I’ve flown from Mumbai to Pune but this time, I thought I’d try the train.
Indian Railways – brief background
Indian Railways are one of the biggest public organisations in the world. The network is 2,500 times bigger than the UK’s. Rail travel is kept affordable as people must get to work, and encouraging people to use the railway keeps traffic off the roads. India’s first railway station was in Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or CSMT has 1,250 trains leaving daily. We were at a smaller Mumbai station, Lokmanya Tilak, just a 40-minute drive from our hotel near the airport.
Buying a train ticket online
The Indian rail booking system is probably the largest in the world, and to an infrequent user, intimidating. It’s no good knowing what time you want to get your train; it’s what engine you would like, and then you need to know which class you want – from about seven options. My partner works in IT, but even he struggled. In the end, it was either through an enterprising person – Raj in the UK – or through a travel agent in Thailand that we were able to get a ticket. We used the travel agent. They both add a 10% tip for the service. Our first-class tickets with AC cost us about £15 each. The cheapest fare with no guaranteed seat was about £2. This is for the three-hour journey.
At the Lokmanya Tilak station
We duly arrived with our bags at the station, which is very beautiful. With 23 lines, seven long platforms and signs in Hindi only, once more we were stumped. Within minutes, our saviour drove up in a fancy golf buggy. Tapping on his phone, he found out which platform we needed and which part of the train. We negotiated a price for this service. (£2). On we got and away we went, across train tracks and up and down platforms until we arrived at platform 5.
Only in India
Once we arrived there, a ‘pantry boy’ made himself known to us. He would be taking orders for food. 15 minutes before departure, the doors were opened. Someone was walking along the corridor with bare feet dragging a rag under his left foot. He was the cleaner. Noticing our window was dirty, I gave my partner a wet wipe and asked him to clean it from the outside. This caused some hilarity with passengers walking down the platform to their further carriage. “Good job, sir. You will go far.” Then, we were off. A water seller walked along the corridor calling “Pani, pani, pani!”, his voice rising in a gentle crescendo.
Our carriage
We had two long bunks, one above the other. The bottom bunk could be folded up to allow for seating. There was a grimy curtain at the window, but the rest of the carriage seemed clean enough. There was a small table, room to store our suitcases, and plug sockets. There was also an Indian-style rules and regulations notice. I didn’t look at the WC facilities. I decided I could manage a three-hour journey.
En route
It was an interesting ride, but the scenery was not spectacular. I did get a glimpse of the Western Ghats in the distance, though.
On arrival in Pune
I was very happy to be in Pune again and looking forward to a paneer bhurji. The station was very busy as we arrived at around rush hour. I wondered how our hotel driver would ever find us. Easy, of course. We were the only white people there.
Conclusion
I preferred the train to flying and would do this journey again. My advice? Do it!
March 2025