Italy: On Frecciargento from Rome to Venice

This time it was Italy! I disembarked on a 12 day long trip, crisscrossing the country from north to south and east to west. During the end of year holiday period the rush was unbelievable across the country. I saw tens of thousands of people on the street in Florence, Pisa, Naples and Rome who were Italian speaking and on a trip to discover their country.

I would like to recall my experience traveling on one of Italy’s high speed trains called Frecciargento. Frecciargento is no more the fastest on Italian tracks due to the introduction of Frecciarossa and the privately operated Italo trains that can clock 350 kmph. However, on a leisurely travel I was quite circumspect in choosing my options.

Planning:

This time my better half was traveling with me - so, I had a company. After spending three exciting days in Rome, we had to proceed to our next destination; Venice. My wife being in Venice for the second time volunteered as my tour guide as I spent more time planning the train journey. This was Europe and nothing could beat a high speed train when it comes for intercity travel. After surfing numerous options I zeroed in on a morning Frecciargento train. By the way, in Italian, Frecciargento means Silver Arrow.

Each ticket cost me 40 Euros. But depending on the day it could be a hundred Euros and even more.

On the day of journey: January 3, 2015

We took a tram to Roma Termini station from our hotel. After walking past numerous Bangladeshi restaurants, we landed in the main concourse of Roma Termini at about 7:45 AM.

We planned to catch the 9408 Frecciargento from Roma Termini to Venezia S. Lucia that leaves Rome at 08:35 AM.

Roma Termini is the central railway terminal that operates local, regional and long distance trains. This station also has two metro/subway lines crossing each other under the main station level. There is a tram platform and a big bus terminal right in front of the station building. A very large book shop adorns the modern building interiors. In the morning, the station was crowded with travelers. Some of them held huge backpacks – probably in the middle of a long Eurotrip.

We stopped by a coffee joint and tasted the iconic “cappuccino” with Italian biscotti. During our days in Italy we invariably fell in love with the Italian coffee and the way it is served. People usually stop by the coffee bar to order their choice. It is served in a porcelain cup and saucer.

The clock struck 8:00. Our train was not seen on the display board. Instead numerous trains from Turin, Milan, Naples, Bari, Salerno etc were on display. At about 8:10, when we started anticipating a delay, suddenly our train showed up at the bottom of the screen. Immediately, everyone around us started running to the platform.

Picture: Frecciargento display board

Picture: Frecciargento 9408 posing with the author at the end of journey:Venezia Santa Lucia

There it was, the train with a very distinctive sharp face and a swanky looking exterior design waiting for the passengers to board. We were on Coach 5, that was the 5^th from rear. Due to an already delayed arrival of the rake, passengers were almost sprinting to reach their respective cars. There were big Chinese and American families. Some of them had heavy baggage to be pushed through the stairs from the low level platform. By the time we reached Coach 5, the car was full. There was a baggage area next to the door which seemed to be full as well. Our seats were in the middle of the car. When we reached, we gladly discovered that we will face each other with a table in the middle. And holy cow! There were two baggage racks between the two seats as well. With everything nicely falling in place, we were seated at 8:30, just about 5 minutes before the train’s departure from the historic terminal of Rome. On a quick search I learned that the WiFi was available on the train for a fee of 1 cent. It was quite fast, much alike the train.

Picture: Leaving Roma Tiburtina - A blood red Italo train can be seen in right hand side

The train started on time. A very smooth start and gentle trot through the suburbs of this giant city was immediately followed. We were sitting on the right hand side of the train, hence we could see the opposite tracks next to us. In about 10 minutes we made a brief halt at Roma Tiburtina station. While leaving Tiburtina, we spotted a high speed Italo train waiting for signal. After running through the mainline for some time, it branched out to the dedicated High Speed Corridor.

Note: I must quote one observation here. Though the Italian road traffic follows the central European norm (i.e. traveling through the right side of the road), the Italian trains follow the British norm by channeling the trains through left track on a dual track network.

Soon after, we were running at 250 kmph. It felt really nice from the windows since the scenic beauty of central Italian landscape kept on changing at a faster pace. Beautiful villages, snow capped hills and wayside towns continued to repeat in a relentless fashion. We ran close to the old Trenitalia tracks which the IC and Vivaltos would take. Before and after any significant town or industrial establishments, the high speed tracks were connected with the traditional tracks, making it possible for high-speed trains to branch out and make a halt in those smaller stations.

