position the upper berth to its old position and repaint the numbers.

[Gooney]

Well thats what my cousin experienced when he took a train from Hyderabad to Bangalore.

What next? Dorm coaches?