This travelogue is 2123 words long

I was tense in the morning. I had an examination – a University Examination – till 1230. I rushed from my college, and had decided to wait at Kurla to see the incoming Passenger from Ratnagiri. Some minutes later, the passenger came in and the loco was WDM3A #18858R from Pune. So that was the loco which would work my train in the night! I took a train home, and had lots of packing works and shopping to be done. I rushed home and went around finishing my shopping. Finally after finishing all shopping and packing, I took a well-deserved bath and had my dinner. My dad went around hunting for an auto and he came back with one. The rickshaw “pilot” got me to the station in 10 minutes and I reached the platform in another 10 minutes after purchasing my ticket. I boarded a Mumbai CST bound EMU at 1930 and got down at Kurla at 2005. I rushed down to Platform 4 (from Platform 8) and boarded a Slow Main-line Local. I finally reached Dadar at around 2020. I had a look at the books at the book-stall, and slowly tugged my baggage to the Terminus.

Porters were roaming around with the offer of carrying my luggage to my train. I slowly walked into the station, and the Chennai express was waiting for departure on Platform 7. The train was heavily crowded and the train departed exactly at 2030. I heard the feeble voice of the WCG2s horn as the train powered out. I roamed around the platform, and there was no sign of the rake of my train being shunted in. About 10 minutes later, at 2040, the rake of my train – 1017 Dadar-Yeshwantpur “Chalukya” Express – was shunted in by WDS4 #19549 of Kurla. The rake was too short for an Express train with just 13 coaches. The coach arrangement was: Loco-SLR-GS-A1-AS1-S7 to S1-GS-SLR. I had a reservation in AC-3-Tier, and was desperately waiting for the coach to be opened so that I could relieve my ‘burden'. The Jan Shatabdhi from Madgaon pulled in with a WDM3A of Erode in charge.

The rake emptied in minutes, and the rake was soon locked. The shunter loco that had brought my train a while ago went and got hooked up to the rake of the Jan Shatabdhi. The coaches of my train were still locked. Some minutes later, the charts were pasted. I went around reading the names in the chart. I was surprised to see somebody else's name written against my seat number! Without getting tensed, I looked at the list of “upgraded” passengers, and my name figured on top of it! I was upgraded to AC-2 Tier Sleeper! I went to cross-check my name in the charts of AC-2 Tier, and my name figured there. My desperation reached record highs, and I was still waiting for the coach to be opened. After anxious minutes flew past, the coach was finally opened. I rushed in, and ‘unloaded' all my baggage and locked them up. The coach was A1 (WGACCW 00052, based at Dadar). I got down from the coach, and rushed to have a glimpse of the loco. The loco hadn't yet come.

Just around then, I saw a shining loco approaching Dadar station on the Main-line. That was a WDM2 of Vatva, and the load was ‘something shocking'. That was the ‘mortal remains' of the Deccan Queen. She had undergone a ruthless assault at the hands of a few insane humans who, it seems, were trying to protest and insult to their ‘leader'. The 16-Coach train was now left with only 9 coaches – Two SLRs, two second sitting coaches and four AC Chair cars. The first two AC Chair cars had suffered extensive damage. The SLRs were badly damaged. The scene was really shocking to say the least. I stood there still, and at the same time the loco of my train slowly inched in.

The loco slowly inched in, and that was WDM3A #18858R of Pune (Yeah! The very same one that I had seen at Kurla in the afternoon). The loco got hooked in, and was now raring to go. The loco would work upto Pune from where another loco (another Pune loco of the same class) will take charge. The starter turned yellow, and the train inched out sharp at 2132 (delayed by 2 minutes). I sat down at the lower berth (I had the upper) till the time we crossed Kalyan. After Kalyan, I went in to have a deep sleep. I slept about 0600. The lady in the lower berth was to get down at Miraj, which meant that I had a two seater ‘coupe' all for myself! I got down from the berth and went to get fresh. Just around 0625 or so, the train pulled into Sangli. At 0640, the train slowly pulled into Miraj. The train was 10 minutes early.

I got down to have a glimpse of the new loco. The babe in blue colour was thumping away as her masters changed. The loco was WDM3A #18933R from Pune. New loco pilots of SWR Hubli division were now taking over the loco from their counterparts in CR Pune Division. The loco was ‘thumping off to glory'; while my camera was clicking off until happy! I was excited that the train had a WDM3A and not a WDG loco. I heard NG train honking off and leaving the station. I walked back to the coach, and sipped a cup of hot tea and had ‘pre-breakfast'. I purchased a plate of ‘Idli-Wada' for Rs. 10 from a stall. I got back into the coach and had the food. That was tasty, and Miraj was the loading point for breakfast during my previous journey on the train.

The train slowly moved out at 0655, sharp on time. Both sides of the track were dotted with grape yards and sugar cane fields. The train smoked and sped through the fields as the sun rose dramatically on the right side. I settled inside the coach reading a weekly magazine that I had purchased the previous night. The coach mostly got empty by now and the AC had a lighter job to do now! We made our first halt, Kudachi, in SWR at 0725 (now late by 6 minutes). At Chinchli (the next station) we overtook the Miraj-Londa passenger. The loco was a WDM2 from Guntakal. The train sped through green lush fields and finally entered Ghatprabha station at 0825 (7 mins late). The train pulled out after the customary 2 minute halt.

