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Blog Entry# 5957721
Posted: Jan 31 (22:18)

8 Responses
Last Response: Feb 04 (14:05)
General Travel
93559 views
12

★★
Jan 31 (22:18)   22698/MGR Chennai Central - SSS Hubballi SF Express (via Yesvantpur) (PT)
Siddharth S^~
Siddharth S^~   23611 blog posts
Entry# 5957721            Tags  
2 compliments
Great Great
Sundays , is always a terror , for the Chennai Bangalore section . For the travellers , it's getting a ticket between the 2 cities post the 2nd half of day. For section controllers , to handle the trains in this section . Many weeklies decide to make their presence felt in afternoon on Chennai Jolarpettai section, and it's back to back handling, along with the freight to be handled .

Jan 28th was one such long weekend . Jan month is a terror for the North trains , when the fog
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makes not only people but trains too to sleep under the blanket . They get up lazily , have a late slow move and end up delayed by hours . And when they land up in these busy schedules , one cannot make out but wonder whether it's train traffic or road traffic

The WAP4 gives a loud honk on a pleasant winter afternoon . It was way pleasant considering Chennai standards , that the sun was not burning on us when we boarded the rake on PF-7 , which has been standing there for about 3 odd hours. The incoming WAP-4 was staying blocked waiting for the rake to move . And it was time to provide the release

WAP7 pulled into PF-6 just as we were exiting , with the 10+ hours late running 12616 Grand Trunk express . WAP7 of KJM waited on PF-8 with the 12607 Lalbagh express , the evening crowd slowly trickling in . The 2S of this train is as good as a peak hour BMTC bus and CC was way ahead in waitlist when I checked it a month back . I guess it's ages since I actually took a 2S for this section . It requires a huge dare at times now I feel , though in my college days used to be excited for it .

WAP-7 awaited on PF-9 , with the Trivandrum bound 12695 . There were huge crowds waiting for this train in groups for see off. The weekly 12698 missed my attention as I joked to my Dad , " if someone sees only 4 digits of train number , a person bound to Bangalore could get into Trivandrum train departing in just 10 mins gap ".


We just crawled ,trotted , slowly crossing points to move out . No hurry we will go slowly seemed to be the WAP4 motive. TNP WDM-7 shunted the 12603 Hyderabad express rake . A EMU entered into MMCC and another exited

Checked the status of trains online . 12296 from Danapur was running late and had switched points from BBQ line to move into Vyasarpadi . We crossed past slowly from BBQ and showed no signs of hurrying . Vyasarpadi Jeeva was crossed, 12296 was nowhere near the points when we passed through . A slow glide past Perambur, huge crowd was waiting on PF-1. The 12295 bound to Danapur was the culprit for this crowd, and online showed he had crossed Bangarpet towards Kuppam. That's almost another 4 hours of waiting for them, if not lesser. He would be Vande Bharat 's prey too enroute


Perambur, Perambur loco works, Perambur carriage works, Villivakkam all went at slow speeds , and while we approached Korattur it was almost 20 minutes since we left Central. WAP4 started showing its colours and within minutes Ambattur , Annanur, Avadi were despatched like lightnings . Chennai bound 22638 West coast whizzed past us near Korattur . Another LHB rake crossed us near Annanur , and checked online to find it was the 20954 weekly from Ahmedabad. This was followed by the 12163 Super from LTT just before Tiruvallur

Our coach was completely full and almost everyone had thaken their berths, except for few , like me & dad. The LB, MB combo , we had entire berth for ourselves to sit comfortably. Mom was sound asleep in SLB, the SUB and UB allotted to a couple who chose to lie down as soon as they boarded . The bay behind was occupied by a ladies group with 3-4 kids , the kids settling down for window seats on SLB, SUB, all of them neatly positioning watching window. Thankfully they spent time playing physically and jumping rather than meddling the devices . Me & my dad of course had lots to talk, for it's a train journey during the day , and one of regular routes .

