A late travel report:
A 1st time travel with office colleagues was all the more exciting. and on one of the best scenic routes of Indian Railways. Though it was night journey, it was a special.... For whole arranegement was my plan for which all colleagues agreed.
A mariage to udupi and muhurtham at 10:25AM.. 16523 arrival at UD was 10:37... bus was only option.. would have been if i was alone.. but was in a group... So it was decided.. 16517 till MAJN and a taxi to Udupi should reach us in...
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time. With a post in IRI, our esteemed senior most member PKV sir immediately gave me a taxi option.. Called him.. My query met with a mixed reaction- "Sir but the train goes to Udupi-why you want a taxi" (Enough to hurt a RG ego- boss i am a RF no ordinary person)
anyway everything on hand 14th april Ravanamami saw Bangalore roads with least traffic reaching me at station at 7:30PM.. Rail aahar was busy on Pf-5 and our rake had already been shunted in. Went and took all sorts of available veg parcels for Rs. 260/- for all of us.. Seems good. Spent time in guiding my team to the ES1 coach of the Kannur portion at the rear end. A traveller with parents arrived onto PF-5 and looked perpexed-"appa this is Kannur Express- Karwar might come in later"- Immediately i pipped in "Excuse me please walk ahead on same platform to find KArwar Express"- He gave a cold stare-How is it possible??? Well boss just walk you will find Kannur ending and Karwar beginning- He walked further without much arguements
Anyway my team then arrived and settled in our berths. Coach had major bookings to Bantwal, few to SBHR, few to MAQ.. RAc's present but from Mysore. After settling my colleagues, silently slipped till the loco to find Bond 007 at our helm for Mysore run. Tiem ticked and i was back in my place at 8:20PM
We got starter at 8:40PM and moved on may be the incoming 56213 from Mysore delaying us. As we trotted past Nayandahalli, Erode WDM-3A chugged past with the 16236 Express. A halt at Kengeri at 9:03 PM saw the EMD hauled 16210 Ajmer bi-weekly arriving and at Hejjala the next EMD with 16592 Hampi Express to Hubli with a EMD.. the Passenger rake soon followed post Bidadi endin gup the run.
Our Coach S1 was a 2013 made coach, neatly maintained, sans cockroaches.. Train had a good run till Maddur where light showers welcomed us. After dinner settled in our berths for game of Antakshari from Bidadi which went on and on thus missing the crossing with the 16022 Kaveri Express post Maddur. A slow run saw us leaving Mandya at 10:25PM
Mandya 10:25PM seemed fine but Railways had it otherwise. The 7PM Push-pull (Still called so) was held up and owing to same we had a inch by inch halt at all stations post Maddur including the curvy Pandavapura and on the bridge Srirangapatna. Pandavapura saw me moving to the door for the breeze aqs my colleagues decide to call it a day.. A slow and steady run into the calm and quiet Mysore was welcomed by a grwoling WDG-4 KJM twins who were desprately waiting to attach to us as we halted on PF-1 of MYS at 23:40hrs
Got down to witness the loco attachment and had to sprint 4 coaches as the EMD had already come to a halt and the coupler was already removed. Fast work by MYS staff. 3 people boarded our coach, RAC's allotted in vacant berths and at 23:55hrs it was time to move out as i settled in my SUB. The WDG-4 were toying with the rake and before long were hitting top speeds (Felt about 85 kmph) as i was rocked to sleep. Woke up at 3:15AM to witness a slow thug thug thug run as i imagined myself to be in lap of mother nature in the Shiradi ghats. When I woke up at 6, the brakers ahead were gone and at 6:05AM we had halted at Yedamangla barely 1xx MSL. A quick halt past Kabakkaputtur to morning sun rise as everyone woke up and coffee vendors started to make their day. Slow curves later, we were halted at Neralakatte to cool breeze for 10 mins for the MAQ-Kabakkaputtur pass with ED WDM-3A which had a 20% occupancy with a new GS of 2015. Slowly proceeded to hit speeds of 70 and had a good slow down where Ms. Nethravathi welcomed us like an oasis- Surprised at the amount of water in the bridge in this dy weather as the girder rails passed by exiting straight into Bantwal station where major crowd disembarked at 7:25AM. Went inside to get luggages packed and stayed fixed to window to witness the KR joining us. A slow run and we joined the KR at 7:50AM and slowly pulled into MAJN at 7:55AM and just got down and walked to the exit to board the cab to Udupi
Thanks for reading- Thanks for patience..