my JOURNEY CHRONICLES: 2015

After a short gap, I was once again heading to Vadakara - a trip that was planned well in advance. It was my cousin's wedding and as luck always favours I had an exam to attend the same week. We booked on the Ernakulam - Kannur Intercity from Aluva to Vadakara. As my dad and grandma were accompanying me, second sitting was never an option and hence AC Chair Car was chosen .

A biker who got trapped b/w two monsters - shot while on our way to Aluva station.

24.10.2015:

The fine Saturday morning started with myself banging my leg onto a leg of our 'sofa set'. We started early from our home and were dropped at the railway station by around 0645. The LED display board at the entrance showed that our coach (C1) will be the 12th from engine and our train will arrive on platform number 3. While waiting for our train, Shornur-Ernakulam passenger pulled into platform number 1.
Very shortly, our train was announced . The platform was crowded as usual, but we could somehow find a seat to place ourselves.

Intercity express thundering in with an Old WDM 2A

Our train, running on time, came in past 0700 lead by an oldie WDM 2A . As the train came to a halt, there was a huge crowd pushing and pulling to get inside - typical Kerala style! Our seats were towards the middle and as we were settling in, the TTE came around. He did not care for the ticket, but asked for the I.D proof instead. In the mean time, the loco pilot had unleashed all its horses and we were having a fairly good speed.

My coach and I were of the same age. This 1999 built coach was really dusty and had some bugs running around. The vendors were 'very' regular and having an empty stomach, meant I couldn't resist myself from buying something(breakfast). It was 'appam-veg kurma' this time, and I managed to finish it even before 0745. Being a chair car, each seat had a lever on pulling which we could adjust our backrest. In case of my seat, the backrest did not move an inch and I ended up sitting 'up straight' for the whole journey.

Though I wanted to take a nap, my 'up straight' posture did not allow me to. Therefore, I decided to read a text book that I brought with me(keeping in mind of the upcoming exam). By 0815, the train slowly crawled into Shornur Junction, were it spend nearly 15 minutes. It was from here that my dad and grand ma had their breakfast. It was here that a bunch of cleaning agents in dark blue uniform entered and cleaned the toilets and glass windows while another lady filled up the water tanks of our compartment.

A crack on our window!

Once out of Shornur, the train picked up speed really fast. The journey ahead was eventless. Being a bit bored, I spent time by reading newspaper, my text book and some mobile games. After Thirur, the train lost its pace. We started stopping at each and every station - most of them unscheduled. Inside, it gave me a feeling of being in a metro train- leave from a station - pick up pace very fast - high speed action for a few minutes- slowdown - next station.

But even then we made it on time to Kozhikode. Except ours, all other platforms were deserted.
After a 10 minute stop, we soon pulled out and once again the the train was back in action, thundering through the rails.

People crossing rail tracks as we exit Kozhikode

As there were some "track work" going on in and around Vadakara station, we entered dead slow into the station. At last we were at Vadakara by 1140 - 5 minutes behind schedule. Outside it was really hot and we had one of of our relatives waiting for us outside the station. And thus ended the 'eventless' journey.