23309/Σ VARNASI-HUBLI-ARSIKERE EXPRESS ΣChain

The traffic was scanty being a holiday and a relaxed cab travel, coming close to the railway station end marking end of the Holidays. Envying the BRTS taking the flyover , waiting for the day to take a journey by same , went past the route only to be stuck a kilometer before the station , courteousy the independence day celebration

After a lunch at Basaveshwara Khanavali, reached the station at 125PM , with a parallel run with a LHB rake of SWR, the 16533 Jodhpur Bangalore via Guntakal express . Settling...
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the cab driver , walked into the SWR HQ station , the rake of 12080 stationed on PF-2 covered by the Dharwad Bangalore Vande Bharat making a PF-1 entry , as I cursed the newbie for getting priority over the JS onto PF-1

Walked to PF-2 and settled down in the C2 coach, the last but one coach of the rake . Availablity revealed the train was 60% occupied , being a beginning of long weekend holiday . When people were planning to leave City, we are headed in opposite into the City

The VB quickly left and time ticked , as we waited for our schedule time. 16533 rake was sleeping on PF-3, having a scheduled departure behind us and having almost 40 mins to kill arriving ahead of schedule . It would be past midnight but not early morning when he would reach Bangalore. These long distance schedules are in need for a rewamp

The 11006 from Pondicherry to Dadar pulled into PF-1 at 1405 hrs and we too got the departure signal . Slowly pulled out , as the Chalukya rake ended , the terminal PF's showed of PF-6 and 7 showed up and PF-1 slowly extended into PF-8 , making it the longest platform . The rake of SC-UBL-DR was stationed on PF-8, not sure which rake it was working then

The initial runs were quite slow, a light drizzle in afternoon sun , and view of full trains as we approached the curves . The MPS didn't cross past 90 as the stations were dispatched soon .

A quick stop go at Haveri , a before time of 4 mins at Ranebennnur and I got into the PF for a quick stretch of legs with Dad. Both C1 and C2 seemed to be from consist of 12028 with Tamilnadu tourism ads behind all the seats . Bamban Bridge Rameshwaram was the highlight , as P got replaced by B . The line seemed to had a incline towards the PF, with the door failling to stay open A shrill whistle from the guard and we were back into the AC confines

A quick run again and across the Tungabhadra bridge for a halt at Harihara , followed by another quick halt at Davangere, 143 kms covered in 2 hrs 10 mins run , a slight before time . The AC in meanwhile showed it's full form and with unfilled occupancy , sent us into freezing mode

A quick departure from Davangere and we were back into full form now, speeds touching past 100. A flurry of Blue AC coaches indicated the Palace queen Humsafar bound to Udaipur crossing us equal speed . The line from Chitradurga joined us soon and we approached Chikkajajur and pulled out . The DCBA halt as started for us, an interesting one for this train

A quick cross with the Siddhaganga express bound to Dharwad . Soon we crossed the High sulphur diesel station (HSD- Hosadurga road ) . The sun and clouds played hide and seek , as we approached towards the hillly borderline , the clouds seemed to have opened up on the hills with the cloudline marked by a thick blanket extending over it .


The flyover over the line and a line from Shimoga joined us soon from right , indicating arrival into Birur junction at 545PM, delayed by few minutes . A quick run took us into Kadur where the Vasco bound 17309 was having scheduled halt. The Talaguppa bound superfast crossed us soon following the 17309


Time ticked soon and as we slowed down for next stop , approaching Arasikere . The scheduled crew change halt and a craving to have a light snack , approached the doorn, just to spot a vendor selling thatte idly . Collected 1 plate of thatte idly vade, increasing it to 2 & 3, just as dad approached from the other door to catch the 3rd plate filed with chutney . Idly was warn, chutney tasty and vade though cold was still crisp and not rubberish

A quick run past Tiptur, darkness sets in and flurry of lights and darkness indicates approaching stations and crossing . A few slow runs and pickups we arrive into PF-2 of Tumkur at 1940 hrs , as PF-1 is occupied by the 11021 Tirunelveli bound Chalukya cooling it's slack for an hour and waiting for us to take lead. God knows when they going to speed up this train involving multiple zone despatch and acceptances .

A blasting run and expected a slowdown at Chikkabanavara , but it was a glide through the station to reach the Yeshvantapur byepass at 2030 hours . Waiting for clearance, as a diesel hauled 16545 bound to Sindhanur accelerated past us , right to give us clearance to arrive into YPR PF-3 at 2035 hours , an exact 6 hrs 30 mins run for the 464 kms

PF-2 had the overcrowded rake of 11312 bound to Kalburagi , PF-1 with the 12257 bound to Kochuveli . The station was pretty bustling at the moment with continuous announcement. A ICF rake was pulled out from the pit between PF-3 & 4 towards SBC end . 16576 from MAJN pulled in giving a parallel run to the moving rake onto PF-4

12257 left quickly and followed by 11312 and we still waited . Thought we should leave sooner as 20653 will be leaving , but we were put on hold . PF-6 display showed 06545 BJP express and announcement went for 20653 arriving on PF-2 shortly , as clock ticked to 2105 hours

By luck would have had it, 20653 had a late departure and arrived into PF-2 at 2117 hours and we got the starter as soon as the loco crossed us , a 37 mins halt at YPR after a blasting line

A quick line on the opposite line of the twin single line , and annon stop run , puled into PF-10 of SBC, as announcement went for 16592 arriving onto PF-10 and 16511 to Kannur waiting for scheduled departure on PF-9

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