In case you are planning to visit India, then you definitely need to tour by Indian railways if you want to travel through the length and the breadth of the country. Without a shadow of a doubt, the best way to see India is not on a plane at 35,000 feet, but at ground level through the incredible Indian Railway system. Indian Railway is one of India’s most effective networks that keep the social, economical, political and cultural fabric of the country intact. Indian visa holders who visit India are amazed to see such a gigantic & absurd network of railways. Thus, an India business visa holder must enjoy this resource while visiting India.
Railways are the most commonly used mode of transportation in India. It is said to be the 4th largest railway network in the world, transporting over 10 billion passengers and over 1050 million tones of freight annually. It is also among the major employers around the world with almost 1.6 million people working for this gigantic network. India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and passenger traffic is heavily subsidized by more expensive higher class fares.
Until the late 1980s, Indian Railway ticket reservations were done manually. In late 1987, the Railways started using a computerized ticketing system. The entire ticketing system went online in 1995 to provide up to date information on status and availability. Today, the ticketing network is computerized to a large extent, with the exception of some remote places. Indian visa holders can get their computerized tickets which can be booked for any route in the country. India business visa holders can also book their tickets through the internet or mobile phones, though this method carries an additional surcharge.
Anything is available for sale inside an Indian train and at Indian railway Stations. Indian visa holders can buy anything from safety pins to quiz books, from bananas to shoe polishes. Not all the vendors are approved by the Indian railway system, though. An India business visa holder can enjoy many vegetarian and non vegetarian cuisines in the train. When a train reaches a station, the vendors swarm the windows like bees on a honeycomb to make a sale. Generally, the train stops for two minutes at each station, but at major stations this can be up to 30 minutes. It is mandatory for an India business visa traveler to have such knowledge about Indian railways.
From the window of a train, India Visa traveler can witness the changing topography, crops, vegetation, people and their ways of life. It is like the ever changing rhythm of a song for an India business visa traveler which is well composed and yet incorporates varied essences and influences. An India visa traveler has pleasant memories and experiences while travelling through the Indian railways.