Simple joys of travelling in military special trains
Our gruelling staff course at a scenic place known as Wellington was about to wind up. This beautiful place with a salubrious climate is nestled in the Nilgiris near Coonoor. We couldn’t have waited any longer to get back to our cosy homes after burning the midnight oil at this year-long course.
At the end of a central lecture, we were asked the option of travelling under our arrangements or by a military special train to Delhi. Without batting an eyelid, all hands went up for the latter. The strict discipline to be adhered to while travelling in such trains did not deter us from opting for it. While travelling on the train, one couldn’t get down on platforms in slippers, shorts or night suit. All officers were expected to be attired as gentlemen. Officers also had the choice of an entitled free air journey since the move after the staff course was akin to a permanent posting. But, travelling in a military special train has its own charm, especially with course mates. In those days, the three-day journey seemed like a short dream of a few hours full of gay abandon.
My tryst with military special trains began when we as young bubbling National Defence Academy cadets happily used to travel to Delhi for our refreshing summer and winter breaks in the NDA Special.
These sojourns were hard-earned after nerve-wracking 147 days of rigorous training of one semester or ‘term’ in NDA jargon. The term spanned about five months. This magical figure of 147 days is remembered by all ex-NDA officers. In academy parlance, when the semester used to commence, a catchy term was coined to denote this figure. It was called Days Left to Go Home (DLTGH), which was supposed to be written on the right-hand corner of the blackboard by the class senior in all classrooms before the day began. There was nothing else that gave us better pleasure than when we looked at the receding figure as the days slipped by. It also constantly reminded us of our forthcoming journey on board the NDA Special.
These journeys used to be a uniquely pleasurable experience. Unlike a normal train, the entire train was booked just for NDA cadets. The journey used to take three days as the train used to be the last to get the green signal at all railway junctions. For obvious reasons, other commercial and express trains were accorded priority. But we cared two hoots. The slower our train, the better since we got to spend quality time with friends; playing cards and chess, reading books or just merely indulging in academy gossip.
As teenagers, how can we forget our outdoor baths under big railway hoses when out of sight of the prying eyes of our seniors? In my later service life also, I used to cancel my leave just to grab the rare opportunity of travelling by military special trains when the entire unit permanently moved from one station to another location. The battalion on wheels used to have all its offices in a fully functional state, including our telephonic communication on our good old olive green army telephones.
While attending a few career courses subsequently, whenever I got the opportunity to travel in a military special train, I always opted for it for the simple joys the journey offered, far more enjoyable than the comfortable flights on commercial air carriers.
UNLIKE A NORMAL TRAIN, THE ENTIRE TRAIN WAS BOOKED JUST FOR NDA CADETS. THE JOURNEY USED TO TAKE THREE DAYS AS THE TRAIN USED TO BE THE LAST TO GET THE GREEN SIGNAL AT ALL RAILWAY JUNCTIONS