Cochin - Trivandrum (200kms) in 2 hours. How the heck is it possible ?

[supremeBaleno]

Inspiration for this thread was rippergeo's quote below in some other thread (I think his Peted Swift thread).

Originally Posted by rippergeo

cochin to trivandrum takes 3hrs in a pete'd swift. takes 2 hrs in a verna.

First of all, please don't just look at the title and start posting, "What is the big deal in doing an average of 100kmph on highways?" Because, this stretch is not the Mumbai-Pune expressway.

For those that don't know this stretch of road (yes, road - it would be wrong to call this stretch of the NH47 a highway, by any stretch of imagination), this stretch can be divided into 4 main sections : Tvm to Kollam, Kollam to Kayankulam, Kayankulam to Chertala and Chertala to Cochin.

While you can do fairly good speeds in the Chertala-Cochin section (nice rubberised 4-lane highway), the other 3 sections are different in that they are just 2-lane with no divider. Unlike normal highways elsewhere, in Kerala, we have human habitation all along the highway, which means quite some slow traffic, pedestrians etc all along the route. Add to this, bad roads, potholes to dodge, busy junctions every so many kms, curvy roads, crazy KSRTC bus drivers etc

Add to these factors the fact that you need to traverse the town (no bypass) in Kollam and Alappuzha which will take quite some time.

I know that a Peted Swift flies and a stock Verna_D is even quicker and faster. Some members even reported 200kmph in Verna-D. But, given these road conditions that we have for most of the Tvm-Cochin section makes me wonder how you can do Tvm-Cochin in 2 hours via road, even if you were driving a Ferrari.

I don't drive to Tvm or Cochin very much, though in the last few months, I did drive once to Tvm and twice to Cochin. BTW, it takes me atleast 1.5 hrs from Kayankulam to Cochin. And this is by ripping the Swift-P at speeds that are just about safe for the road conditions I mentioned earlier. Max I did would be 110-120kmph - which itself as per my Dad is double his speed limit.

Kayankulam-Tvm will take me atleast 2 hours with the same kind of driving, because this section is fully 2-lane. So, that makes it 3.5 hours for the full stretch.

Someone driving at higher speeds can maybe shave off 30mins making it 3 hours. But as far as I can see it, 2 hours seems really tough/impossible unless you are driving over people or other vehicles on the road.

So, is it really possible to do Tvm-Cochin in 2 hours ??? What is the best timings achieved by kerala tbhp-ians on this stretch ?

P.S. : @rippergeo, I am not doubting your claim. Just wondering how it is possible at all.

[hvkumar]

I have done in 2.20 mts twice, starting from TVM at 3 am.

[phamilyman]

Very interesting. I remember reading the same

Glued on.

[kb100]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I have done in 2.20 mts twice, starting from TVM at 3 am.

I agree! That is the ONLY time one will be able to do it.

[hvkumar]

My Oct 2000 trip, 2.24 mts:

Trivandrum 73849, 310am
Kollam 73920, 400
Alapuzha,74003, 500
Chertala,74028,513
Aroor BP,74049,525
Kochi BP,74059,534 am

My Jan 2005 trip, 2.35 mts to Cochin Thoppumpady, lost time reaching Kollam, going into Alapuzha Beach and travelling to Fortt Cochin, not Ernakulam:

Trivandrum,50981,455am
Toll,50989,503
Kazhakuttam,50995,508
Attingal,51013,521
Kollam,51051,551
Karunagapalli,51077,613
Kayamkulam,51092,625
Alapuzha,51137,655
Alapuzha Beach,51139,658
Chertala,51162,716
Arur,51187,730am
Kochi Thoppumpady,51196, 740 am

[hydrashok]

Close to hvkumar's time. I've done Kochi to TVM in 2hrs 40 minutes, leaving Kochi at 3.00AM.

Did it in my old Palio 1.2. It was the day after I'd installed the Apollo CAI, so I was feeling pretty frisky, heh heh. The roads are close to deserted at that time, and you really can do 120kmph steadily in quite a few stretches and 100kmph in a lot of stretches.

[jerish666]

I have done in 2.20 mins starting from tvm at 4am that is in my peted skoda octavia.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by kb100

I agree! That is the ONLY time one will be able to do it.

Leaving in proper day time (noon, ec), I have taken upto 4.5 hours, not less than 3.15 m.

I have done this route in 1997 also in 2.30 m.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by hydrashok

Close to hvkumar's time. I've done Kochi to TVM in 2hrs 40 minutes, leaving Kochi at 3.00AM.

That is the only way.

I know this route well - I am from Cochin, studied in Kollam.

[supremeBaleno]

Early morning drives (when traffic is practically non-existent compared to day driving) itself seem to take 2.5 to 2.75 hours, given hvkumar and hydrashok's experience. I was having normal day time drive in mind when I started the thread.

Now that others mentioned it, I wonder whether timings quoted by rippergeo were for early morning drives.

[hvkumar]

My drives were in Mahindra Commander (max speed 115 kmph), Matiz (max 160 kmph) and Scorpio (max 160 kmph). You can do it quicker in a faster car.

[rippergeo]

atleast, i'm not alone.
I travelled from palluruthy at 4.00 AM in the morning. which is only 6-7 mins from the 4 lane at aroor. stopped the clock as soon as the byepass at TVM started. didnt count the time spend in Tvm itself, reaching my destination.

I was pushing hard. but that was only because I had planned on doing the trip in 3 hrs. i was under the impression that I had started at 3 AM and pushed very hard to make it before 6.00 AM. Found out only when my dad told me I'd done the trip in 2hrs. I was shocked myself!

If a scorpio can do it, so can a verna.

most people travelling from cochin travel from the city/northern bits. I live at the southern end, takes me closer to Tvm by 20-30kms, and so, I avoid the city roads for most part, unlike other cochin people.

BTW-I did maintain a steady speed of 110 most of the time, with top speeds of 160kmph and I was still overtaken and left in the dust by a qualis driven by 2 student type people near kollam.

I wouldnt dream of doing this sort of driving during any other part of the day.
my normal daytime trip on this route takes 3.5hrs, sometimes more.
all depends on traffic.

most people posted before me have similar times.

[akroy]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Now that others mentioned it, I wonder whether timings quoted by rippergeo were for early morning drives.

No matter what, in a 2 laned indian road it is practically impossible to do an average of 100km, however capable the car is! To average 100km you have to be in 130-140kmph range consistently which is damn difficult job specially in the darkness. You can do in a one off time in a very fast car but that will be very very risky. I am sure SB is emphazising on safety part as well and not the speed part.

I tried this exercise in a GQ/NH5 on open daylight and empty stretch. Keeping the car at 110-130 kmph range consistently, still could manage 95km and 98km in 2 consecutive hours(Ichchapuram - Vizag stretch). I know there are cars which do much faster but those high speeds are momentary but keeping that speeds consistently is difficult and definitely not possible in 2 laner.

Based on my experience (distance / hr):
1) Avg distance on a GQ - 85km
2) Typical indian 2 laner - 50km (except some special 2 laners you can do 70km)

No matter what the car is, everything evens out in a very long drive.

Abhi

[HappyWheels]

Great discussion here.

But what really stands out, apologies for being OT, is that HVK has the log of his trip done on Oct 2000!!!!

[rippergeo]

I dont have logs, but the distance I travelled was ~180kms.
from my place to where the Tvm byepass starts. that is an average speed of 90kmph. easily done at 4AM in kerala.