[vigsom]

Introduction

Ever taken a long distance train ride in a non-priority weekly express? Well, here is an account of my long distance travels by

1. Okha- Tuticorin Vivek Weekly Express via Pune, Bengaluru, and
2. another legendary train which I will reveal through the next few posts.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how the Utkrisht coaches are not just old wine in a new bottle, but a lot more.

Safety

Like always, I exercised total safety while taking pictures or filming short clips. While the train was in motion, all pics were shot away from the doors of the coaches OR from inside the coaches.

[vigsom]

Why did I choose to travel by Vivek Express?

Circa Nov-2021 - I had to travel at short notice down south to Salem, and rains had already ravaged Chennai. Taking a flight into Chennai and getting diverted to some other airport wasn’t a nice option to exercise. Taking a train to Chennai was again a risk.

While looking for options, I suddenly chanced upon this Vivek Express that was headed to Tuticorin. Tickets ex-Vadodara showed a slim chance of getting confirmed so I booked myself from Rajkot to Salem boarding Vadodara and thus put myself on the General Waitlist with a strong chance of confirmation; and it did get confirmed when the reservation charts were prepared.

I found something surprising about this train:

1. a sole diesel loco pulls the train all the away from Okha to Erode, post which another diesel takes over
2. stops are rather limited despite the train being tagged non-superfast
3. this train has no rake sharing arrangement

Risks of choosing a weekly express

The risk of travelling by a weekly express is that it can be relegated to low priority in the event of track maintenance, mega blocks, loco failure and the like. However, I could afford unforeseen delays plus track record of this train was good; hence decided to go ahead.

[vigsom]

Preparations for the long haul

Like all long distance journeys that I've undertaken, I had decided to pack food for the entire journey and this is what I ended up taking:

• Day1 dinner – Paneer Capsicum plus rotis
• Day2 morning – idlis coated with the signature dal-chilli powder mixed in til oil
• Buffer – two apples and some nuts

I also carried adequate bedding and a pack of Odomos. The train arrived Vadodara on time at approx 1130hrs and I was pleasantly surprised to see the most powerful passenger diesel loco , a WDP4D hauling the train

The WDP 4D Loco




The AC 2 Tier coach was at almost full occupancy, thanks to a tourist group headed from Dwarka to Pune; all retired folks who were quite well behaved. The coach was super neat and so were the washrooms despite the train already 11 hours into the journey.

[vigsom]

First impressions of the Utkrisht coaches

Once the train was on the move, I began exploring what was so different about the Utkrisht coaches. At first sight, the interior seemed status quo, but the coach did look a lot brighter, cleaner, and with a lot more visual appeal.

Likes

• Beige and dark red theme on the exterior (I understand urethane paint is used for the exterior)
• Pleasing-to–the-eye vinyl wraps at the doorway up to entry to the cabin
• Zero smelly washrooms, neatly tiled with bio toilet, health faucet, Lota tissue and stainless steel waste bin
• On board housekeeping staff – little grumpy but did their job
• Quality taps and flush levers in the washrooms
• Energy efficient bright lighting

Dislikes

• no on-board pantry service

What’s missing

• No bedsheets and blanket post Unlock 1.0 (have got used to bringing my own bedding)
• No curtains - the coach looked better illuminated and more airy without the curtains

At entry to the coach




In the cabin


Indian style washroom

[vigsom]

The WDP4D Loco

One of the high points of this ride was the WDP4D loco that hauled the train all the way from source (Okha) to my destination (Salem).



The WDP4D is India’s most powerful passenger dual cab Diesel – Electric loco powered by a 16 cylinder diesel engine, developing 4500hp. I had a quick talk with the Loco Pilot when the train reached Pune Jn. approx. 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He mentioned that the loco had a fuel holding capacity of 6000 liters. When asked about the FE , he remained non-committal, stating that there are various factors like gradient, acceleration, etc. that determine the fuel consumption but indicated that the range on a full tank was approx. 900km. I’m not too sure of this number, though.

Sample image - WDP 4D Loco (note how long the loco is)

[vigsom]

Riding the Vivek Express

I enjoyed the ride in the Vivek Express. The train took under nine hours from Vadodara to Pune Jn. The coach got virtually empty at Pune Jn., where a few passengers bound for Solapur and Anantapur got in. By the time it was morning at Guntakal Jn., there were no more than 15 passengers in the 48 berther AC 2 Tier coach. I had the privilege of travelling on the Guntakal – Anantapur – Bengaluru section after almost 30 years. Some of the high points of this travel were a quick flypast by Kia Motors’ establishments at Penukonda and a ride through Bengaluru, home to many a bhpian.

At Vasai Road - Day1


Anantapur - Day2


Riding past Kia Motors at Penukonda


Hindupur


Riding past the Gunjur Lake




Skipping Doddaballapura



Entering Yelakanka Jn.








