Travel in Sabarmati Express ( 9166, 17-04-10 )

PNR No		6240282761
Train No		9166		Train Name			SABARMATI EXP
From		DBG (Darbhanga)		To			ADI (Ahmedabad)
Date		17-4-2010		Class			SL
Quota		General
			Seat/Berth		Coach	Status
			0065		S11	CONFIRM
Total Fare								Rs.0484+10

I had left from Sitamarhi railway station on the night of 16th April. Luckily I was able to catch the last local train. I reached Darbhanga Railway station at around 12:00 midnight. Darbhanga is supposed to become the capital, if new Mithila state is created. But the infrastructure of the Darbhanga Railway station was very poor. There was no cloak room, there was very limited mobile charging facility at the station. Waiting room was dirty and over crowded. 

At early morning hours (4:00 AM), when I boarded the train, I found that the food caterers had kept their all food items on my and the nearby births. I asked them to empty my birth, on which they shown reluctance. They had got the license to serve in that train, but no catering boggy was available in that  train. I made phone call to the IRCTC's customer care, on which they became afraid and emptied my seat. The Customer care official asked me the reason for disturbing them in so early morning hours. They asked me to complain to the railway officials available on the station.

The caterers used the nearby "western styled toilet/sitting type toilet" for keeping some of the food materials (Ice, Cold drinks, etc). There was no mobile charging facility in the boggy. 

The vendors of Gutkha was freely visiting the train. Transgenders visited my place for around 5 times. I feel  that some males also dress up like female to earn money as like that by Transgenders. 

Many students from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (Bhojpur region) were going to Gujarat for the course of B.Ed. (Bachelor of education). There was lots of hope among the students that after getting B.Ed, they will get job as primary teacher in the government schools. For getting the degree, there was some brokerage type of system, which I was unable to understand. 

Near my seat a brother and sister was sitting. The brother had become the Teacher and he was guiding her sister to complete the course, he was also preparing for the Civil service examinations. I got jealous when he boasted that he is getting monthly salary of around Rs.20,000 to 25,000. He was also earning by giving coaching.

In one station of Uttar Pradesh, a "special TTE" came. The Brother-Sister had e-ticket and they had no identity proof except the I.D. card given by the School/College. Similar was the condition of a muslim family  on the nearby birth, they had e-ticket but no identity proof. That time this school/college ID proof's validation was not mentioned in the e-ticket. The TTE started torturing the Brother-Sister. He asked to give fine or deboard the Train. He was shouting, that he has the special link with the magistrate of the Railway and his monthly salary is around Rs.30,000, so he needs to submit a daily fine collection of more than Rs.1000 to the railway. The Brother-Sister begged for mercy, but of no use. They proposed to go to the general boggy, but the TTE said that the e-ticket is not valid even in the general boggy. 

One of the relative of the Brother-Sister was in Railway police. The brother was successful in contacting with him over the phone. There was on phone argument between the railway police and the special TTE and then they reached an understanding. The special TTE left the Brother-Sister and went to the muslim family on the next seat. He was able to get some fine amount from them. He had missed the station, where he wanted to get down, so he asked the Brother to pull the chain, which he couldn't and then the TTE himself pulled the chain to stop the train. 

The rest of the journey was quiet peaceful. 

• Railway is not valuing and respecting its customers.
• There is no proper drinking water facility on the stations, forcing the customers to buy the packed water.
• Local vendors in train has many benefits: They provide cheaper local food items and  seasonal fruits available in the local region.
• E-ticket is not considered on par with the counter booked ticket.