Torture by train

FRANCISTOWN: Last week I made a last minute decision to travel to Gaborone by a Botswana Railways night train on the popular economy class after failing to secure space in business class due to over-booking. It is a decision I have lived to regret.

As the long distance bus fares continue to rise because of escalating fuel prices, the train has become the cheapest means of travelling by train between Francistown and Gaborone and that means overcrowding in the BR coaches. So it is a wonder why BR has decided to stop the daytime train, which can help in relieving pressure off the night service. At night, there is a stampede for the tickets. Some people simply return home, as the tickets in most cases do not match the available seats on the coaches. I arrived at the Francistown station on time but frustrated that I would not sleep properly on the nearly 500km journey. Sleeping is a luxury that regular train travellers do not enjoy.