AC Chair Car

When I was living at Ahmedabad, occasionally I used to travel to Mumbai for job interviews or for visiting my relatives.  All these journeys were by second / sleeper class train.  I had never travelled by an air-conditioned coach.  I always had a strong desire to travel by an AC coach, which was costly.  Once I managed to save enough for a Mumbai-Ahmedabad AC ticket.  During my next visit to Mumbai, I reserved AC Chair Car ticket by Karnatavi Express for the return journey.  Karnavati Express is a day train connecting Ahmedabad to Mumbai.  It leaves Ahmedabad early in the morning, reaches Mumbai by noon and returns to Ahmedabad the same night.

I was eagerly looking forward to the journey.  On the day of journey, I reached Mumbai Central Station well in advance.  I was really excited that I was about to travel by an air-conditioned coach.  I was wearing the best dress I had.  I bought Times of India and few English magazines.  After all, I was travelling by an AC coach, and I had to match the level of that class!  As I was entering the station, I heard an announcement, ‘Kind attention of the passengers travelling to Ahmedabad by Karnavati Express.  Due to some technical reason, AC Chair Car coach number C3 is not attached to the train today.  Instead, a second-class sitting coach, S15, has been attached.  Passengers travelling by C3 may please collect the fare difference from counter no.10.  The inconvenience is regretted’.  I pulled out my ticket - Yes, my reservation was in C3!  With a fallen face, I collected the fare difference and moved towards the second-class coach.  With lot of jealousy, I looked at those getting into the other two AC coaches – C1 and C2.  Meanwhile, the railway authorities were repeating the announcement in Hindi as well as Marathi!

Few months later I had to visit Mumbai again for attending a written test.  Again, I reserved the return ticket by AC Chair Car on Karnavati Express.  Since my ticket from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on the previous night was not confirmed, I had to travel the whole night by sitting, which was very uncomfortable.  I reached Mumbai in the morning and went straight to the test centre.  Due to some reason, the test got delayed.  When I came out, I barely had time to reach the railway station.  I quickly jumped into a taxi and asked him to rush me to Mumbai Central.  Wading through Mumbai’s traffic, when he dropped me in front of the station, it was almost the time for the train to depart.  I ran into the station.  From a distance itself I could see - there was no train on the platform.  I thought I had missed the train.  But the platform was full of people.  When I reached the platform, to my relief, I came to know that the train coming from Ahmedabad had not reached yet.  All trains from Ahmedabad were delayed due to derailment of a goods train near Vadodara.  Karnavati Express would arrive by 4.30 pm, I was told.  I had three more hours at my disposal.  So, I enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at a nearby restaurant.  The heavy meal and previous night’s lack of sleep made me slumberous.  I bought that day’s Times of India.  (No, this time it was not for reading in the train!) I moved to a relatively silent corner of the platform, spread the paper, and slept off.  After a while, I was awakened by the siren of a train.  It was not my train anyway.  Finally, Karnavati Express arrived at 5.30 pm.  Yes, the AC coach was very much there.  I jumped into the train and made myself comfortable on the cushioned seat, that too a window seat!  But, within few minutes of the train departing, the comfort of air-conditioning made it difficult for me to keep my eyes open.  I slept through almost the entire journey.  Past midnight when I got down at Ahmedabad Junction, though I didn’t enjoy it fully, one of my long-standing desires was fulfilled!