Aboard the Vivek Express

“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.
See the world.
It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”

– Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

The first train of India was formed on April 16, 1853. It consisted of three engines and fourteen coaches, which ran the 34-kilometer path from Bombay (now known as Mumbai) to Thana (now known as Thane). The birth of Indian Railways has been one of the most integral additions to global travel, carrying 20 million people every day—through sweeping villages, a range of landscapes, and coastal regions across the country.

This reflection is about the longest train route in India: the Vivek Express. The journey begins from Dibrugarh in Assam and ends in Kanyakumari, also known as Cape—the southernmost tip of India where the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea meet. It covers a total distance of 4,273 kilometers in the span of 85 hours or, approximately, five days. It’s also the ninth-longest train in the world, covering nine different Indian states.

I’ve completed this journey twice as a solo traveler. The first, which this piece captures, was spent covering distances at night and is more of a reflection of life onboard the train. The second journey was taken to experience the hidden beauty of South India and other regions in the daylight. My personal views and takeaways from both journeys vary as there were differences in the time of day, the geographies I was crossing, and the people whom I met. Despite the differences, it was no less special or photogenic. I hope my words and my images are able to convey the essence of life aboard the Vivek.