The railway siding will help Maruti dispatch new vehicles by train, eliminating 50,000 truck trips every year.

India’s first automobile in-plant railway siding has been set up at Maruti Suzuki’s Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month.

The in-plant railway siding was built at Rs 105 crore. It is linked to the Katosan-Becharaji-Ranauj route, which has been converted to Broad Gauge for Rs 976 crore.

According to Maruti Suzuki, the new railway siding will help the company dispatch new vehicles by train, eliminating 50,000 truck trips every year. The company estimates that this would result in fuel savings of 35 million litres and will reduce carbon emissions by 1,650 metric tonnes.

Cars manufactured at the Hansalpur plant will be dispatched to 15 cities via the Indian railway network. Till now, Maruti has dispatched about 18 lakh units by railways. 4.09 lakh cars have already been transported by railway in 2024 alone.

Given the benefits of transporting finished vehicles by railway, Maruti Suzuki is now in the process of setting up a similar railway siding at its factory in Haryana.

Source: Hindu Businessline

Vande Bharat Express was also running on this route but I chose this coach in Pragati Express as I wanted to try something more unique.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

Some rides happen by chance and this is an account of my chance ride from Mumbai to Pune the Vistadome way!

Background

I had to make two official back-to-back trips - one to GJ and another to MH and decided that instead of doing flights back and forth to my current base in the south, I'd rather spend the weekend in Surat and continue my next leg to Pune from there. The plan was cast - travel August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani Exp to Mumbai, transit from Mumbai Central to Mumbai CST, and take another train from there to Pune. When I was examining evening options from CST to Pune, Vande Bharat Exp was there, but when I was looking to try something more unique, pop came the options of Vistadome on Pragati Express and the Deccan Queen. I chose Pragati Exp for multiple reasons:

• Earlier departure than the Deccan Queen
• Opportunity to try the Vistadome coach
• Opportunity to explore a new route (Panvel to Karjat)

Ride#1 - Surat to Mumbai Central by August Kranti Tejas Rajdhani Express

I've travelled by this train umpteen times from when it was introduced as Air-Conditioned Express (in the early 90s) but got to experience First AC on the Tejas coaches for the first time.

What has changed

• Nice looking comforter in a neat-looking bag
• Neat carpet
• Excellent washrooms
• Complete coach cleaned before arrival at the destination
• Carpet covered with a vinyl cover to prevent it from getting soiled

What hasn't changed

• The good old foldable table used by caterers to serve beverages and meals
• The design of the berths is no different from First AC on other trains
• Coach was freezing cold - a common problem with all Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches

View of the First AC cabin - nothing different

Comforter put away in a zipper bag - quite neat

Clean carpet

Black Coffee on board

Cornflakes (milk on the way)

Followed by Upma neatly served

Crossing Vaitarna station before entering Virar

Ride#2 - Mumbai CST to Pune by Pragati Express

I'd reached the platform quite early, and so had to cool off for over an hour before the coach was opened. Before other folks could come in, I took a quick tour of the coach. The coach EV1 is at the fag end of the train on the CST - Pune sector. It makes little sense to take this coach on the Pune - CST sector as the loco would block views from the viewing gallery.

What I liked about the Vistadome coach

• Beautifully upholstered seats
• Transparent panels on the roof
• Luggage rack just outside the coach on one end - no overhead bins as in other coaches
• Wide viewing gallery at the rear end makes one feel as if one's riding in an AC caboose

What I disliked

• Washrooms (available only at one end of the coach) poorly kept
• Roof glass panels were all dirty - unobstructed view of the sky overhead was lacking
• Some passengers placed their feet on the panel in front; poor decorum

Small yet significant observations

• One can't take pictures from the Viewing Gallery in low outside light - the reflection overpowers the camera
• Best views from the Vistadome coach Viewing Gallery are enjoyed when the coach is at the rear of the train and when the outside light is good

Let the pictures speak

Vistadome coach as viewed from outside

Viewing Gallery with the loco in front - this is how the view would have been on the Pune to CST sector

Viewing Gallery - unobstructed view when the coach is at the end of the train

View of the cabin from the Viewing Gallery

View of the cabin - just Wow!

View of the roof - note that the transparent panels are letting some light in but aren't clean

Luggage rack

Some passengers who love to stretch and dirty the panel in front

Views from the Viewing Gallery enroute Panvel to Karjat

Panvel - Karjat line merging with the main Ambernath - Karjat line

Banker locos coming in to get attached - views from the Viewing Gallery will be lost, but enough shots already taken

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I booked the side lower and upper berths since I wanted at least 1 window seat.

