Once upon a time, train travel was a regular feature in my life. Come school holidays and we would jump into a train for a visit to grandma’s . Or a visit to an uncle or aunt who lived in an exotic destination. Or it also meant a visit to the train station to pick up the people who were visiting us!

Train travel then, meant a lot of planning. Tickets had to be bought days in advance. We had to get concession forms signed by the school so that we could avail of concessional fares. And finally we had to make sure that we travelled just right.

If the journey was a long one, out came the hold all : that foldable canvas bedding, strapped up with leather belts that carried much more than just the bedding. 

And of course, whether the journey was long or short, we carried tonnes of stuff to eat!

Digitalisation has changed the way we book our tickets and modern rakes have changed the way trains look.

But it also took off some of the excitement of going somewhere. Where was the planning? The rushing around and the final victory round at the end of the journey?

As I slept in my seat, I missed the noise of the whirring fan trapped in a dusty cage overhead. Gone too were the musty , dusty rags that passed off as curtains. And the windows, they were tightly sealed, not halfway up, as the carriage was air conditioned.

I was briefly prodded by the TC who just asked me my name. I must admit I was disappointed. I was all ready to brandish my phone and have him scan the QR code and ask for ID proof .

Another disappointment was the Railway Catering.

Gone are the days of fat buttered toast with soft, gooey scrambled eggs. Not to mention the steaming hot batata wada  and Maganlal Chikki that you had to grab at Karjat where the train stopped for its  extra engine .

In their place now were unappetizing sickly yellow omelets, vegetable cutlets, and tasteless pale sabudana wadas. All served in flimsy disposable tableware by apathetic waiters.

But somethings remained the same : the familiar ‘ tadak tadak’ as the train sped on the tracks that lulled me to sleep.

The timeless calm as the train passed fields and distant hills and the occasional sleepy village.  

And the train rattling past the once familiar stations Talegaon, Dapodi , Kirkee , Pimpri, ShivajiNagar till it finally stops at Pune Junction!

p.s. I hope to make this a regular journey as I want to visit my folks there more often.

Ciao,