Issues You May Have To Deal With While Traveling By Train

Traveling by Indian trains is just not for the faint-hearted. Started close to 170 years back by the British, trains are now an integral part of our lives, and many of us have extremely fond childhood memories of train travel.

Kids are, however, mostly impervious to the multitude of problems that accompany train travel, especially in India. But adults sometimes face and are disturbed by the many issues that have been plaguing Indian trains since a long time now. It is no wonder most of us prefer flying over train travel, especially for long distances. 
Hygiene

In the modern times of today with everyone being super-conscious of germs and health issues, it is a pity that most Indian trains are unclean and messy. With the exception of a select few trains, most trains are filthy and do not have proper arrangements for cleaning and maintenance. Most train toilets are not cleaned during the journey. They start smelling foul within a couple of hours into the journey, which makes it unbearable for passengers to use it and they use them only when they just have to. This is a problem that must be addressed on a priority basis since this is closely related to health problems.

Lack of civic sense

Not just the toilets, even the coaches themselves are dirty and unkempt. The situation is made worse by passengers who refuse to pay heed to their surroundings. They spit wherever they want and strew garbage at will. Though the authorities have put up notices, very few passengers actually follow the instructions. The majority completely ignores the advice and adds willfully to the filth around them.

Hot, hygienic food

While it is pertinent to mention this problem here, the fact is this scene is changing slowly. There are several Travel and Food Services that offer superb quality food to passengers now. This wasn’t how it was in the yesteryears. While IRCTC did offer pantry services, most passengers were at the mercy of food vendors who thronged the aisles day and night selling greasy fare that caused more than just Delhi Belly to many. The worst part was their calling out for patrons in the dead of the night, which, while helpful to those who had to keep awake during the night, was really disturbing to those who wanted a peaceful sleep.

Nowadays, there is a multitude of ecatering companies that offer menus galore of cuisines of all types to those who refuse to remain at the mercy of vendors. All one has to do is go online and decide on the type of food they want to have, make the payment, and then sit back and wait for the chosen meal to reach them at the pre-decided station.

If you are the type who can and does brave through these basic problems related to Indian trains, you will already have used the order-in facility. Look past these issues and you will find a journey aboard an Indian train quite enjoyable and memorable.

No comments