Classes on Indian Trains
Traveling by Indian trains in India is a special experience that gives you a chance to see real life of India from your train window. When you travel by train and enter one state to another state you will find different colors, traditional festivals, clothes, their food, everyday millions of people travel by train from one place to another place. Indian railway is one of the largest and biggest rail networks in the world. Indian Railways runs approximately 20,000 passenger trains including long-distance and suburban routes and more than 8,000 freight trains daily.
1A First Class AC: Indian Trains
This class ticket is most expensive in Indian railway tickets where the price is similar to air tickets. In First class AC cabins (two coupes) the full air conditioners class and 03 cabins (including one coupe) in the half AC First Class coach. In First AC class Indian railway provides a coach attendant who helps passengers during the train journeys. Indian Railway includes the bedding cost in the ticket price. This class is available only in long distance trains, high demand or some popular routes. It can carry eighteen passengers in full coach or ten passengers in half coach. First AC provides sleeping accommodation along with private features, and the coaches have carpeted floors.
2A AC – Two Tier: Indian Trains
In this class you will find air-conditioned coaches with sleeping berths in eight bays. The railway sets coach berths in two tiers in bays of six—four across the width of the coach and two along the corridor. A curtain provides privacy, and features like mobile chargers and other services are available. Accommodation and bedding are included in this class fare. 2nd AC class can carry more 48 passengers in full coach or 20 passengers in half coach. This class is available on long-distance or overnight journey trains like Express and Mail trains.
3A AC Three-Tier: Indian Trains
This class is more popular on the Indian railway. This class provides the cheapest fare with more comfort. This class is similar to 2nd AC, fully air-conditioned, and can carry 64 sleeping berths or passengers. You will find this class seats only on broad gauge lines.
AC Executive Class (EC)
This is also an air-conditioned coach with large spacious seats and legroom divided in two by two. It is the highest quality for traveling in an armchair. There are four seats in one row. You will find AC Executive class mostly on Shatabdi train runs between two cities and used by business people and tourists like Shatabdi and Gatiman Express.
AC Chair Car (CC)
This class is full air-conditioned seats with a total of five seats in a row. It has 2 rows, usually 3 and 2, of reclining seats (a little, they don’t recline down) with air-conditioning. They are available on shorter and faster routes. They also usually offer some food included in the ticket price; they will serve food during the journey. But some trains that have AC Chair Car coaches do not offer meals during the journey like Janshatabdi trains or Intercity Express.
FC First-class:
These classes are same as the First AC (1A) but without air conditioning. You will find this class of seats in narrow gauge trains that run on hills or mountains like Shimla, Darjeeling, and Ooty. No bedding facility is available in this class. Seats are wide and more comfortable compared to other trains, but there is no personal attendant available in this class during journeys.
Sleeper Class (SL):
The sleeper class is the most popular and cheapest class on the Indian Railways. Most trains have 10–12 sleeper class coaches attached. Most Indian travelers use this class and it is a non–air-conditioned class. You will find regular sleeping coaches during long journeys with 03 berths vertically stacked. During the day, the middle seats disappear and people sit in the lower seat, although people traveling during the day may lie on the upper seat without problems (usually used to put luggage). There are many vendors at almost any time, offering a lot of food. Sleeper class is available on long-distance trains.
Second Sitting (2S):
Unlike other classes, seats cannot be reserved here (although in some cases the place is written on the ticket and therefore it is possible to sit down without problems). These are mostly wooden or padded seats and sleeper-style seat beds.
Unreserved:
This is the cheapest accommodation. The seats are usually made of pressed wood in older coaches. There is no guarantee of seats, and tickets are valid for 24 hours of buying. This ticket is valid for any train running on this route.