BHPian DigitalOne recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Short review

AC 2-tier journey by the 22692 Bangalore - New Delhi Rajdhani Express

My last long-distance train journey was by the same train by AC 1-class back in 2015. Four of us had travelled then, and by a quirk of seat allotment we didn't get the same cabin - 3 berths were in one cabin while 1 berth was in another. The fourth passenger refused to switch berths, so it turned out to be a minor irritant. Otherwise, I recall that the journey was quite pleasant.

So the itch of a long-distance train journey had to be scratched. When an opportunity presented itself in the form of a wedding of a relative, I took it a booked an AC 2-tier in advance. I booked the side lower and upper berths since I wanted at least 1 window seat.

Pros

• Clean toilets; this was our biggest apprehension before the journey.
• General cleanliness was maintained. The cabins were being cleared of garbage regularly. Not so much near the vestibule but I guess they had to wait for the stations to clear the garbage out.
• Our train reached on time even as many trains/flights got delayed due to fog in North India that week.
• Large windows.
• The ride quality was quiet and smooth.
• Consistent and steady speeds over 100 kmph.
• Clean linens.
• AC worked perfectly. While the outside was biting cold, it was quite pleasant inside. Getting down at H.Nizamuddin station at 5.30 AM during a 'cold wave' was an experience by itself.

Cons

• Food was okay, but got monotonous by the second meal. It probably is a better idea to take the "No Food" option and book food via IRCTC delivery. I saw some passengers getting Domino's pizza delivered at Nagpur.
• Choosing side seats turned out to be a minor mistake. The seats are narrower, and it is not very comfortable to sit for long durations.

Other observations:

Pretty impressive infrastructure being developed along this North-south trunk route. All along the Secunderabad - Kazipet - Balaharshah - Nagpur - Itarsi route, a 3rd and 4th line is being built vigorously. I think the Itarsi- New Delhi stretch is already trebled(?). I guess in another 2-3 years this entire route would be trebled/quadrupled thus separating goods and passenger traffic and offering better speeds for both.

Dark blue liveried Alstom WAG 12 engines look seriously hot.

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I will definitely opt for the Vande Bharat in future travels and maybe try Executive Class class one day.

BHPian autonahnjpr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently travelled on Jaipur Delhi Vande Bharat Train and had a nice experience. This was my second vande bharat journey the first being the inaugural Delhi Varanasi way back in 2019.

The train has been reviewed multiple times on the forum and many of its details are covered already. So, I will stick to my observations and experiences as much as possible.

The rack seemed same as that of other VB trains and I had same vibe and experience as on the Delhi Varanasi VB. The CC (cattle class ) offers 3X2 seating arrangement with one half of the seats facing the other half with a nice table in the middle. Coaches are spotlessly clean, Seats are very comfortable and the legroom is 2X of Indigo (). The EC class, I guess would be much more comfortable.

On Boarding - You are given a newspaper with choices of Hindi, English and Business and a water bottle. Once you settle, you get first round of tea and biscuit (digesting millet ones). The tray is quite large and easy to push up and pull down. Announcement is made about the next destination and other general stuff. The digital display at the end of the coach displays the next destination, speed of the train and steps to connect to intrain wi-fi. So you sip your water, tea and browse through the newspapers till the next round of refreshments arrive. I was pleasantly surprise to find small pouch of hand sanitizer - will the airlines also learn and provide the same during flight.

Water bottle, hand sanitizer, tea pouch, biscuit

Ride and In coach Experience

The tracks on most part of Railway network have been upgraded for about 130 kmph and VB took no time to sprint ahead at that speed. The ride is very quiet and non jerky. Bored of sitting and as I had an aisle seat, I went to the coach entry gates to spend some time looking at the mustard fields through the glass pane of the door. I immediately felt the difference - the music in my earphones got lost, I could hear the thak-thak of the wheels running on the tracks with the typical side movement of a running train. After some time, as soon as I returned back to the seat through the sliding door, the music in my earphone became audible, the noise vanished and movement was not felt.

Being a Monday, the train was full with all seats occupied as people were travelling back to NCR after celebrating kite flying in Jaipur. Still, there was no big hassle of keeping luggage as the overhead luggage shelf could accommodate all the suitcases and bags. The coaches are lit well, seat numbers are marked clearly at a height for easy identification and there are number of cctv cameras inside the coach.

