PRE-BOARDING ACTIVITIES
> Collected my bag from the hotel and back to CSTM AT 3.15 pm, with a a full 2 hours to go before the departure of the DURONTO to Howrah.
> Received an sms from our admin Sabyasachi to the effect that I was placed in Coach H1 Cabin E (later on it turned out to be a coupe). My special thanks to him.
.>...
more... Received a similar msg from IRCTC (since it was an e tkt) giving details of the PNR and the coach/coupe etc. IRCTC ZINDABAD.
> As PF18 was then vacant, I went and occupied a sofa at the fully air-conditioned waiting Room for upper class passengers. Very well-maintained with sofas, cushioned chairs and a huge LCD TV telecasting a news channel.
> Among trains being announced for departure were the
11019 Mumbai-Bhubaneswar Konark Exp, 16381 Mumbai-Kanyakumari Exp,
12125 Mumbai-Pune Pragati Express, 11401 Mumbai-Nagpur Nandigram Exp,
and 12123 Mumbai-Pune Deccan Queen Express
> At 4.15 pm went to PF18 in anticipation of the arrival of the empty rake of the Duronto. The coach composition of the train as displayed in the LED boards was ENG-GV2-A3 to A1, H1, PC, B9 to B1, GV1, SENG. SENG was a diesel loco WDM2 KURLA. BTW if you are curious to know what that abbreviation stands for, SENG is railway short form for SHUNTING ENGINE, or so I presume.
> Admin Sabyasachi had already SMSed me that my coach was 5th from the engine and as usual he was right.
> I parked myself in front of the RAC/WL reservation charts and suddenly found 2 Bengali youths struggling to ascertain from them the fate of their WL tickets which they had purchased only that morning. They could just not make out what their position was. One of them told the other that it was not traceable, so “let us try to search according to the PNR numbers”while the other said “ no,let us try to match with the names”
> I graciously offered to help them out and they readily handed over their PRS ticket to me, They were making the mistake of locating the current WL numbers 53/54 instead of the running serial numbers 121/122. I told them that they had been allotted RAC accommodation in Berth 55 of Coach B5. Wished them best of luck for getting confirmed berths which they eventually did. I felt SORRY for them as waitlisted tickets upto WL 117 were all confirmed on charting and theirs were WL 121/122. in 3AC. WL tickets upto WL 146 were placed in RAC.
> Interestingly, these 2 youths had a frivolous but, as per their version, a serious complaint against the Indian Railways. According to them they had confirmed 3AC reservations the previous night by the 12809 Mumbai-Howrah Mail. But to their great misfortune, when they arrived at CSTM at 20.30 to board the train, which was scheduled to depart at 20.35 hrs, they found that their train had already departed at 20.25 hrs. DOES SUCH A THING EVER HAPPEN IN IR ? I did not argue them with them and instead told them to approach the TTE for confirmed berths after departure.
> In 2AC tickets waitlisted upto WL 39 were confirmed on charting and no RAC was there. 3 lucky passengers from 2AC got upgraded to 1AC including my co-passenger in Coupe E.
> Meanwhile, seeing me play the role of a GOOD SAMARITAN dressed in a navy-blue suit, more and more guys started milling round me, requesting for confirmation of RAC etc. Fortunately, the train arrived at the platform and I had to run away to secure my prime objective of occupying the window seat in Cabin E. That I soon did, being among the first to enter the H1 coach.
> The lay-out in Coach H1 was 4 cabins, viz. A,C,F,H and 4 coupes B,D,E,G.
> Occupied the window seat of Coupe E and soon my upgraded co-passenger, Mr. D.Chakravorty, aged 59, joined me. We had barely settled down when a gentleman from Coupe D came to us and requested both of us to shift to that adjacent coupe. Apparently his wife and 23-year old son were travelling with a doggie and according to him, his son experienced giddiness and nausea, if he were to sit facing a direction OPPOSITE to the motion of the train. I have never heard of an illness of this sort before. The seats in coupe E faced the loco whereas those in Coupe D faced the guard van. Before I could respond, my co-passnger readily agreed. Apparently he was not a railfan. No railfan likes to sit against the run of the train but I was left with no option but to acquiesce silently. However, in order to cut losses, I again ran and made sure I got the window seat there too.
> Peripheral to PF18 was a sort of cab road were a few cars were parked. There were also an SBI ATM and a few UR ticketing counters at what transpired to be the fag end of the station.
> Requested my co-passenger to keep an eye on my bag and walked 5 coaches ahead to witness the coupling of the loco, a WCAM3 KALYAN Loco, bearing serial no.21887. (Sabyasachi wanted me to note down the loco numbers, perhaps, because he wanted to store them in his mobile )
> Greeted the LOCO PILOT who readily acknowledged and said he and the loco would take the train upto IGATPURI.