A foreign traveler has gone viral after she shared her overnight journey on an Indian Railways train and described it much better than she expected.
Ines Faria, a 25-year-old backpacker who quit her job and traveled the world, posted a video on Instagram titled First Night Train in India as a Woman, in which she talked about her positive experience.
“I thought it was going to be messy. First sleeper train in India and it was actually such a good experience. Note to self: stop overthinking everything,” she wrote in the caption.
Faria boarded the train with a friend and said she was surprised by how clean it was, especially since she assumed it might be unsanitary.
“It was a bit small with our big bags, but they gave us clean sheets and blankets,” she said, adding: “The toilets themselves weren’t the worst, I was expecting a lot dirtier. The train was very clean.”
She also said she slept well during the trip and praised fellow travelers for being calm and respectful throughout the night.
“The experience was quite nice and much better than I expected. Plus I slept like a baby,” Faria said.
The video quickly gained attention online and many social media users welcomed her and encouraged her to explore Indian culture and cuisine.
“Glad to see someone traveling my country on a good budget. Have a good trip ladies. India welcomes you with an open heart,” wrote one user. Another suggested, “You can also try Vande Bharat trains.”
A third comment read: “Welcome to India. Forgive the chaos, pollution, honking, littering, staring and selfies. Hope you enjoy it and come back again. Healthcare here is affordable and reliable!”
‘That’s progress’
In a similar incident last year, an Indian woman shared a touching experience of traveling alone at night on Indian railways. In a LinkedIn post, Purvi Jain said she traveled alone and described a small but powerful moment that gave her deep assurance about the direction India was taking.
Around 11:00 pm, two policewomen entered her compartment, looked around and asked: Seat 38 – Purvi?
Jain, momentarily confused, confirmed her identity. What followed was unexpected.
“They stopped, checked I was okay and asked if I needed any help. Then they gave me a helpline number to call if I ever felt unsafe,” she wrote in her post, which went on to receive thousands of likes and shares across platforms.
Jain later learned that the police had checked her because she was a solo traveller.
