India Calling....

Hi Folks,

Not been too active on A.U. forum recently, partly due to my home internet connection failing... I now use the local library, no bad thing.

So, tomorrow I am off to India again for some rail adventures.

Starting in the south, I take my first 1st class Indian train ride, up to Delhi. I hope the posh folk are as friendly as the other passengers I have met...

Back down to Chennai, to Rameswarum, up to Kalkota then a ride from there to Kalka and then up to Shimla on the "toy train".

I will be getting off the train between rides too!

I hope to create a journal or reports of my visit, so stay tuned!

Ed.

Wondered what happened to you Eddie, thought maybe you'd moved to the Continent after the morons in England voted for Brexit at the urging of your Know Nothing Politicians!

Look forward to reading about your adventures in India, hopefully you won't become ill this trip!

Funny, I was just thinking about you, Ed. Have a great trip! ( Make sure you are in the right time zone! :giggle: ) I remember you waiting at my house because Arizona is weird!

Have a great trip! India is on my eventual travel list (standing invite to Chennai as well).

Have a great trip, Ed! We will look forward to hearing all about it!

When are you planning to be in Kolkata and how long will you be there?

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the good wishes!

At the moment I am just on a whistle stop visit to Kolkata, Jis.

I arrive on the Coromandel Express from Chennai on 20th Sept, and leave again the evening of the 21 on the Kalka Mail...

Staying at the Broadway hotel, do you know it? (Supposed to have "character" but not air con!).

I do expect to return to Kolkata again for a few days later in this trip, not quite planned that bit yet. .

Tomorrow is my first train ride, up to Delhi, same day a national strike has been called... might be walking to the station yet!

Ed.

I don't know much about hotels in Kolkata since I have never stayed in one or had the need to do so.

BTW, the All India Railwaymen's Federation, the primary trade union of the folks that run the trains on Indian Railways, are supporting the All India Strike. I have no idea what that might mean for train operations that day.

Here is their press release:

http://www.airfindia.org/2016/08/22/airf-extends-support-to-country-wide-general-strike-on-02-09-2016/

I had a walk to the station this morning, to check the situation, and Trivandrum is like a ghost town... almost every shop and business is closed, very little traffic, although what traffic there is still need to use their horns...

No taxi or auto rickshaws operating.

Word at the station is that the trains are pretty much operating as normal, so fingers crossed!

I will have to walk with my luggage, just hope the "heavy rain" forcast for later is wrong too.

Next stop Delhi, where I hope to start my trip report.

Cheers,

Ed.

P.S. Do you plan to be in Kolkata this autumn, and if so which are your dates?

The next time I will be in Kolkata is early April 2017. I might take the Rajdhani or Duronto from New Delhi to Kolkata after arriving in Delhi by Lufthansa on a really really biiig silver bird (the A380 flight from Frankfurt). The timing works out well. You arrive middle of the night, sleep the rest of the night and the morning in the hotel, then catch the train at 5pm arriving the next day before 10am, as opposed to catching a flight around 5pm and arriving the same evening around 8pm or so.

I enjoyed my A380 flight from Birmingham to Dubai, very cool!

I caught my train ok, and it didn't rain on me. This is me enjoying a "chhota peg" or several in my 1st class two person room, as we head north to Delhi, where I am tonight. I hope to start my journal shortly!



Cheers!

Ed.

How full was the AC 1st? On some routes they run pretty empty. But on the Delhi - Kolkata and Delhi - Mumbai routes they are notoriously full. The Howrah Rajdhani is is probably the only train that runs with two and occasionally three Ac 1st class cars.

BTW you will be on a classic on your journey from Kolkata, where I understand you are taking the Kalka Mail. That was the first through Mail train that connected Kolkata with what became the the summer capital of India at Shimla (when the capital of India moved from Kolkata to New Delhi) . Well it went upto Kalka the main line railhead for Shimla. Then one took the narrow gauge line to Shimla. Now it is electric all the way from Howrah to Kalka. The composition of the train changes completely at Delhi Jn. Almost half the train is dropped off and a few cars are added when traveling westbound/northbound.

Is that the Emperor of India enjoying a libation in the pic?

Looking good Eddie! We're Looking forward to upcoming chapters of an Englishman tours India!

Must be the Emperor since it is actually illegal subject to a stiff fine. But a rule that is seldom enforced in AC First. Only if you really **** off the TTE or Guard.

jis said:

Must be the Emperor since it is actually illegal subject to a stiff fine. But a rule that is seldom enforced in AC First. Only if you really **** off the TTE or Guard.

Click to expand...

What is it exactly that he is drinking?

Something alcoholic as I understand it. That is what "peg" usually refers to.

Despite the rather lurid colour in the pic, it is Captain Morgan spiced rum, bought duty free as I left the UK.

The 1st class seemed about half full, Jis. Different folk came and went, judging from the voices changing. 1st class passengers seem to have loud voices, or at least are used to being heard...

I noticed that some dates were pretty much sold out, others had quite a few berths available. I guess that is a long way, end to end, so maybe first class folk tend to fly that distance? Only one 1st a/c coach on this Rajdhani, and that was rather ancient.

Ed.