The recent rains of December had ensured that water bodies were full ,though the rivers weren't as full. The fields were ready for ploughing, some being ploughed , while some were still green. All the fields has the contrasting white dotted all over, with the Egrets occupying every place on the fields. Drongos filed across, and Open bill storks showed their presence occasionally, their sizes overshadowing the egrets. Stilts walked across the shallow waters of the lakes, while cormorants peeped out of their swim , while a few dried their feathers on tree barks or land . Kingfishers gave aerial views while the Swift's were as usual Swift in their action veering around in various angles across the sky . The views continued till the dusk across almost till Vaniyambadi , but the Kusasthalaiyaaru, and Pennai were relatively not so active

We had a major slowdown at Thiruvallur around 1545 hours, slowly trotting past the platform , clearing the points , but we were still on the main line , not switching to the slow line. The slow run continued till Egattur, where again we picked up speed to touch close to 3 digit figures, having a parallel run with the NMG rake hauled by WAG12B on the slow line, who could have been the reason why we had to be slow , as we crossed Kadambattur

The run continued till Tiruvalangadu, where we slowed down to switch points towards the slow line , to cross past Mosur and Puliyamangalam , to pull into a crowded platform of AJJ, awaiting the continuous trains coming one behind other for weekend. Announcement boarded it was the Hubbali weekly entering , and there were quite some takers for this train too .

A few ladies from neighbouring bay selected AJJ as place to deboard to fetch water , and WAP4 was quick enough to start as already he was delayed by 10 mins owing to the slow runs initially. The pull out bought out tense moments for the group, but luckily the ladies had boarded with chill water bottles in time . EMU from CGL entered into PF-1A as there was another EMU with CGL board stationed on the last corner PF

WAG12B hauled freight gave a parallel company till the exit and we left it to take the JTJ line. 70 kms in about 60 mins and we had noone ahead , while we were leading 4 trains trailing us in short gaps and we had no time to wait

How is this going to be tackled !! The last time I travelled by this train was when it was 17313 way back in 2015 , when departure time was 1350, and we had a long wait at JTJ. Then too Sanghamitra trailed us, as per his RT schedule. Today too he is behind, but delayed by hours . He was followed by Pataliputra , same as then.

To be continued

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Feb 04 (10:47)
Siddharth S^~   23611 blog posts
Re# 5957721-4              
1 compliments
Great
Entering into Jolarpettai and leaving without a bite isn't a cup of tea . And so is the case when a seller comes with 4 vadas and piping hot sambhar at Rs.50/- a plate. Quickly got hold of them and gobbles them up, pretty crispy indeed .

WAP-4 in meantime pulls into PF-2 with the 22617, just as we get ready to leave and so does the shatabdi. The shatabdi had a good 3 mins halt , but he has stil 3 hrs 15 mins to cover the same distance what we
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have just covered in 3 hrs and 10. For a moment it was 3 moving trains on 3 different platforms , 2 in same direction, one halting, one leaving and other onenin opposite direction.

Dusk settles in as we leave the line towards CBE and veer towards the state border . Another freight waits at the outer for the clearance to cross through JTJ . Various other freights wait at the pass through lines at the corner as we trundle past

A quick acceleration through the byepass railway bridge and the JTJ curve is soon tackled to catch the line coming from Coimbatore byepassing Jolarpettai . A quick run through Somanayakkanpatti through the platform line , a station with 2 platform line and one through line , the SBC side platform line being a main and the JTJ bound being on loop

We slow down post Somanayakkanpatti and I fear the worst . 2015 fears haven't gone past , of we waiting at Patchur for 2 back to back overtakes . But today tables have reversed and it was 22617 at the receiving end today and it won't be a reovertake

Quickly we accelerated past approaching Patchur , where a freight was sidelined for us . A unique station post the doubling of the section, where the up and down lines do not have a connecting point . But the SBC bound line has a loop line for the island platform , flanked on other side by the JTJ bound single line without the loop . What to call this kind of station ??

Anyway up and down lines play hide and seek in this Andhra Tamilnadu border across the Eastern Ghats , so any crossings are also missed , until Mulanur where a freight was looped and an unknown trainncrossed . Online also couldn't reveal the exact train and who it was still remains a mystery

WAP7 accelerates past us , as the point switching clanks are heard . We were ripping past Kuppam at MPS crossing the Kochuveli bound 16315 from Mysore . Darkness had set in, as the time ticks past 1845 hours .

