The lost joys of train journeys

While clearing old albums, I came across a picture from my college days. Life was simpler then, and trains were the most preferred mode of commuting the large distance between Chandigarh and the small town of Udupi in Karnataka.

Our journey on the Rajdhani Express would be nothing short of the journey one would expect in the fantastic Hogwarts Express. The entire train would be full of students headed back home after an arduous session of exams, or youngsters returning to college after a couple of months of being pampered at home. Once the train started moving, we would do a quick recce of the long, serpentine train to locate our friends in different compartments. This would be followed by long hours of pointless talks as we would squat against open doors to catch glimpses of the surreal backdrop of the Konkan coast — all this while, evading strict TTEs. The journey would last two to three days and engineering students would retreat to having deep, life-changing discussions. Some intrepid souls would try to mix a few drinks in the toilets. We would make many trips to the pantry car to devour omelettes and cutlets, even as we ‘buttered’ stewards with handsome tips of Rs 10 or 20.

The journey would not be complete without getting down for cups of tea at every station. Be it the small earthen cups serving delicious tea, with the faintest tinge of wet earth, or the white plastic cups offering a couple of sips of tea, fresh from a huge kettle — we would have them all. Fond of sampling local specialties wherever we went, we would get down to buy packets of bhujia at Kota junction and batata vadas at Panvel. Regardless of the time the train arrived at a station, we would wrap ourselves in blankets and step out for a few minutes in the harsh North India cold to stretch our legs and enjoy some quick refreshments.

The last train journey that my friends and I undertook, back to our homes from college, has a special place in my heart. I chose a longer, indirect route than a direct train to Chandigarh. These journeys brought me face-to-face with many interesting people — retired uncles enquiring about college, doting aunts trying to feed you home-cooked parathas wrapped in aluminium foil, young professionals offering useful insights on life that was to come. The experience that a train can give is unparalleled — no flight can ever enrich you as much as a train journey. I began my professional journey soon after graduating as an engineer five years ago, and the trains were replaced by flights to squeeze in as much time as possible at home. Today, train journeys are distant memories. Dr Seuss had famously stated, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.’ I am just glad that I have so many lovely memories from my train journeys.