A better lifeline

摘要

A whirl of activity fills the dimly lit carriage. Passengers jostle and rip open paper bags containing linen fortheir bunks. It is a relief to leave the stench of Bangalore station, where tracks double as latrines. The Hospet overnight service departs a few minutes late, trundles along for 400km (250 miles) and arrives on time at dawn. Like all Indian trains, itis crammed. Its cabins are worn and a bit grubby, the toilets holes in the floor. Itis also cheap. A nine-hourtrip on the best, air-conditioned berths costs 3,200 rupees ($50) for a family of four. Ticket prices were frozen by populist politicians who long ran the network, and only recently started to rise modestly.