Online status revealed that 12609 was nearing Malur , indicating the huge clearance we had , if not for any freight ahead. The Jolarpettai bound 16519 MEMU express crosses in meantime . An express since earlier days , not a recent converted express

We had a quick run to enter into Bangarpet junction by 1925 hrs , and UR crowd waiting boarded our train, but still peaceful enough . May be strategically in middle of consist we have our advantage still of not being badly encroached , and no chaos definitely .

A quick departure and we predict the KJM arrival around 2010-2015 hours as a normal run . A quick acceleration and a blast past, the stations of Maralahalli, Byatarayanadoddi , the Marikuppam bound MEMU were left wondering what was happening , as our quick runs continued . Stations were crossed in quick succession , the darkness of the evening visited by flashes of light as we cross every station

Passenger started moving with their relatives and luggage blocking the door as mom tried to make her eat to the restroom . Wait na Ma'am another 5 minutes we will get down, said a lady , as mom tried to make her way back. 5 mins ?? It's going to take minimum 20 mins and I also need to get down at KJM, said my mom , forcing her way back into the bay, slyly grinning at the people behaviour

Malur was soon despatched with a loud continuous honk, the IOC Devangonthi coming into sight sooner and pretty very soon , the perinicts of Bangalore was visible with the metro station of Kadugodi coming into sight on opposite line as Whitefield station was quickly conquered . The 16319 Kochuveli bound Humsafar too crossed us in meanwhile

12609 had meanwhile crossed Baiyappanhalli and moved into Bangalore East, and we were happily given go ahead. The metro line meets us back on the Whitefield road after its detour into the Satya Sai Hospital - Kundalahalli area and we were slowly we pulled into PF-4 of KJM at 2003 hrs , earlier than our expectations, covering the 345 kms in 5 hrs and 3 mins , the WAP4 + ICF making a mincemeat of the schedule they had been allocated , as roar of EoG was heard

Now who is this guy we wondered, on the train facing the Bangalore side standing on PF-3. The 7+ hours late running Danapur SMVT special was waiting for the final leg. He did not have a halt at KJM, but he hasn't got the clearance for BYPL switchover and seemed to be waiting for same !!!

22617 PF-4 2020 , 12295 PF-3 2045 , 12607 PF-4 2100 displayed the TV screen , as we walked past the crowd . Almost the whole train had emptied here, with few passengers going towards YPR . Exited through the main gate instead of the below the bridge exit , as a 500L to Banashankari waits to pick up arriving crowd. Thought of making a dash, but the seats were already occupied , and with ladies side taking a lead in standing crowd, thanks to the free ladies scheme , stayed back considering parents were with me . The next 500L too came in same status barely 5 mins later and decided to drop idea of bus to book a cab instead

Oh the train didn't start , it's already 10+ mins we thought of taking a cab , spoke a person on phone as we waited our approaching cab. Both the trains were still occupying the PF-3 and PF-4 and our cab soon approached , following a Volvo 500A bound to Banashankari ...Ufff... !!!

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Feb 04 (11:25)
Dr_CK_Darnish_TJ_004^~
Dr_CK_Darnish_TJ_004^~   3840 blog posts
Re# 5957721-5              
Nice continuation, Freight traffic is quite evident in that stretch from your writeup and yes, have seen it as well. Taking a track sided window seat keeps us engaged throught the length of journey i believe, back to back crossings, overtake, tracking them is also a fun. Now that newer trains and modifications of existing trains come, usage of internet in this regard has become inevitable...
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Feb 04 (11:53)
Dr_CK_Darnish_TJ_004^~
Dr_CK_Darnish_TJ_004^~   3840 blog posts
Re# 5957721-6              
Yes bro, Vada sambar tastes good at jolarpet. Had it for breakfast when I was onboard 16734.
still wondering what that mysterious train could be. Wish I could travel in day time between SBC MAS. nice write up bro.
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Feb 04 (11:59)
Siddharth S^~   23611 blog posts
Re# 5957721-7              
1 compliments
Thanks
Welcome welcome thank you
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Feb 04 (14:05)
ER_PRAGADESH_SK_NGT^~
ER_PRAGADESH_SK_NGT^~   18000 blog posts
Re# 5957721-8              
this section elaborates the need of dedicated freight corridor from chennai to west bound destinations. Hope IR considers and plan some alignment to divert freight traffic.
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