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Traveling by Indian Railways is a very common thing for all of us, and when the journey is long, getting a reservation i.e. a confirmed ticket is no less than a big relief. Many people focus only on train timings, fares and seat numbers (like lower or upper berth) while planning their journey, but have you ever thought that whether your entire journey will be comfortable or not also depends on how you have selected your bogie or coach? Often people ignore the location of the coach or its class in a hurry while booking the ticket, due to which they have to suffer the consequences of the entire journey in the form of heavy crowd, hustle and bustle of passengers coming and going again and again and the smell or noise near the toilet. If you also want to make your next train journey very comfortable, peaceful and stress-free, then it is very important for you to understand these important and practical aspects related to railway reservation and coach selection.
Why are the middle coaches of the train considered the best and safest?
When you are booking your ticket in an express or superfast train, it is very important to note where your coach is located in the train. The experience of railway experts and regular passengers suggests that one should always choose the middle coaches of the train instead of choosing coaches that are too close to the engine or guard compartment. When the train passes through the joints or junctions of the tracks, shocks and sounds are felt a lot in the initial and last compartments of the train, which can increase the problem of fatigue and headache during a long journey. Apart from this, being in the middle coach of the train (like sleeper or middle section of AC class) also makes it much easier to reach the exit gate, foot over bridge and escalator after landing on the platform of the railway station, thus eliminating the need to run around on the platform with heavy luggage.
Why keep distance from seats near toilet and pantry car?
As important as it is to choose a berth while booking a ticket, it is equally important to see in which part of the coach your seat falls. If your seat is right next to or very close to a toilet, your entire journey may be in trouble. There is constant movement of passengers coming and going on the seats located near the toilet, which frequently disturbs your sleep or rest. Apart from this, the foul smell emanating from there and the continuous sounds of water falling or running flush can disturb you mentally. Similarly, Pantry Car i.e. the seats near the kitchen or the main entrance doors of the train are also not considered very good from the point of view of travel. The constant smell of cooking near the pantry car, movement of waiters and catering staff and the clinking of utensils at night can disturb your peace, so always try to have the seat in the middle cabin of the coach.
Keep these special things in mind while choosing side berth and upper-lower berth
There is always a different confusion and curiosity in the minds of passengers regarding Side Lower and Side Upper berths in Indian trains. If you are traveling alone and like the view out the window or the convenience of lying down, a side berth is a different experience in itself, but it also has its disadvantages. A passenger sitting on the side lower berth has to face people coming and going throughout the day as every person passing through the corridor either passes by or sometimes other passengers also start asking for permission to sit on it. On the contrary, if you are traveling with a family, it is considered best to choose a combo of facing mud-berth i.e. lower, middle and upper berth, so that all the family members can sit together in the same compartment and talk comfortably and children or elderly people do not face any difficulty in climbing up and down.
How to keep the cleanliness and current status of the coach updated?
In today’s digital era, Indian Railways has provided many excellent mobile apps and online facilities for the convenience of passengers, using which you can make your journey more convenient. Whenever you travel by train, check the live running status and coach position of your train in advance using the ‘Rail Madad’ app or the official portal of IRCTC. Many times, due to change of rake in trains, the order of coaches gets shifted back and forth, which creates huge chaos on reaching the station. Additionally, if there is a shortage of water in your coach during the journey, the dustbin overflows or the cleanliness of the berth is not up to the mark, you can immediately lodge a complaint online. It is also a wise move to use chains and locks to secure your luggage during journey and to take assistance of TTE or Railway Protection Force (RPF) to prevent unauthorized people from entering the coach.