Day 1 – Through Kerala's Backwaters
The journey began from Thiruvananthapuram Central at 2:40 PM. Earlier that morning, I had already travelled from Kanniyakumari on the 16381 Kanyakumari–Pune Jayanti Express, making this adventure begin long before boarding the Rajdhani.
The first few hours through Kerala were simply breathtaking. The train passed coconut groves, peaceful backwaters and busy stations like Alappuzha, Ernakulam Junction and Shoranur while I enjoyed the comfort of a First AC coupe.
🚉 Railfan Note
Near Thrissur, the Rajdhani was overtaken by 20632 Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express—a scheduled overtake during the Konkan Railway monsoon timetable.
Dinner initially arrived as the standard Rajdhani meal usually served in Second AC. After pointing out that First AC passengers receive premium service, the onboard staff replaced it with the correct meal served in proper cutlery along with ice cream.
Day 2 – Konkan Railway at Its Absolute Best
Around 5:30 in the morning, I woke up while crossing the magnificent Sharavati River Bridge near Honnavar. Soon afterwards, the train entered the legendary Konkan Railway, one of India's greatest railway engineering achievements.
As daylight arrived, the journey transformed into a railfan's paradise. The Rajdhani crossed countless tunnels, rivers and lush green valleys while heavy monsoon rain covered the Western Ghats.
🌉 Engineering Highlight
The famous Panval Viaduct, one of India's tallest railway viaducts, was undoubtedly one of the engineering highlights of the journey.
Several memorable train crossings made the day even more exciting, including the LTT–Kochuveli Garib Rath Express, a Roll-on/Roll-off freight train carrying trucks, the 22119 CSMT–Madgaon Tejas Express and the 12978 Ajmer–Ernakulam Marusagar Express.
Lunch and dinner were both noticeably better than the previous evening, and watching waterfalls, tunnels and endless greenery from the coach made this one of the finest railway journeys I have ever experienced.
Day 3 – The Final Stretch to Delhi
During the early hours, the Rajdhani crossed Ratlam before entering Rajasthan and later Kota, where breakfast was served.
Approaching Delhi, we overtook the Gandhidham–Kamakhya Express and later ran alongside the Mahakoshal Express near Mathura before finally entering the busy Delhi railway network.
After nearly 46 hours, the Rajdhani reached Hazrat Nizamuddin only 10–11 minutes behind schedule, bringing my longest train journey to an end.
Final Thoughts
This journey was far more than travelling from Kerala to Delhi. It was an experience that combined spectacular scenery, remarkable railway engineering, premium train travel and unforgettable railfan moments.
Although the catering in First AC felt inconsistent at times, the overall experience more than compensated for it. From Kerala's backwaters to the rain-soaked Konkan Railway and finally the busy main line into Delhi, this became one of the most memorable train journeys I have ever taken.