Crawling past Galleria Mall


Crawling over NH44

[vigsom]

Riding the Vivek Express (Contd.)

The only shortcoming I faced in the entire journey was poor food options after the train left Pune and until arrival at Krishnarajapuram. Although I was carrying some stuff to eat, I couldn’t manage a decent cup of tea from 2030hrs at Pune until 1330hrs next day at Krishnarajapuram.

Looping into Krishnarajapuram(KJM)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4tsuGqC04k

My first amrit of the second day of travel was some outstanding Badam Milk for ₹10 at KJM. It was the most refreshing drink I’ve had at a station in a long time. This was followed up rather quickly with some hot bondas and a cup of tea for a mere ₹23 at Bangarapet Jn.

Badam Milk at KJM


The train took a mere 3.5 hours from KJM to Salem Jn. via Jolarpettai bypass

Bypassing Jolarpettai to loop towards Tirupattur








Inundation at Tirupattur caused by very heavy rains


I arrived in Salem Jn. 20 minutes ahead of schedule and all through the journey, the train maintained a good pace, with next to Nil unscheduled stops. It was a good decision to take this train since, while at Pune, I noticed that the LTT-Chennai Superfast had been cancelled. I didn't know why until the next day i realized that all trains to Chennai had been affected due to flooding of tracks over the Penna river. This was in the third week of Nov-2021.

[vigsom]

Ride#2 in Utkrisht coaches

My second ride in Utkrisht coaches was last month when I took the legendary CSTM – Chennai Express from Thane to Chennai Central. This train has the distinction of recently completing 100 years in service, with its maiden run on 01-Dec-1921. I have travelled in this train in the 90s when it used to originate at Dadar Central Railway at 1400hrs and reach Chennai 1630hrs the following day – that is a journey time of 26hrs30mins. Today, the train leaves Mumbai CST at 1245hrs and reaches Chennai 1050hrs the following day – a mere 22 hours thanks to lines on most of the section being doubled.

I took a local in Mumbai after many years – from Kanjur Marg to Thane, and the ride was just 12 minutes in supreme seated comfort.


Thane station isn’t what I saw it last in 2004 – now it is mighty crowded and needs a lot of sprucing up. For information, express trains originating Dadar and CSTM and bound for outstation arrive platform5, while the trains originating Lokmanya Tilak Terminus arrive generally at Platform7. This information isn’t that clear and is known only approx. 15 minutes prior to train arrival. I was perched atop the over bridge near one of the speakers to ensure that I was headed to the right platform and not run helter-skelter at the last minute.

Since the earlier posts have touched upon what Utkrisht coaches are about, it is worth mentioning that the Utkrisht coaches on the CSTM-Chennai Express were better than the ones on the Vivek Express.

Exterior of the AC 2 Tier coach


The doorway


Inside the cabin






Washrooms - unbelievably neat and high on class






The highlight of this journey was the presence of a Railway Mail Service bogey attached to the train; to pick up and drop mail at stations en-route. This has been a feature on both the Mumbai CST- Chennai Express and the Mumbai CST-Chennai Mail for many years.

Railway Mail Service Coach

[vigsom]

Summing it up

I enjoyed both the journeys featured in this thread thoroughly, primarily because coach occupancy was low. Washrooms were neat, there was on board housekeeping service, but what differentiated the two journeys was that the Mumbai – Chennai journey was hardly felt. I boarded the train at Thane at approx. 1330hrs, and the train pulled into Chennai Central at 1040hrs next day – 21 hours with only the second half of Day1 spent (since the train reached Chennai in the morning of Day2). At ₹2200 for the 2AC, it came across as a steal deal provided one has the time to spend. On the Vivek Exprrss, the ticket from Rajkot to Salem was a mere ₹2970.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ninjatalli]

Trust this forum to give a detailed thread for something that is now already BAU and not that explicitly noticed while travelling

Recently did a Goa - Bangalore journey and the train had these 'new' coaches. The only visible/operational differences I noticed (as compared to the usual AC coaches of the past) were

1. The metallic steps/ladder is a bit more bigger and (IMO) more tougher to hold on to as compared to the previous design. Also some of the older AC coaches would have this ladder covered by a faux-leather, which worked very well.

2. Toilets (Indian mode) are more better designed and easy to use while in motion. No difference felt wrt to the Western toilets. As for cleanliness, it comes down to the passengers, in my journey, they were as dirty as usual by the time we reached the destination.

3. No other noticeable difference to be honest. I felt the color/decor changes are worse off than the earlier blue shades but that's my opinion.

[doomketu]

Originally Posted by vigsom

The WDP4D Loco

One of the high points of this ride was the WDP4D loco that hauled the train all the way from source (Okha) to my destination (Salem).

