We recently completed three train journeys — from Mumbai to Mangalore, Mangalore to Ernakulam, and Ernakulam to Hosur. Each journey was on a different type of train and brought unique experiences. I thought it would be interesting to share a glimpse of our travel experiences with you.
We traveled by Matsyagandha Express from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai to Mangalore Central. Despite booking our tickets on the very first day of reservation, we managed to get only two upper berths and one middle berth in 3-tier AC. As senior citizens, both Asha and I were a bit concerned, especially since Pratibha is a person with special needs. Given that it had been quite a while since our last long train journey, we were unsure of how challenging this one might be.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the railway stations looking so clean, with facilities like electric buggies for passenger and luggage transport, as well as escalators and lifts. However, at Kurla LTT, we couldn’t locate the escalator and had to carry our luggage up the stairs, which was a bit stressful. Unfortunately, there were no signboards on the platform to guide us to the escalator. I had to purchase a platform ticket for someone who came to assist us. In the past, this meant standing in a long queue, but now, thanks to vending machines, the process is quick and seamless—just a few seconds!
The train seats and berths were impressively clean. Since it was an AC coach, we were provided with pillows, blankets, and a set of freshly laundered white linen sheets. However, something about the berths felt unfamiliar compared to what we remembered from earlier travels, though we couldn’t immediately identify the change. Pratibha took the middle berth, while Asha and I had to manage the upper ones — not an easy feat anymore. As we attempted to climb up, we realised that there was no proper grip or handhold. That’s when we noticed the usual vertical support hanging from the roof for the upper berth was missing. Perhaps it was removed as a cost-cutting measure, but its absence made it extremely difficult — especially for senior citizens like us — to climb up safely. It made me think: design improvements should also consider user comfort and accessibility, not just cost efficiency. Sadly, that seems to have been overlooked here.
Earlier, I used to be able to sit comfortably and even have a sip of water while on the upper berth. This time, I couldn’t even sit upright — it strained my neck. I’m not sure whether to blame my age or if the design changes for cost-cutting have reduced the berth height. Unfortunately, the joy we felt from seeing clean stations, tidy platforms, and spotless coaches quickly faded after this uncomfortable experience. It seems the design engineers have prioritised cost over passenger comfort. Still, we somehow managed to get through the night, and by morning, we arrived in Mangalore. One definite plus, though, was the availability of mobile charging points in the coach.
"Another major aspect of train travel is the condition of the toilets. In this train, the toilets were reasonably clean. Out of the four in our coach, only one was a western-style toilet. Having used western-style toilets for many years now, switching to the Indian-style ones isn’t easy — likely due to both age and habit. Our joints and muscles don’t cooperate as well anymore with that kind of posture. Still, we managed somehow."
I would describe this leg of the journey as a mix of both comfort and challenges..
Our next journey was after 2 days on the Vande Bharat Express from Mangalore to Ernakulam. Since this was a newly introduced train with a lot of buzz around it, my expectations were quite high. Pratibha was especially excited about its flight-like ambiance — of course, the food!
The train was scheduled to depart at 6:25 AM, but even by 6:15 AM, it hadn’t arrived at the platform. Passengers waiting grew restless, and the railway staff were overwhelmed by the flurry of questions and concerns. The train finally arrived just 7 minutes before departure, causing a bit of a scramble to board. At the same time, the crew was busy loading food for the journey, adding to the chaos.
Many passengers were visibly disappointed by the last-minute platform placement. However, within just 10 minutes, everything fell into place, and the train departed at 6:29 AM — only 4 minutes late. I must say, full credit goes to the passengers for the swift boarding! Though I wasn’t too surprised — after all, I’ve seen hundreds of people get on and off Mumbai local trains in just 10 to 15 seconds!
Once we boarded the train, the experience turned out to be truly delightful. My sister joined us for this leg of the journey, and we were lucky to get three seats together, plus an aisle seat on the opposite side. Pratibha chose the aisle seat away from us and confidently said she wanted to sit by herself because she’s grown up now. It was heartwarming to see this change in her— her desire for independence and the confidence to sit apart from us brought us a lot of joy.
The ambiance in the Vande Bharat was truly impressive—comfortable seats with ample legroom, spacious overhead luggage racks, effective air conditioning, and more. We were given newspapers in English and Malayalam along with a half-liter bottle of Rail Neer water. The newspapers didn’t matter much to me, as I’ve long stopped reading them. In my view, most newspapers these days present stories instead of news, often tinted with political or religious biases depending on the publisher’s stance—a trend that’s true across much of today’s media.
About half an hour into the journey, tea and biscuits were served. They offered NutriChoice biscuits, which used to be my favourite years ago, but no longer. I’ve since chosen to avoid all maida-based foods and have given up on biscuits, cakes, and the like. However, travel comes with its own set of allowances, so I did indulge—though mindfully. The tea was premixed, including sugar. Still, since I’d already decided to be a bit more relaxed while traveling, I went ahead and had the tea.
Around 8 AM, breakfast was served, and the neatly packed tray made a good first impression. It included upma, sambar, two vadas, kesari (sheera), and a packet of Lotte Choco Pie. Though the meal was slightly on the heavier side, it was quite tasty. However, the sambar didn’t meet our expectations. I usually avoid sambar from outside since I’m not fond of the flavour of certain ingredients commonly used in restaurants, which we don’t use at home. As for the Choco Pie, none of us opened it— for obvious reasons.
