What is a Garib Rath ? The truth

Yesterday I day I was travelling from Bangalore to Hyderabad on a train named as a Garib Rath. The Garib Rath is the railways version of a low cost airline. At least that is that they want us think.

The Garib Rath is a completely air conditioned train that has only A/C 3 tier coaches and a few A/C chair car coaches. I guess the railway’s is trying to eat into the Volvo road travels market. A train meant for the “Garib” or what the government likes to call the “Aam Admi”(common man ).

So now the interesting facts about the train firstly, each bay of every compartment has nine berths. Now how is that you ask? well, the railways have introduced a side middle berth. So now you have another reason not to take those crammed side berths.

Just to get a better idea of what I am saying. Imagine you are on a side lower berth and about two yards from your face there is another berth. The side upper has been pushed further up to make space for the new berth.

Fact number two, if want the bedding which you receive in an A/C coach you have to pay for it. The fee is RS 25/-.

Now comes the fact that disturbs me the most, the number of tickets available in tatkal for Garib Rath is nearly 40% of the total. I do not know how many tickets are normally to be given under tatkal ? But on train that is meant for the “Aam Admi” 40% of tickets priced at nearly twice the normal rate (Rs 824/-).

Now judge for yourself is this Garib Rath a train for the “Aam Admi”? But lets also give credit where it is due, our honorable minister for railways. As the Indian railways has also learned the tricks of the trade when it comes to profit making. The Garib Rath, you will feel Garib when you get of it.

May be we may have to soon pay for this too.