Emergency stop button for sliding door and instructions in braille

Khane Mein kya hai - Food

After some time, the breakfast arrives, being early morning in nicely packed containers in a tray. By that time, tea, biscuit and newspapers have helped the passenger get relaxed. Once again, a pouch of sanitizer is given - how thoughtful of Indian Railways

The contents inside

For a vegetarian breakfast, I was surprised to get poori bhaji, a small cutlet, curd and small fruit cake. The meal was good. After the breakfast, you can also order more tea if needed. I did.

In a casual chat with the service personnel, they revealed their catch-22 situation. Some passengers do not include meals in the ticket but order tea etc. which can be purchased additionally. They can be served only after serving those who have purchased meals. This annoys these passengers and they behave rudely. If they complain, then the staff can be sacked also.

In Coach Entertainment

The onboard wifi when connected provides nice interface for entertainment, train info, food etc. You can report a fire, ask for cleanliness or get medical help through the same.

Home page of onboard wifi

On home page, the burger menu gives various options for entertainment with very limited set of movies etc. Thathasthu movie was the only option available.

The journey details

Confirm your option

Coach Amenities

At the risk of repeating, I will share some details about various features of the coaches.

Talk Back Unit to report any emergency

Fire Extinguisher

Continue reading BHPian autobahnjpr's review for more insights and information.

The Matheran Hill Railway was built in the period 1901-07. Uses a diesel engine and runs between the town of Neral and the hill station of Matheran

BHPian Aditya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

India has one of the largest railway networks in the world. It's beaten to the top spot by just a handful of countries. Over the years, we have seen modern trains that run at high speeds and carry you to your destination with a great level of comfort.

However, these new, air-conditioned trains do not give you the same experience of taking in the natural beauty of the surroundings as some of the older trains do. Certain routes go through dense forests, mountains and valleys which are very picturesque and best enjoyed at a slow pace. Here's where India's heritage and toy trains come into the picture. Most of these are found in hilly tourist destinations all over the country. These trains offer an exciting experience and create memories for everyone - young and old.

Here's a list of five heritage and toy trains in India.

Matheran Hill Railway, Maharashtra

The Matheran Hill Railway was built in the period 1901-07. This train uses a diesel engine and runs between the town of Neral and the hill station of Matheran - a distance of ~21 km. It is administered by Central Railway and runs on a 610 mm narrow-gauge. The railway line and the road to Matheran cross twice. It takes about two hours and 20 minutes to complete the journey.

The journey gives you some breathtaking views of the Sahyadri mountains (Western Ghats) while it goes through forests and cliffs with ascents and descents. It has 5 stations.

Images: Source 1, source 2

Kalka-Shimla Train, Himachal Pradesh

This railway line was built between 1898 and 1903. As the name suggests, the train operates between Kalka (Haryana) and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) covering a distance of ~96 km on a 762 mm narrow-gauge. The journey takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes and goes through 103 tunnels and 864 bridges. It passes through the Himalayas climbing from 656 m to 2,075 m offering stunning views.

The Kalka-Shimla Train is operated by Northern Railways and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has 18 stations.

Images: Source 1, source 2

Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Tamil Nadu

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway took 45 years to build. It was ready for use in 1903. It runs in the state of Tamil Nadu from Mettupalaiyam to Udhagamandalam. Mettupalaiyam is at the foothills of the Nilgiri mountains with an elevation of ~330 m, while Udhagamandalam which is on the plateau at an elevation of ~2,200 m.

It uses a 1,000 mm meter gauge and the line is ~46 km long with a maximum gradient of 8.33% which is claimed to be the steepest in Asia. The train crosses 250 bridges and 16 tunnels on the way passing through dense forests, rocky terrain, and hilltops.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is operated by Southern Railways and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has 13 stations.

Images: Source 1, source 2, source 3

Kangra Valley Railway, Himachal Pradesh

The Kangra Valley Railway runs between Pathankot in Punjab to Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh through the sub-Himalayan region of Kangra Valley. It was built between 1888 and 1974 with the first section was opened to the public in 1929. It runs on a 762 mm narrow-gauge and is 164 km long. This makes it the longest narrow-gauge railway line in India. It goes over more than 950 bridges through 2 tunnels.

This train is operated by Northern Railway. It offers a great view of the Dhauladhar mountain range and runs along streams and through tea gardens.

