The entry to the station from the Brahmaputra side is wide and proper. But the entry from city side[via PF 7 and beyond] is so small it feels you are entering a suburban station of Bombay with no facilities. It is ironic since taxis and stuff have to take a longer loop to reach the main entry towards PF 1. The station is okayish, I was expecting a larger station considering it's the largest city in North East. But then cities like Tatanagar also operate within similar constraints as well[in terms of number of platforms, I mean]. Guwahati atleast is developing Kamakhya as an alternative for some trains.[My train terminated at KYQ itself].
The...
more... city had shitty roads and dense areas. Coming from Dispur to station took a long time. Apparently, a flyover is being built that would make things easy but I feel a metro would be a wiser choice. Yes, it is cost intensive to make but it makes life of everyone much easier. It's the most efficient form of public transportation. And with cities of Guwahati, Kamakhya and Dispur being one, I feel urban density is enough to warrant a subway/metro.
The food was good, if one does not eat near the station but that's true for most areas. Near the station, one only gets North Indian stuff usually. Fork out a little and you had get exotic stuff like pigeon meat, good ducks, pork and even a tribal Assamese dish called polu [basically silk worms, it's the closest India comes to China in terms of consuming that kind of stuff]. I firmly believe that if a person has gone to another area, one must try it's ethnic cuisine as well. Guwahati isn't just Kamakhya temple or Brahmaputra river. There is great food and the fabulous Assam museum as well. Coming to food again, I find it strange that an Italian dish made by an American chain[Dominoes] is available all over India, but other states' food is so difficult to get in nearby parts of India as well. I would have liked to stay there for couple of more days to taste some good fish from the Brahmaputra river as well.
I lived in the retiring room of Railways at Guwahati railway station. Double rooms were both kinda medium and in large variety. Both under 1k when booking for AC. When compared, we spend 1.5k for non AC rooms near Kamakhya temple, so yeah, railway retiring rooms are much better value for money. Ironically, a person with us was saying "why did you book at retiring room; we could have found a cheaper room at the spot". I wonder watt would be cheaper than 700-900 Rs for double AC rooms. I expected train noises but they were rare at the room.
The station has lifts installed at some places and elevators at PF 1. That being said, the shopkeepers give cold drinks and other drinkable items for more than MRP [unless you complain to police] at the station. This phenomenon I observed all through in Bihar as well, stations like Barauni and Hajipur as well. Ironically, at Lucknow Jn, it rarely happens and if it does, the Station Director very happily sends a guy with you to fine the shopkeeper.
Most trains arrive at the first three platforms with exception of Vande Bharat. EMUs start from PF 4,5,6 in my observation [ as did the Naharlagun Shatabdi, the smallest shatabdi in terms of rake size, I think]. I did see the DBRT Rajdhani which half emptied here. I also saw another DBRT bound train which was mostly empty at GHY despite arriving at right time. AC coaches deserted, one could find a window seat in SL and GN coaches. Apparently, people prefer the road for GHY-DBRT journey here.
This ends my rant about my short journey to the capital of Assam.
