Hi friends, here is an trip report.
DOJ : 10-Apr-14 (Thursday) from HWH to CSTM.
Started from home (Dankuni.Jn) to catch HWH local but reached station late, so decided to board Sealdah bound local to Bally Ghat from there by walk to Bally Main line station & from there too TAK-HWH EMU to reach Howrah around 12:50 Hrs.
Proceeded to platform no : 04-05...
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as saw there a filter dispensing water, after filling water proceeded towards pf no : 21 in new complex to saw my 12860 Mumbai bound GITANJALI EXP was stationed there well in advance by a WDM-3A KGP but also saw another rake of GITANJALI EXP adjacent on pf no : 20 which was coupled with WAP-4 SRC roof mounted head light. Proceeded towards coach S-14 seat no : 33(LB), found my coach to be built in RCF Kapurthala in 2008 with E.Co.R markings, just pantry car was S.E marked. Well my seat was as usual encroached my General class travellers whom were to travel till KGP, as they politely asked me to let them sit, so I agreed (pic 01). I was just looking at my clock to touch 13:50 Hrs, but train didn't depart but at 14:05 finally train started rolling behind a WAP-4 SRC (didn't go to have a glimpse of loco as my coach was towards the end of train), train crawled past Tikiapara (pic 02). Dasnagar (pic 03), Ramrajatala (pic 04) passing Santragachi outer, the line towards Shalimar (pic 05) now crossing Santragachi (pic 06, 07 & 08), speed was great till Deulti as we were to cross river Rupnarayan (pic 09 & 10) Passing over famous Kolaghat bridge (pic 11, 12 & 13). Here Kolaghat thermal power plant was there to greet us welcome into east Midnapur district (pic 14), there after I had my light lunch consisting boiled eggs from home & was waiting to enter Kharagpur.Jn which came 10 mins late, we left Kharagpur quickly & was passing through one of numerous lines (pic 15). I took a power nap to see Tatanagar.Jn arrived just 5 mins late but I felt too lazy to click any snap & again slept to wake up just before Chakradharpur & train was running furiously in about 90 KMPH might had even touched magic mark of 100 KMPH (pic 16 & 17). Rourkela arrived some late (pic 18) & from here I took ghooghnee (bengali version of chole bhature but without bhature!) just passed my platter of ghooghnee through window & runned to catch my train which was already gliding (perhaps it cut it's halt to cover it's lost time?)
Well that ghooghnee turned out to be better than chana masala served by on board catering guys (Satyam caterers), after having my tummy full just lay over my berth as there was no another day to sleep & train was running as usuall around 70 KMPH, woke up to hear arrival announcement of Howrah - Shirdi Superfast Exp at Bilaspur.Jn. Gone to toilet for pee but found 2 persons inside it as there was no place outside, all general class public was sitting/sleeping near doors, vestibules, also over the gangway. To my utter disappointemt gone to B1 to get myself relieved, as coach attendant was looking at me puzzled! In morning as Nagpur arrived, existing general class travellers alighted & some new faces boarded, I kept on laying over my seat to prevent them from seating, but later woke up near Ajni yard (pic 19 & 20), Sevagram passed (pic 21 & 22), here a train with WAM-4 was waiting to enter Nagpur bound main line from south side (pic 23 & 24) Sightseeings at Wardha.Jn (pic 25 & 26) At Badnera.Jn saw an unknown train waiting with WCAM-3 KYN (pic 27 & 28) Akola past, At Shegaon as usual there were handful of Gajanan Maharaj bhakts were eyeing our reserved berths before boarding but later RPF guys herded them away towards General coach. Thank god there was these RPF guys! Bhusaval loco depot & outer (pic 29 & 30) A goods train with WAM-4 BSL (pic 31) A passenger train resting at Bhusaval outer (pic 32 & 33) duo WCAM-3 KYN (pic 34) Bhusaval loco trip shed (pic 35) General passengers waiting to hop in at Bhusaval.Jn (pic 36) Our train pantry car with SER markings (pic 37) My coach S-14 (pic 38 & 39) From Bhusaval got some food for lunch, as in previous day dinner itself I was unsatisfied with quality of food, their sabzi was tasteless, they just put colors to make it attractive & in mutter paneer, paneer was seldom found! When asked for complaint book it wasn't available too... Took a nap to wake up near Nashik outer, as usual titbits vada-pav was sold, bought 2 of them which satiated my hunger. Till Igatpuri train was running in mediocree speed (pic 40) entered Igatpuri outer & past loco shed to see some WAP's (pic 41) At Igatpuri saw a WAP-7 with passenger train (pic 42) My train was de-coupled from WAP-4 SRC which proceeded towards loco trip shed (pic 43) After brief halt at Igatpuri proceeded towards Thall ghat (pic 44 & 45) After Kasara it was smooth run till Kalyan.Jn just at Titwala we were halted as some EMU was ahead us. From Kalyan onwards it was walk in park like run for us. We reached Mumbai CST at 21:35 Hrs in pf no : 15
As I made my way amongst hustle and bustle of Mumbai & got lost into crowd to be called a Mumbaikar! A wonderful journey with some sweet and sour memories ended over happy note as I reached my home...
Friends thank you for reading & more such trip reports are about to come!