TRIP REPORT: MAIDEN RAJDHANI RIDE
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Friends, after a long drought or hiatus whatever you may call it, I am delighted to present the thing I like doing the most – presenting my trip report!! This trip report pertains to my journey onboard 22413 MAO-NZM Rajdhani Express undertaken on 10.12.2017 from MAO-PNVL. So sit back and enjoy!!
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The...
more... seeds of this trip were sown way back in June 2017 when my uncle and aunt sent a wedding invitation of my cousin brother and our (me and my wife) presence was undoubtedly required. We let a few days (or months to go by) go by, just in case we were required to reassess our trip / options. As the date inched closer, we gave a more serious thought and decided to go ahead. The official decks were cleared and we started looking for options. The festivities were to last for three days from 10th to 12th, being Sangeet, Haldi and Wedding in chronological order for each day. Initially, we decided to that we would just attend the wedding but a later on changed our mind to skip Sangeet and attend on 11th and 12th only. But numerous calls by my parents and uncle/aunt made us to reconsider our decision and we decided that we would attend for all three days!
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Planning a journey was an easy task I thought, the wedding being in TNA, the first train I thought was to book 12134 MAJN-CSTM “Rocket”, that would get me in TNA in wee hours of the morning on 11th. If this was not possible, another option was 10112 Konkan Kanya, followed by 22114 LTT-KCVL Express, for our initial plans of 1-2 days of attendance. But I am thankful to a certain blog on IRI by MAJN members stating the treatment meted out to 12133/34 nowadays and based on a personal discussion with a MAJN based member, I was advised not to take the train. Even the newbie Tejas was thought of, but the headache one has to undergo while coming from MAO-KRMI (by road using public transport) sent jitters down my spine and I cancelled the idea altogether. Good sense prevailed and we re-planned our journey, taking PNVL in the loop now. Checked for 22413 and the availability showed green, and the time was perfect, which would drop us in PNVL by around 18.30 hrs, allowing us ample time to go to TNA and attend the Sangeet ceremony. Immediately went ahead and booked the tickets, with our berths confirmed as B7/37 (MB) and B7/38 (UB). I was utterly disappointed that we did not get SL and SU, being the vantage seats for a daytime journey on KR. The next in the checklist was to check the punctuality status of the train; for all 4 instances prior to our departure, the train was late by 1-2 hours at PNVL. We just kept the fingers crossed that the history would change during our run.
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The D-Day dawned and I was all agog with excitement with the prospect of a much needed break, a train ride after many months and to top it all, my maiden Rajdhani ride. We left our residence at 9.00 and arrived at the station at 09.12. The announcement for departure was being made for 10104 “Food King” Mandovi Express. Just was we descended from the FOB towards PF-1, the train started pulling out. The coach position indicators were immediately changed to show the position for our train, we went to the indicator near our coach and perched ourselves nearby.
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At around 09.30, a duo from RTM Shed led by 11492 WDM-3D and 16836R WDM-3A shunted the rake majestically onto PF-1. The rake was gleaming, befitting the lofty standards of a Rajdhani class train. The interiors too, were spick and span and everything was properly in place. The coach started filling up and our co-passengers arrived, a single “sleepy” man who had the luck of SL all to himself (his partner was to board from KOTA) and a Gujarati couple from BSR with their small kid on the MB and UB opposite ours. The clock ticked and exactly at 10.00, followed by the customary LHB jerk, we set out. The two LBs (window seats), which had reservation from MAO, were still vacant post departure. While the family opposite ours shifted to one window, I asked my wife to shift to window adjacent to ours, for the time till the allotted occupants arrive.
