I always like the rail travel better than other modes. It has got to be much improved, still it is more interesting. If you want to go to distant places without delay, the flight is the only alternative.

My train journey starts seriously after 1960, when I had to go to the All India Conferences of the Union, Conventions etc. From, Kerala, it was a three day journey to New Delhi; first to Madras (Chennai) and from there to Delhi by the GT Express. No other train to Delhi from South. I think I posted some time back a detailed account of certain train journeys of that time. Though it was very difficult and tiresome, thinkig about those days is nostalgic.

A good portion of my time after shifting to Delhi as General Secretary of the E.III Union was spent in travelling mainly by trains. Sometimes days together. There were pleasant journeys and also hard and difficult journeys. But always there were our comrades to help. It was a time when we fought for the correct policy in the union and the recognised federations at that time used all methods to marginalise and harass us. Of course that period is over after the formation of BSNL and membership verification process.

And now I am going in train to Bijapur from Bengaluru. Com.Girish from BG is accompanying me. The train journey is more convenient than earlier. It is a 15 hours journey, but it seems that it will become an  18 hours journey, with much delay as usual with the Indian Railways. I may reach the Bijapur function after almost two hours later. But, of course, this is part of life. To avoid further delay, I had already taken bath etc. and is ready to directly go to the function.

What will be the future of the great Indian Railway? If the government continues with its neo-liberalisation policies it is certain that this may be corporatised and privatised unless there is stiff opposition from the people and political parties.