From CSTM to Thane ....TYpical.Journey of a Mumbaaikar and a Railfan &Salute to MUmbai Rajdhani ....KIng of IR...
I have been living in Thane for last ten years and i have to commute to Nariman Point for everyday for work related activities. Mumbai being linear city traveling is big pain and who have been living here will swear by my words. The mode of transport which i choose to travel from one end to another and vice versa of late is mostly AC buses, sometimes it is car and sometimes it is local train.
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benefit of local train lies in not only being punctual but also it is fastest mode of transport. Being Saturday today, i had an early exit from my office and instead of relying on AC buses, i chose the option of traveling in local train from CSTM to Thane.As i reached CSTM, i could see One Karjat fast local was about to depart around 4.25 PM. Although it was evening time, i could anticipate not much of rush as being saturday and many offices are either closed or having half day. I boarded the train in the second bogie from rear end. THis is the bogie i always prefer, as this helps me in saving lot of time when i get down in Thane as FOB is near to rear end of trains.
Being a true MUmbaikar and a true rail fan, i like to lurch/stand near the gate of local train to see the criss cross of other trains enroute. Interestingly if i stand on the right gate of coach towardsThane, then right upto BYculla one can see numerous trains in the Yards which are getting cleaned and getting ready for evening and late night departures. The bonhomie of this pleasure continues upto BYculla. After BYculla, i change my affiliation to left side gate of coach to see Mainly Durontos, GUjarat Mail and few more trains in Yard of Western Railway near ELiphinstone on WR.
TOday Being saturday, and train very less occupied, as the train departed from BYculla, as usual i moved to left side of gate to see yard of WR which strts from mahalaxmi and continues upto Dadar. Also one needs to know that from parel or may be few KMs Back and upto Dadar in CR and After Mahalaxmi and upto Dadar in WR the tracks of both the sections run parallel to each other and one can have glimpse of either side.
After Crossing Byculla, the train was in full throttle touching a speed of 80 KM/hr and i was enjoying the breeze of outside air holding myself with one hand and my eyes were on WR side.
In a matter of seconds, i observed a Red Livery Full AC train with Wap 5/7 started racing with my local train. IT didnt take more than few seconds for me to realise that the Train was none other our own King...Mumbai Rajdhani.The train after departing from Mumbai Central may not have covered more than 5 Km approx, and already was touching the speed of 100 KM. With every Passing of seconds, the King started surpassing my local on CR or I should say the local train inspite of being a fast local was no match to the Mood of KIng. The KIng looked as if He is on a mission, A mission to take the speed to its optimum level for which it is designed to run.
I have seen numerous trains both on CR and WR and most of them ply on high speeds, but i can vouch for Mumbai Rajdhani that right in the heart of city , where every local train crosses one another in a fraction of Not more than 3 Minutes, Mumbai Rajdhani touches speed of 100 KM/hr after a departure of ten minutes. The train is like Cheetah, which accelerates after every lap :-).I salute the LOco PIlot, I salute the controllers of WR, and i bow before the KING -His Majesty MUMbai Rajdhani of doing a magnificent run where others trains cant dare to even think of . I wonder what kind of clearance the controllers give to this Train so that no local trains come on his way so that The king has to slow speed. ??.
Deeply in these thoughts my local was no match for Mumbai Rajdhani and surrendered, to fate much before Dadar, as by time, Mumbai Rajdhani had accelerated to full speed and left my train by a long distance. By the time, as i was about to enter Dadar, Mumbai Rajdhani was nowhere to be seen.... :-)