THE WORST JOURNEY

I was home for a break in ’96 when I got the news that rail tracks on the east coast were damaged by heavy floods. This meant the return journey to my place of work in Andhra Pradesh would be difficult. Anyway, I decided to go ahead since I wanted to report on time. I would get a bus from Chennai, if trains were not running as usual.

I booked my train ticket from Kollam to Chennai. On reaching Kollam railway station, I found a special enquiry counter at the platform near the entrance. There was a lady behind the counter. I asked her if trains were running from Chennai towards the north. She looked at me and repeated my question. I could not understand the need for a special enquiry counter if they couldn’t provide the required information. A man standing nearby overheard me and told me that the trains from Chennai towards the north were not running.

I boarded the train to Chennai. The compartments were dilapidated. Like most travelers, I had a chain and lock to secure my luggage. If you don’t do so, you may get down for a tea and return to find your luggage missing. Theft was common. I saw my brothers on the platform. They had come to see me off. The train started moving but it was slow and reached Ernakulam at about 8 pm. Then there was an announcement that we had to change to another train on the next platform. Since I had less luggage, I could easily change trains. Those who had more luggage found it difficult. I noticed a man with a leg in plaster being carried to the other train. The train started moving and early next morning we reached Coimbatore. Again there was an announcement that the train would not proceed any further and that all passengers could report at the ticket counters with their tickets for a full refund. We stood in queues and collected the refund. I decided to get a bus to Chennai. I saw the man with the fractured leg being carried to a taxi. They may have decided to go by taxi since getting on a bus would be difficult.

I got a bus to Chennai but by the time it reached Erode it got a flat tyre. Since they didn’t have a good spare tyre, they send someone to get one. While waiting for the tyre to be replaced, I met two keralites who were traveling with me. One was a navy man and the other worked in a bank. I was having a headache and took a disprin. My new friends asked me to join them for a beer at a nearby bar. I was reluctant since I had just taken a disprin and didn’t know if it would react with alcohol. They told me it would not cause a problem. The navy man told me disprin was banned in the navy and that I should not be using it. After having some beer and snacks we went back to the bus and were informed that the bus will not be going anytime soon. We were told to board another bus that stopped nearby.

 This bus reached Chennai early next morning. The navy man left for his house in Chennai. I went with the other man looking for a room but were informed that rooms would be available only at 6.30am. I then decided not to take a room since I had to continue my journey. I left the man and went to the railway station. There were no trains running towards the north. I went to the next station where electric trains were available. They were running but they do not go long distances. I took an electric train as far north as possible and then took a bus to Nellore and had my lunch there. Then I took another bus to Vijayawada. I reached Vijayawada at night and had some snacks at the bus station before boarding another bus to my place of work. Along the way there was a railway crossing and our bus was moving very slowly across the tracks because it was between a convoy of trucks. It was frightening because I have read of trains crashing into vehicles on the tracks.      

I reached my room at about 2 am, took a bath and had a cup of tea before going to bed. I had taken 3 trains and 5 buses to reach my destination. A normal journey would have required only 1 train and 1 bus.