JagRail's video: Trichy - Pudukkottai - Karaikkudi Diesel Train Journey

Here’s a diesel loco hauled train journey from Tiruchchirappalli to Karaikudi, chugging through the countryside of Tamil Nadu on board 06849 Tiruchchirappalli - Rameswaram Express Special behind Golden Rock WDG3A 13436 in broad daylight. This was an attempt to document the endangered diesel action in this stretch of Indian Railways and is not necessarily a latest update of electrification works in the Trichy - Karaikudi section. This single line section from Tiruchchirappalli to Karaikkudi has the following intermediate railway stations most of which form single block sections: Kumaramangalam, Keeranur, Narthamalai, Vellanur, Pudukkottai, Namanasamudram, Tirumayam, Chettinad and Kottaiyur. The train 06849 doesn't halt at all of them though. Rivers such as the River Agniyar, South Vellar River, Gundar River, River Pambaru are crossed in this section. Coimbatore - Pollachi - Trichy - Thanjavur - Nagapattinam National Highway 83, Vellore - Trichy - Melur - Madurai - Tuticorin National Highway 38, Crawford bridge, Pudukkottai - Tiruchy National Highway 336 are some of the major bridges beneath which the Tiruchchirappalli - Karaikkudi line traverses. The chainage in the Trichy - Pudukottai - Karaikkudi section is part of the Madras Beach - Rameswaram chain, one of the longest in Southern Railway. Barring the Trichy outer region, the entire Tiruchi - Karaikudi section comes under the Madurai Division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways. Here, Golden Rock WDG3A 13436 can be seen in charge of the train, 06849 TPJ - RMM passenger and chugging through the scenic eastern countryside of Tamil Nadu. Other spottings from Tiruchchirappalli Junction are as follows: 06868 Madurai - Villupuram Express (Used to be operated as a Passenger train, 56805/56806 VM - MDU Pass, during the pre-covid days) pulling into PF1, led by a Golden Rock WDG3A, 13437. 02606 Karaikkudi - Chennai Egmore Pallavan Exp (12606 / 12605) all set for departure from PF3 just after a WAP7 takes over from a Golden Rock Alco. 02627 Tiruchchirappalli - Thiruvananthapuram Central Intercity Exp gets ready to leave PF2 of Tiruchy behind Royapuram WAP7 30364. Empty rake of 06796 Tiruchchirappalli - Chennai Egmore Cholan Express on PF5. The rake of 02653 Chennai Egmore - Tiruchchirappalli Rockfort Express that arrives Trichy on PF1 gets shunted to PF5 to proceed as Cholan Exp. Hubballi WDG4 12020, in golden-yellow livery, was spotted resting on one of the lines beyond PF7. 06849/50 Tiruchchirappalli - Rameswaram Express Special is a daily train operated between Trichy and the island town of Rameshwaram by the Tiruchchirappalli division of Southern Railway. In the pre-covid era, the train was operated as 56829 TPJ - RMM Passenger. Tiruchchirappalli is a five point junction with lines coming from/going to Vriddhachalam, Thanjavur, Karaikkudi, Dindigul and Karur. Karaikudi is a three point junction with single lines from/to Tiruchchirappalli, Manamadurai and the recently gauge converted Tiruturaipundi/Tiruvarur. This video is best experienced when viewed at 1080p60 with the use of headphones. Please pardon the slight shakes in some of the captures, especially the one while entering Karaikkudi Jn. They’ll be bettered the next time. Thank you for stopping by! © 2021, JagRail