Hi friends, here is an trip report of 0859 Mumbai CST - Howrah Special (travelled in 29th May 2009, Friday)
Reached Mumbai CST at about 10:35 Hrs, train was about to depart at 12:30 Hrs as against scheduled departure of 11:05 Hrs because of some Aila cyclone
In display board also saw Mumbai - Howrah Geetanjali Express departing from platform no : 18 at 13:00 Hrs, as rake arrived CST at 05:00 Hrs in morning from Howrah against 12:30 Hrs of previous day.
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train was about to leave from platform no : 12, at 12:05 Hrs saw an WDM-2A of KYN in maroon color brought rakes to platform... The rakes were not even sweeped, all food wrapers were lying around... Rake was an ICF, Perambur built in year 1996
I was astonished to notice my seat in Side Lower Berth(SLB) & Side Middle Berth(SMB), against as mentioned in my ticket as S-8 / 25 LB & 26 MB. There was a quite a chaotic situation in the compartment...
I got myself seated in seat no : 25 SLB, train departed from CST. My dad was looking for TTE but he was yet to find one
After halting at Dadar, train zipped through Kurla, Thane with nice speed to halt at Kalyan... As Kalyan passed I was getting restless... It was too hot outside and the TTE arrived, he alloted me seat no : 25 LB & 26 MB as per my ticket, he said that Side Middle Berath's booking were not done...
Then train arrived Kasara, 2 WAG-7 KYN bankers were attached, and we proceeded towards Igatpuri throught Thal Ghat in Mighty Sahyadri Range!
As there I noticed some girder replacement work was going on, saw men hanging through rope and do welding works...
As train was passing through tunnels, I heard some group were shouting, "Jai shivaji.... Jai Bhavani...." later came to know in next bay there were some people whom were chanting, anyways I felt niceby these...
At Igatpuri, bankers were removed... Loco change was done, I quickly ran to see it... 0859 CSTM HWH SPL got WAG-7 CNB, an offlink!
I refilled my water can of 5 liters and train proceeded through rocky areas to next halt at Nashik.Rd, As here in between I had my lunch, And we were late about 2 Hrs here at NK, then halted at Manmad.Jn for 2 mins, I guess in those days it was unscheduled stopage or may be temporary...
Then WAG-7 CNB was doing abouut 60 KMPH, again halted at some small station named Hirapur... Geetanjali Express overtook us with blazing speed with WAP-4 SRC which departed CST at 13:00 Hrs, then came Jalgaon and Bhusaval.Jn at 20:20 Hrs
Didn't had dinner as I was too tired... And fell asleep woke up to receive call from my home at Mumbai, and my phone showed region named Akot, maybe somewhere near Akola... Again woke up at Nagpur at 03:40 Hrs, train was late about 2 Hrs late here also... Heard announcement about Chattisgarh Express, train departed...
Then in morning woke up at Jatkanhar some small station... Then brushed up, Rajnandgaon past by at 50 KMPH, then halted at Durg for 5 mins, Raipur at 08:20 Hrs, passed Bhatapara...
Arrived at Bilaspur.Jn, SECR Head Quarter, toilets were cleaned using some machines... watered coaches... after an breif halt on 25 mins we finally departed at 10:45 Hrs, as against scheduled departure at 08:00 Hrs, saw there an WAM-4 BIA...
our next destination was Jharsuguda.Jn, which came at afternoon 13:35 Hrs, entered SER the most jampacked region now... known for delaying trains due to heavy freight traffic... Rourkela at 14:50 Hrs, had lunch here... Now came the forest regions of Posoita - Manoharpur, Wow! luckily spotted some elephants roaming near tracks...
Chakpadharpur came at 16:35 Hrs... Then we were doing some 60 - 70 KMPH speed... Passed Adityapur, came Tata Nagar.Jn at 18:20 Hrs, leaved TATA after 10 mins of halt... It was already dusk passed Asaboni, while LP was trying to notch up speed but still it as 70 KMPH... after non-stop run reached Kharagpur at 20:45 Hrs...
I was worrying, that I was surely to be doomed... to reach Howrah after 22:00 Hrs... From Kharagpur bought some tea... 2 Teas for Rs.3, oviously tea too was too less in plastic glasses...
Jakpur passed... wized passed Panskura... Mecheda... coach was almost empty as majority of passengers were of TATA... Then crossed river Rupnarayan over Kolaghat bridge... Saw 2 WAP-4's at different locations hauling different trains at good speed... Passed Ulubaria... at Maurigram it slowed down and halted at SRC for 1 min... Santragachi was almost empty at 23:15 Hrs...
Saw an WAP-4 SRC with Jnaneshwari Express at Ramrajatola... passed Dasnagar, then Tikiapara met Eastern Railway lines... saw Howrah - Jodhpur Express hauled by WAP-4 HWH near GT Road bridge...
Entered Howrah at 23:45 Hrs in platform no : 14 or 15, which I don't remember... besides our saw Geetanjali Express rakes in Old Howrah platform... Quite amazed to find Geetanjali Expresss in Old platform instead of New platforms of SER...
Now I had to spend overnight here in Platform only as 1st train 'll' be at 6:25 Hrs in morning...
Suddenly spotted an WAP-7 GZB with Poorva Express, which must be got late... later Toofan Express arrived at platform no : 10 and few local EMU's arrived and departed in both ER and SER...
And now it's 04:00 Hrs morning Jodhpur - Howrah Express arrived at platform no : 09, Then Jnaneshwari Express, Azad Hind Express and list goes endless with all morning Mail/Express trains...
Now, it's 06:25 Hrs and my Howrah (HWH) - Amta (AMZ) EMU departed from platform no : 12, besides came Kamrup Express hauled by an WDM-3A HWH and an Medinipur EMU... At Tikiapara, saw Howrah - Barbil Janshatabdi Express departing, as by Dasnagar it overtook us through side line with an WAM-4 6P AB-HS TATA... before enterin SRC spotted Mumbai - Howrah Mail Via NGP with WAP-4 SRC it was late about 1 Hr...
Then after SRC, Amta EMU took the loop line to cross over the HWH-KGP main lines towards Dankuni (DNKE) and at Bhattanagar cabin it branched out towards Amta over an single Electrified line...
Thus, This trip was most tiring one in my life... Most hated yet most loved for spotting so many thing in an single trip...
Very much thank you to read this trip report... More trip reports to follow in comming days...
One again a big Thank you...