Breakfast is loaded at this station. The platter consisted of two pieces of Idli, and two pieces of Medu Vada (Vada made from Urad Dal), served with Spicy Coconut (in a plastic sealable ‘bowl'). The breakfast was tastier than the one I had from Miraj. The train kept speeding, and finally pulled into the siding of Pachhapur. Minutes after we pulled in, Krishnarajapuram WDG3A #13058 rushed through with the Nizamuddin bound Swarna Jayanti Express in tow. We pulled out and rapidly picked speed. After all the 13-coach load had a 3100hp motor! At Raybag, we crossed the Castle Rock-Miraj passenger at this station. The power was WDM2 #17896 from Pune. The loco was notching up furiously, and we were cruising at 100kmph at most occasions. The train finally slowed down, and pulled into Platform 2 of Belgaum.

The station sees a lot of military personnel alighting. We were 10 minutes late at Belgaum , and were made to wait until the Rani Chennamma towards Kolhapur pulls in. The train came in with WDP4 #20033 of Krishnarajapuram. Finally, my train pulled out of Belgaum at 0940 with a delay of 20 minutes. The train notched out of the town and kept up a very good show till the time we reached Khanapur. We slowed down and crawled into the siding. Some time later, WDG3A #13054 rushed through with the Ajmer bound Garib Nawaz Express. We left the station soon after the crossing. By this time, people came around taking orders for Lunch. They had “VRR Londa” embroidered on their uniforms! The train pulled into Londa at 1042, now late by 29 minutes. We left the station at 1045.

We pulled into the siding just after Londa at around 1058. We had a longish halt there. Finally, WDM2 #16752 from Guntakal pulled through with the Haripriya Express from Tirupati. We pulled out at 1116. I was busy reading a “shootout” test in Overdrive magazine and in the mean time, the train pulled into Alnavar with a delay of 55 minutes. There were about 4 WDG4s lurking around the station. The run from Alnavar to Dharwad was interesting and the train sped through at a very good speed. Lunch was served while on the run. The Vegetarian Meals platter had: Chapatti, Mutter (Green Pea) curry, Rice, Dhal, Curd and Pickle. It was sold for Rs. 30, and was really tasty with good packing.

We finally pulled into Dharwad at 1240 (Delayed by 47 minutes). The rake of Dharwad-Mysore express was sleeping off on Platform 3 with a loco (WDM2 #17479 of Krishnarajapuram). After a 2 minute halt, we pulled out and the train once again picked speed. We were once again given a red, this time at Unkal. We surprisingly stopped on the Main line. The siding had the Vasco bound Amaravati Express waiting for us. The power was twin WDG3As from Gooty. Even after Amaravati moved out, there was no sign of our train moving out. Finally, WDM2 #18495 from Pune pulled in with the Miraj passenger. We slowly moved out, and entered Hubli station at 1315, late by 30 minutes. The train moved out once again at 1328. We crossed the Bangalore-Hubli Jan Shatabdhi right outside the station, and the loco was WDP4 #20034.

We pulled into Haveri at 1455, and left about 3 minutes later. My train was damn fast, and we crossed our pairing train at Byadgi. The loco was WDM3A #18737R of Pune. I was back inside my coach. The train pulled into Ranibennur at 1515, late by 57 minutes. At this station, we crossed the Hubli bound Passenger hauled by WDG3A #13034 of Krishnarajapuram. We finally made it to Harihar at 1535. Watering is done at this station. The station serves some very tasty dry bhel at this station. While we were waiting for our signal, a long BCNA rake hauled by WDG4 #12023 rushed through. The signal turned yellow, and the train pulled out at 1546. We reached Davangere at 1600 (52 minutes late). The train runs non-stop in the Davangere – Birur section. That is a distance of 116 kilometres, and the running time allowed is an hour and 18 minutes. So that requires an average speed of 89 kmph!!! The train really blasted out, and maintained a steady 100 kmph in most stretches! (I calculated the speed at regular intervals).

We made it to Birur at around 1720 (still 52 minutes late). The section was filled with ‘nasty' speed restrictions due to track works. We crossed Kadur at 1730. Finally, we made it to Arsikere at 1810, now late by 35 minutes. I had a hot cup of tea at this station. We crossed the Hubli bound Intercity here. The train finally left Arsikere at 1820 with new loco pilots in charge. We reached Tiptur at 1849 (46 minutes late). We crossed the Shimoga passenger at Ammasandra (1915). We pulled into Tumkur at 1952 (49 minutes late). The train had a mind-boggling non-stop run from here on. The coach shook violently as the train sped through. I was deeply engrossed in reading Overdrive magazine, and did not notice the stations outside. Suddenly, I noticed that my mobile was displacing the location as “Chikbanavar” which is just 8 kilometres before Yeshwantpur. The train ran through Chikbanavar station at a slow pace. We once again slowed down as we approached Yeshwantpur. Coaching yards became visible, and the train slowly entered Platform 5 of Yeshwantpur. The time was 2045 – Just 5 minutes late! He did 64 kilometres between Tumkur and Yeshwantpur in just 50 minutes! That was an impressive average of 76.80 kmph! I got down from the coach, and it was too cold outside. I walked towards the new entrance. Platform 6 had the Yeshwantpur-New Delhi Karnataka Sampark Kranti waiting for departure. I had to wait for my brother who came only by 2115. The rush at the “only” ticket counter was swelling and the queue for the tickets now extended to the porch of the station! My brother finally reached, and we reached home at around 2230 (thanks to Bangalore 's famous traffic snarls!). That was an interesting journey to say the least!

I am eager to know how you liked this report! Please send in your comments and suggestions (brick-bats also welcome) to binaiks [at] gmail [dot] com