Picture: Some snaps from the window while cruising at High Speed through Italian countryside

Picture: An Italian Highway; E35 running parallel to the railway track

Meanwhile, a number of red and maroon high speed trains crossed us at breathtaking speeds. The relative speed would have been 600 kmph. Before one could identify them, they were gone!

In about another hour and fifteen minutes, we were in the suburbs of the beautiful city of Florence. I had fond memories of Florence, that were experienced days ago. This is where our train left the high speed corridor to join the approach tracks to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station. After crossing a number of Vivalto trains, we landed at the designated platform, that had numerous people waiting for our train. It was when a bearded co-passenger and a young Chinese woman alighted. In their pace, came in an American woman with her face hidden behind a Lonely Planet travel guide.

While our train was resting on Florence platform, an Italo train came to the next track and immediately left. Is this due to the fact that these trains are privately operated and enjoy schedule priorities or are they given narrower windows of time? Who knows?

Picture: entering Firenze S.M.N. limits

Our train left Florence amidst heavy drizzles at 10:17, about 2 minutes behind schedule and took the high speed tracks towards Bologna. Since Florence S.M.N. is an end-station, all trains coming in and out need to reverse. This is the reason we were now in the left side of the train's movement and lost sight of the opposite track. Between Florence and Bologna Centrale, our train got a number of unscheduled halts and crossed numerous tunnels. It is probably not the most interesting part of our journey since the train did not enjoy a through passage, we did not get to see a lot of sights. As expected, we were behind schedule by a good 20 minutes. After a brief layover outside Bologna Centrale, we were in. Nobody boarded or departed our carriage. We were off Bologna at 11:10.

Picture: A trackside football stadium near Bologna Centrale station

Here our train took a turn towards North-East and rolled on towards Venice in a gentle speed. There was no high speed corridor between Bologna and Venice, hence our Frecciargento had to restrict itself to speed at around 160 kmph. Here  I took a walk towards the cafe car. An elderly lady was at the coffee bar. I ordered two cappuccinos for two Euros each before making my way back to coach 5. The passengers seemed to have settled down as I saw kids playing with their toys and the adults lost in books and newspapers. On LCD displays, TrenItalia showed the location, speed and arrival time of the train. It also showed the departure times of connecting trains leaving from the next few stations, namely Padova, Venezia Mestre and Venezia Santa Lucia.

Pictures: Landscape in Bologna - Padova stretch taken from train

The landscape was different in this part of the country. There were fewer hillocks and more flat green agricultural fields dotted with small farms. The bright Sun and green fields looked awesome. There were hints of snow here and there that were melting in the warmth of daylight. Admiring the rural beauty of Italian plains, we arrived at Padova. Padova seemed to be a junction station with limited activities around. Here the tracks coming from Milan and Verona joined us from the left. A few regional trains were seen on the sidings. I surprisingly spotted a diesel loco hauled regional train. There must be some un-electrified branch lines somewhere around this place. I also spotted a Stadler FLIRT train owned and operated by regional transportation company called Sistemi Territoriali.

Our train stopped at Padova for a good five minutes and took off. Soon after, when it was a quarter past noon, we pulled into Venezia Mestre. Venezia Mestre is not quite one of the islands of Venice. It is the mainland terminal that handles all train traffic to and from Venice Santa Lucia. A lot of travelers prefer Mestre for its proximity to Venice and ease of access by the regional trains. Metre is also significantly inexpensive than Venice downtown or islands like Lido, Murano and Burano for the purpose of night stay. As expected, almost half of the passengers got off the train here. While we were standing, I found a number of trains to and from Venice Santa Lucia on the display board. These regional trains seemingly operated in a good frequency!

Photo: Venezia Mestre station

After we slowly started from Mestre and picked up speed toward our last and final stop Venezia Santa Lucia, we ran parallel to a canal that connects some industrial establishments with the Adriatic sea. There is a causeway that connects the city of Venice to Venice Mestre with four railway tracks and a six lane highway. Before I could realize, we were on the causeway, crossing over to Venice downtown. This bridge is built of cement and hence there was no noise at all. At our left we could spot the small island called Isola San Secondo. On this short and brisk run over the sea, we also saw passengers preparing to alight. Some of them gathered towards the end of the car where the doors were located. While the train was changing tracks to get to the platform, almost all the seats were empty. "Are you really in that much of a rush guys?" - who knows, they might have to catch a ferry to reach their respective destinations.

