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##JOURNEY: HOWRAH TO KHARAGPUR##
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Date: 12 October, 2017
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It was one of those days when it was just the perfect time to go out on a long trip. For me a trip is none better than by an E.M.U.
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Less than normal crowding in the Howrah Station Subway ensured that the journey from the Bus Stand to the Platform (including time taken in getting a ticket) was just 8 minutes. I had finally managed to board the 10:23 Midnapore Local (presently the 38815 Midnapore Local departs Howrah at 10:25). The E.M.U. was going to use the newly transferred rakes from Western Railways, which have better acceleration and can hold M.P.S. for a longer duration than the current rakes of Eastern Railways. The last time I had spotted this train leaving from Platform 20 (a regular for this train). Today it was pushed further to Platform 22. As E.M.U.s do not generally depart from this platform, it was filled with long-distance travellers, people with heavy luggage rather than light luggage. From this platform. it felt as though it was separated from the rest of the station.
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At around 10:32, the starter turned yellow and we started nudging forward. Just as we were nearing Howrah Goods Cabin, another E.M.U. started closing in on us from the Eastern Railway Complex. At first I had mistaken it for a Carshed Train (as it was almost empty). Then I saw the board in front of the driver cabin. It was the 10:32 Amta Local which had departed on time from Platform 15. Just as we were curving in towards Tikiapara, Steel Express greeted us with a TATA WAP-7 in lead. The Amta Local behind had been detained to make way for us. Just as we were approaching Ramrajatala, a TATA WAM-4 whizzed past with the Shiromoni Fast Passenger. We arrived at Santragachi at around 10:55.
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Unlike other journeys, the stretch from Santragachi to Mourigram was not a High Speed Run. It was an eight-minute crawl, including a two-minute stop beside Santragachi E.L.S.. Andul came with a surprise. The Chennai to Santragachi AC Express was waiting for clearance on Platform 5. The departure from Sankrail excited me as the next station Abada was to be skipped. On the way, a KGP WDM-3A rushed through the Reversible Line with the rake of Santragachi to Pune AC Special. On each of my past journeys, this rake was kept at Loop Line of Bauria Station. Anyways, Abada was silently skipped at 65 km/hr, no honking was required. At Nalpur, we were looped for around 10 minutes as Howrah to Yesvantpur Duronto Express overtook us at High Speed from the adjacent track on the right. Just as we were joining the Main Line, Coromandel Express crossed us with a SRC WAP-4 in lead, moving at a T.S.R. of 30 km/hr. We had crossed Bauria, Chengail and Fuleswar by now. Then came Uluberia, full of people. It was 11:30.
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The Track Maintenance of South Eastern Railways was there for everyone to see. It was a non-stop routine with breaks only when a train passed. The heavily delayed Samarsata Express crossed us at Kulgachia. After Kulgachia came the Damodar River Bridge, which we crossed slowly at 30 km/hr. Bagnan was abuzz with vendors, commuters and local tourists. The Bhubaneswar Jan-Shatabdi Express met us at M.P.S. at Ghoraghata. After Ghoraghata came Deulti, a sort of open station with very little shelter.
We picked up speed post Deulti and crossed the Rupnarayan River at Kolaghat at good speed. The wind had picked up quite a bit. There were plenty of clouds in the sky. The temperature had suddenly dropped. All of this made me start singing. We skipped Nandaigajan P.H. and Narayan Pakuria Murail at around 75 km/hr as we made our way towards Panskura.
The train reached Panskura at 12:30. Strange that Digha AC Express had not overtaken us. Just as we crossed the Khirai Bridge, I heard a shrill sound. Within moments, a dark red SRC WAP-4 crossed us with Geetanjali Express. Ahmedabad Express and the heavily delayed Bangalore to New Tinsukia Express had crossed us in succession near Haur. That left Puri Shatabdi. Haur was a larger station than I had expected. Five platforms seemed a waste for such a small area, but railways gives extra things for a reason, I thought. To my surprise, my wish was granted sooner than expected. Just as we were stationary at Duan, SRC WAP-4 thundered past with the Puri Shatabdi.
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The green fields were getting bigger in size. it was a natural treat to the eyes. The Sun had been guarded by the clouds in the sky. I started singing again. The wind was so refreshing, full of oxygen. You could breath into it without worrying about pollutants getting inside your body. We held our M.P.S. of 85 km/hr as the distance between stations was gradually increasing.
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The clock ticked over to 1 p.m. as we arrived at Balichak. Half the train emptied here, underlying the need to have more trains originating from here. I started the countdown to Kharagpur. The new rakes transferred from Western Railways were flaunting their M.P.S. constantly, and why not? These rakes had considerably greater acceleration than the current rakes and could hold a High Speed for very long time. Shyamchak, Madpur and Jakpur were done as I kept waiting patiently for Kharagpur to arrive.
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There were some small houses in between the fields now. As we progressed, roads emerged. Then came Kharagpur. In the siding were Angul WAG-7 Twins, going off for duty towards Howrah. One of them was "Gajraj". We negotiated a series of crossovers and finally came to rest at Platform 5 at 1:30 p.m. as 38818 Midnapore to Howrah Local arrived at Platform 6 at 1:35 p.m., just delayed by 5 minutes as compard to our delay of 20 minutes.
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**END OF STORY**