The charm and beauty of this train has always been its trademark aggression.
Absolutely ripping through its route, it would fly past its 10ish halts and reach Chennai just before lunchtime. It played the dutiful second-in-command to the Shatabdis, as did its partner Brindavan. This earned it the nickname ‘common man’s Shatabdi,’ after all.
Lalbagh...
more... was no ordinary express. In fact, it was followed an hour later by an express so ordinary in comparison that everyone called that train “The Express.”
Today, with the introduction of the Vande Bharat trains, the priority dynamics have changed.
Point to point Bengaluru - Chennai travellers pack the Vande Bharats. The erstwhile kings of the route, the Shatabdi trains’ purpose has been limited to carrying the waitlists of the Vande Bharat trains.
Where does that leave old Lalbagh?
More halts. A more relaxed timetable, to allow two Vande Bharat trains to overtake it on the way. The aggression is being systematically clawed away at.
Lalbagh has been squarely relegated to the role of trusty people mover. The common man from Kuppam or Sholinghur still waits for this train. It’s still faster than the Express, isn’t it? The unreserved coaches are packed. The passengers are unimpressed. The train screeches to a defeated halt every time it stops somewhere.
But then, as the whistle blows and the WAP-7 wails like it has a sore throat, passengers look out the windows with anticipation. The engine pulls. And pulls. And pulls some more.
The speedometer ticks steadily ahead as the train gets faster and faster. The rails emit sparks and sound like they have a tough time keeping this beast on them.
The train accelerates effortlessly to 130 kilometres per hour. The hand-me-down AC coach still wrongly reads “Shatabdi Express” but doesn’t feel out of place. The train skips Gudiyattam in style, with ballast stones flying off the tracks. A sight to behold. Vintage Lalbagh is back, leaving behind dust in its wake.
But it’s temporary. Another halt approaches, and the train’s new reality dawns on everyone again. Switching to the loop line, the tired train takes a breather while a fresh-looking Vande Bharat overtakes it and zooms ahead.
But Lalbagh’s proven itself once again. Under all the dirt and lethargy, the true aggressive face of this train still waits for a chance to show itself, between every single halt. After the premium trains, there’s no other train to contest it in terms of priority.
The old Lalbagh is not dead. Yet.
please wait...Translate to EnglishThe Lalbagh express is a straight-up beast. It used to tear through its path at breakneck speeds, leaving all other stops in the dust. It was like the Shatabdis' loyal sidekick, known as the "common man's Shatabdi." But now with the Vande Bharat trains in the picture, things have switched up. The Vande Bharat trains are taking over the scene, with Bengaluru to Chennai passengers choosing them over the Shatabdis. Lalbagh has taken a back seat, with more stops and a slower timetable to let the Vande Bharats pass. Its aggressive nature is slowly fading away. Even though it's now just a humble mode of transport for regular folks, passengers from small towns still rely on it. The unreserved coaches are jam-packed, but passengers aren't exactly thrilled. The train screeches to a stop at every station, defeated. But when that whistle blows and the engine roars, there's a sense of excitement in the air. The train picks up speed, racing ahead with sparks flying off the tracks. It effortlessly reaches 130 km/h, exuding that classic Lalbagh charm. Though its glory may be short-lived as it halts again, a fresh Vande Bharat zooming past. But Lalbagh proves itself time and time again, revealing its fierce side between stops. Despite its worn-out appearance, it's still a force to be reckoned with, unmatched in priority after the premium trains. Old Lalbagh ain't dead just yet.
please wait...Translate to HindiIs train ki charm aur beauty ka to hamesha se attitude hi unique hai.
Pura route tezi se cover karte hue, yeh apne 10ish halts se jaake Chennai tak lunchtime se pehle pahunch jaati thi. Shatabdis ke dutiful second-in-command ke roop mein kaam karti thi, jaise hi uska partner Brindavan. Isko mila tha 'common man's Shatabdi' ka nickname, after all.
Lalbagh ek aam express nahi tha. Asal mein, ek ghanta baad hi uske peeche ek itni aam express aati thi ki sab log us train ko "The Express" kehte the.
Aaj, Vande Bharat trains ke aane se priority dynamics badal gayi hai.
Point se point Bengaluru - Chennai wale log Vande Bharat trains ko choose karte hain. Route ke pehle ke raja, Shatabdi trains ka kaam bas Vande Bharat trains ke waitlists ko carry karna hai.
To fir Lalbagh kahan reh gayi?
Kai aur halts. Ek thoda easy timetable, taki do Vande Bharat trains usko overtake kar sake. Yeh aggression systematically kam hoti jaa rahi hai.
Lalbagh ka kaam ab sirf trustworthy people mover ban gaya hai. Kuppam ya Sholinghur ke aam aadmi ab bhi iss train ka wait karte hain. Yeh Express se to fast hai na? Unreserved coaches bhare hote hain. Yatriyon ko impress nahi karta. Har jagah rukne par train peecha chhodne ki koshish karta hai.
Par fir, jab whistle baja aur WAP-7 dar awaaz mein chilaane lagta hai, yatri khidkiyon se umeed se dekhte hain. Engine kheenchta hai. Aur kheenchta hai. Aur thoda aur kheenchta hai.
Speedometer tezi se badhta rehta hai jab train aur bhi fast hoti jaati hai. Rails se sparks nikalte hain aur lage hain jaise unhe iss beast ko control karne mein mushkil ho.
Train bina kisi effort ke 130 kilometers per hour tak pahunch jaati hai. Haath se down AC coach ab bhi galat taur se "Shatabdi Express" likha hua hai lekin woh jyada ajeeb nahi lagta. Lalbagh Gudiyattam ko style mein chhod deta hai, ballast stones rail se udd jaate hain. Dekhne layak drishya. Vintage Lalbagh waapis aa gayi hai, apne peeche dhool chhodkar.
Par yeh temporary hai. Ek aur halt tak pahunchta hai aur train ka naya haqiqat sabke samne phir se aa jaata hai. Loop line mein switch karte hue, thaki huyi train thodi der ke liye araam karti hai jab tak ek fresh-looking Vande Bharat usse overtake karke aage badhta hai.
Par Lalbagh ne ek baar phir prove kiya hai. Saare gandagi aur sannata ke beech, yeh train ka asli aggressive chehra abhi bhi har rukawat ke beech apne aapko dikhane ka mauka dhoond raha hai. Premium trains ke baad, priority ke mamle mein usse koi bhi train compete nahi kar sakti.
Purani Lalbagh abhi tak zinda hai. Abhi tak.