Picture: on the causeway

Here we come to the final halt at about 12:30, after spending exactly four hours on Frecciargento. The station platform was of normal low level. A Frecciabianca train from Milano Centrale was standing next to us. It was a very bright day with the sun basking in its glory. We walked out of the station building and climbed down the stairs to witness the Grand Canal and the hustle and bustle around Ferrovia ferry terminal. It was one of the very unique places that I would visit in the next three days.

Video: Crossing over to Venezia Santa Lucia from Venezia Mestre by train


Venice Causeway in Google Map:

Hitting the Great Wall of China

November 25, 2012 - 8:20 PM

“The station is Badaling sir, Ba-Da-Ling”. My hotel receptionist was trying hard to inject in my memories this little keyword. It was a late November evening with the temperature around a pleasant lower 20 degrees Celsius. Soon after this conversation I took a walk along the street to explore the area next to the Forbidden City. There were street dwellers selling food and drinks and all these stalls were invariably crowded with young students. I tried to converse with some and was surprised to learn that quite a few of them understand and speak English. They gave me copious information on the eateries that were good but inexpensive. I only wish I had a whole month to explore all of them. After walking a few yards I found an elderly woman selling dumplings. I was offered six of them on a plate for RMB 4. They were delicious! Here is a funny thing I observed. Chinese dwellers use an electronic calculator to show the price. All you need to do is to point at the item and they will key-in the price to show you digitally!

Some parts of Beijing reminded me of posh European cities and some did the opposite. In one of the lanes I found people living on the pavements – the way they do in the city of Kolkata.

November 26, 2012 - 5:00 AM

In the wee hours of the following morning, the receptionist insisted on getting me a car for the whole day. I however decided to stick to the plan and walk out on my way to the train station which I thought would be very close. The terminal that hosts five pairs of trains to Badaling is called Xizhimen. It is also called as Beijing North if the websites are to be believed.

After walking a few blocks I figured that the station is much farther than what google map showed. Also, the GPS points to a location that is definitely not correct on the map. Here  my whole universe collapsed as I realized that I need help but not sure from whom since nobody was to be seen on the street. Dimmed street lights and staggering windchill of the early morning made me feel quite uncomfortable in a deserted street of the most populated nation of the world. Suddenly, like a savior on a white horse turned up a taxi cab. Its young driver was able to understand that I was planning to go to a train station. However, I could not pronounce "Xizhimen" well enough for him to decipher. He finally connected me on phone to his mother who seemed to recognize my need. She gave a patient hearing for twenty seconds and suddenly yelled “Michael...”. I handed the cell phone back to the cabbie and in no time I was in front of the station building.

As I walked past the taxi stand and parking lot I found nobody in and around the station barring a few security personnel. I found a lane where “Badaling” was written. When I asked the cop standing next to it as where tickets can be purchased, he directed me to the main ticket counter. My internet research failed again, as I was expecting a special ticket counter for Badaling train. Here  I had to cross a split rubber curtain of "UUUUU" shape that I only saw in airport baggage carousels before. The elderly lady sitting behind the ticket window smiled a lot at me and on my repeated request to secure a ticket to “Ba-Da-Ling”, finally handed me one for RMB 6. I paid by cash and thanked her for the favor.. "xie xie ah"! Flaunting this little achievement, I walked into the main lobby of the station. The lobby was kept in darkness, only to be illuminated by a large destination board and an LCD screen. This LCD screen was playing what looked like TV ads.

[Note: I almost felt like a "De-Ja-Vu" when an old memory struck me. There was a time when I would regularly travel from Howrah (Kolkata) to Bangalore in India. For the lack of a direct train, my usual treat was to catch the famous Coromandal Express from Howrah to Chennai. Before I could get on board the overnighter Chennai Bangalore Mail, I used to sit in the waiting lobby of Chennai Central station, trying hard to finish a novel while a very similar looking LCD screen would scream with all sorts of advertisements of local women's saree and cosmetics brands. They were all played in Tamil language which I knew not a single word of. I smiled at myself - this was real muddling of memories]

It was not hard to find the mention of my train S201 on the destination board. It was to leave from Gate No. 1 at 6:12 AM. I looked around and found nobody else who I could call a co-passenger and strike a conversation with. While the large LCD screen kept on playing advertisements, I took a stride in the otherwise ghostly lobby of the waiting hall.