Attachment 2283567

The WDP4D is India’s most powerful passenger dual cab Diesel – Electric loco powered by a 16 cylinder diesel engine, developing 4500hp. I had a quick talk with the Loco Pilot when the train reached Pune Jn. approx. 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He mentioned that the loco had a fuel holding capacity of 6000 liters. When asked about the FE , he remained non-committal, stating that there are various factors like gradient, acceleration, etc. that determine the fuel consumption but indicated that the range on a full tank was approx. 900km. I’m not too sure of this number, though.

Sample image - WDP 4D Loco (note how long the loco is)
Attachment 2283568

The WDP4D is a sight to behold. The startup spooling sound and the hum once it’s ready ,is a treat to the ears. But just like how some petrol heads prefer sound of v10 over v8/12 , the good old fashioned ALCO engines had the best Diesel loco sound I have had pleasure of hearing.

As a diesel shed golden rock devotee , I have seen GOC shed engines far up north hauling long distance trains. So I am surprised that an ‘Amdavaad’ loco shed got a chance to haul it all the way till erode.

Long distance train journey used to be a fun activity but as an adult , I somehow lost interest. Shatabdi was the only other train than a fast passenger I would take to my native (Kumbakonam). Good to see even ordinary coaches get an overhaul.

Thank you for posting about your journey

Originally Posted by vigsom

Ride#2 in Utkrisht coaches

My second ride in Utkrisht coaches was last month when I took the legendary CSTM – Chennai Express from Thane to Chennai Central. This train has the distinction of recently completing 100 years in service, with its maiden run on 01-Dec-1921. I have travelled in this train in the 90s when it used to originate at Dadar Central Railway at 1400hrs and reach Chennai 1630hrs the following day – that is a journey time of 26hrs30mins. Today, the train leaves Mumbai CST at 1245hrs and reaches Chennai 1050hrs the following day – a mere 22 hours thanks to lines on most of the section being doubled.

Back in they day , Chennai express was synonymous with delays. Due to a single line track until Guntakal or maybe Renigunta , we used to wait a lot. Train stations that were supposed to go before sunrise would show up at9 am. But thanks to that we got familiar with so many places in that stretch. Gooty,one of the largest loco sheds I believe , Guntakal , kadapah and by extension we came to know about mantralayam. Used to pack 3 days worth of books at higginbothams or wheeler (depending on Mumbai or Chennai origin).

Now when I drive past these places for going elsewhere , it invokes some fond as well as frustrating memories.

The trip I most remember and loathe was back in 1999. We had booked ac3tier coupe for mum n me. It was mid summer and heat was roasting us like how peanuts are roasted in a Kadhai with sand in it. We wait and central and the train is parked in the platform. Turns out that due to a technical snag , the a/c coaches had some issue and were replaces by regular sleeper coaches. To add icing to this the crowd control absolutely sucked and by the time we crossed into AP , folks straight up climbed into the coach and started squatting by the bathroom and walkways. It was filthy and 8 people sat in place of 6 while in side berth we were allocated only 1 seat. Kids were relieving themselves everywhere and it got to a point of exhaustion and gag due to smell.
We got down from the train at Dadar and vowed never again to use that train. After that trip , late night India airlines zindbad.

I could write about the happy journeys from NDLS to MAS via TN or GT express with Nagpur being the ice cream stop for us , but I cannot write as well as you have covered stuff here.

[Bigzero]

Thanks for this thread! Very nostalgic in a way, and also insightful for me personally as I haven't really made an overnight train trip in around 15 years or so.

Life for anyone living away from their hometown - especially thousands of kilometers away in a different state - was always about those yearly trips back home in those long distance trains that criss-cross the country. A lot of that probably hasn't changed yet, but personally for me, trains have been a big part of my life in the nineties as I had to use them extensively for work ( which involved at least two or three overnight journeys in a month ) and for going home (from Gujarat to Kerala) at least once a year, sometimes twice.

The first route you showcased, at least a good part of that, was the default route from Kerala to Mumbai and Gujarat before the Konkan route came operational. What a journey it was those days . Almost always in sleeper coaches (AC was beyond my means those days), boarding the train from a very busy Vadodara station, the scramble to get one's luggage squeezed in under the seats, settling down for the long journey, and eventually disembarking at our destination saying good byes to the bunch of co-passengers with whom we always ended up developing some camaraderie - chitchatting and sharing food along the way.

The journey from Gujarat to Kerala was quite long in that route. around 40+ hours if I remember correctly. And the trains weren't really punctual as well. One hobby of mine was to keep checking how late the train was at major stations en route, against the time printed in the timetable books most of us had. Quite often, one ended up descending into deep depression (especially in searing hot summer) realizing in the morning that that the train had accumulated significant delay during the overnight run. The reverse (which used to happen quite often - a late train magically "catching up" overnight), had all of us in great mood in the morning.

