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The 2024 Coimbatore-Chennai Shatabdi Express (now extinct) was subjected to unscheduled, mandatory halts at Jolarpettai (JTJ) for a minute, ostensibly to let railway staff ride the near-empty train. Observe the ballastless tracks in the station. The 6024 Bangalore Chennai Express waits on another platform at this busy SR junction for the overtake.

 

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This place rates as one of the *best* spots to watch trains. 2007 Chennai-Mysore Shatabdi Express with an AJJ WAP/4 at helm, roars past waiting traffic, preparing to vanish beneath the Channasandra cabin bridge on the outskirts of Bangalore. This place forms an intricate junction, with the line on the left diverging to head north to Yelahanka. The Banaswadi line is undergoing a gauge conversion to head southwards to Hosur and Salem.

 

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A small stretch of the Bangalore-Chennai trunk line was left for doubling, and this offered the sheer fun of travelling on single-line AC catenary territory. The best way to witness a crossing is to get out of the train, cross the line and wait, as is demonstrated here. The 2007 Mysore Shatabdi with its standard Rajdhani-liveried AJJ WAP/4 power crosses the waiting 6024 Chennai Express in the hills at Kamasamudram.

 

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The 2621 Chennai-New Delhi Tamil Nadu Express meets its counterpart from New Delhi at the same time everyday at Nagpur (NGP). It has become routine for passengers to board the opposite train and realize quickly that its the other one :) A Jhansi (JHS) WAP/4 at head of the 2622 Chennai TN Express trundles into the station on a hot August '98 noon.

 

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The line to the temple-town of Tirupati diverges from the station before the platform ramps down at Renigunta Jn. (RU) in AP. A bright SR AJJ WAP/1 #22049 in Shatabdi livery rushes away from the station on a warm summer noon. RU is a complex junction with four branches, and an electric trip shed for freight locomotives is a must-see, from the overbridge. The line to Tirupati now extends south to Katpadi Jn, providing an alternate route to the busy RU-AJJ(outer)-KTP stretch.

 

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A light WAP/4E engine from Vadodara (BRC) shed on WR rushes south of Shivaji Bridge in New Delhi on a rainy autumn evening in August '98. In all probability, this engine has been assigned to lead an express train out of Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM) that serves south-bound routes. The lines on the far left diverge and cross the Yamuna river to meet the Delhi line at Ghaziabad. The location of this photograph rates very high for non-stop trainspotting action.