Picture: Waiting hall of Beijing Xizhimen station at 5:30 AM. On the left the Badaling train's departure time from Gate No. 1 can be seen.

 It was 5:30 by the time I gave up wandering and settled in a chair. In another fifteen minutes, a few uniformed lady railway officials came and stood guard of the door. I realized that they board passengers in the typical Amtrak style (which I consider quite unpleasant) – to check tickets and let passengers walk past the gate when the train is in the platform. In the next few minutes about ten odd people – arrived and patiently queued up in front of the gate. At 5:59 AM, the gate was opened. I walked into the platform to find it unexpectedly illuminated.

Picture: Approach way to the platform right after passing the gate




Next to our platform arrived an overnight express 2560 from Chifeng of Northeast China. It had a DF4D class diesel locomotive and sleeper coaches tugged behind.

Picture: The overnight express train pulling in next to the sleek looking Badaling train (white) that was ready to depart:

The bleary eyed passengers alighted with heavy baggages from the overnight train. I walked a bit longer and found our train, as can be seen parked in the next track. It definitely appeared quite impressive by looks. It had a sharp driving cab with a humming diesel engine right behind. I realized that it was technically a DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit), disguised as a high speed train. Interestingly, Xizhimen station is not electrified. All trains operating from this terminal must be diesel powered.

Picture: Badaling DMU at Beijing Xizhimen station:

It took me a few more seconds to board the train and find a seat of my choice in a carriage that was relatively empty. Passengers could be found in ones and twos here and there. A majority of them were playing with their smartphones. The interior display, air conditioning and comfort features looked flattering for a RMB 6 ticket.

Picture: Interiors of Badaling train S201:

The train started a couple of minutes behind schedule and slowly maneuvered through the criss crossing of tracks. I realized that I did not have breakfast and due to the jet lag I did not even feel hungry at all. Finally, I ventured through the vestibule corridors of the train in search of food. The next one was a refreshment car. It had large windows and tall tables next to which passengers can stand and eat. This car looked impressive as the view was better through the larger windows. The pantry keeper was loudly talking to a staff. Seeing me approaching him, he stopped for a moment. I directed him to a ready to eat cup-o-noodle (that was the only edible item that I could recognize on the rack). He carefully poured warm water in it, sealed the cover and showed me 2 on his calculator. I paid him RMB 2 and walked back to my seat with my breakfast! 

Picture: The refreshment car with large widows. The seller's counter can be seen at the other end of the coach

I have to say that there were a lot more options out there, but all of them looked so unfamiliar that I had to give in to the old faithful cup-o-noodle which was probably void of any nutritional values. Anyway, train seemed to have picked up speed with the sky brightening up every second, eagerly waiting for the first ray of sun. S201 ran as an express train through the suburban landscape that was dotted with high rise apartments, agricultural fields, smaller factories and little train depots. S201 made its first stop at a station that looked like a junction to me. Here a lot of construction workers boarded the train. They very loudly started conversing with each other.

Picture: View of a wayside station (taken on return journey since the onward journey in this part of Beijing's suburbs was passed before dawn broke):


Picture: A siding featuring some colorful coaches

Picture: View of the mountains from train:

Picture: Another view of the mountains from train

In another few minutes I could spot the Great Wall of China - or a section of it next to the railway line. Wow! This was massive!!

Picture: The Great Wall as seen from the train 

Picture: The Great Chinese Wall from a distance:

I was thrilled witnessing the only man made structure that can be seen from the moon. As the train now entered  mountain zone of Yanqing county, it started encountering tight curves and hence had to reduce speed before finally coming to a screeching halt at Changping. After a stopover for five minutes, the train started running in the reverse direction to enter Badaling line. Right here we crossed the snow line. The outside landscape portrayed a combination of grey mountains and forests carpeted by white snow deposited on the ground.

