I am glad to have travelled on Vande Bharat from Lucknow to Delhi. It arrived on Platform number 4, some 4 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival (17.10) and gently eased out of the platform at sharp 17.15. It is not that this is altogether new for Indian Railways. Such promptness could be seen during the past 47 years of my infrequent engagement with it, but more as an exception than a rule.
I decided to experiment with this for once (my usual mode of such short distance travel being bus or motor-bike) because, I had been floored by the TED talk of Dr Sudhanshu Mani, the 'fatheer of Vande Bharat' (the train he had named Train no. 18 with 2018 as the target year), and ever since had followed him, to the extent that fianlly he coonsented to be the guest at our graduation ceremony of 2025 June. I read his book Train No. 18, describing the entire story of Vande Bharat from the conception of the idea, persuasion reaching up to the PM for green signal, and the work that went on a war footing which showed how Indians could deliver high-tech, useful services in a time-bound manner. My salutations to a great thinker techie, who is also a great hhsaayri-witt.
Apart from time, Vande Bharat offers classy comfort for the burgeoning Indian middle-class, making short-distance travel easier (hassle-free in comparison to air travel), comfortable, more affordable and less polluting (comp. air and road travel).
It was a long (big) train for the standards I had in mind. I thought it was an 8-bogie train, there were definitely more than 12. The typical Indianness of filthy disorderliness is bound to creep in as indicated by (i) the cartons piled on the widnows along the carefully designd hassle free gangways. We saw C (chair cars?) coaches reaching us from 12 downwards, and when we reached 8, we are directed to go further saying that C7 is still behind. There appear E (executive?) coaches in between - 2 or 3 of them - again with food cartons piled near the doors and gangways, giving the feel of a big Indian pantry car! This confusion could have been avoided by proper announcement or display of the position of the coaches.
We find our seats. They are well-frunished cloth draped, stsurdy seats, which can be pushed back. The levers for the same, the flexible hand rests, the pantry table all come wiht some resistance, having to apply some appreciable force. I have no complaints regarding them. I think that is fine. There are provisions for plugging in your devices, or charging them with a plug pin or dicrectly into the charging socket using the charging cord. It is a 78-seater coach with half the seats facing one side and half the other. Both sides are provided with 2 display screens for imparting information. There are regular announcments regarding the facilities offered on the train, the importance of 'suchitwa', the availability of personnel for cleanliness (read, cleaning toilets) etc. I felt the announcement in this regard should be automated as someone closes the door after entering the toilet room and while opening the door to exit it. That might induce the typcial Indian not used to cleaning after oneself to oblige others.
Our seats of 63 and 64 (right side 2 seater set; and left side 3 seater set) were clean; but the floor was littered with an empty water bottle, and a srapper. Within a few minutes after the departure from Lucknow, we are presented with a 1 lit bottle of water. The 'crew' (a crude imitation of the flight services wihtout success - the typical Indian rudeness - babugiri - is naturally infused into this framwork as well) is hesitant to part with another bottle due to us; and I demand and he readily parts with it; but I return it as I try to minimise plastic pollution. The tray is fabulous - it has a Real 200 ml fruit juice, a ready mix for a hot cup of tea, a pack of fried poha mixture, a kachori with a sachet of ketchup, and a cupcake. It is filling! All the same, it is to be admitted that it would generating tonnes of plastic waste, with all those wrappers around each of the items!! We were expecting to have dinner served; however, gradually we learn from the announcements that it is a paid service, to be prebooked. However, even if you have not booked, the pantry would provide you with a dinner for a standard price.
The crew, on being asked, is willing to provide dinner, and the price is Rs. 220. We insist that we need only one, as I am not hungry. However, I am curious to know about the contents. It arrives soon; 3 machine-made rotis in a plastic packet; dal curry in an aluminium foil container, dahi, pickle, sabzi or aalu-paneer-mattar; a set of biodegradable cutlery. Now the boy, Rahul is his name, insists that I too have dinner. He is willing to offer the same to me at a concessional rate. I laugh. But hen he is turning ultra generous and offers a tray free of cost to me. I comfort him, saying I am too old now to have such a heavy meal. (I ask Fr Saji, the administrator, to donate Rs. 220 to our 'tyagarchana box' as a good start). Fr Saji struggles, but cannot finish off the whole thing - 2 rotis, one dubba daal, dahi and pickle pack are left over!! Abundance!! We plan to carry them home. I request some extra sugar, so that the dahi pack otherwise to go waste could be converted into a bowl of lassi, and that is accomplished.
