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Here's what it's like to take the longest train ride in India

Melia Robinson

2016-03-17T16:40:00Z

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The longest train ride in India has been called the Mount Everest of journeys. Covering over 2,600 miles across seven states, the Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express holds the title of the longest and farthest train ride in India.

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For artist and photographer Ed Hanley, it provided just the sort of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he needed to shake up his routine.

Hanley documented his journey aboard in words, photos, and videos, and he's shared some with Tech Insider. Follow his adventures abroad on Instagram.

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The Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express is no speedy Hogwarts Express.

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The longest train ride in India snakes its way down the coast from Assam to the southernmost tip. The trip that lasts three days and four nights.

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At capacity, the train holds over 1,800 people. For comparison, the newest Boeing 747 carries about 400 passengers across three seating classes.

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Ed Hanley was one such passenger and the only one, according to a conductor, making the entire trip.

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"Some people were heading home to visit family in different parts of the country, while a lot of people were traveling to Kerala for work," Hanley says.

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Still, life aboard the Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express never grew boring.

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Hanley was most surprised by the variety of shopping available. Vendors hopping on and off while juggling tubs of food, entertainment, and personal hygiene products.

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Little cups of chai tea were a hot item for purchase. "The late appearance of the tea guy is a cause for growing unrest," Hanley remembers.

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Entertainment came in many forms. Some watched movies, including a Charlie Chaplin flick, on portable viewing devices.

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Troupes of "hijras," or transgender women, walked the aisles in search of tips. Here, a group fans the 10 and 20 rupee notes they collected.

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"I was surprised to encounter a duo of young female circus performers doing tumbling routines down the aisle accompanied by live drumming," Hanley says.

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Hanley was content to snap photos and talk with his neighbors.

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He shared some pretty close quarters. He bought a ticket for the train's highest class, which got him a top bunk in a sleeping compartment. Bedding was included.

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It beat the second class seating area, where passengers crammed into every available pocket. The noise of the train keeps most people up, Hanley says.

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The bathroom situation was just as grim. "There are no showers on the train, so it's all baby-wipes and hand sanitizer," Hanley says. He brushed his teeth in the sink.

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Still, he never missed a sunset. Here, we see the morning light at a station in Kerala.

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Hanley witnessed abject poverty at many stations the train passed through. Children and disabled people begged for money in between cars.

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The Railway Protection Force, a dedicated police force, posts officers on board to keep passengers and train-surfers in line. They carried machine guns.

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Hanley certainly encountered some colorful characters.

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He was without cell phone service most of the way, forcing him to live in the moment.

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"I took train No. 15906 because it's kind of the Mount Everest of train journeys," Hanley says, "the longest train journey in India."

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"The journey itself was a search for personal and artistic rejuvenation," he continues.

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He found it.

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India Photography

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