Travelling is sometimes very tiresome and generally not very pleasant. Once in a while, however, it can be an adventure of a lifetime. The most important part of a journey is the time to travel and distance to be covered. The combination of a long distance journey over a long time can be both exhausting and fatiguing at the same time. Long distance journeys usually traverse over a thousand kilometres and take over 20 hours or more to complete. Trips like this also tend to cross multiple state lines and easily go halt over 20 times.
Journeys of such great distance and time go through places like national parks, lakes, rivers, heritage sites, and historical cities and so on. Long distance trips go through some of the most picturesque places in the country and will leave a lasting mark in travellers’ minds for a long time. Voyages as long as this are not only physically taxing, but they tend to take a mental toll on the travellers as well. Sitting in one place for more than a day or two can get extremely fatiguing.
India is a vast country, and with over 90000 kilometres of track, multiple trains run well over a thousand kilometres and take more than 20 hours to complete. One amongst them holds the distinction of being the longest journey in the Indian sub-continent in terms of distance as well as time taken. The Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express is a weekly express that traverses the entire east coast of India. It is a journey of epic proportions; it takes over 80 hours and covers more than 4200 kilometres while stopping at nearly 55 different places. The trip begins in the north-eastern state of Assam and ends at the southernmost tip of India: Kanyakumari.
Another lengthy journey is the Himsagar Express. This train goes from the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir and ends at the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu. Similar to the Vivek Express, the journey takes around 70 hours to complete, travelling 3700 kilometres and stopping about 72 times.
Both of these trains cover over ten states and pass through some unbelievable sights and scenery. They traverse over famous places like the Deccan plateau, the Eastern Ghats, various rivers like Narmada, Cauvery, and Brahmaputra and so on. Trains like these also pass many national parks and bird sanctuaries giving photographers and travellers a chance to look at the wildlife and scenery up-close and in person.
Voyages such as this redefine the travelling experience for some people, to some the sheer distance and the time taken is a life-enriching experience. One can learn about many cultures, make new friends, and get blown away by the fantastic sites that fall on the way.
A lot more information on such long-distance journeys like train timetables, route details, and ticket fares can be found on the IRCTC website as well as various other travel sites. One can also book tickets, track the timings of the train and the number of stops online. Presently, it is possible make a PNR status check, in case of unconfirmed tickets or for cancellations in case of an emergency.
