actually a couple with WL 15 and 16 in 1st AC got their tickets confirmed through HO quota and got the two people coupe because they were known to some railway people. and I shared my wife's berth till VSKP. so much for Indian Railways and its big big talks. and nodes like HWH, SDAH, NJP etc are paradises for touts hand in gloves with the railway officials, U can buy any ticket from Kolkata to anywhere in any class upto the time of train departure, there is a big mafia racket behind it and I don't think any minister or any official has the spine to take on them. I am an ardent rail fan right from early 80s in my childhood when the steam whistle of the PDY - VM line behind our campus held a fascination for me and till recently upto last 5 yrs or so I...
more... would still prefer a train over a flight. But I am dejected enough to say that no more does a train have priority over a flight for me. given the fact that upper class travel is being made more expensive in the guise of cross subsidizing others, I appear to be a dumb fool for preferring 1st AC travel inspite of the fact that after paying more than a flight fare I still can't choose my berths or seats, which even a Volvo bus booking offers. successive rail ministries have not addressed these issues and I have no hope the present one too will. after all railways are for the masses, cattle class is what they want to treat us as; we upper class pax are not really needed by the railways.