Date of journey : 8th January 2016
Train number: 16515 (Yesvantpura Karwara Express)
From YPR till SBHR .
Inorder to make this new year to start with a bang along with the blessings of the almighty , I decided to choose this train to visit the famous Kukke Subhramanya temple. Though I have been to Kukke few times in bus , this is my...
more... first travel by train. Moreover this is the first time I'm traveling in this treacherous stretch in day. This stretch is always a closer one in my heart because my grandfather's efforts were also present during the metre gauge construction as he was the inspector of works in SKLR. It was really an awesome moment for me. I left from Marathalli by cab and reached YPR station by 6 o clock, I noticed the Chalukya express was occupying the berth comfortably for almost two hours. Meanwhile the KAWR rake was shunted to the platform number 5 with an KJM Alco. As soon as the clock struck 7, the Alco chugged out of YPR and entered into the beautiful village side of Karnataka. We crossed the legendary Queen "Rani Chenamma" after Dodbele. It arrived Tumkur before the scheduled time where Arsikere Bengaluru passenger was waiting. It departed from TK bang on time and it was halted at Baanasandra for a crossing with Harihara intercity. Next scheduled stop was at TTR , Tiptur is the place where I spent few years of childhood, where I was enjoying my days by looking at the Hubli intercity's marvellous run and the blue liveried KJM ALCOS. Shimoga town intercity was arriving at the same time with an EMD. After a brief halt it departed and reached Arsikere five minutes early where the Loco reversal will happen. After the reversal the train was moving swiftly in the Mysore line and speed was very moderate. It never crossed 80kmph in the Arsikere Hassan stretch. It reached Hassan at 11:20 , five minutes behind the schedule and it departed after the two minute halt and marched towards Sakhlespura. As soon as it left Hassan, the beautiful western forests of western ghat foothills welcomed us with a pleasant climate. Everyone in the train were mesmerised by the divine beauty of Mother Nature but it was just a trailer for upcoming sceneries. We reached Hassan exactly at 12 o clock, where the brakers will be attached . The train was halted for almost 25 minutes , the brakers were EMD twins. It departed at 12:25 and slowly went through the lush green forests where a notice board displayed "Ghat section , speed 30Kmph". Brakes were tested because the next three hours is a nightmare for brake shoes. We reached Donigal pretty quickly from where the testing times for the Loco pilots began, we slowly started to descend the mighty western ghats. The tunnel saga begun too , 57 tunnels in 60 kms . That's a bit too much tunnel per km I would say. No wonder they term this as the most dangerous stretch in Indian railways. It was 30kmph show all they way till Subrahmanya. Numerous valley, rivulets, viaducts makes this journey most memorable for anyone who travels. Once we crossed the tunnel 57 , I bid goodbye to western ghats with a heavy heart. The train reached Subrahmanya before the scheduled time and the brakers were removed pretty quickly. Then I came out of the station and i found few KSRTC buses waiting as connection for this train. 4 buses were bound to Dharmasthala and 1 was to Kukke. Thus a beautiful journey which will be cherished always came to an end.
RATINGS:
Speed: 3/5 [ The train reached many places before the scheduled time due to the ample slack time provided, so it wasn't delayed at all ]
Maintenance: 4/5 [ The coaches were neatly maintained but few coaches were old and had old 2s style layout ]
Cleanliness: 5/5 [ The train was very clean and tidy , being a train from South Western Railway I need not say about it ]
Food: 5/5 [ this train doesn't have a pantry car but still many food vendors were selling breakfast and other snacks throughout the journey so we need not worry for food ]
