Mumbai: A 26 hour train journey from Mumbai to Amritsar gave Dutch YouTuber Pedro Mota a very different taste of luxury travel in India and it was not the plush experience he had imagined. Covering nearly 1,500 kilometres in First AC, Mota expected something close to a five star hotel on wheels. Instead, he encountered paid services, an underwhelming dinner, a temperamental shower and, ultimately, something he valued far more the warmth of Indian passengers.
Mota documented the journey in a vlog, sharing his first impressions of travelling in an Indian First AC sleeper coach. His biggest surprise came soon after boarding, when he realised that several services operated on a “pay as you go” basis rather than being included as part of the premium travel experience.
Dinner did little to change his initial impression. The non vegetarian option available to him was egg biryani, which he found rather ordinary and lacking in flavour.
But the experience took a turn when Mota met a 15 member joint family travelling to a wedding in Panipat. The family invited him to share their homemade meal, serving him fresh rotis, potato curry and dal rice. For the YouTuber, the gesture became one of the defining moments of the journey and reinforced his view that the real character of Indian train travel lies with its people.
The next morning brought another small adventure. Mota went looking for coffee and walked nearly half a kilometre through the train expecting to find a conventional pantry setup. Instead, he discovered that the pantry functioned more like a mobile kitchen. His search eventually ended at Faridabad station, where he bought hot samosas and strong tea.
His First AC shower also failed to deliver the luxury experience he had expected. The water was initially cold before becoming lukewarm, although it was enough to freshen up during the long journey.
As passengers got off along the route, the coach became quieter and gave Mota more room to work and relax. He particularly enjoyed the train travelling at around 130 km/h while he watched the changing landscape outside.
By the time he reached Amritsar, the journey had clearly fallen short of his five star expectations. Yet, for Mota, that may have been beside the point. The food, conversations and unexpected hospitality had turned a long train ride into an experience he was unlikely to forget.
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