Fruit vendors would hop in and out of the train with their huge and heavy baskets containing fresh, local produce. There was a steady stream of vendors just as in the Vivek express and endless cups of chai. By the end of the journey, we would be covered in black soot. During the early periods, steam engines were deployed in some sections of the route. Most of us followed the early to bed and late to rise schedule. The elders spent time playing cards or dozing off, regardless of the time of day or night. We spent our time reading books, making friends, and watching the unfolding rocky terrain most of the way. When the trains ran late, as it often did, we had no option but to wait. Meals were loaded on to the trains at designated stations. We had to depend on vendors at platforms who supplied heavily salted water that only increased our thirst. The train had no pantry, and bottled water had not yet arrived. The train passed through five States in its long winding journey starting from Maharashtra, passing by Karnataka over night, moving towards Andhra Pradesh in the morning, crossing to Tamil Nadu in the evening, and finally entering Kerala, before terminating at Kanyakumari in Tamil nadu. Yet, to sit cooped up in a train for more than 40 hours was itself an adventure. There are also those who sing passionately, but completely out of tune, some who do acrobatics, and many who beg for the coins that is regularly handed over.ĭuring my childhood, we used to travel from Maharashtra to Kerala by the Mumbai CST-Kanyakumari express, a journey that took three days and two nights and covered around 2000 km, less than half of Vivek express. There are many vendors on the platform, selling chai, samosas, vadas and idlis, hawking at the greatest speed possible, before the train starts leaving. It is consumed in uncountable numbers, both in the train, and on the platforms. The most common beverage that is sold is of course, tea or chai. Soft drinks and chocolate, hardboiled egg, bananas to biryani, omelettes, idli, vada, tomato soup, and countless varieties of chaat, ranging from bhel puri to sev puri. There is an endless supply of food and drinks. Goods include a new mobile phone, jewelry, air freshener, chain locks, books, chewing tobacco, fuzzy handbags, bracelets, batteries, wristwatches, wallet, mouthwash, bed sheet, comb, headphones. However, the train itself is like a rolling street market, as vendors of a wide variety of products keep coming in and going. With 57 stops, one can always stretch a leg and shop for food and other items at various stations. The changing and beautiful landscape, especially in West Bengal and Kerala, is a source of endless attraction. It seems like a dull journey but, for the observant, there is enough of action all around. It is a long, tiring, dust filled journey, with filthy bathrooms and dirty coaches, unless you are travelling in the air conditioned coaches. The final destination, Kanyakumari, arrives at around 11 am. You reach Nellore in lunch time, and then cross over to Tamil Nadu, finally moving to Kerala overnight, reaching Thiruvananthapuram at 6.30 am. The third morning you find yourself in the busy Vijayawada junction in Andhra Pradesh, the 2nd busiest station in India after Mumbai Central. You reach Dubrapur in West Bengal on the second day morning, cross over into Odisha after lunch, and pass through Srikakkulam in Andhra Pradesh on the second night. At certain places, this strip is just 20 km wide. This is also called ‘Chicken’s Neck’, a thin strip of West Bengal between Nepal and Bangladesh. The train #15906, has 21 bogies, and has a full capacity of 1800 passengers.Īfter starting from Assam, the train moves south through the Siliguri corridor. In its 85 hour journey, it covers 4273 km, passes through seven States and takes up three days and four nights. Form is to be filled and forwarded to MCO along with proof of identity (Canteen card/Dependent card) duly signed by Admin Authority.The Dibrugarh- Kanyakumari Vivek Express starts at Dibrugarh in Assam at 10.45 pm on a Saturday and reaches Kanyakumari at around 11 am on Wednesday, making it the longest train journey in India by both time and distance. Mumbai CST has started facility to book railway tickets through whatsapp. Mumbai MCO CST MOBILE : 9987283055 (Whatsapp). MCO Contact Numbers, Fax, Phone numbers & Details R AILWAY STATION How to Buy Car Through Canteen CSD! Latest Rules! FAQs Contact Numbers, FAX, Phone No & MCO Details RAILWAY STATIONĥ Reasons Why Defense Wives Are Superwoman Office No/ MCO Fax No / MCO Mobile Number R AILWAY STATION
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |