Circa 1967-68, I had prepared a timetable for a MYTHICAL ALL-METRE GAUGE train appropriately christened BHARAT EXPRESS. Now trying to recollect the route of that train ALTHOUGH IT IS NO LONGER VALID NOW FOLLOWING LARGE SCALE GAUGE CONVERSION.
Trivandrum-Quilon-Tenkasi-Virudunagar-Madurai-Tiruchirappalli-Vriddachalam- Salem-Dharmapuri-Bangalore City-Dharmavaram-Guntakal-Kurnool-Kacheguda -Secunderabad- Nizamabad-Purna--Khandwa-Indore-Ratlam-Chittaurgarh-
Ajmer-Phulera-Jaipur-Bandikui-Bharatpur-Achnera-Mathura-Hathras-Kasganj-Farukhabad-Kanpur-Lucknow-Barabanki-Gonda-Basti-Gorakhpur-Deoria-Bhatni -Siwan-Chhapra-Sonpur-Barauni-Katihar-Barsoi-Kishanganj-Siliguri-Alipurduar- New Bongaigaon-Gauhati-Lumding-Dimapur-Tinsukia- Dibrugarh Town.
The BHARAT EXPRESS had a journey time of about 120 hours and rivalled...
more... the RIGA-VLADIVOSTOK TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS.
Can old-timers at IRI comment on the correctness of the route which I have now recalled from memory ?