Upstream the Kaveri
Date 21st August 2014
Kaveri- A river that connects the sugar belt of Karnataka and Rice belt of Tamilnadu and a complete farmer's river and sometimes a conflict for politicians- Well rivers and trains have few commonalities and few differences
Like a river, train too winds its way along rugged path and is blue in colour though rivers pass in paths...
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where trains actually cannot pass- Anyway Train runs throughout the year unlike soem monsoon fed rivers- and 16231/32 Mayiladuthurai-Mysore Express is one of the trains which is always flooded with crowd be it weekend travellers or the people visiting home towns for some marriages
Anyway with these thoughts, I exit my place at Mayiladuthurai, about 30 kms from where the River kaveri meets the sea and proceed to Mayiladuthurai station enroute to which I witness the calmly flowing river making her way to the sea. I reach the Mayiladuthurai station at 17:15hrs only to find it completely occupied and 16231 Mysore Express being stationed on PF-5- Well 1st time I actually realised that this tiny town has 5 platforms as against expected 3- Went past the platforms through FoB the Pf-3 occupied by a GOC WDM-2 awaiting departure as the villupuram passenger on one side as the other end of the platform was the 76825 thanjavur DMU in green livery. PF-4 was occupied by the arrived rake of 56822 TEN-MV passenger as the GOC WDM2 detached itself and went pass the siding to attach itself to the other side of the rake to take it back to TPJ for its Primary maitainence. In the end, it uncoupled the SLR coach and put it in MV sidings before moving again to attach itself to remaining portion of the train. Went to check our loco which was Erode WDM-3A
Though having a Upper berth in S7 54, settled in SLB 55 as for sure no one would be turning up till Thanjavur where the train gets crowded to max. At sharp 17:45hrs the loco let out the horn and pulled out of MV junction takign the curve
Rains had been moderate this year and water having been let out for the 18th day of Aadi month, fields were showing some signs of greenery having taken some water of the river Kaveri. We had scheduled halts at Kuttalam and Aduthurai, both halts allocated for reasons unknown with no one boarding or de-boarding and pulled into the next major town of Kumbakonam onto Pf-1 at 18:30hrs on Pf-1 where a huge crowd boarded our train- After a 10 min long halt we proceeded at 18:40hrs
Though KMU is not so very well served by this river, its after this that we cross the numerous branches of this river along with canals. the canals did not have much of water, but all the main branches had some sort of good flow as train cut them across at good speeds. Crossing the Alco hauled 56039 Extended passenger to MV at Sundaraperumalkoil, we halted again at deserted station of Papanasam
After a 35 min ride from Kumbakonam, we curved into the district head quarters of Thanjavur junction, one of the major town and district that depends majorly on the Kaveri for its fields. The light of the Gopuram Tower of the 1000 year old Raja Raja cholan built thanjore Big temple welcomed us into the station We pulled in on to platform 1 as the uzhavan Express rake was berthed on 3a nd here the train for completely full with visitors from Thanjavur, Nagore and Velankanni flocking the only available option to the IT city. Few minutes later a chugging was heard on PF-4 as the 56812 passenger to MV pulled in onto Pf-4 after which we got the starter
After crossing one or 2 more bridges across some branches, we pulled into Tiruverumbur, a halt majorly allotted for BHEL employees, signalling our arrival into the bigger town of Trichy . We proceed soon further as the chord line from Chennai meets us at Golden Rock (GOC) with a BOXN rake. We pull in past an awaiting goods at TPJ bye-pass hauled by a WDG-4 and enter on PF-2 of TPJ at 20:25 hrs with GOC wDP-4B hauled TEN-TPJ ICE waiting on PF-5. Got down and brought myself packets of lemon rice and curd rice (Rs.20/- each) and boarded as our engine reversed to attach on the other side as a ED wDM-3A brought in the rake of Erode-Trichy passenger onto Pf-1 RSA with the TEN-ED pass which was a slip coach to the rake spotted at MV earlier the evening
at 20:50 hrs we got the starter and proceeded past Palakarai station to halt at Trichy fort, the Rock fort temple of Trichy welcoming us with the light on the top. We proceed past to cross the river Kaveri again as the gopuram of Srirangam temple gave a magnificient look across the river, as it forms an island around the temple town along with the branch river of Kollidam. We loop in for an unscheduled halt at Muttarasanallur at 21:20hrs where GOC WDP-4B hauled 16860 MAQ-MS Express via TPJ blasted past. It was time to go to sleep for havign to proceed to work next day
As i proceed to sleep. 16231 ensured it doesnt lose track of the river. The river and its canals ensure it gave us company until we crossed Karur. We proceeded to Erode for a halt and loco reversal and crossed the river Kaveri for one last time in Tamilnadu at Kaveri station and blasted on the double track ensured that we arrive to the town of SA at 01:05 as the announcement blared about the incoming 12601 MaQ Mail from MAS. Salem, the closest major town to Stanley reservoir or the Mettur Dam the 1st storage place for the river as it makes its way into Tamilnadu
We proceed away from the MAS bound line into the single unelectrified territorry and winding our way through the Shevaroyan hills we proceed after a minor halt at DPJ, the closest town to the famous Hogenakkal Falls on the TN-KA border. From here, the train winds its way close to the border while the river's winding path downstream is through the Kollegal and Kanakapura districts completely bye-passing the main city.
16231 not left far behind, try to stay close to the border as it makes its way to the dry decidious forests of the Denakanikottai-anekal-Bannerghatta region forming a elephant corridor just behind the IT City. The recent signboards puts up a speed restriction for LP's to watch out for elephants as the 21 coacher proceed past to cross the border town of Hosur to enter into KA which immediately marks the entry into the Bangalore city limits
After a long deep sleep, I wake up at 5:20AM where chugging alco twins haul past us with a freight at CRLM station, the connector to the IT sector of the city. We proceed past the curves at bYPL passing through the city whose drinking water needs are served by the mighty cauvery whom we have trailed all the way. Proceed past BNC at 6AM to stop at outer as the RPM WAP1 hauled 12028 shatabdi to chennai makes its way past us and we proceed to halt on Pf-5 of SBC at 6:20AM with Pf-7 having occupied by the MKM bound pass hauled by Sapthagiri liveried WAM4 from aJJ shed and the Erode WDM-3A twins moving out with 12677 bound to ERS from PF-3 as the RSA pair 12608 Lalbagh and 12610 Express to chennai occupy the Pf-1 and PF-2 respectively
I bid goodbye to the train, which gulped in the awaiting passengers at sBC as it changes its journey to office goers Express having a 3hr journey left to pass through the fertile sugar belt of Mandya region and the historical town of Srirangapatna (Incidentally, similar to Srirangam has near TPJ is a island formed by Kaveri) and branch Pashimavahini to end its journey to nearest town of KRS dam/Brindavan gardends on river Kaveri just about 100 kms away from the birth place of the river nestled in the western ghats in the district of Madikeri
Thanks for reading