Picture: Crossing Badaling Expressway through an overpass

In the next few minutes, making another stop at Nankou, we finally attrived at Badaling station. We were on time; exactly at 7:30 AM. An announcement was made in Mandarin and almost all passengers got off the train to the neat station platform that had English boards for the assistance of foreign tourists. At the end of the platform I found a very ordinary looking station building with a small gift shop, three ticket counters and a huge red hoarding.

Picture: Badaling station


Picture: Exit board hanging from station building. The snow covered tracks move downhill towards Beijing. This is the pair of tracks that took us to Badaling:


Picture: Interior of the station that had a few people dozing off

Bidding a goodbye to S201, I started following the group of people along the street next to the station to The Great Wall. Within a few steps, the statue of a Ming warrior and a tourist destination board were seen. Here I knew that I was walking in the right direction.

Picture: On way from station to Badaling tourism village

Picture: Tourist destination finder that had English subtitles

On walking another half a kilometer, I crossed the bus station and landed in Badaling tourist-village. It had a number of gift shops, hotels and tea/refreshment stalls. Only a few were open. I stopped by one tea stall. The tea was served in a tiny porcelain cup that could be refilled multiple times.

After this point, the street steeply climbed on to the mountains and crossed the Great Wall through a gate like structure, behind which the main entrance was seen.

Picture: A little walk through the streets of Badaling tourist village

 Picture: Looking down from the gate

Picture: this place looked like a famous tea stall:


Picture: the gate like structure between tourist village and entry point to the Great Wall

There were some more gift shops next to the ticket counter that offered the same items with exorbitantly higher prices than the train station's tiny gift shop. Surprisingly, the queue was quite long for entering the great wall. After getting the ticket I headed in to this incredible structure that was primarily built by Quin, Han and Ming Dynasties. For someone who saw it could witness its enormity and strategic importance of bygone era. It was a very cold morning, but that did not deter the chirping birds to welcome the feeble morning sun. The whole day I spent at The Great Wall was one of the most memorable days of my life. However, the archaeological aspects of it would be another story meant to be told another day.

Picture: View from gate entrance:

 Picture: Author on The Great Wall

Location in Google Map:

Netherlands: To Zandvoort - the pretty little beach town

For those who live in the beautiful city of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), or frequently visit the city, Zandvoort offers a welcome break from the typical Amsterdam fun. I discovered this little coastal town that otherwise gets overlooked by travelers. And ofcourse I took train to do it.

Zandvoort (English translation: Sand Fort) has been a fishing village in the North Sea coastline of Dutch territory. After being savaged and colossally damaged during the second World War, the town was rebuilt and rebranded as a tourist destination. Not that it has a number of typical European churches and royal palaces – Zandvoort is a good bargain for a relaxed week end to be spent with food and drinks sitting next to the beach.

I have only been to Zandvoort twice. Once in 2004 and for the second time in 2009. Both the times I took a late morning NS Sprinter train from Amsterdam Central (Centraal) station to Zandvoort aan zee (Aan zee should be interpreted as "on sea" in English). The small wayside stations and sand banks seem a bit different from the typical Dutch landscape found next to heavily traveled rail routes (e.g. between Amsterdam and Utrecht). The Zandvoort train can also be availed from the railheads of Amsterdam Sloterdijk and Haarlem. It takes about 30 minutes to travel on this typical blue/yellow EMU trains that shuttle between the two termini.

Picture: A Zandvoort train from Amsterdam Centraal.

The small pretty looking Zandvoort aan zee station is the last one on its route. You do not need to read the station boards for that reason. Zandvoort has an island platform (two tracks) to return a train every 30 minutes. The beach is within only in a few minutes’ walking distance. Grab a coffee from the station cafeteria and walk towards the beach.

Picture: The Zandvoor station building, portraying a logo of NS Rail




You may want to put your tents on the sand and play with your kids as the sun leans towards the west. I could see a lot of kite flying on the beach on both the days I traveled to this town. By the time it was late afternoon, a few beachside bars and food carts started serving local beers along with cheese fries and hot dogs. For those who are health conscious, some salads can also be found next to the Boulevard Barnaart served along with red wine. You can walk all the way up to NH hotel towards the north and jog till the Restaurant Orbit Lounge. But remember, “there ain’t nothing beyond that point”. There are buses that ferry tourists along the Boulevard Barnaart running parallel to the beach line. Unfortunately, I could not secure a bus timetable that I could rely on. And hence decided to walk through the beach up and down.

