Tips for train travel in India

Checking your reservation : Your train, coach and berth number will be printed on your ticket. Indian Railway Reservation lists for each long-distance train are posted on the notice board at each station about two hours before departure, showing the name, age and sex of each passenger reserved in each berth in each coach - the age and sex help the ticket inspector identify that the right passenger is in the right berth. The reservation list for each coach will also be pasted on the train itself, next to the entrance door. Check to see that your name is listed. The system is very efficient, and the days of finding your reserved berth already occupied by several passengers are long gone. Pictured left, my glamorous assistant Karen demonstrates reading the reservation list next to the entrance door on the Delhi - Varanasi overnight express... India Travel

Food and drink on Indian trains:

There are no restaurant or buffet cars on Indian Railways, but on long distance trains an attendant will appear in your coach and ask you if you would like to order food. He will note down your order (usually a choice of 'veg' or 'non-veg') on a bit of paper. An hour or so later he will reappear with some rice and curry in small foil containers from the kitchen car. It is not expensive - you can reckon on £1-£2 per meal. Attendants also regularly pass down each car selling soft drinks, snacks, or excellent hot sweet Indian tea (garam chai) for a few rupees. On the premier Rajdhani Express trains (linking Delhi with Bombay, Calcutta, etc.) and the premier daytime Shatabdi Express trains (linking Delhi with Jaipur and Agra, etc.), food is included in the fare, served at your seat.

Train reservation lists are posted on platform noticeboards about 2 hours before departure...

Cleanliness, toilets and crowding:

The efficient Train Reservation system means that you can safely forget any photos you've seen of overcrowded Indian trains with people on the roof or hanging on the side - these photos show suburban trains, or basic unreserved 2nd class on long distance ones. On fast long-distance trains in AC1, AC2, AC3, or AC Chair Class, all passengers have an assigned seat or sleeping berth so there's no overcrowding. 
Don't expect pristine western standards anywhere in India, but you'll find AC1, AC2, AC3 and AC Chair class fairly clean by Indian standards, with both western-style and squat toilets usually in a reasonably sanitary condition. See the train interior photos below. On the other hand, Sleeper Class gets much grubbier than the AC classes and unreserved passengers can sometimes enter the coaches making it crowded. 2nd class unreserved can be incredibly crowded.  Toilets in sleeper class or basic non-AC 2nd class seats can leave a lot to be desired...

Security on Indian trains:

Indian trains are quite safe to travel on, even for families or women travelling alone, and you are unlikely to have any problems. Having said that, theft of luggage is not unheard of, so just for peace of mind take along a bicycle lock or medium-sized padlock to secure your bags. In the sleeping-cars, there are wire hoops hanging down underneath the seats to which you can padlock your luggage. As in any busy place, pickpockets operate at the major stations (for example Delhi and New Delhi), so take care.Travel in India