The train ran on time at every station. The food service staff were polite and cheerful — it seemed like they had been well-trained in hospitality. There were plenty of charging points, offering both standard and USB slots. All in all, our experience on the Vande Bharat was very positive and enjoyable. I especially appreciated the thoughtful and ergonomic design of the interiors, from the seating and legroom to the overall convenience and comfort.
The toilet facilities in the Vande Bharat train were impressive — spacious, clean, and thoughtfully designed. The floor was dry, the commode was western-style, and there were proper arrangements for flushing, washing, and hand hygiene. This certainly added to the overall pleasant experience of the journey.
Our next leg of travel — from Ernakulam to Hosur — after a five-day break. Pratibha was eager to check on the progress of her apartment under construction in Hosur, so we decided to return to Mumbai via Hosur and Bangalore. We initially booked tickets on the Intercity SF Express in the AC Chair Car, but they remained on the waitlist. As a backup, we also booked second-class (non-AC) chair car tickets, which were confirmed. Since the AC tickets didn’t clear, we traveled in the non-AC compartment.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get three seats together. We managed two seats side by side — a middle and an aisle — and one window seat a row away. We hoped the person seated near us would agree to swap the window seat, so we could sit together, but he refused to exchange the seats. Pratibha was happy to take the away seat, proudly saying she felt grown-up and independent. Though we missed sitting together — chatting, playing cards, and sharing snacks — our “let go” attitude and belief that “everything happens for a reason” helped us take it in stride.
The heat was intense, especially while passing through Palakkad and Salem, and we could feel the hot air inside the compartment. Still, we passed the time enjoying the scenic views of Kerala — the lush greenery, people working in the paddy fields, and large flower and vegetable farms. These glimpses of everyday life are one of the many charms of train travel. In contrast, air travel offers only clouds and a rather bland experience. When time is a constraint, flying becomes necessary, but it lacks the richness of a train journey.
Pratibha enjoys trains journeys — she loves the freedom to move around and doesn’t have to worry about turbulence. For all three of us, train travel continues to be a favourite. With cleaner trains, better-maintained stations, and generally punctual schedules, the experience has improved significantly. If Indian Railways could further refine the ergonomic aspects, it would elevate the comfort and joy of traveling even more.
One unexpected disappointment was the absence of mobile charging points in the train. In today’s world, our mobile phones have almost become an extension of ourselves — it’s hard to imagine being disconnected because the phone runs out of charge. To conserve battery, I kept mobile data off for most of the journey.
The toilets, although reasonably clean, were all Indian-style. For those of us accustomed to western-style commodes, using these was a bit of a challenge — perhaps due to age, habits, or both.
Thankfully, my sister had packed delicious homemade breakfast and lunch for us, which made the journey all the more comforting. While I usually don’t mind sampling train food, the taste of home felt more appealing this time. Still, hearing the familiar cries of “Coffee… Chai… Vada… Samosa…” from the vendors brought a wave of nostalgia. That’s when I realised how much I missed those small but joyful elements of train travel.
One of my favourite things during such journeys is watching people — their mannerisms, conversations, and conversations that often springs up between strangers. Sadly, that was missing this time. Most passengers were engrossed in their phones, with barely any interaction. It felt like a subtle but noticeable shift in the way we now travel.
The stretch from Dharmapuri to Hosur was beautiful. We passed large flower and vegetable farms — something I truly enjoy seeing. The train maintained near-perfect punctuality up until Dharmapuri, even arriving a few minutes early at several stations. That was a pleasant surprise in contrast to the usual "Indian Stretchable Time" (iST). However, after Dharmapuri, delays crept in, and by the time we reached Hosur, we were about 45 minutes behind schedule. The holdup was mostly due to unscheduled halts to allow other trains to pass. Despite that, it was a satisfying leg of the journey—although the dry hot air did make it uncomfortable as the day wore on.
Still, the journey gave us a much-needed "feel-good" vibe. Catching glimpses of rural life, even through a train window, brings me immense joy. To me, train travel is the closest we get to connecting with both nature and people in one go. Yes, there are little inconveniences, but the progress made by Indian Railways over the decades is remarkable.
I can vividly recall my first long train journey — from Madras (now Chennai) to Bokaro on a steam engine train in the early 1980s. It took over two days, and by the time we arrived, our faces were almost unrecognisable — covered in coal dust! Yet, those were memorable experiences. Getting off at stations like Rajahmundry and Jharsuguda to enjoy local food, drinking water from the taps on platforms, getting out to platforms at most stations — all part of the charm back then. We never even carried water bottles!
Indian Railways has truly come a long way since then:
From counter bookings to seamless online reservations,
From filthy coaches to clean, well-maintained ones,
From littered platforms to neat and organised stations,
From open toilets to bio-toilets,
From printed reservation charts to text notifications,
From pantry food to curated meals from your favourite restaurants,
From bulky TTE reservation lists to smart tablets,
From rickety old trains to ultra-modern Vande Bharat Expresses,
From long complaint queues to instant grievance redressal via text or social media…
The transformation is astounding.
A big salute to Indian Railways — one of the largest organisations in the world, with over 12.5 lakhs employees — working tirelessly to ensure that every journey is a safe, pleasant, and memorable one.