We ask for 2 glasses of hot water, and they are readily provided. Then comes the last item - 'mukhwas' or aftermint on a tray, and I observe currency notes ranging up to 100 amidst the sachets. Here is a polite way of seeking a tip - not the aggressive American way. Perhaps, some generous soul started tipping, and others start following the lead. Not really in the habit, but we too drop a 20-rupee note. And as the train approaches the final destiantion, we find another round of tea/coffee being served and an announcment each of the commuters would be provided with a litre of water - Rail Neer!! Wow!! (I don't ask for one!)
But the saving grace is: (i) escape from those nursery school teachers of the various airways, who keep on instructing and correcting you all through the trip and (ii) the horrible and horripilating security mechanism of the airports of India with the crudest behaviour (while the commuters are warned against any crude behaviour against the security personnel, there is nothing to protect the commuters from the rude behavior of the security personnel bordering harassment) and crudest technology available for this vital area - apparently the CISF personnel take a sadistic pleasure in making almost everyone to explain what exactly is in the chambers of their private baggage, perhaps, it is the technology. (iii) he escape from the escalating and extortionary prices of the airlines and (iv) the constantly threatening announcements regarding the luggage restrictioons and the weight limit. (v) The leg space is much better when compared to the flights (and Roadways buses)!
The coach is AC, tolerably cool. The wifi icon indicates Vande Bharat, and displays a set of infotainment items on the menu. However, I was not successful in getting connected; nor could the crew be of help in this regard.
When compared to the German trains, which Dr Mani had kept as the model, Vande Bharat differs starting with the number of users. The trip gives me the impression that it is well-received by the Indian commuters - perhaps, affordable to the middle class and above only now. The other difference is the constant hulla-bulla that happens in the train - instead of the polish hush hush of the German and American trains, here we have children squealing, anyone and everyone speaking on the phone, making it all a public matter (truly res publican) - audible to all the neighbours, so the constant din - perhaps that is our lndian culture - animated and lively.
This class is to be contrasted with the rest of the Indian Rail. My student from Keralam was expected to arrive at Lucknow from Kochi by Rapti Sagar Express at 10.30 am. It was getting delayed and there is always updation on the railway app (That is great). From two hours to start with it has gradually gone into now almost 12 hours. A driver is waiting at Lucknow with a vehicle, the girl is in the train with so many like her - and no body protests, and even if they do, that would just fall into deaf ears or get a response that this is India, our burden is great, we are still developing etc.
The platform appeared rather clean... during our 45 minutes wait, 2 staff members appeared with a broom that could be used without having to bend. The first one gathered the waste getting litttered on the floor and swetp that down to the rail way track. The seoncd one appeared after some 20 minutes gathering litter and dust from very far, and always gathering more on the way and struggling to keep all of them together as he progressed, and almost near our bench swetp the whole thing on the tracks. That shows poor waste management practice and a clear assumption that railway tracks are places where you can litter or defecate or whatever.
On the platform, I got a cup of hot tea, as I kept it on the bench it fell over and the sugary tea spread over the bench. I got water from my bottle, washed off the tea and wiped it dry. The water flowed on the rough concrete floor and almost dried but created a small puddle of dirty water on the floor. The two men approached almost close to that with their broom, but didn't feel to give one swipe with it to make the place better. Only after they had disappeared did that occur to me too that I should have requested them this favour.
Leaving the rather clean station, you are presented with the railway tracks and invaraibly, itt sides prsent pile of plastic litter, and most likely it is a nationwide phenomenon of poor civic education and poor cleanliness agenda of the local authorities or government enterprisees like the Indian Railwayss.
