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  Overland by Motorcycle          

Due to either breakdowns or to long, very bad stretches of road, the bike was loaded onto a train.

To arrange this, do the following, preferably in the order as stated:

1) Select a train that begins at your departure station and terminates in the arrival station. If it merely travels through either station, then you will either be very rushed to load it or not be guaranteed a space. Ideally, you should go to the parcel office at the railway station and check that a particular train number will have a luggage carriage - most do.

2) Book a train ticket for yourself.

3) 3-4 hours before your trip, go to the parcel office and arrange packing. This basically involves the packers (usually a private company located in or outside of the parcel office) putting some straw on the seat and controls then tying some hessian over the bike. I suggest that you direct the packers so as not to prevent the handlebars being turned etc. Given that your bike has travelled overland, it is probably pretty tough, so you basically are getting it packed to humour the parcel office. Expect to pay INR 100-150 per bike. As part of the packing, they will put a sign over the handlebars detailing the from/to stations and description of bike plus a parcel reference number.

4) Go to the parcel office Officer and give details of bike, destination, value for insurance (INR 10-30,000 will generally satisfy them as you will be charged a percentage). You also give a declaration that there is no fuel in it (not checked). Finally, you pay the bill for bike shipping. As a guide, I paid INR 1200 for a 14 hour train and INR 1800 for a 26 hour train.

5) Wait until 1 hour before shipping before returning to the parcel office to ensure safe loading. Either ride the bike to the appropriate platform yourself or get the porters to push it (this is included in the price, I think, so no need to tip). When you get to the train luggage carriage, there is unlikely to be a ramp and it will look like miles between the platform and carriage. It is easiest to reverse it in, then lift up the back (with assistance) into the carriage. Then comes the front and tie it as best you can to the shelving system in the carriage. I also chose to use a lock, firstly so that nobody could remove it at an earlier station and secondly so that they had to wait for me before unloading at the destination.

6) At the destination, go straight to the luggage carriage and if you can, find a box or bag of some type. This can be used as a step when moving the bike forwards onto the platform. Once safely off, strap your luggage back onto the bike and just ride off. Often there will be a guard who checks your receipt both before letting you access the carriage and again at the exit to the station. I just started the engine and rode along the platform as I had left 'a little' fuel in the tank.

Just remember, you are in India, so there will always be at least 10 people standing around watching who you can commandeer to assist.

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