India: A Study in Contrasts Both of these images were taken on two different days but within 5 kms of each other. The following image is from possibly the dirtiest station in the national capital[yes, the station is in use and few passenger trains do stop here] and you can see the front entrance. To make things worse, there is a literal mountain pile of garbage between the intervening platforms of this station. This is from another bigger station. The platforms are much cleaner and the train visible is the uber luxurious Deccan Odyssey used occassionally for sightseeing purposes. I can't imagine a bigger contrast between dirt poor station at the top and a top tier luxury on wheels train at the bottom.
These images were taken last month in the national capital of India, Delhi. None of these are the main stations [that would be like New Delhi, Old Delhi] but still due to heavy load, many trains start/stop from here. The 2nd and 3rd image is basically that of an island style platform that err, sticks out in the modern era of metros and overhead transit lines of a big city. The 4th image shows the luxurious Deccan Odyssey in the background and the 5th image is the larger platform view of the same station at non peak times.
Four passenger trains getting ready to leave for their respective destinations at afternoon. In pure theory, there are 6 platforms, so 6 parallel trains can stand, but in practice, I have only seen it going to 5. This is a overhead transit/metro station on the line that connects New Delhi Rail station - Airport directly.
That is a neat view of the station looking across the tops of the trains. Also like the color variety
Oh, Indian Railways could never be sure of one color. There are old blue liveried coaches[ original Swiss design ICF ones] being phased out, dark green ones, newly introduced white and saffron ones; all in tandem for no reason.
A small station at morning time. The blue liveried coaches were originally Swiss designed and are slowly being phased out.
Just like Amtrak or VIA Rail in their early years. Trains were a dog's breakfast of engines and cars from all the railroads that pitched in their equipment. Those were entertaining times.
I found multiple images I took couple of years before in my archives. The third image shows the active broad gauge track with the now[ possibly 2 decades ] abandoned Meter gauge tracks next to it that haven't been uprooted.
-> Evening at a train station -> Diesel Loco powering a train -> Giant trees as part of the station structure/platform Images from ~3 years ago.
It just wasn't uprooted from all along the route; so fragments of it survive. The road originally would have criss crossed the tracks with the manned crossing slightly behind. When it became abandoned and tracks removed from across the road, the manned crossing just was put forward. So, it's a single Broad gauge line that criss crosses the road now somewhat adjacent to this place. Front view of three different stations. Sadly, none of them are architecturally grand. Two of them belong to state capitals and are decently big from inside but still lack the oomph factor.
These are new rolling stock which have digital displays, auto closing doors and are a whole integrated set of either 8/16 Coaches [with no separate loco unlike other Indian trains ]. This train set currently composes of sitting only stuff, so not meant/run for overnight journeys. Livery is either white or orange [on few routes].
