[ampere]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Probably slightly off topic.

How is it driving KA registration car towards Tamil Nadu, via Hosur? Is it normal or anything to be concerned about. Have a drive coming up on this weekend if situation is not worrisome.

Originally Posted by vinjosep

Nothing to worry. I drove to Chennai and back on 14th & 16th respectively. Except for the "random" check on the return leg at Attibele for unaccounted money (election related), it was a breeze.

Chosing to respond here. As @vinjoesp mentioned, yes its seems all quiet. And yes: Walajah-Chennai section now looks more like a 4-lane highway.

[Secretariat]

I have been a regular on this circuit for the last 10 years , but am increasingly coming to the conclusion that it is simply not worth driving from Bangalore to Chennai anymore. At least from South Chennai to North Bangalore, where it is starting to take nearly 7 hours journey time door to door with a break, if you drive under the speed limit. Not so long ago it used to take five and a half hours.

The Chittoor road, which is more sensible for North Bangaloreans to take is now a complete no no given the road widening that is going on in the AP section. Even as compared to a month ago, it has deteriorated , with multiple speed breakers and is no longer a sensible option.

The Hosur route is a killer for North Bangaloreans. How do you reach from Attibele to North Bangalore in any sensible time. And on a weekend the Krishnagiri and Attibele tolls are a sight to see. A further complication is the kamikaze driving from Krishnagiri to Bangalore.

So, alas, I have to now resort to a train or a flight until the Chittoor road becomes fully functional. Probably a year or two to go.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

I have been a regular on this circuit for the last 10 years , but am increasingly coming to the conclusion that it is simply not worth driving from Bangalore to Chennai anymore.

Eight years for me. Started off as every weekend, soon shifted to every other week, slowly came down to the current 3-4 times a year. I actually prefer going with my car, for the single reason that I simply can't stand the weather in Chennai. Even waiting 10 minutes for an Uber is torture during daytime (we won't even talk about Chennai's autos). For this reason alone I think it is worth the effort of driving a car from here to there - and with a bit of judicious timing I generally avoid the peak hours at toll booths (I don't mind driving overnight along this route).

Originally Posted by Secretariat

So, alas, I have to now resort to a train or a flight until the Chittoor road becomes fully functional.

Flight - even if someone else is paying, I avoid. The time to airport, the incredibly costly food, the hassle etc. are things I can do without. But last trip I took the Shatabdi back from Chennai (had flown in from Mumbai, hence no car). Arrived at Cantonment station at around 10:30 PM or so; took some time to locate my Uber but was home by 11. Had reached Central at 5 so total trip was 6 hours. That is what I spend driving too. :-)

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

I have been a regular on this circuit for the last 10 years , but am increasingly coming to the conclusion that it is simply not worth driving from Bangalore to Chennai anymore. At least from South Chennai to North Bangalore, where it is starting to take nearly 7 hours journey time door to door with a break, if you drive under the speed limit. Not so long ago it used to take five and a half hours.

The Chittoor road, which is more sensible for North Bangaloreans to take is now a complete no no given the road widening that is going on in the AP section. Even as compared to a month ago, it has deteriorated , with multiple speed breakers and is no longer a sensible option.

The Hosur route is a killer for North Bangaloreans. How do you reach from Attibele to North Bangalore in any sensible time. And on a weekend the Krishnagiri and Attibele tolls are a sight to see. A further complication is the kamikaze driving from Krishnagiri to Bangalore.

So, alas, I have to now resort to a train or a flight until the Chittoor road becomes fully functional. Probably a year or two to go.

If you calculate the time taken to go to Blore Railway station from home, train journey time and the time taken to go to your home in Chennai from Central Station, it more or less equates your driving time by car. If your home in Bangalore and Chennai are close to central station, then only travelling by Shatabdi or Chennai Mail will give you the time advantage over driving by car.
IMO if you are a family of say 3 or 4, going by car saves time and money as well.

[tharian]

I have been travelling by car to Chennai regularly since last year and going again this weekend.

My wife gives the option of going by train so it is less stressful since I just cannot stand traffic there and parking at her place is an issue too, now there is an added issue of rats around.

I still prefer driving mainly because, the time taken like many mentioned is similar to train and I stay few kms from Old Madras road which is the route I take.

And the obvious issue of transport once there in the heat is a pain.
At least driving till Sriperembedur is a good break since the drive bit is enjoyable for me.

[binand]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

If you calculate the time taken to go to Blore Railway station from home, train journey time and the time taken to go to your home in Chennai from Central Station, it more or less equates your driving time by car.

The two Shatabdis manage the end-to-end journey in 5 hours, the other day trains (Brindavan/Lal Bagh/DD) in 6 hours. I agree with the original poster that it is not possible to do door-to-door in less than 7 hours unless you are going from Attibele to Poonamallee.

Even if the time taken by trains is comparable to that of driving, the key difference is the lack of stress and the ability to relax in the train (assuming you are travelling in chair car or better). And the counter-point is the availability of own vehicle at the other end. For me the latter trumps the former.