The Kangra Valley Railway has 33 stations. The highest station on this line is Ahju station which is situated at an elevation of 1,290 m.

Images: Source 1, source 2

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal

To end the list, we have what is probably the most popular and iconic train in the country. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal. It was built between 1879 and 1881 and runs between New Jalpaiguri which is at an elevation of ~100 m and Darjeeling which is located at an elevation of ~2,200 m. It travels through six zigzag routes and five big loops to reach higher elevations. Among the most more significant stations is Ghum, which is situated at an altitude of 2,258 m. It is India's highest railway station.

The train passes through the mountains, you can see snow-clap mountains and get a view of Kanchenjunga - the third-highest mountain in the world.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway uses a 610 mm gauge and covers a distance of ~84 km. It is operated by Northeast Frontier Railway and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has 17 stations.

Images: Source

Matheran's proximity to Mumbai (where I stay) has given me a few opportunities to experience the Matheran train, but I haven't had a ride in any of the others. How many of these trains have you travelled on?

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Never shy away from the common man's class; you will be pleasantly surprised with the comfort it offers, especially in winters/monsoon.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

Sleeper Class train travel - this would be the default mode of transport for most of us in the 80s and 90s and beyond until affordable air travel and deeper pockets spoilt us all with air-conditioned coaches and air travel. This is a brief travel account of my 300km countryside train ride in Sleeper Class a few months ago.

Why Sleeper Class?

Very simple - there was no accommodation on the AC classes on this train and I had to travel that day. While chance of confirmation of AC accommodation was slim given that I was boarding at a remote station, sleeper class berths were available aplenty. So, "Follow the Blue Ocean strategy ", I said to myself.

Palakkad Jn. - one of the cleanest railway stations I've encountered

Sleeper Class

What I liked

• Pure countryside air to breathe
• Clean coach and reasonably clean washrooms
• Berth comfortable enough for a journey in good weather
• Opportunity to savour local food enroute (vadai, sundal(chhole), superb home made tea served by lady hawkers)

What I didn’t like

• Wind in the face can make one's eyes go itchy and watery; this is especially true if one travels immediately after the monsoon or during dry spells during the monsoon
• Can get nasty if too many unauthorised passengers get in (fortunately I didn't experience that)
• Some fans need a nudge by a comb to start moving

Groundnuts at Unjalur

Home made tea sold by a hawker at Kodumudi - this was the best tea I've ever had anywhere during any travel

The coach

I chose a side upper berth so that I could keep myself away from the wind, and the pollens, as I didn't want itchy eyes, continuous sneezing and a runny nose. I was perched on top for most of the journey except when the train had stopped. There were several unscheduled halts but given the float this train had, it made it to my destination in good time.

Inside the coach - very neat

Washroom - not too bad

Halting at Uthukuli - known for its butter

Closing Comments

• Never shy away from the common man's class; you will be pleasantly surprised with the comfort it offers, especially in winters/monsoon. Travel rates - beats even ordinary buses hollow
• This is the class where one can see hawkers and their local fare; something that one rarely gets to see in the Airconditioned coaches

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The SL class is decent and 3A is top notch. The AC is cool, washrooms are clean with liquid soap available all throughout the journey.

BHPian Altrozed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Off late, we are seeing numerous Train Travelogues and reviews which prompted to start sharing train related reviews.

Although a petrolhead, I am more into trains, Indian Railways, zonal level operations as a rail fan, rail enthusiast and an activist kind.

Taking the local MMTS to KCG.

So, let me present you the my travel experiences in an underrated train, Kachiguda KCG - Chengalpattu Express 17651/17652 which I used to take journey from KCG Kachiguda to TRT Tiruttani or AJJ Arakkonam.

My relatives live in Sholinghur(SHU) which is between Arakkonam and Katpadi main rail line or on Tiruttani/Arakkonam - Chittor - Kadapa NH.

This is the only daily train with excellent timings from KCG to travel this area of state after Renigunta. Hyderabad is badly connected to places after Renigunta towards Arakkonam or Katpadi side.

As usual, the dirty rail tracks after KCG curving towards Musi River and Malapit.

Zoom and observe the Dead P4 behind an EMD.

Now this train leaves at 17.00 hrs from KCG travelling via Kurnool KRNT, Dhone DHNE, Kadapa HX and RU. Although it is an express/mail category, it enjoys extremely high priority in this sections and has speeds of Superfast with very good average speed.

