In India, railway journeys are often associated with pleasant memories, whether it is a trip to relatives or a family vacation. However, there is a train that covers a distance of about 4000 kilometers and requires more than three days to complete the route.
This train is called the Vivek Express. It runs from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, passing through many states, cities, and cultures during its long journey. This trip is especially interesting for those who love long train rides and want to see the diversity of India from the inside.
The Vivek Express route, connecting Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari, is approximately 4200 kilometers long and takes about 74 hours, which is more than three days. Nevertheless, sometimes due to various circumstances, the train may not arrive at the station on schedule. During such a long journey, passengers can observe different sights of India from the window: from vast tea plantations to the hustle and bustle of large urban centers. The change in weather, languages, culinary traditions, and lifestyle makes this trip special.
Content creator Mamta Yadav and her team took a trip from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari and back to experience this long route. Although the scenic views were the main attraction, the large crowd of passengers in the general compartment created several difficulties. The video shows severe overcrowding in the general compartment, which can cause problems with finding a seat and moving around inside the carriage. Additionally, there were inconveniences related to the cleanliness of the toilets.
The team spent the first two days in the general compartment and the remaining two days in an air-conditioned compartment. In the general compartment, seats are primarily taken by arriving passengers, so finding a comfortable spot on such a long journey can be a serious problem.
The Vivek Express was launched as part of the railway budget announcement in the 2011–2012 period. This train is named in honor of commemorating the 150th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Besides Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari, this train passes through a number of important stations on its extended route, including cities such as Guwahati, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Thiruvananthapuram. The train makes stops at approximately 59 stations along the entire route.