Rules for Foreigners travelling in Indian Trains
India is a land of tourist attractions. If Taj Mahal is one of the Wonders of the World, there are other unheralded but beautiful sites waiting to be explored. This is why India has always captivated the imagination of foreign tourists. The flora and fauna and the cultural diversity India holds within itself is simply amazing. Once a tourist visits India, he/she will definitely want to return back again and again. While in India, the most preferred and safe mode of transportation is the train route. India railways even offers added incentives for foreign tourists making their travelling hassle free.
But many of the foreigners know nothing about Indian railways. They might be caught on the wrong foot, if they do not have a grasp over the rules that have been specially etched for them. It should be mentioned that there is a special Foreign Tourist’s quota available for the individuals when booking tickets for trains between two stations. There are many important trains that have special quotas for foreign tourists. This special quota facility can only be availed by paying in US Dollars or Pound Sterling. If a tourist does not carry foreign currency, then the bookings based on quota can be done only on the production of exchange certificates issued by a nationalized bank. When the reservation is being made, the tourist needs to provide the passport number as well as the country of origin.
Though this rule has some loopholes – for instance the foreign tourist cannot avail the quota when booking tickets online. The quotas are not available for online ticket bookings and they are only possible if tickets are booked through counters. And ticket counters at major stations are hardly the places where the foreign tourists will find themselves at ease, amidst all the jostling. The second loophole to this rule is that, not all trains that come up on Indian railways time table have the provision for this special quota. There are only about 200 Premium trains that have this quota!
To help the foreign tourists through their tour, Indian Railways has designated Assistance Cells for tourists at every major station. The people at this desk are specially recruited to provide information and other assistance to the foreign tourists. But, the effectiveness of these cells is largely questionable. However, the features of the RailYatri app can keep you well informed and safe along the journey through marvels of India. The RailYatri app can be downloaded by visiting link: rytr.in/and or giving a missed call on: 8080809551. Once it is in the phone, it will constantly help in making key travel decisions through the trip. It is not another live train status app; it includes insights that help the travelers.
With the app, tourists can check the time table of trains, PNR status check, arrival and departure of trains, order for food, book taxis, share their location with contacts, judge the speed of train, and perform various other helpful tasks.
Courtesy – Annoy Chakraborty.
