I recently took my first train ride post-Covid, to attend a family function in Kerala.

We took the day train on the onward journey. The AC chair car was comfortable, spacious and clean. The pantry car was adjacent to the carriage, and we enjoyed the classics of railway food in South India – dosa, pongal, parippu vada, pazham pori, and glasses of reasonably good coffee.

The advantage of a day train to Kerala is that one gets to see the Palakkad gap in all its glory. I have written about this unique geological formation previously. But this is possibly the first time I was traveling through it during the monsoon season. And to see the moisture-laden rain clouds stream through the gap from lush-green Kerala to drier Tamil Nadu was quite an experience.

We reached our destination on time and enjoyed the stay of a few days in Kerala.

For the return journey, I had booked the overnight train. The AC coach was again, very comfortable and I enjoyed a good night’s sleep. Woke up as the train was a few kilometres away from the outskirts of Bangalore, giving just enough time to enjoy a hot cup of coffee!