The little blue train 2

Kolkata - Bagdogra - Darjeeling

Next day we head out to the airport in the local made and infamous Ambassador taxi. It is a hot, dusty and smoky journey.

Inside the Ambassador

Our first destination is a flight to Bagdogra. Bagdogra is a village in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, which is surrounded by tea gardens and the nearest airport to our final destination.

This time we fly with Jet Airways Konnect on their 737-800 for the 446km flight. Due to strict security, I don't have any photos of the plane. It was a comfortable flight with a Buy On Board meal service.

Once we collected our bags, we go to the taxi counter to book our taxi to Darjeeling. When I see the car I am in shock, as no way this little Suzuki is going to take us up the foothills of the great Himalaya. Shouldn't this be a duty for a 4WD vehicle?

This little car is going to take us up to 6,710ft?

 Tea plantations on both sides of the road greet us. So slowly we begin out ascent, the 70km plus journey would take a good 5 hours!

Lowland Tea growing just outside the airport

You know it's India when there is a cricket game

Beautiful rural India

Heading up there

 The wide lowland road soon becomes a narrow, steep and winding road riddled with holes. The little car is struggling and trying it's best to reach our destination.

Children returning from school

This is Land Rover country

Look at the holes

As me approach the first significant town called Kurseong, the road is shared with railway tracks! So now we have to battle, buses, trucks, motorbikes and trains for right of way. There was a train service from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling but due to major landslides during the monsoon season the previous year, resulted in the tracks being washed away. Until today, full service has yet to be restored. In 2014, only the stretch from New Jalpaiguri to Gayabari has reopened. Full services is not expected until 2015.

The town of Kurseong from a distance

Narrow winding road with trucks and railtracks!

The very preppy school uniform

The Kurseong railway station

When we arrive at the town of Kurseong, I get my first sight of what I had traveled all this way for, the Steam locomotive of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway sitting in the loco shed.

The train the train!

The town of Kurseong seemed to be a very busy market town with shop lining both sides of the main street.

The air got cooler and the vegetation more lush as we climbed higher. The traffic also got more chaotic.

Making full use of every inch of space on the land rover

Tung railway station

Fender bender

Then my next catch is a local service from Kurseong to Darjeeling hauled by a diesel locomotive.

 As we continued our journey we hit a traffic jam in the middle of the town of Ghum. Total chaos as everybody is fighting for right of way. Suddenly amongst the cacophony of car, motorbike, bus and truck horns, I heard a whistle! Yes could it be a whistle of a steam train?

A really up close introduction to the little blue train that I came all this way for. I was squealing like a little girl when I saw that train!

We continued pass town after town. The higher we got, the views were stunning, mist cover mountains, dotted with Buddhist monasteries, lush forest and lower temperature. The people also started to look different, more Nepalese in features.

After 5 long hours we turned a corner and the Darjeeling railway station stood in full view and this meant we have arrived! Welcome to Darjeeling!

 To be continued......

The little blue train

Kuala Lumpur to Kolkata

In April 2011, my friend Naim and I embarked on a trip that was going to be an adventure for me. While Naim does this kind of travel all the time, I was a newbie. Click here to read all his wonderful travels at his blog. Our journey began at the LCCT in Kuala Lumpur on Airasia to the Indian city of Kolkata.

 Click here for a video of the flight

The crew were wonderful and the food....was superb. It was my first time trying the Airasia Chicken Briyani! I have been addicted to it from that day on!

 

Chicken Briyani

Decided to also try the vegetarian briyani

The flight arrived on time and we made our way to the hotel to rest as the next day was going to be a long journey.

Wau to KL

My previous post was about my day trip down the east coast line and this is a short report about my night journey on the Ekspres Wau from Tumpat to Kuala Lumpur. This time it began with a drive to the town of Tumpat. A nice drive pass paddy fields before arriving at the station which marks the end of the line for the east coast line.

Pass rural Kelantan on the way to Tumpat

Tumpat, last stop on the east coast

It's a simple railway station with just one platform and the evening sun was beating down hard when I arrived. Opposite the platform are where the resting trains await their next journey.

The end of the line

A class 25 will be hauling the train to Singapore

That is where they are cleaned and readied for service

Long platform baking in the evening sun

About 20 minutes before our departure the long 14 coach train is backed into our platform. There are just a handful of passengers as most will be boarding at Wakaf Bharu.

The exterior of my coach

Two YDM locomotives will be hauling our long train

Some last minute checks

The very colourful second class sleeping berth coach

On the dot at 6pm we pull out of Tumpat and head towards Wakaf Bharu. Once again lovely views of paddy fields as we race to our first stop.

The level crossing as we leave Tumpat Station

Beautiful views

The first class cabin that I took for myself is comfortable. A table, a sink and 2 beds make up this simple cabin. I brought along loads of food plus my macbook for entertainment. A bottle of water and a cake is given and the staff asked if I would like to order dinner and also what time would I like to have breakfast but I declined as I have stocked up on supplies.

Clean and comfortable. Value for money

The very very narrow corridor

The rest of the train is made up of second class berths and second class seating plus a buffet coach.

Second class berths

Soon we arrive at Wakaf Bharu where a huge crowd is waiting fill up the train.

Pulling into Wakaf Bharu

Here they come!

Crossing another train hauled by a class 23 loco

Passing the now disused branch line to Rantau Panjang and Sungai Golok in Thailand

 After Wakaf Bharu the train staff came around to check my ticket and I am left alone until we arrive in KL. Once the sun sets, I make myself comfortable and watch 2 movies before falling off to sleep and waking up somewhere near Seremban the next morning. While I did wake up sometimes when the train stopped at stations, on the whole it was a good nights sleep.

Passing Seri Kembangan the next morning

You always know you have arrived in KL when the skyline emerges into view at Sungai Besi

It was a really good trip by train but the only thing was once it gets dark there is nothing to see outside. Currently KTM has withdrawn the first class coaches from their night train services until further notice for major refurbishment. Hopefully they will return soon with a good makeover. Thanks for stopping by to read.