A foreign woman traveler has gone viral after sharing her night-time journey on an Indian Railways train, describing it as far better than she had expected.
Ines Faria, a 25-year-old backpacker who left her job to travel the world, posted an Instagram video titled First night train in India as a woman, in which she spoke about her positive experience.
“I thought this was going to be chaotic. 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 as she had assumed it might be unhygienic.
“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 expected way dirtier. The train was very clean.”
She also said she slept well during the journey and praised fellow passengers for being calm and respectful through the night.
“The experience was quite nice and way better than I expected. Plus, I slept like a baby,” Faria said.
The video quickly gained attention online, with many social media users welcoming her and encouraging her to explore India’s culture and cuisine.
“Good to see someone traveling my country with a good budget. Have a great journey, ladies. India welcomes you with an open heart,” one user wrote. Another suggested: “You can also try Vande Bharat trains.”
A third comment read: “Welcome to India. Forgive the chaos, pollution, honking, trash, stares and selfies. Hope you enjoy and return again. Healthcare here is affordable and reliable!”
‘This is 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 was traveling solo and described a small but powerful moment that left her feeling deeply reassured about the direction India was moving in.
At around 11 pm, two women police officers entered her compartment, looked around and asked, “Seat 38 – Purvi?”
Momentarily confused, Jain confirmed her identity. What followed was unexpected.
“They stopped, checked whether I was comfortable, 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 officers had checked in on her because she was a solo female traveller.
