Trains travel is considered most comfortable mode of transports in India and also the finest medium to see India at ground level. Even long distances such as Delhi to Mumbai can be covered with ease through trains by using sleeper class berth and you will not get tired. Besides, train travel is safe and cheap as you have to pay a reasonable fare.

Indian Railway network is the third biggest in world after Russia and China having 63,000 km of rail routes and 6,800 stations. Maintained and run by Indian Railways the trains in India connect almost all the state capitals and other important cities and towns of the country. In fact, for tourists no visit to India would be complete without the experience of travelling on trains.

Types of trains in India
General Travelling Trains - For travelling across India, Indian Railways have a variety of trains including fast, superfast, express and local trains. Passengers choose the trains according to their requirements and budget. Shatabdi and Rajadhani are two high-class trains, running at an speed over 100 km per hour, having all Air-conditioned coaches. Besides, there are hundreds of superfast and express trains running across the country. For short distance the Indian Railways run local passanger trains.

Luxurious Trains - Indian Railways run these trains keeping in mind the tourism point of view. Most of the luxury trains offers five star facilities to passengers on board. Running for a duration of two days to one week, these trains take you on a once upon a lifetime journey. You find a fine chance to explore the picturesque terrain anlongwith enjoying royal hospitality. Palace of Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Heritage on Wheels and Fairy Queen are some of the popular luxurious trains in India.

Moutain Railways - Mountain Railways is an special attraction of Indian Railway and also the most convenient way to visit the hill stations of India. Developed by the British government about 100 years back, during their rule over India, Mountain Railways now served as the main mode of transport to hilly areas. Travelling on mountain rail is a thrilling experience, as you get a wonderful chance to see the beautiful green countryside and other amazing wonders of nature. In fact, three of the Mountain Railways namely Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and Kalka – Shimla Railway have been declared World heritage properties by UNESCO.

Accommodation Classes in Indian Trains
Usually there are six classes of accommodation found in Indian train, but some other classes such as AC Executive class may be found in important trains like Shatabdi Express. Below are the important classes, found in trains of India

Air-Conditioned First Class (AC1) – AC1 class is the most comfortable and luxurious way to travel in Indian Railways. However, AC1 class is found only in the important trains including all Rajadhanis. First class coaches are spacious and carpeted having 4-berth and 2-berth compartments, with washbasin. During the daytime berths can be converted into seats. Passengers are provided all necessary bedding materials such as bedsheet, blanket, pillow and towel.

Air-Conditioned Second Class (AC2) – Second Class AC are not divided into separate compartment like First Class, but are also very comfortable to travel. The coaches are open-plan with berths arranged in bays of four on one side and in bays of two on another side. For privacy each bay is curtained and like First AC bedding is provided to passengers.

Air-Conditioned Three Tier (AC3) – Three Tier AC is almost similar to Second Class AC, but it has three tiers of bunks – arranged in bays of six on one side and bays to two on other side. AC3 coaches are more crowed than Second Class AC and also lack the private curtains. Bedding materials such as pillows, sheets and blankets are provided to passengers. AC3 is a good option for families who are looking for long distance travel in comfort.

AC Chair Class – AC Chair class is a fine choice for day time short-distance travel. The class are found mainly in ‘intercity’ daytime trains consist of comfortable air-conditioned seating cars. Such class are available in Shatabdi trains running from Delhi to Ajmer, Chandigarh or intercity trains.

Sleeper Class – Sleeper class is used by the most of the Indian people and found on all long distance trains except Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express. The coaches of Sleeper class comprise of open plan berths with upper, middle and lower bunks. The windows are fitted with bars and also have a glass pane and a shutter which can be raised and lowered.

Unreserved Second Class – These coaches have wooden or padded plastic seating seats suitable for only short journey. Unreserved second class is not recommended for long distance journeys especially overnight journeys.

Train Fares
Train Fares for sleeper class ranges from few hundreds to thousands, depending on the class and routes. However, for unreserved second class journey you have to pay very nominal fare. For more information about the train fares visit the official website of Indian Railways.

How to reserve train tickets in India
For any long-distance and short distance journey, in Sleeper class or Air-Conditioned Class, it is necessary to reserve a seat or berth. You can travel by buying an ordinary ticket in these classes. Booking for reservation open 90 days in advance, although the duration may be less in some short-distance inter-city trains.

In Indian reservations are completely computrised and reservation facility is available in all the important stations of the country. Due to huge rush most of the express trains get booked weeks ahead before the departure. So, you should make reservations well in advance, for hassle free journey. Various types of quotas, such as tourist quota is also available in Indian trains.

Tourist Quota in Indian trains
Several important India trains have a special quota of berths for foreign tourists and IndRail passholders. A few ‘tourist quota’ berths remain available within a day or two of departure, so foreign travellers can book at short notice. But, you may have to wait couple of days for getting the berth for your desired destination. For tourist quote berth you have to pay in US Dollars, Pounds, or Indian rupees backed by an exchange certificate.

The railway stations in major cities of India and tourist centres in cities like New Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi have an International Tourist Bureau, where Foreign travellers can book tickets. There is also a round the clock rail booking office at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. For more information on tourist quota reservation visit the official site of Indian Railways.

How to book tickets - from outside India
Most of the important trains of India get fully-booked weeks in advance, so it better to book tickets before you arrival to India. You can book train tickets online at www.irctc.co.in, which is the official government-sponsored sales website for Indian Railways.

Due to crowding of visitors, the website may respond slowly, so keep patience and follow the information given on the site. You can buy a maximum of 10 tickets in a month from this website for travelling across India. Your ticket will not be sent to your desired destination outside India or you can pick it up at the station. Only 'e-ticket' and 'i-ticket' options are available to get the ticket from the website. You have make payment through credit card such as Visa, MasterCard or Amex.

Some Important Tips for train journey in India

• Always check your coach and berth number printed on your ticket. The reservation ticket also carries the details like age, sex, origin station name and travel destination as well.
• Before boarding the train ensure your coach number and occupy the seat mentioned in the ticket. For more conformation you may consult the concerned office in the railway station or the Ticket Collector or Conductor travelling alongwith the train.
• All the long distance trains have a pantry car offering breakfast, lunch and dinner to passengers at nominal charges. Prefer the food of pantry car and avoid outside food as they may be of bad quality.
• There are fair chances of stealing in Indian trains, so take care of your belongings.
• Don't become much friendly with other fellow passengers, because some of them may bribe you or cause other types of harm.

For more information about Indian Railways and its serivices visit the official website : http://indianrail.gov.in