coimbatore on friday morning when railway officials passengers and reporters were waiting for the coimbatorebengaluru uday express to start its maiden journey a small group of men were seen clicking photos of the coaches windows dining areas and the engine while some people mistook them for photographers they were actually train watcherstrain watchers describe themselves as people who are passionate about trains and the railway network we enjoy watching trains travelling in trains and photographing trains roji varghese from palakkad a member of the group told toi though train rides always excited me i began taking pictures and videos of trains seven years ago i used to visit stations in kerala and tamil nadu to see new trains being inaugurated he saidroji met likeminded people at such events as he began to cultivate the hobby we had a small group of around five to 10 people initially after joining the india rail fans club we started regularly updating each other on railway events rare engine sightings rail news and memorabilia it was through the group that we arranged this small get together to see the double decker train he saidthe five train watchers who had gathered at the station hailed from cities in kerala coimbatore and chennai their passion for trains is so strong that the day after travelling to coimbatore to see uday express some of them travelled to alappuzha on saturday to see the new kochuvelimangalore express leaving on its inaugural journeydifferent things attract train watchers said siddharth ashok a train watcher from coimbatore i am fascinated by the different classes of locomotives different types of engines how they work technology sounds colours and design he saidroji said he finds the speed at which the train travels and places it races through interesting