Is It Safe For Girls To Travel On An Overnight Train?

[MegnaSinha]

My friend and I (both of us girls) will be traveling from Ambala to Mumbai on an overnight train which we had made a booking for around 2 weeks ago. At first, we were fine about the overnight train journey but a lot of people have said we should avoid the overnight trains especially if it is just myself and my female friend. It has made me and my friend really scared and I don't even think I would be able to get any sleep on the train or even be able to stay in peace. On top of all that I watched one of those programs on Savdaan Indian and guess what it was about a girl travelling on her own in a train.
Please advise what I should do, cancel the tickets or keep them?

Any tips or advise would be good.

 

[Aidan]

If you are able to change your trip to a day trip, I would advise you to do that instead. I would not be okay with my girlfriend traveling alone on a night train. I am not saying that something bad will definitely happen, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Delilah]

I would not feel comfortable traveling overnight alone or with a female friend either. When you are a stranger in a country, it's always better to choose safer options.

 

[LMackey]

To be safe, maybe you should avoid traveling on trains at night. I'm sure you will be fine but why take the chance? I would probably avoid it myself.

 

[xTinx]

I don't know if it's possible to rebook the tickets you already purchased but if there's that option then you should take advantage of it. I'm sure if you ask the train operator's management, then perhaps they can help you remedy this situation.

 

[Elizabetonth]

Ah, @MegnaSinha I hope you haven't already changed your tickets! You'll be fine. Really, really you will. I went to India with a friend of mine on my first trip. We're both female, and we took the sleeper trains many times, and it was never a problem in the slightest. I also travelled on my own on the sleeper trains, and I never had anyone say or do anything that made me feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable. It's really not a problem, and it's actually quite a fun experience - definitely a tick on the travelling list. I usually took AC3 tickets, and it was always fine, so you don't even need to be in one of the top two classes to feel secure. There are so many horror stories out there for women travelling, whether in groups or alone, but don't forget that there are also horror stories for women everywhere - walking around neighbourhoods near their own homes, or even just being IN your own homes. It doesn't look like the people who commented above have taken these trains, and I understand their caution, but please believe me when I say that honestly there is nothing to worry about at all. Take the same precautionary measures that you usually should - lock your backpack to your bed, keep your valuables with you, you'll be assigned bunks next to your friend, and you'll find that people go to sleep pretty early on the train anyway.
All this said, the important thing is that you feel comfortable, so if you didn't feel comfortable and you changed/change your tickets, then that's obviously perfectly fine, too. I'd be interested to hear what you decided in the end, and how your experience of either choice was!

 

[AlapanB]

It really depends on the type of train you're boarding. If your train is an Express train, it'll only stop at the major stations and it'll also have its own police crew to make sure everyone is okay. On the other hand, boarding a train that'll stop at any and every station is not really a great choice for women travelling alone at night. And also, travelling on one of the AC coaches will definitely help a lot as they're strictly monitored for unreserved passengers and potential troublemakers.

 

[xTinx]

Ah, @MegnaSinha I hope you haven't already changed your tickets! You'll be fine. Really, really you will. I went to India with a friend of mine on my first trip. We're both female, and we took the sleeper trains many times, and it was never a problem in the slightest. I also travelled on my own on the sleeper trains, and I never had anyone say or do anything that made me feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable. It's really not a problem, and it's actually quite a fun experience - definitely a tick on the travelling list. I usually took AC3 tickets, and it was always fine, so you don't even need to be in one of the top two classes to feel secure. There are so many horror stories out there for women travelling, whether in groups or alone, but don't forget that there are also horror stories for women everywhere - walking around neighbourhoods near their own homes, or even just being IN your own homes. It doesn't look like the people who commented above have taken these trains, and I understand their caution, but please believe me when I say that honestly there is nothing to worry about at all. Take the same precautionary measures that you usually should - lock your backpack to your bed, keep your valuables with you, you'll be assigned bunks next to your friend, and you'll find that people go to sleep pretty early on the train anyway.
All this said, the important thing is that you feel comfortable, so if you didn't feel comfortable and you changed/change your tickets, then that's obviously perfectly fine, too. I'd be interested to hear what you decided in the end, and how your experience of either choice was!

I think since she's not comfortable with the idea of riding an overnight train, then she should just ride during the day, where she feels safer and less tense.

 

[GinaMax]

If it makes her that fearful, then it could be better to switch the tickets to a day trip. India is beautiful day or night. However, I would not be the least bit afraid. I won't let my fear, especially my fear of being a woman, keep me from discovering what is beautiful and exciting about the world. The train has security, and think about it, if someone does something they shouldn't, they won't get very far.... unless they plan from jumping from a train.

 

[LydiaJJ]

Fear of crime rather than crime itself is what cripples people's lives in most cases.not just in India of course. As the seeds have already been planted in your head, Megna, you may as well make another plan as it will be hard to feel comfortable on the train now. If you feel you can go ahead perhaps you could take it in turns to sleep?

 

[amelia88]

For me personally, as someone who has travelled pretty extensively solo, I don't know how I would feel about an overnight train unless I had a private room where I could lock a door. I just wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise - I know I'm probably being dramatic but I do try to avoid putting myself in a situation where I would be vulnerable with others around, and if it was an open sleeping group type setting I don't think I would do that. Ultimately though it's up to the individual. If your friend is really scared, to the point that it's going to ruin her pleasant trip with stress, then I would just try and rebook.

 

[jnorth88]

You have to accept that even if it is safe to travel on the overnight train, it is still better to be cautious and take preventative steps. Such choices are a mentality which is better than recklessness, and has impact in all actions, from big decisions to the mundane. Safety must be the primary concern. That does not mean being paranoid, but it does mean recognizing that there are safer options, and those should be undertaken where available. Being reckless, putting oneself in danger, is being a bad tourist, and is, in my opinion, disrespectful to the host country.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I'm not saying it's guaranteed that something bad will happen, but there MIGHT be something that could happen at these night trains. Maybe swap for a day time train schedule, as you really wouldn't be able to see much of the scenery at night, and it is really a lot safer when there's more people during the day. I hope you guys would be alright.

 

[pwarbi]

While I'm not going to say your taking your life in your own hands, I do think you would be a little safer travelling through the day. If that isn't possible though, make sure you use your common sense, and try and stick together at all times and I'm sure you'll be fine.