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| My Compartment ! |
A Highly anticipated, planned & executed train journey was successfully completed on 27th July in the Nation's capital @ 0830hrs, exactly 15hrs 50mins after it started from the Nation's Financial capital.
12951Dn Mumbai Rajdhani Express, being pulled by a Ghaziabad WAP5, left BCT exactly @ 1640hrs, crossed over the only track i.e. the Up fast line & accelerated as soon as it hit the Main line. The Linke-Hofmann-Busch ( LHB ) rakes easily allow this heavy acceleration even on cross-overs, thanks to some German engineering !
Rajdhani trains in India are premium trains having the highest travel speeds, premium rakes, exclusive meal plans & preference over all trains except Shatabdis in terms of platform occupancy & overtaking on loop lines. My experience in the side seat 47 of B4 coach was no less enthralling.
The Mumbai Rajdhani exits platform 1 @ BCT giving it just the up fast line to cross over before hitting the Down Fast Main line. While you don't actually feel the acceleration of the Powerful WAP5 due to closed windows & the sound being buffed out, you tend to marvel @ the awesome suspension system on the LHB rakes.
I had swooped ahead on the platform with my camera to take a snap of the locomotive which I has hoped to be a WAP7, but even the eventual WAP5 was enough for me to set my sight on. Unfortunately 2 policemen didn't even allow me to get close to the front end, forget allowing to even raise my camera !! I tried to lose them on the platform, but they had their eyes set on me & my huge cam. I snapped the label on my compartment & slid in to my seat. It wasn't long after the aforementioned initial acceleration that the train must have clocked more than 75clicks. A WAP5 can accelerate a 18 car Rajdhani to 110clicks in just around 200secs, but not in Mumbai. The platforms rushed by & I could sense the co-passengers settling down comfortably while the discomfort within the rail staff had already started. By now the train was certainly doing more than 100 & out came our breakfast trays in just over an hour of travel. Coffee followed soon enough.
It was now then that the Premier train started to show some real punch. In excess of 120clicks the landscapes just rushed across while the suspension kept me seated as smooth as it could get in India !! The Maharashtra border was breached in just over 100mins to the enter the land of dhoklas & fafdas. The sky had seen the last of the sun for the day but still had the colours in deepest red when the train lined up @ Surat station to finish the 1st leg of the journey.
Fresh mix veg. soup arrived soon enough of which I drank 3 cups thanks to some empty seats in My compartment. The second leg of the journey- a short one finished @ Vadodara station. The train had arrived 5 mins. before time, which gave me more than enough time to wander on to the platform & get a Roasted & Salted singdanas !! The Vadodara halt is a big one owing to the earlier schedule wherein the loco used to be swapped here. A WCAM 2 used to pull the train up till here. The WAP5 now pulls train right from BCT after AC current was generalized all across Mumbai western suburbs. Going onto the slowest part of the journey, the 3rd leg till Ratlam, I wondered why it's so slow, maybe because dinner is served in this time & the recommended average speed on rail while having "DINNER" is just under 80clicks. Food was served almost immediately after Vadodara. 2 rotis, some paneer sabzi, little dal, rice & pieces of cucumber slices with some pickle isn't really a dinner for me. I had my own junk to add to the dinner. People had dozed off while I was still managing to eat. It was just after midnight that the honking 12952 Up Mumbai Rajdhani swished across the Up line. I soon realized that it was probably a few minutes late, considering that My train just hit the outer @ Ratlam & yes I was well inside MP now. 10mins early !!
With almost everyone sound asleep, the train began the 4th & the fastest leg towards the Nuclear city of Kota !! The average speed across this sector creeps above the 100clicks mark as the train literally starts to tear apart some sectors. Bam !! 0300hrs & the bogie attendant came running across to wake up the passengers who had to alight. Even alarms set by co-passengers were yet to go off as the train pulled in 20mins before time !! It was 0315hrs & there I was walking across the platform @ Kota. The train however premium, never leaves before time & it thus gave me a good 15mins to roam on an empty & silent platform. He attendant pleaded me to come inside & as the train jerked to embark on the 5th & the final sector of the journey, I slowly sank onto my seat to doze off. Kota-New Delhi is 468clicks & inspite of the early morn rush of trains on this sector the train turns up in average of over 90clicks for 5hrs. Mind you that the return leg on the same sector is the fastest in terms of maximum time, for any train in India- doing almost 105clicks for 4.5hrs!!
Early morn 0600hrs & the usual grumbling started. Hot beverages soon arrived just after Bharatpur. By the time I finished My coffee & some personal snack, the honking & the view of 2 extra tracks confirmed Mathura arrival. Strangely enough another train was on the main line @ Mathura Jn. & the Rajdhani had to take the loop line to overtake, amidst a very small stop on the platform due to signal. The tracks almost converged back & to be heard was the loudest Honk of any passing train till now. The Pride of the Indian Railways, The Fastest train in India was crossing the second fastest !! The Bhopal Shatabdi pulled by a Ghaziabad WAP5 rolled past in its glamorous blue livery well before time. This train hits the 150kmph barrier on the very flat & straight sectors between Mathura & Jhansi & is the only train to do so, not challenged by even the Bangalore/Chennai/Bilaspur/Secunderabad Rajdhanis running on the same route. Btw it even covers the distance upto Mathura in approx. 80mins after leaving NDLS @ 0600hrs.
Hopping back onto My train. Breakfast was being served & while I had My share of An omlette breakfast, I even gulped down cutlets which were hopeless in comparison to what we get on the Mumbai Pune sector !!
It was time to give some tip to the serving people & wait as the train made its way across Uttar Pradesh. Faridabad, Tughlakabad, Okhla rushed past as the train hit the brakes just before Hazrat Nizamuddin, slowly gutting down the last 7 clicks, to perfectly end the 15hrs 50mins on platform 1 @ Paharganj side of NDLS..
Next Up- The King of IR, New-Delhi Bhopal Shatabdi Express. Though the route is out of My travel sensibility, but I will find a way to travel these 700 clicks in just 8hrs...
