(HD) Meeting the Kerala Exp. at Chengannur - Island Exp. (Aug. 11, 2007)

[cooldudethegreatspy]

nice cam man.

[indianrailways]

This train is the longest electric-hauled train on Indian Railways i.e. run with the same electric loco (usually a WAP4) for its entire journey of 3037 KM. It has eighteen 1 or 2 or 3 minute halts, which it has to strictly adhere, otherwise whole schedule is disturbed and the train becomes late. So the P4 needs to be extremely robust and fit, to carry this 24 coach very tight schedule train.

[vb642]

Quite a remarkable achievement for a P4!

[indianrailways]

Kerala express has two distinctions. Longest daily running train (3036 km) and the longest electric hauled train on the Indian Railways. 2626 has amazing 14 stops inside Kerala within 372 KM. The real journey of this train begins after it enters the trunk route at Gudur. Until Gudur it goes with a pathetic average of 52 KM/HR.

[vb642]

Back in the late 70s, the Kerala Karnataka Exp. had just five halts inside Kerala - Olvakkot (now Palakkad), Trichur, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Quilon.

[indianrailways]

Yes, I was a frequent traveler too. And it used to do the Delhi-Jhansi section non stop. Green yellow livery. And the great joining at Jolarpet and then double headed. It had a library also initially. Those good old days gone.

[vb642]

The first time I saw the KK Exp. was at Nagpur - Dec. 1981. I was traveling by the Ganga Kaveri Exp. from Varanasi to Madras. Both trains had the same green-yellow livery. I vividly remember the double-headed train pulling into Nagpur in the middle of the night. Yes, those were the good ol' days for sure - I call it the golden era of IR travel.

[translator2929]

great recordng

[vb642]

Thanks!