Nanu T. (1975)
(Image Source: Screenshot from Net)
The transformation of Indian Railways has been truly remarkable. Since the commencement of India’s first passenger train service on April 16, 1853, which operated along a historic 34-kilometer route between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane, the railway system has progressed through multiple stages and levels of development. In studying these transformations, it has become apparent to me that railway passengers themselves have undergone significant changes over the years.
Earlier, train journeys were marked by extensive interactions among co-passengers, often extending to discussions about each other’s family backgrounds and personal lives.
I vividly recall my train journey in 1976 from Thalassery (Kerala) to Chennai, then to Bombay, and onward to Vadodara, when I was traveling to join my first job at Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd (ECC) as Junior Engineer, for the Construction of IPCL, Baroda. In those days, once we left home, we were almost completely disconnected from our loved ones, as communication during travel was virtually non-existent.
On the Bombay–Baroda leg of my journey, the person seated next to me was a retired railway employee who lived in a flat near IPCL. Upon reaching Vadodara late in the evening, he was deeply concerned about my safety, as I was new to the city and unfamiliar with the Gujarati language. He kindly took me to his residence, where I experienced my first Gujarati meal in a Gujarati household.
After dinner, he called a family living on the first floor of the same house, who happened to be Malayalis. Eventually, they too insisted that I should not go to a lodge and instead accommodated me in their home for a week, until I was allotted company accommodation.
Today, travel has transformed dramatically, and we seem to have moved far away from such meaningful human interactions and spontaneous relationships during train journeys. In the current scenario, personal conversations are limited, and interactions rarely go beyond a certain point.
This is an important social shift, and it can be deepened by looking at both technological and psychological dimensions, along with broader cultural changes.
From a psychological perspective, the shift has largely been from openness to guardedness. Earlier, interactions were rooted in situational trust, the idea that a fellow traveler was temporarily part of one’s life, making personal sharing feel safe and consequence-free. In contrast, modern society emphasizes privacy, caution, and emotional boundaries. Increased awareness of risks, scams, and social judgment make people more guarded. Sharing personal details with strangers now feels intrusive rather than comforting.
