TRIP REPORT
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JOURNEY TO MADGAON ONBOARD “THE ROCKET”
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Hi friends, writing a trip report after a long time, the thing I love the most on IRI. After nearly 7 months drought of train...
more... travel, got a blessing of a train journey (finally!!). I needed to be in Panaji for some official work on 16.01.2015. I usually take Kadamba Volvo bus from Pune-Panaji, however this time, decided to go to MAO by train which would allow me to freshen up at MAO and proceed to Panaji by Kadamba Shuttle Bus.
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The date of journey was fixed as 15.01.2015, I assessed various options, the only daily connection from Pune being Goa Express. I tracked the Arr/Dep history, but owing to fog, the train was running late by a minimum of 5-6 hours daily which meant the chances of me taking one of my favourite trains was very much bleak. Hence I decided to catch a train from CSTM, the 2 overnight options being Konkan Kanya and Mangalore SF. With date finalized, the next option was to go for Tatkal booking as both the trains were heavily waitlisted as always. I decided to go for 12133, since it would drop me in MAO early morning. Accordingly, booked and got a CNF ticket in just 2 minutes in Coach S5, Berth No. 12.
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The D-Day dawned. I decided to take 11008 Deccan Express to CSTM; though this train and 12133 has a halt at TNA, still I decided to board from CSTM. Deccan Express reached CSTM bang on 19.40. Amravati SF was on PF-12, ready for departure and so was Punjab Mail on PF-18. I headed to Jan-Ahar and bought a veg meal for Rs. 45, consisting of 5 puris, a mixed vegetable gravy, rice, dal and pickle. Went upstairs on the 2nd floor in the Canteen and had dinner peacefully. Post dinner, it was time to do some RF, went outside the station to click a night shot of CSTM façade, again came inside and roamed around. Koyna arrived with 40016 KJM WDP-4B, NGP Duronto was just moving out of PF-18, while 12809 HWH Mail was on PF-15. 17057 Devagiri was being shunted by a yellow CLA shunter boy. On PF-9 was Latur SF. 17057 departed and soon another CLA shunter brought in the rake of 12133 on PF-14. The rake seemed reasonably clean from outside and had better cleanliness inside. A few people boarded from CSTM, majority were to board from TNA/PNVL. I was alone in my bay, the others were to board from TNA. The vendors made their rounds offering Veg Biryani, Egg Biryani, Paranthas for dinner.
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At 22.00 bang on, the train set out. Negotiating the crossovers, the train was crawling while passing through the Masjid Bunder and Wadi Bunder coaching depots and pitlines, where various rakes were having bath. Post Sandhurst Rd, our KYN WDG-3A Shakti 13571 let out a snort and accelerated, to pass Byculla swiftly. The train gained momentum in no time and skipped the rest of the stations at MPS, the treat to the eyes being skipping the likes of Dadar beside PF-4 at flat MPS, where a sizeable crowd was waiting to board fast locals while the coach position indicators showed 12115 Siddheshwar expected to arrive soon. The MPS blast continues all the way to TNA where we were put on PF-5, at 22.40. A quick halt of 3-4 minutes and we were underway again. The rather sleepy coach now sprang to action, whereby the occupation levels increased to around 80%. The commotion in the coach to scramble for luggage, seats and noise continued for a while. Post TNA, the train continued its decent run upto PNVL. We arrived at PNVL at 23.25 on PF-7. The 80% full coach now seemed 110-120% full, with a few WL passengers too boarding and causing a ruckus with other passengers, sleeping on what PKV Sir calls “The Mezzanine Berth”. Thankfully, the uproar soon settled down. Post PNVL, I made my bed on the LB and decided to lie down, enjoying the classic Alco chugging and acceleration sounds, as the train continued its blast. Post PMVL, I could feel the rhythmic crescendo of the track sounds at MPS which is a pure treat for a railfan. The train literally lives to its name of why it is called “The Rocket” by railfans.
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We arrived at Roha at 01.00 AM and were made to wait for 5-10 minutes. There was a crossing with some train; I am not aware whether the halt was for crossing or a technical one for crew change as KR Crew takes over from CR crew from here for many other trains. We were looped again at Vinhere at 01.40 for 5-10 minutes, for crossing with 12620 Matsyagandha Express. The roaring GOC EMD just blasted past at MPS shattering the silence of the sleepy station. Shakti let out a horn and began his rhythmic chugging, hitting MPS in no time yet again. I dozed off for a while, but the sleep was not a sound one. We made an unscheduled halt at Chiplun for 10 minutes for some crossing, the delay now mounted over 40 minutes. We arrived at PF-2 Ratnagiri at 04.45, late by around 1 hrs. An alco was on PF-3 with the rake of 50104 Ratnagiri – Dadar Passenger. We got the starter at 04.50 and we set out again. The announcement voice was similar to the ones seen in Pune, Bhusaval and Nagpur, with a long TRRRRINNGG bell sounded at the end of it. Shakti this time tried his best to cover the delay up with an aggressive run with minimal slowdowns, as a result the train reduced its delay to 45 minutes, however the controllers looped us again at Nandgaon Rd, putting all efforts of Shakti in vain!! We arrived at Kankavli at 06.20, late by around 1 hr 10 mins. Being a major town in the region, many people got down.
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Post Kankavli, the run was fantastic and uneventful where the train blasted at MPS for most of the times. I got up from my bed, packed my bags and decided to do some early morning doorplating enjoying the typical KR scenery, with coconut trees, red soils and tiny hamlets with thatched roofs with intermittent backwaters of sea and rivers flowing through. The train bade a somber goodbye Maharashtra, skipping Madure slowly and made a grand entry in Goa flying past Pernem at MPS. The scene of train gliding over the Ella and Mercurim creeks with fishermen beginning their day was soothing to the eyes, and more soothing was the scene where train crosses the mighty Zuari River at Cortalim, just prior to MAO, which forms the natural boundary between North Goa and South Goa districts. After a brief unscheduled halt at Majorda, we arrived at Madgaon at 08.00 on PF-1, where the lady in Konkani welcomed us “Krupa Karun Lakshya Dilyan 12133 CST Mumbai – Mangalore SF Express Platform Number 1 che aali asa. Madgaon stationache agamanat saglya pravashan Konkan Railway_________ [couldn’t get the three words spoken next to due disturbances :-(] . Thanks for patient reading :-)
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Ratings:
Cleanliness: 7.5/10
Speed: 8/10
Punctuality: 7/10
Catering: Available, but did not taste.
Overall: 7.5/10
