As the train wheeled by...

A train journey. What all comes to your mind when I say this? Many might say- The filth and dirt, fear of rats, dirty toilets and stinking sheets is what they associate a train with. The list is endless. Most people would rather sit on a plane for two hours than spend two days on a train, but I believe there's nothing comparable to taking a relaxing rail journey with your family or good friends. While travelling to Mumbai recently, I was looking at the insides of a train after 4 years. Once you get acquainted to the customs and luxury of an Airplane it is pretty tough to even think about a train journey, they say. However, I was so excited and cheerful that I hardly noticed the faults. My mind was wandering somewhere else. I was filled with all the memories that I would associate with trains. Nostalgia was flowing in my veins.

A similar condition may not arise in every country. I have frequently seen images of super-fast trains that function in South-east or even Western countries. I mean if THAT is the standard they maintain in their trains, what would their airlines be like? It would actually be unfair to compare the Indian situation with any other country for that matter. Awakened after a 10-year deep slumber, it will take a while for India to make a comeback. With the current population crisis that we are in, I guess it's pretty safe to say that Indian railways is a savior for a large section of the population who, forget a plane ticket, cannot even afford a square meal. No matter how untidy the railway stations be, or how uncomfortable a train may seem- The truth is that Trains are a big share of our memory of the beginning of every summer vacation we have enjoyed, a cherished one at that. The Indian railway system is no less than a hero for all those busy metro users and of course, the Bombay local passengers. This state-owned enterprise is one of the world's largest railway networks. Founded in the year 1853, the first train was run from Bombay to Thane. Since then 12,617 passenger trains and 7421 freight trains run daily all across India carrying more than 23 million passengers everyday. So even if this 161 year old foundation isn't very sophisticated, it is definitely very necessary and beneficial. 

The whole atmosphere on a typical railway station is fascinating. One can find all sorts of people here. Businessmen, traders, officers, drivers, coolies, and merchants. Every person on that platform has their own story to tell. Some may be present to pick up their relatives, many leaving for colleges, several people would be going for work or returning exhausted from office and a few like me would be going on a vacation. The place even though may be dusty and untidy, is always lively. The calls of "Chai le lo Chai garam", the calls of book-shop vendors, announcements of arriving trains, the ongoing bargains with coolie and people constantly in hurry are among the most distinctive characteristics. The one thing which strikes me the most is that on an Airport, people mind their own business. Even a person who may be lost, present in the wrong terminal and about to miss his/her flight, for example, will think for a thousand times before approaching someone and asking for directions or information. Only sophisticated and educated Indians will be seen on a lavish metropolitan Airport. On a railway station you see the real crowd that inhabits India. 

I remember, back when I was 8 years old or probably even younger, on every vacation that I went to Nagpur I would always visit the Gumgaon station. It is just a few minutes ride away from our house. It's a really tiny station and basically empty almost the whole day. It is mostly used as a stop for the freight trains. Me and my cousins were always fond of trains and would never miss an episode of 'Thomas Engine'. So you can imagine visiting a 'real' railway station was like a dream come true or the best adventure we could possibly imagine. Once we reached the station, there were a couple of tasks which were nothing less than tradition and done on our every visit without fail. These would include most of the things one would always want to try in a railway station but never could because they are always jam-packed and flooding with people and trains every time and your mom would never leave your hand because she's afraid, no she is 100% certain that you are going to get lost. (Frankly speaking, even though I appreciated the fact that she cared about me so much and everything, This bugged me. :P)

As soon as we arrived we would run around on the platform and race each other. Since the station lies towards the outskirts of the city, fusion of farms and a forest kind of a scenario encircles it. We would hence cross the railway tracks to the other side and walk into the farms. THIS was a real adventure, or so we thought. These farms were often home to snakes and rats. So we stuck together every time and acted as if we were stranded in a real forest. Then when some small insect appeared or the sound of a broken twig or some other sound or creature scared the shit out of us, we would run back to the platform and pretend like nothing ever happened. This just showed how fearless we were. Then comes application of science. It is a well known fact that sound needs a medium to travel and that it travels fastest in solids irrespective of the distance. This property of sound is always explained in a primary grade science textbook after quoting the example of the sound of a just passed train that can still be heard. Place your ear near the railway tracks and you would listen to the clickety-clack of a train which has just passed. This is what we would all verify. Every time. As if somehow listening to it once was not enough. The highlight of this trip included a special visit to the control room of the railway station. We were allowed inside as my uncle requested pretty kindly and we had been their only visitors for years. They owe us something. 

The room has an aura to it which clearly tells you it's damn old. Long with ancient wooden furniture, a typical humming Big-butt desktop on a computer table in a corner, cupboards that creak loudly as if protesting to open and the fans which were more suited in a Natural History Museum. A typical government office. Entering this room, in the very center is a huge table covered with glass on one part and filled with buttons on the other. The buttons inscribed were for various functions including changing of signals and the opening and closing of the gates. They were also very tempting to touch. However, we were allowed to enter on just one sole condition: hands off the table. After entering the room, we would always regret agreeing to it. Even though it was a really small station, It was hardly insignificant. No matter how tiny a station be, it needs to be looked after and maintained just as much as the busiest station needs to. The best part was the knowledge that we got from a personal session with the head officer of Gumgao station. No discovery channel show could show us around and explain in such a customized way. That too free of cost!  (I am just kidding of course. :D) Once this was done, we would then chill around and count the number of wagons of every passing train. Then obviously as the trains never stopped and were incredibly fast, there used to be 4 different answers followed by arguments about the most precise answer. This picnic usually ended after 3-4 hours. Few of the best hours of my childhood. After such amusement, Who wouldn't love the rails? 

There are so many of such distinctive features which are associated with trains.  No matter what age a person attains, He/she is never old enough to enjoy climbing the births. I mean seriously, even if it's 'congested or stuffy', No one can disagree to the fun we have while climbing to the upper-birth and leaving our feet dangling. I mean it is a little painful once you are 5'5'', But am still in for it! This-allocation of seats- is one more way to test ones luck. Sadly, mine is so bad that I am always given lower ones (Which I always exchange with my mom) or the side ones. NO ONE exchanges with you if you have the side lower. But in my recent trip to Mumbai, I had fun on the side lower too. Even though the scenery that we passed through as we crossed the borders of Gujarat and entered Maharashtra weren't exceptionally beautiful, I enjoyed just lying by the window and staring into the beautiful farms, Bridges over rivers, Rail-crossroads and many towns pass by. All I needed was my teddy bear and The entire Harry Potter book set along with the best playlist- And that ,ladies and gentlemen, would be the exact definition of a perfect vacation. Those 9 hours of solitude From Ahmedabad to Mumbai- filled me with nothing but sheer peace and satisfaction.

 Making notes and lists of stations that pass by, playing game of cards in a moving train and then finding out that you have inevitably lost a card, Reading champak or tinkle or an amazing Akbar & Birbal story, Buying watches and deck of cards for the apparent cheap price, Getting super-excited when you pass through a tunnel, trying to make your bed with those slippery sheets and protesting when asked to sleep early and eating yummy snacks packed by my mom, Oh and not to forget, making new friends even if just for a few hours -This is what I think of when someone mentions a train journey.