I can assure you that you must have travel by railways in your life. Although, have you ever thought of why middle-class people prefer to travel on railways? It is just because of the two factors such as Cost-effectiveness and safety. There have been drastic changes since the inception of Indian railways on 16 April 1853 between Bombay & Thane. Do you know? Indian Railways is the world’s third-largest network with a total length of 127,760 km. But what makes INDIAN RAILWAYS THE BEST TO TRAVEL? Let’s find out together.
HISTORY OF INDIAN RAILWAYS
As we all know, it is a government-authorized network of railways. In 1832, the railway proposals were set up in Madras, but later on, they built organizational zones in 1951. Earlier, only passenger classes existed where the compartment had only light and fans. In 1956, the first fully air-conditioned train was made functional on the route of Howrah to Delhi and the return journey. Later on, the Indian railways incorporated the computerized ticket system and reservation of the seats. In the following years, because of the massive improvement in the Indian Railways, they started three-tier coaches with the Sleeper class in 1993. Indian Railways introduced coupon validating machines (CVMs) at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in 1998.
In 2000, the Indian Railways website went online where individuals can book reserved tickets online through the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation’s (IRCTC) official website (www.irctc.co.in). Ministry of Railways usually presents their Budget in Parliament two days before the Union budget every year till 2016. However, the Union government approved the consolidation of the Railway and Union budgets, ending a 92-year-old practice of a separate budget while adopting one nation, one budget policy. On 31 March 2017, Indian Railways proclaimed that the country’s entire rail network would be electrified by 2022 or 2023 and become a net-zero carbon emission railway by 2030.
WHY RAILWAYS ARE THE BEST TO TRAVEL
- First and foremost is accessibility as easy to book, board and enquire easily through online modes.
- Tickets are affordable to the commoners as a shorter distance will make you spend hardly any penny.
- Indian Railways has customized its travelling experience and taken care of everyone’s budget. Passengers have the liberty of choosing their desired service in coaches such as Saloon, 1A, 2A, SL and unreserved.
- Tatkal/Unreserved services are beneficial to people who need to travel urgently at an affordable price. For such people, Railways are the best to travel in India. The passenger’s seat is not confirmed, but the ticket is valid and used within 24 hours.
- Saloon coaches are the fanciest for people who want hotel ambience while on the wheels. Recently, Indian railways incorporated these coaches to offer you a complete hotel feeling.
- A/C first class comes next in the costly fair. These are fully air-conditioned coaches where you can travel in your comfort zone.
- The journey on the wheels is not tiring but smooth as the speed of the trains is brisk, but you don’t even feel it.
WHY TRAIN JOURNEYS EXCITING IN NATURE?
TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE RELAXING
They are more relaxing as you can sleep off the whole journey peacefully if the travel time is more. Moreover, you will get the charging ports available in trains so you can charge your phones. Road travel is fun to a certain point and, the energy required gets to your head sometimes especially, if you are the driver. Therefore train journey eases this effort. Nowadays the road are full of traffic, so the everyday work travel experience is made soothing with the help of trains. You can cover the same distance way faster instead of getting stuck in a traffic jam for hours. Moreover, with the help of online applications, one can track the train journey in real-time. You will know the exact time at which you will reach the destination.
TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE PERFECT FOR NATURALISTS
The exciting train journeys allow you to observe the terrains and landscapes of several cities. You can gaze at the surroundings without getting bored. Because of this, the screen time while travelling gets lessened. The best part about the trains is that they are pet-friendly. You can get a ticket for your pet with little research. Due to this pleasurable experience, railways are best to travel in India.
TRAIN JOURNEYS FOR A CULTURAL EXCHANGE
We can share of culture and make new friends on the train journeys. The diverse people of different states are in one place, and railways are great to witness the conversations. Hence, taking the benefit of this, you can learn a lot about a new culture. Moreover, you can enjoy the train when travelling with your family and friends. You can book the whole compartment in advance and be ready to catch up and connect with your loved ones.
RAILWAYS ARE BEST FOR FREIGHT & CARRIER
Railways are not only for carrying passengers from one place to another but also for carrying out goods & services. Therefore, we call it a freight train and an asset to carry heavy load goods and vehicles. Firstly the vehicle manufacturers want their two and four-wheelers to transport from one place to another. Secondly, shipping of goods through trains is an environmentally friendly deal. It helps to transfer the bulk material in one go compared to other transports. Safety of the goods is another positive factor as railway tracks are so smooth that the load pressure is negligible. Therefore, Railways are best for travel & freight in India. They have lesser restrictions concerning the weight and cargo size.
RAILWAYS ARE THE BEST TO TRAVEL BECAUSE…
Overall journey on the railways is quite satisfying and fun. When you travel with your loved ones, you enjoy it a lot. The journey by road is tiresome and costly. The fun element is missing in the travel by airways or roadways. You can even take your pet along on the train at an affordable price. That is one best things and, hence people prefer railways to travel in India.
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Story By: Akanksha Dessai