Trains have played a major role in my childhood travels. As a kid, every summer we would travel to Chennai from Delhi, the faithful ‘holdall’ carrying most of the belongings, befriending co-passengers, sharing meals, hopping out at stations to buy hot snacks. Platform Ticket by Sangeetha Vallat brought back all those memories. It was a fun-filled nostalgic ride.
As I read Platform Ticket, I was stuck with the realization that I had never actually thought about the person behind the ticket window. Train journeys were about the views from my window, co-passengers, reading novels, eating… but never the staff. In all my years of buying tickets, I just saw a hand passing a ticket through the grille. Sangeetha showed me the people behind our travels.
Sangeetha has a way with words (be it writing or talking!). Her narration isn’t fancy, rather she has a way of making the readers feel the words. She not only connects with the readers but also takes them on a journey with her.
I am glad I picked up this book. It made me understand what it’s like to work at the stations, deal with unruly passengers and the rush, the pressure of issuing tickets, the vigilance checks, and everything else that comes with the job.
Honestly, the chapter about bodies was disturbing. It made realise something I’d never thought of. Despite having read about so many suicides, I had never given a thought to the railway employees who had to deal with that. Kudos to these heroes!
The illustrations are delightful. And the Chapter names are clever. It made me curious about what’s coming next.
The next time I travel by train, I’ll remember that there are many people making my journey a success; each with their own story, their own struggles, their own reasons for being there. Platform Ticket is not just Sangeetha’s story, but the story of so many railway employees that nobody really thinks about; the ones who make train travel possible. Hats off to you, Sangeetha, for this remarkable book.
Wordsopedia Rating 4.5
This review reflects my honest and voluntary opinion.
Buy your copy here on Amazon.