ARK/Araku (2 PFs)

अरकु

అరకు

Track: Double Electric-Line

Blast from the past: Shots of Araku station during my tour in 2012-13. Those were the days! :)
Pic 1: VSKP-KRDL Passenger, then the only connection between these two places, at Araku station
Pic 2: Shots of hills beside Araku station
Pic 3: Another shot from the station
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4: Araku station (Shot in mobile VGA camera)
Pic courtesy: Me and my brother.

Vizag Araku VISTADOME Full Journey Compilation Part-2!! Araku Borra Caves and Ex Highest BG station!!
Video link : click here
Memories from my 2018 Vizak Araku trip. From Kolkata, we boarded the Howrah- Yesvantpur Superfast to reach Visakhapatnam. A stay of only 3 days was pretty less to enjoy the charm of the wonderful city, but we couldn't afford to stay more. The reason was that I had also added Araku on the itinerary. Now one won't be spoiled for choices to travel from Vizag to Araku. Either its by road or by...
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train. The down journey was planned to be covered by road, and so the up journey was to be by train. Now only two trains connect Vizag and Araku. The 18514 Visakhapatnam- Kirandul Express with the most unearthly dropping time at the quiet little hilltown, and the 58501 Visakhapatnam- Kirandul Passenger, which covers the entire route in daylight. So without any hesitation, we opted for the PASSENGER. Now the train has got Unreserved coach, Reserved Chair Car, Sleeper coach, AC 2 Tier (Which was discontinued) and the PREMIUM VISTADOME. This train is the first one in India to sport the VISTADOME, and provides tourists a wonderful view of the scenic but treacherous railway route. Although the VISTADOME pinches the pocket hard, but it was too attractive and appealing to give a miss.. So that was it. We were travelling on one of the most Premium class of coach on one of the most beautiful railway route of Indian Railways.
So this video takes you on a ride with me on the VISTADOME from Tyada to Araku Via Borra Caves (Guhalu) on the second leg of the journey. The route not only offers some unbeatable scenic beauties, but also gives us a hindsight of the extreme engineering feet achieved some 50 years ago. From a height of 11 metres at Visakhapatnam, the train treks up to 996 metres at Shimiliguda, which was the highest broad gauge railway station in Indian Railways till 2004. After Shimiliguda, the train descends a bit and reach Araku at 928 metres. The VISTADOME coach is detached here, as the remaining train heads to Kirandul. On the second leg of the journey, we would be covering the remaining stretch from Tyada to Araku.
Needless to say, it was simply an unbeatable experience. An excitement that would stay with me forever. And to share my beautiful experience with you all, So hope all of you enjoy the journey as much as I did.