Picture: Afternoon sun above the horizon

Picture: Time for some tasty ice-cream!

Picture: Some colors thrown in the palette by the setting sun:


Picture: Back to the station:
















By the time you walk back to the downtown along the beach, the daylight fades and beach restaurants twinkle with lights in the horizon. To welcome you, a number of restaurants would offer continental and ethnic cuisine on tables that overlook the beach. And if you want to recharge your batteries, get into one of the beach side clubs that would be open till late nights. The downtown has quite a few beach clubs in closer proximity to the train station. So no worries even if you drink a bit more and decide to have some fun on the beach before you head home. Keep an eye on your watch though – you need to catch the last train to Amsterdam that leaves Zandvoort minutes before 1 AM.

For the family folks, early morning to late afternoon can give ample opportunities to play with the kids and dogs. Again, remember to carry your beach gears. For the others, a late morning entry and nightly departure would be more appropriate. NS Railways run a frequent and efficient train service to help all of you – do make the most of it.

Reference on Google Map:

Crescent Bar or is it Mars?

August 29, 2014: On a bright late afternoon on board the legenday #8 Amtrak Empire Builder train heading from Seattle to Chicago, we slowly pulled into Wenatchee, Wa. After a long run through Cascade mountains, here was our opportunity to get off the train and stretch the legs. The neat low level platform has probably seen better days - for nobody was found to be waiting for this train. In the western end of the station I spotted a number of BNSF locomotives keeping busy in the freight yard. At this moment, ice was broken between four odd co-passengers as they started talking to each other while loitering on the platform.

Picture: Tail end of the train with some activities in the Wenatchee freight yard.


One veteran farmer from Idaho, a young lady from Illinois, a fish processing expert from Alaska and yours truly made an excellent combination to wane the stuffiness of the environment. The farmer was sharing his thoughts – talking about his family and friends. He was going to his parental home to meet with siblings. He definitely was a voracious talker with detailed knowledge of local agriculture and infrastructural developments. Soon after Wenatchee we crossed the mighty Columbia River. Interestingly, some people were found to be tubing. In the reddish yellow desert like background I felt like being in a sanctuary outside our familiar world. I felt like being in Mars - as depicted in science fictions!

Picture: Desolated streets next to Wenatchee station. Look at the rugged hillocks in the background. This area probably gets minimal rainfall due to the shadow effects of The Cascade Mountains guarding pacific rain clouds.

After a 20 minute halt, very silently we crossover the town of Wenatchee, took a huge bend leftward and gracefully crossed the river! Afternoon sun was at its best to paint the external world in reddish yellow to treat my eyes.

Video: Crossing Columbia River.

The farmer told us that the authorities built two dams on the Columbia River, one of which got a leak soon enough. The authorities abortively attempted to fix the crack. As a result, the water level reduced and a lot of small islands peeped out of the river. As we were now traveling through the western bank of the River, it was outstanding to capture the setting sun, still glowing strong behind the otherwise monotonous yellowish hillocks rising from the crater.

It is interesting to learn how the cherry fields are created in that part of the world. The farm owners eliminate the rock from the soil and put a lot of water to cultivate the plants. With the Columbia River next to these fields, it really makes things easy in the heart of Washington's otherwise dry area. The train took a hairpin bend and moved towards a place called Quincy. And there we saw it!

Crescent bar - the train crawled up the mountains as the river widened and took a breathtaking turn in a crescent shape. It was quite unearthly as a scenery!!! Though that did not deter the enterprising Americans to set up a resort at that location in the middle of nowhere! Uploading the video of Crescent bar as recorded from the train's windows:

Video: Crescent Bar from Amtrak vantage.

Location of Crescent Bar is given below:

Bhakra Rail - Golden Jubilee of a forgotten railroad system of North India

A majority of us discuss latest developments on the railway world. However, some veteran railway services that have been under the sun for ages get overlooked for the lack of railfans' reach or media attention. I would like to bring the spotlight back on one of the forgotten Broad Gauge (1676 mm) passenger lines that offers spectacular scenaries and interesting operating procedures that set an example in the world of railroad.