Train No.16179/16180 Chennai Egmore ­­– Mannargudi – Chennai Egmore Mannai daily express train have been provided a temporary stoppage at Papanasam, o­n experimental basis, for a period of three months from 06.03.2014 to 06.06.2014.
Sl.
No.
Train
...
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Leaving
Timings at
Papanasam

01.
Train No.16179 Chennai Egmore – Mannargudi Mannai Express
Chennai Egmore
on 06.3.14
Arr. 03.39/ Dep.03.40 hrs.

02.
Train No.16180 Mannargudi – Chennai Egmore Mannai Express
Mannargudi
on 07.3.14
Arr. 23.06 Dep.23.07 hrs.

INTRODUCTION OF A NEW TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN CHENNAI EGMORE - THANJAVUR EXP
hurray great news to delta people much anticipated serive from sep 01, A new daily express train service between Chennai Egmore – Thanjavur via. Villupuram, Cuddalore Port Jn., Mayiladuthurai and Kumbakonam is to be introduced. Train No.16183 Chennai Egmore – Thanjavur express and Train No.16184 Thanjavur – Chennai Egmore express will be introduced o­n 01.09.2013. ...
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Train No.16183 Chennai Egmore – Thanjavur express will leave Chennai Egmore at 23.30 hrs. and reach Thanjavur at 07.15 hrs. the next day. In the return direction, Train No.16184 Thanjavur – Chennai Egmore express will leave Thanjavur at 20.45 hrs. and reach Chennai Egmore at 04.55 hrs. the next day. The trains will have 1 AC 2-tier, 1 AC 3-tier, 9 Second class sleeper, 4 General second class and 2 Luggage-cum-brake van coaches. The trains will stop at Mambalam, Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathur, Tindivanam, Villlupuram, Panruti, Cuddalore Port Jn., Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Kuttalam, Aduturai, Kumbakonam and Papanasam.
Source:click here

A new daily express train
service between Chennai Egmore
– Thanjavur via. Villupuram,
Cuddalore Port Jn., Mayiladuthurai
and Kumbakonam is to be
introduced....
more...

Train No.16183
Chennai Egmore – Thanjavur
express and Train No.16184
Thanjavur – Chennai Egmore
express will be introduced on
01.09.2013.
Train No.16183 Chennai Egmore
– Thanjavur express will leave
Chennai Egmore at 23.30 hrs.
and reach Thanjavur at 07.15
hrs. the next day.
In the return direction,
Train No.16184 Thanjavur –
Chennai Egmore express will
leave Thanjavur at 20.45 hrs.
and reach Chennai Egmore at
04.55 hrs. the next day.
The trains will have 1 AC
2-tier, 1 AC 3-tier, 9 Second class
sleeper, 4 General second class
and 2 Luggage-cum-brake van
coaches. The trains will stop at
Mambalam, Tambaram,
Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathur,
Tindivanam, Villlupuram, Panruti,
Cuddalore Port Jn., Chidambaram,
Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai,
Kuttalam, Aduturai, Kumbakonam
and Papanasam.