A travel video showing a train journey from Delhi to Agra has gained attention online after showing just how much of an experience a budget rail trip in India can offer. The video is filmed by two people going to Agra by train and details the train journey from the seating and onboard facilities to food options and the train station at Agra Cantt.
The video starts by saying that the train ride cost around €6 and the railway journey is a wonderful example of how inexpensive rail travel in India can be for international visitors. The travellers were shown inside an air-conditioned coach and a glimpse of the blue berths, curtains and compact interiors commonly associated with Indian sleeper-style train accommodation is included.
The journey from Delhi to Agra is described in the video as taking about two hours. Travelers find it less comfortable but are very happy to have a good experience and things that they anticipated the trip to be less comfortable and some of the things they liked most were the air-conditioned cabin which gave some privacy and a pretty good time on the journey.
The temperature inside the coach was also surprisingly pleasant. The working lights were another small but nice detail during the trip. As much as the interior was not the premium train experience that some international travellers may have been used to, the video demonstrated it to be functional and reasonably comfortable for the low price.
Food was another interesting part of the trip. The coach had advertisements that passengers could order food to be delivered to their train. In the video, also to the side of the coach were vendors with food and drink, so passengers had an option while they were travelling.
For the passengers, these features appeared to add to the distinctly Indian character of the journey. Rather than being a simple point-to-point train ride, the experience wasn’t limited to a simple point-to-point train ride; vendors walked through the compartments, onboard food services and the familiar movement and activity of Indian railway travel.
But not every aspect of the experience received the same response. The video also briefly mentioned the toilets and one of the travellers said that they were not very surprising. The reaction indicated that the facilities were generally in line with what the travellers had expected before beginning the journey.
Despite all the negatives, the train ride itself was actually quite good. Their reaction was quite different because they thought the train ride would be significantly worse. The air-conditioned compartment, privacy curtains, working lights, food availability and relatively warm temperature made it easier for them to take.
The tone of the video changed after the train reached Agra. Video from Agra Cantt station showed a large crowd of passengers and significant activity around the station premises. The travellers described the situation outside the train as “absolute chaos,” with crowds, vehicles, luggage, and people moving in different directions.
The arrival scene was in stark contrast to the relatively calm environment inside the train. After traveling in an AC compartment in the train, the travellers suddenly found themselves in the bustle of one of Agra’s major railway stations.
The video ends with some funny moments between travellers, one of whom jokes about being kicked out of Agra. And yes, the comment is meant to show how much of a surprise the trip was in their arrival but not to imply a real incident took place. They finally show the Delhi-Agra train journey as a momentous part of their India trip.
The video has also shown how different travellers perceive daily public transport travel. What seems routine to regular Indian railway passengers may be very different to visitors who experience the country’s rail network for the first time. In this case, the travellers’ expectations of a long journey were tempered by an AC coach; privacy curtains; functioning facilities; and an onboard food option.
At the same time, their reaction to Agra Cantt station illustrated another familiar aspect of travelling through India's busy cities: the sudden transition from a controlled train environment to a crowded and highly active station outside.
The video describes the trip from Delhi to Agra for about two hours as a cheap and relatively comfortable journey yet the energy and chaos that the travellers encountered at Agra is clearly visible. The contrast between the modestly priced train ride and the lively arrival scene has made the travel footage a great reminder of the journey through India by rail.
