Brindavan Exp turns 55, but charm long lost
TIMES NEWS NETWORK 01.10.2019
If there is one thing old timers and regular end-to-end travellers of the Chennai-Bengaluru Brindavan Express would love to bring back, it would be its lost glory. What began as a service for end-to-end passengers, especially tourists, on October 1, 1964, they feel, has lost it sheen and purpose and only fond memories remain.
Named after Brindavan Gardens in Mysuru (then Mysore), it provided perfect connectivity till Karnataka capital Bengaluru (Bangalore), the gateway for nearly 30 places of tourist interest in that state.
Initially, a steam locomotive hauled eight conventional coaches and took 7.30 hours to Bangalore. In April 1966, a diesel van replaced the steam engine, reducing the running time to 5.30 hours. With halts at Katpadi, Jolarpettai and Bangalore Cantonment, it was the fastest broad gauge (BG) train.
The tremendous response affected bus services between the two cities. It was a favourite for regulars to Bangalore for its punctuality, cleanliness and for allowing only reserved passengers.
It had a completely vestibule rake and a highlight was the food in the pantry car (it was once ranked among the top five in the railways) served in the coaches. It also had a counter for those who preferred going there.
Over time, it began losing its charm with the running time changed to six hours, several halts introduced, and punctuality hardly adhered to. In 2014, the railways discarded the three AC chair car coaches, following the introduction of the Double Decker AC train and a few years later, it removed the pantry car. Recently, the timings were revised with a delay of 15 minutes, before, thanks to the efforts of rail users in Bengaluru, the previous schedule was restored.
Ashok Kumar Verma, divisional railway manager, Bengaluru railway division doesn’t agree its popularity has dipped after introduction of the double-decker train. “We are happy the service continuous to be popular among passengers and are working hard to ensure punctuality of the train,” he said.
(Inputs from Christin Mathew Philip)
TIMES NEWS NETWORK 01.10.2019
If there is one thing old timers and regular end-to-end travellers of the Chennai-Bengaluru Brindavan Express would love to bring back, it would be its lost glory. What began as a service for end-to-end passengers, especially tourists, on October 1, 1964, they feel, has lost it sheen and purpose and only fond memories remain.
Named after Brindavan Gardens in Mysuru (then Mysore), it provided perfect connectivity till Karnataka capital Bengaluru (Bangalore), the gateway for nearly 30 places of tourist interest in that state.
Initially, a steam locomotive hauled eight conventional coaches and took 7.30 hours to Bangalore. In April 1966, a diesel van replaced the steam engine, reducing the running time to 5.30 hours. With halts at Katpadi, Jolarpettai and Bangalore Cantonment, it was the fastest broad gauge (BG) train.
The tremendous response affected bus services between the two cities. It was a favourite for regulars to Bangalore for its punctuality, cleanliness and for allowing only reserved passengers.
It had a completely vestibule rake and a highlight was the food in the pantry car (it was once ranked among the top five in the railways) served in the coaches. It also had a counter for those who preferred going there.
Over time, it began losing its charm with the running time changed to six hours, several halts introduced, and punctuality hardly adhered to. In 2014, the railways discarded the three AC chair car coaches, following the introduction of the Double Decker AC train and a few years later, it removed the pantry car. Recently, the timings were revised with a delay of 15 minutes, before, thanks to the efforts of rail users in Bengaluru, the previous schedule was restored.
Ashok Kumar Verma, divisional railway manager, Bengaluru railway division doesn’t agree its popularity has dipped after introduction of the double-decker train. “We are happy the service continuous to be popular among passengers and are working hard to ensure punctuality of the train,” he said.
(Inputs from Christin Mathew Philip)
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