The rake is of Utrkrisht rake maintained by Hyderbad CDO at KCG station. The rake would be extremely clean when leaving from KCG as that is the 1st leg of the journey.

The rake has RSA Rake Sharing Arrangement with Kakinada CCT - Chengalpattu CGL Circar express which goes back ancient times in IR.

So, the pattern of rake is KCG CGL CCT CGL KCG.

The SL class is decent and 3A is top notch. The AC is cool, washrooms are clean with liquid soap available all throughout the journey. Food options are less in this section of travel and this train is no exception.

This train gets an unique set of up locos pulling it. From KCG to Dhone DHNE, there is a dead WAP4 from LGD/AJJ loco shed behind a GY WDP4/4D.

At the Dhone station, the EMD is unhooked and the rest of the journey is done by the E-loco till Chengalpattu.

This is done as the KCG Dhone isnt fully electrified thus, SCR tries to save money and time by banking a dead P4 behind the EMD till Dhone.

This train reaches Renigunta(10 kms near to TPTY) around morning 3.30 and most of the crowd gets down here.

One might wonder why should some take this train to TPTY when there are half a dozen daily direct trains to TPTY. Catch is, this train reaches with nil slack to Renigunta and if someone wants to the Alipiri steps, they can start the uphill by 4.30 and reach Tirumala by 8.30 am max. There would be buses at the Renugunta station waiting for passengers to ferry till Tirupati bustand and Aligipiri gate. It would take around 45 mins and one can start up hill journey as early as 4.30.

With other trains reaching around 5.30 with usual delays, one cannot start the uphill before 6.30-7am.

After Renigunta, one can get to stations like Nagari and Puttur in AP state and Tiruttani TRT in TN state. Tiruttani has famous Murugan temple and one access interior places like Sholinghur, Arcot and Ranipet from TRT easily.

No one travels in this train to Chengalpattu via Madras Egmore and Tambaram as they can easily get down at Arakkonam and proceed by road saving time.

For Katpadi Stretch, one can get down at AJJ and take local trains or Intercity Express going towards KPD.

All said and done, this train is so underrated that one can tickets easily when compared to Madras SF or Charminar as the route is longer when compared to other two trains if traveling to Chennai.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Unlike the Vistadome coaches, there is really no luggage restriction in this, cabin (trolley) bags can nestle behind ones legs under the seat as well, at a pinch:

BHPian GeeTee TSI recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I had my Bangalore Chennai Vande Bharat ride a few weeks ago, sharing a few pictures here

High quality, massive window blinds - make sure you ask the adjacent passenger before moving it:

Nice reading lights which work and are effective, although they have never dimmed or turned off the overhead cabin lights for this to be used:

Double glazed windows ensure a quiet ride, which I can vouch for after a near back to back trip in the Shatabdi for comparison. There is significantly less pitch/roll too, overall ride quality and NVH feels like a D segment+ car:

The regular (CC) class has a 2+1 layout, narrow armrest and you need to 'share' the sole middle one with your co-passenger. If that bugs you then EC class is the way to go, otherwise seats in the CC are quite well sized:

Phenomenal leg room for my 180 cm frame, this is where fast premium trains can trump LCCs:

One long uninterrupted luggage shelf can easily take large (check in sized) bags longitudinally, the extra large (overseas spec) bag probably needs to have a transverse layout.

Since there are no partitions, one can make incremental shifts to a long line of bags to magically get a snug fit for one's own. That said, I think the luggage shelf atop the 3 seater section can be wider for increased capacity.

Unlike the Vistadome coaches, there is really no luggage restriction in this, cabin (trolley) bags can nestle behind ones legs under the seat as well, at a pinch:

Roof cladding and ducts (finally) look world class:

I happened to get the emergency row and there was this console staring at me:

A step change from how we perceive our train travel, much like how we felt travelling in the first Volvo B7R back in the day; coming from AL and TML buses.

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The first hydrogen-powered train service is expected to start by December 2023 between Kalka and Shimla.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced India’s first hydrogen-powered train. It will be put into service on the Kalka-Shimla historic circuit by December 2023.

According to the minister, the upcoming hydrogen-powered trains will be called 'Vande Metro'. The plan is to run these trains on historic narrow-gauge routes like the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, Kangra Valley, Bilmora Waghai and the Marwar-Devgarh Madriya route.