And the route, a great variety of terrains indeed! the coastal plains of Gujarat & Maharashtra, the ghat section to Pune, the vast, lonely stretches of Deccan in MH, KA , AP and then KA again, the rocky sections after Bangalore, the penultimate stretch through beautiful TN countryside that had all of us preparing ourselves to enter home territory, and the climactic stage of passing through the Walayar ghats and entering Kerala.

The coaches were not in great shape ( hopefully better nowadays), but we had to live with what we had been given. Going to toilet couldn't be avoided as the journey was too long to hold! All of us devised our own ways to get the job done in the most efficient and accident-free manner. During summer months, some of us even took showers in the train! I don't think people may be doing it anymore. The worst situations emerged when the coach ran out of water - this wasn't a very infrequent occurrence, and happened usually when the trains ran hours behind schedule and therefore reached the designated water-filling points late. The only options during those times were to walk across the coaches that still had some water left, and wait in queue. Man, I don't want to relive those experiences!

And then the food- regular supply from the pantry car. No one really bothered about how hygienic the pantry car was (we sometimes passed through them during some of our toilet missions..) . The food was generally mediocre, but quite often a good distraction to have during the journey. It also helped that some stations along the way served decent food. Seasoned passengers planned ahead, knowing when trains reach stations with good food options, and stayed away from the in-train food service.

Sometimes, towards the latter part of the journey, the train crossed a similar one going the other way on the same route, and passengers exchanged glances.. sometimes sympathising with those in the train that has just started with the journey, and envious of those who are about to disembark.

Train travel became much easier between Gujarat, Mumbai and Kerala after the Konkan opened up I remember how excited I was during my first trip through the stretch, a few weeks after the stretch had opened - Getting down at each station - some of them unfinished - marveling at the scenery, the viaducts and the tunnels, and somehow feeling that we reached home as soon as one hit Goa - largely because the landscape was very familiar.

Long distance journeys for me have been mostly cars and flights from 2003 onwards. While those have their own charms and excitement, there is nothing like the absolute relaxation train journeys gave - plonking on to one's seat ( or the top berth ) and do nothing for a day or more, sleeping a lot more than one usually does, and generally enjoying the unhurried vibe that the train and the co-passengers give out.

p.s. I hear that people converse very less in trains nowadays, as everyone is fixated on their mobiles. Even during those days, we used to joke that the higher the class of the coach, the less people talk. Sleeper class was the best those days.

p.p.s - I had also made at least one full journey in a general compartment in the old route. It is a topic for an entirely new thread!

[Fx14]

Originally Posted by vigsom

The WDP4D Loco

One of the high points of this ride was the WDP4D loco that hauled the train all the way from source (Okha) to my destination (Salem).

The WDP4D is India’s most powerful passenger dual cab Diesel – Electric loco powered by a 16 cylinder diesel engine, developing 4500hp.

The WDP4D does haul many a train across the Konkan Railway and felt that it is much better in terms of acceleration and maintaining speed.

Suppose it is the default engine for the Mumbai-Madgaon-Mumbai Jan Shatabdi, which does the to-and-fro journey of approximately 1500 kms the same day.

As an aside, have noticed that this engine is also used on electrified routes like the one stated by you. Isn't it a waste of diesel given that a WAP-7 could be used on the WR stretch and upto Pune atleast, if not beyond?

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by vigsom

I had a quick talk with the Loco Pilot when the train reached Pune Jn. approx. 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He mentioned that the loco had a fuel holding capacity of 6000 liters. When asked about the FE , he remained non-committal, stating that there are various factors like gradient, acceleration, etc. that determine the fuel consumption but indicated that the range on a full tank was approx. 900km. I’m not too sure of this number, though.

I was posted to our factory at Tuticorin for two years between 2006-2008 and lived there alone, while my family remained in Chennai. I was traveling almost every weekend to Chennai and back, by the Pearl City Express. At that time the line was not fully electrified beyond Villupuram and there was a loco change from Electric to diesel there. To prevent the delay some long distance trains were hauled all the way by diesel locos from Chennai Egmore, and the PCE was one of them. It was hauled by a WDP 3A. I got familiar with one particular loco pilot and used to chat with him. I posed him the same FE question.

He laughed and said he was not exactly sure about it, that it will depend on various things such as gradients on the way, but did say the trip from Chennai to Villupuram had approximately consumed 900 litres of diesel.

Chennai Egmore - Villupuram distance by train is 159 km. Consumption of 900 litres translates to about 5.66 litres per km. Chennai Egmore - Tuticorin is 652 km by rail, so we can say the trip would consume 3700 - 4000 litres of diesel. Not bad for a vehicle which accommodates over 1000 passengers in sleeper comfort!