Ernakulam (Kochi) to Bengaluru | Train Journey in MONSOON | feat. 3 Ghat Sections

#ernakulam #walayar #monsoonrailways

Ernakulam (Kochi) to Bengaluru - A Train Journey in MONSOON | featuring 3 Ghat Sections

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Here's presenting a train journey from Ernakulam (Kochi) in Kerala to one of India's most happening cities, Bengaluru, also fondly called the "Garden City". Undertaken in the first week of June in 2019 with the onset of the monsoons, this features a complete daytime journey starting from Kerala's biggest city (arguably). This was covered in two separate days and in two separate trains for the ease of travel but compiled into a single video.

We start off aboard the Alleppy Tatanagar Express (led by a Arakkonam WAP-4) on a overcast Monday morning and reach Palakkad Jn meandering our way through the western ghats of Kerala. Its in this stretch that we cross the short yet green Wadakkanchery ghats (after Thrissur). We also have a brief passage past the Cochin International Airport at Angamaly.

Post Palakkad brings us to the best part of first day's action - the Walayar Ghats. Graced by rocky hills kissed by the grey monsoon clouds in the backdrop, we pass through a forested region while also crossing over to Tamil Nadu from Kerala. The two lines (UP & DOWN) run separate in this stretch only to meet up before Coimbatore Jn, our abode for the night.

One of the best parts of rail travel is having great friends all over the country. A handful of them, read Sarabha Saaluvesh K, Siddarth Ashok & Adithya Vaidyanathan were my company for the day with the former being our host for the night.

With the next part of the journey planned on the Coimbatore Mumbai LTT Express, it is a disappointment to see it rescheduled by neallt 4 hours but that turns out to be boon. The stretch from Coimbatore to Salem is pretty uneventful except for the crossing of River Kavei (at Erode Jn) and the sight of some distant hills before Salem Jn.

Salem Jn brings about a complete U-turn to all of these. As we take left (bidding goodbye to the mail line to Chennai), we come across the last and longest ghat section of the journey. We pass through some exquisite curves while gaining elevation en-route Dharmapuri. This region has not received much rain yet but is green enough and dazzles in the lat afternoon sun.

Umpteen curves later, we reach Dharmapuri only to know the trailing Ernakulam KSR Bengaluru Intercity shall be overtaking us. Quickly getting a UR ticket, they journey resumes on board the Intercity. A hasty decision but a good one.

We pass through the last bits of route under the fading orange sun. The giant curve at Rayakottai is certainly a highlight. But not all plans materialize fully. As we reach Hosur, its nearly 7 PM and dark. So a journey which was supposed to be till KSR Bengaluru has to be short terminated at Hosur itself. But the trip was a definitely a success with a big S. Three ghat sections, which we had set out to experience, are accomplished and in style.

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Features crossings with -

1. Tiruvananthapuram Mail
2. Guruvayur Punalur passenger
3. Chennai Alleppy Express
4. Kozhikode Tiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express
5. Mangla Lakshadweep Express
6. Yesvantpur Kochuveli Garib Rath Express
7. Executive Express
8. Madgaon Ernakulam Express
9. Kerala Express
10. Korba Tiruvananthapuram Express
11. Sabari Express
12. KSR Bengaluru Ernakulam Intercity Express
13. Shalimar Tiruvananthapuram Express
14. Mumbai Tiruvananthapuram Express
15. KSR Bengaluru Nagercoil Express

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