PALAKKAD to COIMBATORE In The Night | The Absolutely Spooky Walayar Ghats & A Roaring Diesel Engine

Walayar is a small developing town, located in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. It is situated in the border between the states of Kerala and Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu on NH 47 where the Commercial Taxe (previously sales tax) Check Post, motor vehicles check post, and excise check posts are located. Due to the high traffic on this route (most of the goods import into Kerala happens through road and predominantly through this road), the place was notorious for the traffic jams.But now the condtion has changed with the improvement of National Highway 47 from Walayar to Vadakkanchery.Now the NH is four lane with service roads and other facilities.There is exclusive service road for goods vehicles from the entry point of the check post to the exit point so that passenger vehicles can easily pass through the check post area without any interruption.Widening of NH 47 compleated on 2015. Most of the passenger vehicles coming from other states, viz buses, tourist cabs, pilgrims enter Kerala through this gateway. Walayar is the Gateway to Coimbatore city from Kerala state.

Walayar is situated on the Western Ghats and the railway line follows a tedious route through the ghat section. A journey through this section during the day time is pleasant and eye soothig while the night journeys are spooky and frightening.

During the night, the trains are restricted to a speed of 40 kmph so as to prevent any untoward incidents with the wild animals. The speed restriction was implemented after many elephants and peacocks met a gruesome end at the wheels of trains running through the section at high speed during the night.

Train : 56324 Mangalore Central - Coimbatore Junction Passenger
Loco : Erode WDP4D #40243

I had been on a random trip to Shoranur before returning to Coimbatore to board the Cheran Express back to Chennai in the night. Having boarded the Inter City Express at Shoranur, I alighted at Palghat on noticing the Passenger to Coimbatore waiting with a WDP4D. Missing an EMD journey through the ghats wasn't an option for me thanks to being a lover of the V16 2 Stroke beast.