I am talking about Bhakra Rail of India - that struggles to operate with a few dilapidated Broad Gauge  passenger coaches and some 400 HP GE diesel locomotive from the 50s that is going stronger. There may be a bit of challenge to find detailed information on Bhakra Rail. However, I can introduce BR with this  picture, the link of which I borrowed from Flickr ID Adu007. The locomotive has the road number of 32069. Tugged behind are two four-wheeler and three eight-wheeler carriages:

For those who are learning about the existence of BR for the first time, let me provide a brief introduction. The very reason this line was constructed in 1948 was the lack of any other mode of communication between the two barrage towns of Bhakra and Nangal. In that era, the objective was to carry the entire workforce between the two end points of the railroad. Due to aging and deterioration of riding quality, at present the only subscribers of this service remain as the local labor force. This 14 km stretch was constructed by building bridges and three tunnel along the way. To help the locales, six intermediate stations ("Labour Hut", "Dubeta Colony", "Varmala", "Nehila", "Olinda" and "Cement Cell") were also built. The route hugs the Dam reservoir and water bodies for the most part of its journey. Since the train cuts through the mountains, the journey offers unmatched views of the Shivalik mountains and rivers.

And guess what? This service is free!! Local villagers and employees of Bhakra Beas Management Board use this train as a reliable transportation medium to commute, to travel for shopping and other business.

The five coaches of this train will remind us of a bygone era. They were made in Karachi in 1923; is it not exciting? From my research, I actually found at least 5 coaches with 8 wheels and at least two more with 4 wheels! Now, finding the existence of 4 wheel Broad Gauge coaches in India is really interesting. These colonial era coaches feature normal BG screw-hook couplers and buffers. Internal settings include typical wooden bench accommodation with grill-less windows to peep out. The MPS is pegged at 40 KPH, but who cares about speed while on board a 90 year old coach? Let us have a look at the interiors by borrowing from Swapnil (IndiaMike). Maintaining such a coach in working condition at a presumably minimal welfare budget is no monkey's job!

As pictures might tell a thousand words, I would like to share some from various sources that would include snapshots of the train at different locations on its route and a puny view of the yard of this little railway system.

Daily Post: view of the station platform where the puny locomotive and some dilapidated carriages can be seen. This station looks like one of the terminals where the locomotive is being attached to the train as the driver is facing the rake and someone prepares the screw couplers for loco attachment.

Following is a picture from Swapnil (IndiaMike website). Four wheeler carriage #50857 looks like it has got a coat of paints. If is definitely one of the colonial heritages that Bhakra Rail managed to hide from the railfans' lenses.

This is a fantastic capture by Satbir Singh (On Panoramio website). Here is the train at a wayside station in a graceful curvature! What a shot!

One treasure by Amar Angrish (On Panoramio website) can be found below. It portrays a view of the Bhakra Rail yard where a loco can be seen taking rest under the little canopy. Also, some freight wagons are visible here and there:

Probably the best of the lot came from Jagmit Singh (On Panoramio website). This shot has captured a beautiful spot where the train enters one of the three tunnels on its route through Shivalik Mountain range. From a distance, the Bhakra Rail coaches resemble the normal Indian Railways coaches for their adherence to IR livery. However, the smaller coaches at the rear (if we may call them coachlings) stand out as aberrations.

Some logistical facts - About Bhakra Rail's connections to Indian Railways, there is hardly any information or feedback available at this moment. As it implies, Indian Railways' locomotives, coaches and other rolling stock never got a chance to taste this little commuter railroad. If one has to explore this railroad, the first step should be to get to Nangal Dam railway station of Northern Railway. From Delhi one can avail the Una Himachal Jan Shatabdi (for afternoon sitting journey) or Himachal Express (for overnight trip). From Nangal Dam, it may be a challenge to cross over to the territory of Bhakhra Beas Management Boad's (BBMP) area to get to the BBMP station and board the train since no time table is publicly available. However as my experience counts, nothing can beat the passion of a rail traveler!

For those who want to learn more about this unique stretch of railways, please review the following videos:

Videos:
Kanwarjit Singh has ably captured this train on a breathtaking view over a viaduct. Click Here to view.

For those who understand Punjabi, putting the link of a news report:

Note: Reference article in TOI:
Click Here

Location of the Bhakra Railway depot can be seen in the following snippet of Google Map: Thanks to those who took all the trouble to catch this elusive railway line through lenses. I would be thankful if you keep me posted about the past, present and future of this line.