WHAT A TRAIN!!!. Review on Rajdhani Express

Speaking of Indian railways & things like inefficient management, clutter come into mind. But all thru my 18 yrs of life this is the only train of whom I have travelled extensively & this is the best so far. It always looks like the govt always puts in extra money to maintain only this train coz its always damn sharp on time, speed & efficiency(except when some minor problems arise) etc. The best thing about the train is that its one of the fully airconditioned trains in the country & also the fastest. The train takes an overall time of 14-15 hrs to reach delhi, but the journey is damn good.

As the journey starts u r served with welcome drinks,snacks & a newsppr. Later on b4 dinner u get the option of a veg & non veg dinner. The food is OK & not that gr8. The w-o-r-s-t thing is u have to make tea holding ur cup, the train is moving as u mix the milk powder & hotwater(the earlier version of readymade tea n coffee was cool as the present one has been enforced due to the shelf life of milk & foreigners dont prefer readymade tea!!). All basic services like beddings r included in the fare alongwith the meals. The staff is quite well in handling these things. All of interesting things for a trip u cud do is take a round on the train. U find a ethnic mix of culture, with foreigners & locals flooding the train. The best place to visit is the pantry. The pantry also boasts of an ISDN fone connection(but of no use as the clarity is verry low). The pantry is always buzzing with activity & sumthing or not is always cooking around. I hav always managed to go & eat sumthing frm the pantry itself coz once the food is packed ppl hate it. Each car has its own team of attendants. The journey s quite smooth enough as u wake up in the morning to find the train passing through the fields of North India. The breakfast is quite good( Cutlets for veggies & egg omlettes for non veggies) & u r set to enter Delhi as the attendants come for their final visit. Tipping is upon u wholly, but dont mind tipping coz the service they provide is top class as they r always on their feet at our command.

The only thing worying about the train is that even unconfirmed passengers board the train & at night if one is around u, tht person sleeps on the floor & that is unbearable coz u dont want some one sleeping on ur side. Next thing is the garbage outside the compartments. All the garbage collected is dumped in to the vestibules and as Rajdhani is a concealed train the garbage remains half inside & half outside which really causes a stink once u come out of the main room to go 4 a wash. But we cant eye these flaws and say 'no' to Indias very finest rail experience.

So..whenever Rajdhani comes in mind, ur mind never gives a no & u simply go for it coz its a train which provides the common man with hi speed & good service all at a very affordable cost. The only thing we need now is new cars which will definitely add to the visual appeal of the train which already stands for its premium styling & speed.

GOOD NEWS(30 nov 2003)... I had just been to khar yard in mumbai & was surprised to find the entire rakes of the all new rajdhani express there. they r just super stuff...instead of the pantry u have the A/C hot buffet cars, the cars r longer, the comfort levels & interiors r even more roomy, spacious & the trains dazzling red & silver colors add to the visual appeal. the rake was under testing so I cudnt manage to take some fotos as it was a restricted area!! neways...m waiting for this new train to be launched & sure wanna make the first trip on board it. u all too chk out for the all new rajdhani.

*FINALLY...on 15th dec'03...The brand new Rajdhani was launched as many people were in for a total surprise. So...this new beauty has a chic look(like tht of german trains), l-a-r-g-e windows that offer a spectacular view of the landscapes tht pass by,umpteen shock absorbers that guarantee a smooth ride, the coaches r made of stainless steel, that means they r resistant to corrosion & they r fire proof too!!. Also..the toilets r a wee bit smaller, but hv an elegant look like tht of other trains.

For all this...one must be really tempted to chk out the pics...so hit the url below for some amazing snaps..

https://us.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/15sld1.htm

So...its hi-time that mouthshut changed the foto of the train above & I shall always have the utmost satisfaction that I saw the train first...way before it was launched...