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The staff commenced their services, the blankets were already kept on the UB. The attendant came and handed us packets of bedroll and specially asked us to check that the napkin was kept inside. The pantry guys started their rounds of services, commencing with a bottle of the eternal “Rail Neer” and asking options for Veg/Non Veg. This was followed by a welcome drink (Lemon Juice), which was very much “unwelcoming” and had an awful watery taste. Nevertheless, we sipped it down. The train had negotiated the crossovers and was finally on the mainline now and began accelerating, but still within the range. Once we were out of city limits, the sight outside was soothing to the eyes, with coastal scenery, thatched roof houses and cover of green everywhere. Suravali and Majorda Jn were skipped briskly and we slowed down, only for an unscheduled halt at Verna. After a 5 minute wait, the bang on time running 10111 CSTM-MAO Konkan Kanya crossed us and proceeded towards her final destination. We began moving ahead and jumped the mighty Zuari River bridge at Cortalim, which is a sight to behold. The people in their vehicles looked at our train in amazement as we glided past the bridge. The Alco twins now unleashed their true power and fired all cylinders, hitting MPS. We enjoyed the rampage to the core and in no time we skipped the empty Karmali. We slowed down thereafter, to halt at Thivim at around 10.50, marginally late by 10 min. Many passengers boarded from here and the coach was now filled upto 80% of capacity. The occupants of two LBs beside us arrived, a couple who hailed from BRC and had come to Goa to spend their first wedding anniversary. The man informed me that his reservation was from MAO itself and he was holidaying around Calangute and the cab driver quoted a whooping Rs. 1500/- from Calangute to MAO station. Instead, he took an auto and decided to board from Thivim in just Rs. 400/-, which was a wise decision, saving time and money. The halt was quick and in a couple of minutes, we were underway again. The twins again unleashed their power and hit MPS. We bade goodbye to Goa and entered MH in grand style, flying past the Pernem and Madure respectively. The relatively important station of Sawantwadi Road was ‘respected’ as the skip was slow. The further run upto Kudal was unhurried, as we made it to PF-1 at 11.40, maintaining the 10 minute delay. Few passengers boarded from here as well and we departed 11.43.
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The pantry guys commenced their services now, handing out Tomato soup, butter and breadsticks. The taste was good. We were continuing our run at a brisk pace, only to be looped at Vaibhavwadi Road at 12.30. After about 15-20 minutes, the newbie 22119 CSTM-KRMI Tejas crossed, closely followed by the KR bomber 12051 MAO Janshatabdi. We departed at 13.00, with a delay of around 40 minutes. In the meanwhile, the lunch was served to all passengers. I had opted for a Non Veg meal while my wife ordered a Veg meal. The couple beside us opted for a Jain meal. The menu consisted of Chapatis, tasty Chicken Curry / Paneer Curry / Paneer Bhurji (for Jain), Masoor Dal (thick consistency), Rice, Mother Dairy curd and pickle, all to be ended with 2 big and soft Gulab Jamuns!! The food was certainly yummy and almost all passengers could be heard showering praises for food quality. After a satisfying lunch, almost all passengers decided to make their bed for an afternoon nap. Since our co-passengers too had to retire to bed, we too acceded to their request and made ours, thus putting a blow to the visual treats KR had to offer. I occupied the MB, atleast that way, I could be content with seeing “something outside the window” rather than not sighting anything at all. One such highlight was sighting the India’s tallest, the Panval viaduct. Besides this, the run upto Ratnagiri was quite uneventful and after crossing the Tike Tunnel, we were put on PF-2 at Ratnagiri at 14.00.
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Many passengers boarded from here and now the coach was filled to the capacity. I got down for an opportunity just to stretch my legs and get a feel of the station. 11085 LTT-MAO DD was scheduled to arrive on the adjacent platform. We departed at 14.10 and the saga of me enjoying KR scenery from MB, peeping through the curtain continued. The other highlight of the trip was crossing the 6.5 km Karbude Tunnel, which was once the longest rail tunnel in India, until it was overtaken by Pir-Panjal Tunnel (J&K). We were continuously ripping past and annihilating stations and passing over various bridges and through tunnels. The clock struck 15.35 and we were somewhere near Khed when pantry guys again commenced their service of evening snacks, rather a bit too early I would say. The sleepy coach soon sprang into action and almost everyone now put their berths down and sat in an upright position on the LB. The snacks consisted of Tea kit, Kachori, Tomato Ketchup, Veg. Sandwich, Haldirams Chatpata Dal and a wet tissue. The Soan Papdi / Fruit Drink was absent, however good taste compensated for that. The train was taking some unscheduled stops every now and then the sleepy guy, who hailed from Agra, lamented whether this train is a Rajdhani or a passenger and whether Rajdhani class trains in this part of country are run in such a manner, to which I had to explain that this is a single line where train has to stop for crossings, to which he exclaimed surprise. I asked him to hold on till BSR, after which he would get the real feeling of Rajdhani in WR territory.
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After Mangaon, the controllers accorded us top priority and a good amount of clearance, sufficient to make-up for the lost time. The Alco-twins now decided to take the matter in their own hands and cut-loose at MPS thrashing everything in their way. The final leg of the journey was awesome where we were able to cover delay to a great extent. With the destination nearing by, the pantry guys collected tips, followed by the coach attendant who gathered the used bedrolls and replaced them with fresh ones for the next passengers to board from PNVL. Barring the exception of just one unscheduled halt at Roha, we pulled-in to PF-5 at PNVL at 18.30, culminating a wonderful journey!! Thanks for reading!! :)