The hydrogen-powered train will be designed and manufactured locally. It will use hydrogen fuel cells, which combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate electric. The byproduct of this reaction is pure water, making it highly eco-friendly. 

However, the operating cost of hydrogen fuel cells is said to be 27% higher than that of a diesel engine. Storing hydrogen is also a challenge due to its highly combustible nature.

Source: Hindustan Times

We made the necessary foundation by planning a trip to be done entirely in public transport & also added some masala just so as to make it a tasty journey.

BHPian aargee recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My last memorable journey by train was somewhere in 2008/09 or so; it was endured (yes endured) just to give an experience of train for my little Son then. Post that, I might've taken train hardly some 2-3 times. WagonR, S-Cross & CBR have pampered & spoiled all of us to core. Not just Children, even we were dreading to take public transport for last few years, nevertheless we've been thinking in recent times on how to get over with it. However, we weren't scared as much as our Children due to our recent trip to DL via Duronto, but still we had our concerns due to our return journey from DL-TN. When returning our train departed nearly 4 hours late & finally 8 hours delayed when reaching Chennai due to derailment of a good train in the Jhansi sector. Only positive attribute was, due to the 8 hours delay it arrived around 5:00 Am instead owl hour of 1:00 am.

So in 2022, we decided, we will do what we need to do!! In the month of October, we made the necessary foundation by planning a trip to be done entirely in public transport & also added some masala just so as to make it a tasty journey. Besides Gustavo Petro's quote (Mayor of Bogota Columbia) always rings in my mind:

Thus the trip was planned with utmost cautiousness & we deliberately avoided AC as much as possible due to 2 reasons:

• Need to show some life's realities to children.
• Month of December means over half the world is on holiday & the weather is pleasant.

Light wallet comes free; but still the Duronto's delay left us with deep apprehension due to our tight train schedules; if there were any delays reaching some of the stations, then it would have a huge impact on entire trip.

Sat 24-Dec

Reach Chennai Central at 07:00.

• Take train 22625 (KSR Bengaluru AC Double Decker Express) at 07:25 to reach KSR Bengaluru at 13:15.
• Take Greenline Metro at 13:50 to reach Yeshwantpur at 14:30.
• Take train 17309 (Vasco da Gama Express, 2S) at 15:00 to reach Madgaon.

Sun 25-Dec

• Stay at OYO Flagship 11950.

Mon 26-Dec

• Take train 10104 (Mandovi Express, The Food Queen of Konkan Railways) at 09:00 & GET DOWN at Dadar at 21:10.
• Take train 12927 (Ekta Nagar SF Express 2S) at 23:50 to reach Ekta Nagar.

Tue 27-Dec

• SOU + stay at BRG.

Wed 28-Dec

• Take Bus/Train at 08:00 to reach Ahmedabad by 14:00.
• Take train 20902 (Mumbai Central Vandhe Bharat Express) from Ahmedabad at 15:00 to reach Mumbai Central at 20:15.
• Stay at Heraa International.

Thu 29-Dec

• Take train 22159 (MGR Chennai Central SF Express 2S) from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 12:45 to reach Home

Fri 30-Dec

• Reach home.

Day 1:

Took EMU to Chennai Central, had breakfast at Madras Hotel instead of regular A2B for a change (for which we regret) & then boarded the double decker train. We got the normal regular seating experience. From Bangalore Cantt when almost the entire train got empty, we switched to those empty seats & enjoyed the upper & lower deck travel to SBC.

At SBC, we took the metro to Yeshwantpur station. An elderly person who was issuing tickets at SBC ticket vending machine suggested taking a walk to Metro.

The metro was damn crowded, unbelievably crowded like a town bus which is much unlike Chennai!! Finally reached Yeshwantpur & then boarded the train to Madgaon.

Nothing particularly to note except for I couldn't sleep properly due to people talking in loud voices, loud YT shots from mobile due to which I had severe headache. These noise jokers ensured to wake me every 1 hour or so (22:53, 23:53, 00:17) until 1:00 Am!!! We had ordered food through Food on Track to deliver Sabudana Vada, beetroot cutlet. Food was extremely good & the packing was extraordinarily great as well. Worth the money!!

The train was also late by more than an hour reaching Madgaon.

Chennai to Bangalore:

At Yeshwantpur:

Sceneries enroute from Yeshwantpur to Madgaon:

Dinner at night:

Continue reading on BHPian aargee's holiday using only public transport for BHPian comments, insights and more information.