What to expect : The Vistadome Coach on the Bangalore - Mangalore Route

There are some train journeys where you need a window seat in a second class coach - till the Railways introduce a Vistadome coach. The last time I travelled on this route was in a Second Class coach with my head and camera sticking out of the window!  In a few days, I will travel this route, once again, on the Vistadome coach from Bangalore ( Station Code YPR) to Mangalore (Station Code MAJN)

Here's a brief description of what you can expect to see on this route (click on the images for a full-screen view). This is  Bangalore-Karwar Express. This is one of the three trains to which the Vistadome coach will be attached till Mangalore (the train terminates in Karwar). This train travels through lush greenery. The route turns spectacularly scenic between Sakleshpur and Subramanya Road railway stations. Here, the train is about to approach Hassan which is a stop before Sakleshpur.

As Sakleshpur approaches, those who don't have a window seat move to the door so as not to miss this window of opportunity to traverse on one of India's most spectacular railway routes.

The tracks are winding. It's green here but this will get spectacularly green in some time.

Here you can see Electricity Development Company's (EDCL) Hassan Wind Mill project which generates about 1.5 MW of Wind Power

The last straight stretch of track before the train reaches Sakleshpur - from where the ghat section begins

Sakleshpur railway station finally. It was a single WDP Engine that pulled the train to Sakleshpur. From here, this will be a hydra-headed - three-engined train. The additional 2 engines are required to provide additional braking power to the train as it heads downhill on the ghat tracks. While travelling back, from Subramanya Road, 2 engines will be attached at the back of the train to push the train up to Sakleshpur. 

The Ghat section commenced immediately after Sakleshpur. From here till Subramanya Road the train will traverse through some of the most scenic routes of the Indian Railways

The 55-km-long ghat section between  Sakleshpur and Subramanya Road is a trip through nature’s creations as well as resourceful engineering. There are 670 bridges including 91 major bridges, with the Ghat section alone having 110 curves and 57 tunnels.

Another of the never-ending bridges on the track

Though dense forests with the trees forming a natural green tunnel

It still mystifies me how the train always decides, correctly, whether or not to take the rail, less travelled!

At Sakleshpur the train is at an altitude of 906 meters. From here it descends to 120 meters above sea level when it reaches Subramanaya Road station

There are so many twists and turns on the track.So many twists and turns on the tracks that one doesn't know whether to go to the left or right for the best view!

It is sometimes giddying to even lookout as the train passes over a viaduct

While this via duct is tall, the third tallest viaduct in Asia is the Panaval viaduct in the Konkan railway route in the Ratnagiri district

Before the train is out of one tunnel, it dives headlong into the next!

Such stunning views from the train!

Several dozen waterfalls along the route drenches the trains and those standing near the doors for

a good view 

Even in the remotest of locations, there is someone on the job to flag the train. His absence would require one to raise the red flag!

Over crystal clear streams

Not light, but I half expected Phantom (The Ghost Who Walks) at the end of the tunnel!

Not Phantom! Only the light at the end of the tunnel!  This route certainly qualifies as one of the most scenic railway routes in India! Don't miss the chance to travel this route this monsoon on the Vistadome coach. The Vistadome service commences from the 11th July 2021. Booking on IRCTC commences from the 7th July 2021.