Update 1st May 2026 9:00 am | Chennai - Delhi | Tamil Nadu Express
At Hazrat Nizamuddin Station (New Delhi)
Reached. Low key stop at H Nizamuddin. No rush no hurry.
Got an auto to the next stop.
Journey rating out of 6 (being best) = 4.5
(.5 knocked off for the delay, 1.for the food.)
Clean = Yes
Comfortable= Yes
Could I remain productive and enjoy the landscape/ trip = Yes
Co-passengers = Great (as was i , i hope)
Would i do it again - yes
Update 30th April 2026 | Bhopal
Chennai - Delhi | TN express
We are a mere 3 hrs late as per NTES - National Train Enquiry Service - Who also, shamefacedly, say that we will make up time & arrive merely 40 minutes late.
Meanwhle we are at Bhopal , which at this time of the night is nice & cool.
It's a place I liked. Used to be a cool, laid-back city. Studied here over 2 very happy years with lots of fond memories, including of the railway station.
30th April 2026. Chennai - Delhi | Tamil Nadu Express
The washrooms are generally clean, & a few people come by every couple of hours to clean up.
I like that they have a separate shower / bathing space - not combined with a WC or IC loo. (Which are also in good shape)
So I risked a hot shower. Its
Sounds counter intiutive but it was luxury. Just one constant sun heated temperature of water, with not to harsh a force & volume.
Why trains ?
This slow-mo video is a small glimpse why ?
Door open, hot wind in the face & air) sometimes good smells sometimes not so great smells.
But passing a landscape allows one a good idea of what is there and what is happening.
One can also imagine being in such a landscape.
Note around the 28 second mark a Solar PV panel set up, near a well. Likely a Solar energy based pump.
#landscape #hot #india #TNexpress #culture #Solar #Maharashtra #amazing #nature #travel #trains #train
30th April 26. Chennai - Delhi
Lunch Time
A standard vegetarian Thali. Plain rice, a dry potato subzi;(Curry), a gravy matar paneer (peas & cottage cheese), a light dal, a sachet of almost fermented not yet rancid pickle, pink kesar halwa, & a plastic spoon sharp enough to cut.
Soulless dull food, basic flavour. No salad (even if just pieces of cucumber & onion). No ice cream, or yogurt, or additional salt / pepper.
Hygienic - ostensibly yes.
30th April 2026
Train Journey : Chennai to Delhi
One of the more exciting pleasures of train travel was the interesting food.
At some point due to safety & health concerns a lot of standardization has taken place, resulting in less than exciting & boring food.
The verdict is not final as i did seem some bondas float by. But Chai, Coffee, Soup, biscuits & foil packed meals are prominent
Breakfast options included bread omlette, bread cutlet, upma , poha
#train #food #india #TNexpress
Part Two (29th and 30th April 2026)
The train. Got on alright, enough space for my luggage
The half bogey I am on has Cabins A to H. This is supposed to have 22 berths. I know for sure G & H is a coupe (2 berths).
F has 4 berths. A to E i am not sure.
From when i last traveled some very minor changes.
Bedsheets are pink, a waste basket, better 3 pin sockets (one for each berth). Better switches. Same berths.
29th April 2026
Chennai Central Railway station (A Terminus)
Managed to, barely, make it to the station after a fast speaking, rash, distracted uber driver got us lost.
Could barely spend time at the station hence blurry pictures on the run.
Train to Delhi , about 34 hours.
In the past, have done this journey many times in almost all classes .
But doing this trip, now, after 8 years
Ramnarayan Kalyanaraman