From the last decade, IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) is playing an important role in Indian Railways. IRCTC is responsible for handling catering, ticketing and tourism of passengers. Now passengers can eat good quality train food that is served hot and fresh by the trained staff of IRCTC division.

Railway has been the most popular and preferred mode of transportation in India since its inception. It is also the best way to travel across the country to get the feel of real India. During your journey, you would realise the scenic beauty and how fast this country has progressed in last 60 years.

If you are a visitor in this country or a first timer to travel in train, then the below mentioned tips will help to make your journey safe and comfortable:-

• Always get your seat reservations in advance. Since Indian railways is the most preferred way of travel by Indians, therefore, there is shortage of supply as the demand is high
• While making your booking, you can choose a window seat so that you can enjoy the scenic beauty of the country
• There would be some trains that are superfast and some of them that are not, so it is always a good idea to carry I-Pods or other gadgets to keep you busy. However, since Indian people are quite friendly, so you get a lot of friendly and talkative people around.
• If you are travelling by trains like Rajdhani or Shatabdi, then you do not have to pay anything extra for food, but apart from these two trains, you would either of to carry food or you can also order food from the pantry car. Though the options would be limited, yet still they are good enough to keep you full for a good period of time. Also, you can find hawkers selling snacks and drinks during your journey.
• For hygiene purposes, always carry toilet paper, hand towels and soap as they would be very handy and useful
• If your journey is an overnight journey, then ensure safety of your luggage. It is quite possible that thieves might enter the coach and steal your belongings. Use a padlock and chain to tie your luggage.

Indian Railways and IRCTC in conjunction are working to provide best in class facilities to its passengers. With the advancement in technology, you can check Indian Railways seat availability and also book tickets online by entering your travel plan. Also, in case you are not comfortable in eating train food, then you can also order private online food delivery companies to deliver food at your seat. Apart from these, there are some improvisations that have been made in the air conditioned and first class coaches to provide better amenities. Indian Railways have also kept in mind the peak season of travelling and have introduced more number of trains during the festive seasons and summer holidays.

There has been a wave of change in the ways Indian Railways have started operating and meeting customer expectations. It is now definitely, one of the most convenient and comfortable way of travelling in today’s time.