As the travel bug bites me once a year, it bit me once this time with destination around Vizag. And what a trip to Vizag without a rail trip to Araku on the KK line , which got the initial Vistadome rake allocated by the Indian Railways !!

But Vistadome and railfans seem far off, thanks to the millions of travel agents who seem to take it as 1st choice of package. So while I plan my trip , it turns out that a month before my planned journey, the waitlist for...
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Vistadome springs upto 22

Not wiling to take a chance , looked up for the next premium class available on the train , SL, which stands at a dismal RAC8. Looked upto my parents for whether to proceed with same, when my mom asked "Sleeper class means SS quota will be there". Looked up, available was 008 for the single coach . Booked it for my parents and RAC for myself. If it at all it stays in RaC, I still have 2 windows for myself thanks to LB quota .

The RAC 8 refuses to move till I leave Bangalore by the 22884 Poor Man:s chariot on 19th November . The day before the Arakku journey, see that the RAC has dropped down to 2. The next morning it's confirmed in S1 53 , MB. Not bad think myself

Arrive the morning of 23rd and our driver drops us off at Visakhapatnam station, as we move on with a single bag and neatly packed breakfast from Sairam , open well at 530AM . The rest of the luggage dropped off in the car to be taken to Arakku . We reach station at 555AM, 50 mins before schedule departure of the train, welcomed by a hoard of tourists waiting outside for PF allotment .

PF allotment - Wait a second, the train itself is not in the list of arriving departure trains. Little did I realise then, that this was the train that Railways are least concerned about. Despite giving load enough for 4 Vistadome in peak seasons , the freight revenue loss in running the single passenger train doesn't seem to compensate enough for railways to run, that even in the running list, the name doesn't seem to come

PF-1 was occupied by the ICF rake of 22606 Villupuram Purullia express , preparing for departure . Seated my parents onbPF-1 and took a stroll around . Announcement went on for Gunupur passenger on PF-6, Koraput passenger on PF-5 , incoming lists of trains from Hyderabad region , Janmabhoomi leaving to Lingampalli from PF-4 , Shalimar Chennai arriving on PF-3 , but no mention of our train anywhere, as the time ticked to 545

While I made a walk between enterance and platform, something caught my eye which of course a railfan cannot miss ..2 Vistadome coaches linked with a EoG standing at the terminal end of Vizag . Confirmed with a tea stall that Kirandul pass is likely to be on PF-5 , informed my parents and slowly walked down to the platform, searching for a LHB rake and Vistadome coaches . Couldn't make out from the FoB , so asking my parents to wait there , went down to PF-5, as smoke of diesel spread through the air . It was a EoG. Wondering why Eog was standing in middle of the platform , went down to find display board saying it was 08546 Koraput pass on PF-5.. but EoG board was Kirandul passenger.

Got confused , looked around to understand ...the EoG was headless.. there was a blue ICF SLR ahead of the EoG which was the actual 08546. And our 08551 was the LHB beauty . Walked up few steps on FoB and waved to my parents to join me .


As oppossed to the IRI position , S1 wasn't in the start of consist. Walked back the UR, The D3-D1 position to reach S1, which was followed by a UR and EoG at end and the EV's. Crowd hasn't arrived yet as platform hadn't been announced, boarded our coach and I accompanied my parents in their bay, waiting to see to get someone to change the berth

Myself and Mom walked down to the end of the rake for the Vistadome , to take some snaps , as time ticked to 630AM. The Gunupur pass had departed , while Koraput pass was still waiting . Took some snaps in EV, as announcement also went in the time and passengers slowly started trickling in, a few arguing with TTE for not announcing the platform, despite paying through nose for a premium EV visit. In the meantime , ScR Queen, Godavari express entered in PF-1 with a TKD WAP-7

A group of elderly ladies , seemingly on a package , boarded the EV1 coach , shouting out to each other's to sit in next seat. Wondered what such a huge group would do, being friends , chit chat, eat, sleep after some time and visit Borra caves , at expense of some railfans who wanted a desperate journey through EV and settled silently for a SL. EV was filled with such groups looked like

In excitement to board the coach , didn't notice an aspect which couldn't be missed - if it was a metro , the voice would have warned -"mind the gap while boarding the train ". Here there was no voice to announce where train itself was . The EV was the last coach in rake , and the line was slightly deviated from platform, meaning , one had a major gap while deboarding from any door except the 1st EV1 door.

We reach back to our coach as watch clicks to 635AM, 10 mins left for our departure. Announcement goes across the platform for the Koraput passenger departure and slowly for Kirandul passenger, as crowd trickles to the platform. The express from Shalimar to Secunderabad has arrived and waiting for reversal , as announcement goes for the Duronto arrival. The rake of 18561 Vizag Kollam weekly is pushed back into PF-7 for impending departure

We move past the departure time of 645, as announcement goes for the 18517 Korba Visakhapatnam express arrival onto PF-6, left vacant now by the Gunupur pass that has departed . Then goes for the incoming Visakha express. Our train is now almost full, with few EV passengers rushing towards the coaches after enquiries.. reason ...D2 is standing at place where digital board is marked as EV while EV is almost 6 coaches behind . Everyone rush. S1 RAC passengers try to shuffle between the SLB SUB for 3 people . The UR behind is empty

We experience a jolt, push and pull and a horn. Our loco ia finally attached and we have to pull out. Atleast something positive that has happened

In the meantime Visakha express positions itself on PF-2 , and Shalimar Chennai makes the way out , as our clock mobes to 7AM. A passenger looks for seat No. 10 and finds me seated. Requests him to exchange for 53 for which he is happy for he has his friends in 51/52. Well heights of coincidence this should be

The clock keeps ticking , past 715AM and it was time for 18561 to make a move at 720AM, with bustling crowd of Sabarimalai crowd . Few minutes later it was the time for Garib rath from SECUNDERABAD to make entry , and our TTE to make his entry , checking the details. Passengers throng him enquiring about departure time , as he points out to Visakha saying , he is last of the set, after which we will. Dad was like , so this train will run only after VSKP station will run out of trains, controllers will get bored thinking which train to handle next and then they will be like oh this is there send him.. in meantime Visakha left and Garib rath arrived and platforms fell silent , time 745AM

Passengers kind attention please , raised the eyebrows of everyone. It was for the arrival of the 12840 Chennai Howrah Mail onto PF-4 . Yipee we leaving I shouted only to realise soon , we were on PF-5 and not 4 and incoming arrival has no impeding effect

Finally at 752 AM , an hour and 7 mins behind schedule departure, we slowly pull out of Visakhapatnam station , by the time we were tired of early morning waking up, hungry stomach already having grumbled and gumbled the idlis and upma we had packed for the day. Dad went and washed his hands only to remark - The UR is literally empty , only reserved coaches are full...I said 80% bookings only for Borrha and Arakku, not for any other place.. so that explains the relaxed Ness of railways ...it's not a "official" train only a "leisure" train that everything happens at leisure .. if it runs on time , it would only mean VSKP is enjoying "leisure" moment ...