The Vistadome Experience

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Photo of The Vistadome Experience 1/5 by Pratibhu Roy Chowdhury

For a while now, all over the world, railway corporations have been using and/or introducing a new type of coach for the travelers and explorers. These coaches enable a wider view of the world around as the train chugs along its route. With superior seating comfort, ample leg space, rotating seats and airline like service along with gigantic windows, opalescent ceiling windows and an air conditioned balcony at the end of the coach, here is a fresh new experience of a train ride - the Vistadome coaches. Indian Railways too have recently introduced similar coaches to provide a similar experience on some of the more scenic routes on its massive network. As of now, they run on two routes, one on the east coast - the Vishakhapatnam (Vizag) - Arakku section and the other on the west coast, through the lovely the Konkan Railway between Mumbai and Goa. I recently had the chance to try out and experience these coaches on the Visakhapatnam - Arakku route and boy was I excited.

Photo of The Vistadome Experience 2/5 by Pratibhu Roy Chowdhury
Photo of The Vistadome Experience 3/5 by Pratibhu Roy Chowdhury

It was a last minute decision, and since there's only one Vistadome coach attached the to the Visakhapatnam - Kirandul Passenger, it was my sheer luck that I got a lone aisle seat in this coach two days ahead of the date of journey. Light on luggage (just a camera, sunglasses and a bottle of water), I made it to the Vishakhapatnam Station well on time. The scheduled departure of the train is at 6.50am. Mind you, this train is just a passenger service, which means it stops at every station, unlike an express service. Nevertheless, the route from Visakhapatnam to Arakku traverses through the lush green hills of the Eastern Ghats, winding through narrow gorges and valleys, with as many as 47 tunnels on the way. With a bit of a gradient on this route, the speed of the train is a gentle 30 kmph in the hilly section. The route comes alive during the monsoons, when the rain makes everything greener, the dust settles, clouds float around, random streams make waterfalls - it becomes a treat for the tired city dwellers. I went in March, dry, a little less green, bit warm and very clear.

Photo of The Vistadome Experience 4/5 by Pratibhu Roy Chowdhury

Once we settled into our seats, coffee/tea was served for Rs. 10 and one could get hold of packs of biscuits, chips, etc. I had heard that one could order for more wholesome meals like sandwiches, a plate of idli, etc., however, the same was not available on this trip due to some issue which the attendant failed to explain. After 1 hour into the journey, we reach a station called Lakkavarapukota, beyond which the ghat section starts. Meandering and snaking through foliage and tunnels, our train makes its way. This is where most passengers, me included, whip out our cameras and get clicking. I took the chance to get up early from my seat and grab a spot at the balcony. This was a very different kind of experience watching ourselves go in reverse and the tracks emerge from beneath the train. The multiple tunnels, the valleys, the winding railway tracks, all made for an exciting 4 hours. Once, the excitement of hitting the hills subsided people retired back to their seats. A nifty feature on this coach in the opalescent ceiling windows, as mentioned earlier. All this while they were kept in the transparent mode, letting us see the sky and trees tops. As the Sun rose higher and the day got warmer, the AC, although still cooling, was getting less effective and the attendant decided to change the ceiling windows to translucent with just the flick of a switch. Some people even tried out the 360 degree rotation of the seats, which lets passengers face the direction of travel no matter which way the train is going. Information about upcoming stations were displayed on the many LCD screens placed on the top panel throughout the coach, with audio announcements in place as well. All in all, the experience is state of the art, with technology, comfort and hospitality all taken care pretty well. This is definitely a great way to explore the more scenic routes of India, without even breaking a sweat, while eating good food.

The fare of Vistadome coaches are in line with Executive Class Chair Car of Shatabdi trains, and one can expect very comfortable seats and more than ample leg space along with mentioned Vistadome features. Train travel is always a great way to know and explore any place and this type of amenities only makes it easier to choose a better way to explore. Indian Railways have plans to add more of these coaches to more routes and the latest route will be in the lap of the Himalayas, through winter snow, over-looking the snow capped giants in Kashmir Valley. The route and these coaches, both being all weather, will surely attract a lot of attention. I am sure to be one of them.

Photo of The Vistadome Experience 5/5 by Pratibhu Roy Chowdhury
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