First AC Class (1AC) Review of Indian Railways

I recently traveled in First AC of Indian Railways. I had researched about this before traveling and I thought it would be a good idea to share the review after the experience.

My travel details:

Train – 12152 Samrasta Express

Train Origin – Howrah Junction HWH

Train Destination – LTT Mumbai

My boarding – Akola Junction AK (on 12 Nov 2016 at 21:40 IST)

My Destination – LTT Mumbai

(Though sometimes this train called Samarsata Express with a different pronunciation)

Let me start with the description of the First AC class in this train. There is one full 1AC coach (H1) and one half 1AC+2AC coach (HA1). This means there were 5 cabins and 4 coupes in total for 1AC class.

We were two passengers on a single pnr. We were expecting coupe allotment. But this is not guaranteed. We were given cabin seats, and that too in two different cabins. This was a bit disappointing because we had same pnr. The charting authority should keep two passengers traveling together in same cabin, especially when one of them is a female. We managed to convince a passenger to shift to another cabin, and then traveled together in same cabin.

We boarded from Akola Jn (AK), so maybe the coupe allotment didn’t work in our favor because there were people boarding from HWH (end-to-end travel).

SERVICE

The service was decent. There was an attendant who came when we boarded and offered blankets and bedding. Nothing extraordinary about that.

CLEANLINESS

The cabin was pretty clean, except for one problem. There was a cockroach in my cabin, near my berth. I cannot expect to share my berth with a cockroach when I’m paying for the ticket and the cockroach is not (!!). Cleanliness is a big problem in Indian Railways. Even in 1AC, where I paid INR 2200 per person for a ticket (almost the same as airfare), there was a cockroach in the cabin. Other than the cockroach thing, the cabin was generally clean and everything was well kept.

The washroom indicator glass (near the ceiling, on the door entrance) has a blue light and it keeps glowing in the dark too. It is an issue for someone who needs complete darkness during their sleep.

PRIVACY

Privacy is an important factor when deciding to travel in 1AC. But, 2AC offers better privacy than 1AC. The fact is – if you get a coupe, you get privacy as the door can be bolted from inside. This ensures safety of the baggage as well. But if you get a cabin – it is no better than 2AC, as you would be sharing the cabin with other travelers. There are no curtains in 1AC, which is a negative point, compared to 2AC which has curtains, ensuring privacy.

If you want guaranteed privacy, you are better off with 2AC. It is cheaper, it has curtains and the chances of ticket confirmation are better in 2AC. If you want to take a chance with your privacy, go for 1AC. It is a luck game, and if your gamble works, there’s nothing like it. If you get a coupe for two passengers, it is as good as a private room and a safe journey without having unknown people sleeping nearby. The problem with 1AC is that the seat and berth numbers are released only after the charting is done for the train. So, even though your tickets are confirmed, you cannot know if you will get a cabin or a coupe, until 2 hours before departure. Generally, coupes are reserved for VIPs and ministers, if there are none, then it is given to regular passengers. For privacy, 1AC is a big gamble. It is all or nothing.

I would travel in 2AC if I need guaranteed privacy. Because it allots seat numbers immediately upon booking, so you can know if you have side seats. And 2AC provides privacy through curtains. Curtains work best for side upper and side lower seats. You can decide on your own about yourselves.

SO HOW DO I INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING A COUPE?

Everybody wants a coupe. But there is no guarantee if you will get one. There are a few things you can try.

1. Traveling with a dog. If you are two people traveling with a dog, your chances of getting a coupe increase, because other people can be uncomfortable with a dog in their cabin, and hence railways will try to put you in a coupe. You will have to pay charges for the dog, which aren’t very expensive. You will need to have confirmed tickets and then send a request to the Chief Reservation Officer of the train originating station to intimate them about the dog and ask for a coupe.

2. Two people/married couple/same last name people traveling in same pnr. If you are a couple, two people with same surname, married couple, you have good chance of getting a coupe.

3. Travel from origin to destination. If you are traveling from origin to destination of the train, it is likelier to get a coupe, because railways will prefer to give the coupe to people who travel end-to-end rather than to allot same coupe to two different people on different legs of the journey. This is not guaranteed, it is just my opinion.

4. You are a VIP/minister. These people have priority for coupes.

On all of the above scenarios, you will need to have a confirmed ticket. Also, you will need to send a letter to Chief Reservation Officer requesting a coupe. You can even meet the CRO in person a day or two before your departure.

FINAL REVIEW - 2.5 / 5 (For my journey)

Negatives:

1. Seats allotted in different cabins even on same pnr and one of us was a female.

2. Cockroach in the cabin/on the berth.

3. Not much different than traveling in 2AC. Actually, 2AC offers more better privacy compared to cabins of 1AC, cheaper fare.

Positives:

1. The door could be bolted from inside, so there is safety with luggage and outsiders cannot enter. And no invasion of privacy by outsiders.

2. Wider seats compared to all other classes.

 

Please note, all of the above information is my review and my opinions. These are not Indian Railway’s opinions or thoughts. Let me know if you need any further information/suggestions, I would try to reply at my earliest.