[mpksuhas]

I think car to train debate is just a matter of preference.

Unless you stay far from train stations of both the cities or your destination in Chennai or your start point in Bangalore is far from highway, both options will have almost similar door to door timing.

Train has the obvious advantage of lack of stress, while car has the convenience factor. So what we put across will just be a personal opinion and may not be applicable for everyone.

[binand]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Train has the obvious advantage of lack of stress, while car has the convenience factor.

Actually car has only the convenience factor (including the ability to start the journey whenever one feels like it) going for it. Trains, in addition to their stress-free-ness, have all these positives too:

1. Reliability. You can be sure you reach Chennai in so many hours. These trains are rarely late.
2. Availability. The time spent in the train can be used in productive stuff like work, reading, catching up with people, sleep etc.
3. Safety. No bikers, no sand trucks, no private buses. No haphazard crossings. String adherence to right of way.
4. Cost, especially when only 1 person is travelling. But probably offset a bit by Uber spend.
5. Eco/emission/carbon footprint friendly.

For a few months I tried maintaining a car in Chennai. But what happened was that mice got under the hood and I had to spend a bit of time and money fixing that (including a won't-start in the cramped basement parking of Vasan in Saidapet).

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

I think car to train debate is just a matter of preference.

Oh; In a forum like this, this is a no brainer. After all there are unlikely to be any train drivers in here . We would all prefer to drive anyday.

My post was more a moan of how this circuit has deteriorated from a pleasant drive to a pain. It was an easy five and a half hour peaceful drive. No longer. The condition of the Chittoor road has made it worse for North Bangaloreans.

My personal preference is to fly until the Chittoor roadworks get completed. - not wildly more expensive than a Shatabdi and for North Bangaloreans, the airport is metaphorically a stone's throw away.

As an aside, I am also appalled at both the explosion of traffic and the insanity of drivers on the Krishnagiri - Bangalore stretch on a weekend. Cars wildly swinging from lane to lane, driving at ridiculous speeds, dodging the lumbering trucks , the steady stream of 2 wheelers (all with 3 riders) coming on the wrong side ; at this rate, this will become a candidate for the "India's most dangerous roads" contest !

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

My personal preference is to fly until the Chittoor roadworks get completed. - not wildly more expensive than a Shatabdi and for North Bangaloreans, the airport is metaphorically a stone's throw away.

Again, the convenience (or inconvenience) of flying into Chennai greatly depends on where you're headed

As an aside, I am also appalled at both the explosion of traffic and the insanity of drivers on the Krishnagiri - Bangalore stretch on a weekend. Cars wildly swinging from lane to lane, driving at ridiculous speeds, dodging the lumbering trucks , the steady stream of 2 wheelers (all with 3 riders) coming on the wrong side ; at this rate, this will become a candidate for the "India's most dangerous roads" contest !

Fret not, there are worse candidates for that coveted title and those roads won't hold themselves back from getting worse. The Krishnagiri-Bangalore stretch is at least well-marked and lit.

[tharian]

It's back to the Krishnagiri route for sometime now since there is 4 laning work happening between Mulabagal and Ranipet and I was surprised at the rate it has progressed from last December when I used to this road.

Some stretches have become narrow and speeds have to be reduced.
This was one of the few highway left that had the old charm to it and it was sad to see so many trees chopped and the whole area looking barren and different now.

[Turbohead]

Are the speed cameras between Chennai and Vellore and Hosur and Krishnagiri fully functional? Has anyone got a speeding ticket yet? Any idea of the speed limit and probable fines?

[Makin Rulesz]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Are the speed cameras between Chennai and Vellore and Hosur and Krishnagiri fully functional? Has anyone got a speeding ticket yet? Any idea of the speed limit and probable fines?

I traveled from Bangalore to Chennai yesterday and did not notice anything. Has anyone actually seen the speed cameras or is it just a rumor?

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

I traveled from Bangalore to Chennai yesterday and did not notice anything. Has anyone actually seen the speed cameras or is it just a rumor?

There are highway patrol Scorpios parked a few km before each toll and they seem to operate speed cams.

[narayans80]

Had an interesting onward (Madras-Bangalore) drive on Monday. Started from Taramani at 4pm. After dinner stop at Murugan Idli shop, started at 720pm and was greeted with near empty toll booths all the way, including Attibele and NICE. I couldn't believe this was happening. Crossed Attibele at 1045 pm. Eventually reached Hasan at 145am. All this with non stop rains from Pallikonda till Hosur and sub-100 speeds throughout.

A new Murugan Idli shop spotted 2 km ahead of Krishnagiri toll/7 km from NH7-NH46 intersection.

Return today was uneventful till Sriperumbudur, beyond which there were jams allover the place 30 min blood red spot near Thirumazhisai, 20 min blood red spot near Pallavaram-Meenambakkam. Took 2 hrs (between noon and 2 pm today) from Sriperumbudur to home through some smallest Madras roads I wouldn't dare go on a long-distance drive.