Being a Railfan, its always fine that my blog starts with a train Journey… and hence here comes the 1st post combining a train journey with travel
This train journey is not a premium service.. Its a normal daily service. No special bookings no special permissions required. Book it on Indian Railways online service http://www.irctc.co.in and enjoy the journey through the lap of the Western ghats
The train journey begins in the Capital City of Karnataka- Bangalore from Yeshvantapur Railway station located about 6 kms from City Centre and ends at the Coastal City of Mangalore. A daily overnight train and a Tri-weekly Day express does the job of traversing through the ghats. The night journey undertaken on a Full moon night can give eerie feelings unless you sleep while the day journey is a beautiful one especially Post monsoon and in winters when the mountains are in lush greenery
Well the day train- Train No. 16515 on the Yeshvantapur Karwar route, providing Non-AC and AC Seating arrangements , a 18 coacher hauled by a diesel engine,to be run on tracks with 1.6M width (Broad gauge line) leaves the Yeshvantapur station at 7AM and proceeds through the National Highway towards Mumbai before deviating towards the interior at Tumkur at Arasikere.
Well nothing much to expect in this section as it is through the normal urban and rural landscapes of Karnataka towards the town of arasikere. The train then reverses its direction towards the Town of Hassan. The route taken is a slightly roundabout compared to the road as of now, but the direct line to Hassan is being laid and once done, the journey can be accomplished with a saving of 1 hour. After Hassan, the train winds it way close to the Bangalore-Mangalore Highway with slight changes in sceneries with coffee plantations too making their way. The wayside stations and streams done away with, the train reaches the town of Sakleshpur situated at 970MSL almost the same height as the starting Point. But the plateau now has paved its way to the Oldest mountains of the Country “Western Ghats”
Its almost Lunch time with the time ticking 12:30… Sakleshpur is the main station to finish of food with arriving vendors. The train too takes a much required rest here.. The journey ahead is major and the engine knows what lies ahead. As we have food, the joints and nuts and coupling are checked. 2 other locos joins the one ahead making it a total of 3 locos to haul the train now. The halt at Sakleshpur continues for almost 30 mins.. enough time to finish lunch and get the camera ready
A loud hoot from the leading engine and the signal turns green. It is time now to move on and grab the doors. If not the doors Windows can also provide comfort. A non-Ac coach provides a better viewing comfort from the seats. the points of Sakleshpur is crossed. The next official halt is just 55 kms away from here.. but the halt is 700mtrs down the Western Ghats @ 180MSL
We are now into the lap of the ghats.. The Western Ghats tower over us at each and every point showing its superiority. The train would seem like a caterpillar to them. When the line in this section was closed for gauge conversion, this was a trekking point. But with trains making a comeback, trekking is now restricted. We move past coffee plantations and past human habitations. All that we now have are Hills, Forests and Lush greenery. Post monsoon waterfalls give us company as ferns give a brush against the faces..
Proceeding ahead, we cross the bridge over a stream.. Well streams are meant to be tiny but some turn out to be too tiny to be even spotted from the height.. The bridges are innumerous, a few of them as long as 200 mtrs and a few of them very short just a cross-over.. As the bridge is crossed, soon darkness envelopes.. Not coz of the time of the day but we have moved into one of the 1st tunnels we encounter.. Track alignment need to be straight and hence engineering surveys have ensured the train runs straight through hills rather than winding.(done in independent India!!!!). the sound of the loco is diminished by the hooting of the travellers
The 3 locos ahead know their duty..The 2 others are destined for it.. ensure that the full force is given to brakes and train doesnt speed more than 30.. in some sections 15 is the destined speed.
Dongial, the 1st station in the ghats arrive and the train takes a necessary break testing halt as the engines puff out the smoke.. they have been tired after the run and they know they have travered just about 15 kms and taken about 35 mins of time.. But the word go is given shortly and they proceed on. The train now moves further into uninhabited locations and greenery surrounds the valley. At places, parapet walls give the binding just after the tracks. We now reach the next station 10 kms away, a “quick”30 minutes later.. !
Yedakumari!!! A Station where the platforms just face the valley and the other side the train curves around the hill…We again stop for a small brake testing halt here before proceeding
The train then proceeds through and pass the ghats and after a continous more moments that left the camera red eyed “low battery”, the train now reaches the official stop-the closest station to the pilgrim Town of Kukke Subramanya.15 kms away (Note: Dharmastala is 75 kms from here). A major pilgrim crowd as well nature lovers photographers crowd descend here to recharge their cameras and memories. 57 tunnels have been crossed and the longest of them was a close 480mtrs long.. 2.5 hrs to cover the 55 kms the mind says not enough, as the leading locos now detach and now await for the duty of a returning train uphill.. the signal says “Go” and train now proceeds
@180MSL and apt time and space, the train now picks up speed to original 65-70kmph but now the landscape is majorly rural and Western ghats are now on the Eastern side of the train. The journey proceeds past and another hour later, a curve on a bridge over Netravathi signals the arrival of Bantwala right at the mouth of the bridge.. The next major town is despatched with 2 minutes halt and now the Coastal Town arrival is signalled by a the line coming from the north- the engineering marvel of Indian Railways “Konkan Railway”. the port town is reached and the train is now ready to traverse through to the Coast to its destination “Karwar”
Travel points:
1. 1615 Yeshvantapur Karwar Express leaves Bangalore at 7AM on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays reaching Subramanya Road at 14:30hrs on same day, Mangalore Jn(Kankanady) at 17:40hrs and Karwar at 23:00hrs on same day. 16516 in return direction leaves Karwar at 5AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, reaching Mangalore Jn (Kankanady) at 10:55, Subramanya Road at 1300hrs and Bangalore at 22:00hrs on same day
2. 16523/24 daily Express from Bangalore via Mysore runs in the night and can be used for return journeys rather than entertainment
Best time to visit : Monsoon- But landslides can cause disruption; Post monsoon (September-December) is ideal
3. Trekking enthusiasts can check with the local trekking clubs regarding the permissions for the stretch from Sakleshpur to Subramanya Road which are open in specific sections..
Food: Arasikere, Hassan and Sakleshpur are food available points enroute.. Its advisable to refill at Sakleshpur as the time available is more
South India- The Splendour!! 