As the signal changes colour

From red to green

The guard waves a green flag

And the Assistant Loco Pilot sounds the horn

A deep and beautiful melody

Which seems to arise

Right from the heart

And pulls you into a trance

Such that, the only thing you want to hear

Is this intoxicating horn

Of the engine pulling your train

Then, almost without your noticing

The train gently surges forward

And the engine begins to chug

With every step the train takes

The chugging increases in pace

Till it reaches a certain rhythm

And then suddenly stops

As a result

You feel a gentle jerk

Followed by a gentle push

And the chugging resumes in right earnest

Building up into an orchestra

Which cannot be bested

Even by AR Rahman or Hans Zimmer

Not even John Williams

The turbocharger sounds being the icing

On an already delicious cake

Fast forward to 2024

The signal changes colour once more

From red to green

The guard waves a green flag, as always

And the Assistant Loco Pilot sounds the horn

A shrill cacophony of a whine

Which sounds rather like the squeak

Of a terrified mouse

And the train gently surges forward

However, if you’re expecting an exciting journey

You’re in for a shock

For the next few hours

The train speeds through the countryside

However, you hear nothing from its engine

Except that infernal whine

And occasionally, a sore-throated snarl

Which is even worse than the whine!

Thus, you have nothing left to do

Except to plug in your earphones

And listen to the finest Harris Jayaraj melodies

Ouch! see how times are changing

From diesels to electrics

And from the journey being more important than the destination

To the other way round