Train Journeys – Jodphur to Delhi

The final train journey in India for me this time round was the 611 kilometre, 11 hour journey from Rajasthan’s blue city Jodphur to the Indian capital, Delhi. I took the Salasar Super Fast, Train number 22422 in 1AC, a class I didn’t remember booking and one I had never taken before. This was the premiere class I think, there was a compartment with a door that closed to the corridor and we had a conductor ask if we wanted to order food. It was just me and another gentleman in the compartment, which was very well airconditioned and comfortable, although there were four beds.

It was probably more spacious than 2AC class as well, with wall sockets, a variety of lights and the ability to turn off the AC. Which was needed at points as it got artic at times. Didn’t take long to heat up again though once it was off.

The train left at 11.25am (it was maybe 5-10 mins late) and arrived on time at Delhi S Rohilla station at 2210. Which was nice (on time arrival). Arriving at Delhi S Rohilla, not the main Delhi train station, had its advantages and disadvantages. It’s not as big as Delhi Train Station, and therefore not as manic, but also it’s not directly connected to a metro and not as central.

Looking on a map, it seemed to be not that far out either, however the auto-rickshaw ride to the Paraganj, due to traffic mostly, was a good 45 minutes or more. It may have been harder to bargain with the rickshaw wallahs at Delhi Station, it has been in the past, so I guess it’s a case of six of one, half a dozen of the other to which station is better.

I shared the compartment with a friendly Indian guy in suit – a business man. I found explaining my job – working with people with disabilities – pretty difficult to him as he definitely had a business mind, but he was chatty. The first half of the journey he was rarely off his phone – but that could be half the world now regardless of what country you’re in!

As the video shows, the scenery is not that amazing, and pretty much the same as my other journeys through Rajasthan on the rails. Dry and arid, the stations often provide the most interesting variation. I was on the ‘Super Fast’ train, in India trains often have designations like this which belay the real truth, that they average just over 50km/h which is hardly ‘superfast’.

At 830pm I arrived in the station of Rewari, and I checked the map. The first 9 hours I’d slept, eaten, written and watched videos. It was now dark and I was in the state of Haryana, for the first time since I’d arrived in India I had left the huge state of Rajasthan. And was it much different outside? Well, the darkness is the same most places you go, right?

This train didn’t go, as I had presumed beforehand looking at my map, through Jaipur, so I guess it was nice not to go the exact same route as I’d gone in the other direction. I was expecting to pass through Jaipur, but it just never pulled into the city!

The train pulled in at 2210 into Delhi S Rohilla station, and that was that. I was done with long distance trains this time around in India. I’d managed all journeys, although long, during the day which was good, even if the scenery rarely changed. I’d only had one major delay of any kind, from Jaipur to Jaisalmer, I’d met a few interesting people along the way, and I left India with no doubts – train is the way to travel this amazing country! May the Journey Never End!