Ranikhet Express - रेगिस्तान में हरियाली

Transformation of a glamorous train to a genuine pain-Trivandrum Chennai Mail
This was an exceptionally glamorous a train in Kerala once the gauge conversion in Ernakulam Junction-Trivandrum Central sector and introduction of this train. (It is not clear which one, Quilon-Madras Central Mail or Trivandrum Central-Madrsa Egmore metre gauge Mail is the ancestor of this train). This had rake sharing arrangement with Trivandrum Cannanore Express and the control was with Trivandrum. It had clean coaches and used to run time. The train had a number 19/20 AT THAT TIME WHICH LATER BECAME 6319/6320. Subsequently, for some inexplicable reason the RSA was with Cheran Express and the control was shifted to Coimbatore and the numbers got changed to 6619/6620. After the 5 digi...
more...

numbers came into force, it is not clear who is responsible for the train which looks like a waste dump beside a market in both directions. At any rate, that was sufferable due to speed and punctuality. Nowadays, that too is gone. It used to bypass Coimbatore junction earlier but that system too is altered. For no apparent reason, it loses considerable time to go inside Coimbatore and come out. It is unspeakably dirty in both directions and is perpetually late in either directions almost everyday. Choosy passengers have started opting for Chennai Central Alleppey 22639 to travel from Chennai to Ernakulam since the travel time is almost identical. The train thus is a like a glamour queen reduced to a street side beggar.