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Two days back, booked in Kashi Tamil Sangam Express for a short distance of Thanjavur to Madurai. The next day, notification came in my phone that the train was route diverted between Cuddalore Port and Tiruchirapalli Junction, without touching Thanjavur, due to some track maintenance work. considering the slow run by the buses of kumbakonam corporation of TNSTC in this route, chose to take 16847 Mayiladuthurai - Sengottai Express. This time, it was not much exciting for me. The reason being, this was once a fast passenger and a part of slip portion, given the halts it has and expected a slower run.
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without much expectations, came to Thanjavur Junction, which welcomed me with a pleasent surprise of GOC WDP - 4B 40063, that was coupled with BOBYN rake taking rest at goods siding. The rakes of both afternoon and evening Thanjavur - Mayiladuthurai passenger both coupled with their respective EDDX WAP - 4, having a deep sleep at platforms 2 and 5 respectively. while going towards platform 1 from back entrance, witnessed some track works involving track wagons, JCB and lot of employees were actively going on. Announcements were kept on made for chennai bound cholan express, which was rescheduled by 2 hours yesterday, to arrive on platform 3. the display revealed that though our train departed kumbakonam on time, it was expected to arrive Thanjavur with a minimum delay of 40 minutes. Actually yesterday, there were 3 trains back to back between mayiladuthurai and tiruchirapalli with less gap, the first among the three is our train, the second being trichy bound cholan express and thied being the weekly rameswaram from banaras.
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time kept ticking, and NTES revealed that our train was detained more than half an hour at sundaraperumal kovil. there were no signs of any train to arrive or depart. meawhile, announcement was made for our train to arrive on platform - 1, this time, it was announced that it will arrive late by 60 minutes. Again, NTES revealed that our train was detained at Pandaravadai for 20 minutes. By the time clock ticked to 1400, announcement was made that cholan express would arrive shortly on platform 3. By that time, NTES revealed that our train was detained at Titte, block station just before thanjavur junction. Just few minutes after the announcement, everyone in the platform stood up, anticipating arrival of our train to find that, it was nothing but an OHE inspection car. Chennai bound cholan express slowly made its entry into platform - 3 at 1415 hours, hauled by RPM WAP - 7 30391 and delayy further increased to 150 minutes. There were no signs of departure even after 10 minutes of its arrival and our train was still detained at Titte. after few minutes, it was announced that it is expected to arrive shortly on platform 1. and, after 15 more minutes of announcement, our train showed up with Erode diesel shed based WAP - 4 22754 in which stencilng of itarsi could be faintly seen. it arrived after a delay of 90 minutes and huge crowd was waiting to board the train. i boarded 3 coaches behind the engine. surprisingly few deboarded the train and that already seats were full, i had no other option but to squeeze into the rush and find a place for myself to keep the bag and stand.
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Our train departed with a delay of 91 minutes from Thanjavur, duly taking 2 hours 10 minutes for just 40 kms between kumbakonam - Thanjavur. After entering the main line track and giving its customary honk, accelerated and attained MPS in a while. crossed 16834 TPJ - MV MEMU Express at Thanjavur outers and crossed our counterpart at alakkudi at MPS. arrived budalur within 18 minutes, made a brief halt and took off in the mainline platform. for a small stretch before aiyanapuram, some speed restriction was imposed and that wss due to construction of some road under bridge, duly eliminating level crossing. again accelerated in a short while, glided past solagampatti and thondaimanpatti. surprisingly, our train decelerated even before it arrived thiruverumbur. anyways, could sense that it was taking loop to arrive at platform 1. fearing that would cholan overtake our train since that our train is running late, promptly checked the running status of trichy bound cholan which revealed that just by then it arrived Thanjavur. After a while, our train departed thiruverumbur, and marched towards its next halt manjattidal, where a new MEMU shed is supposed to come up. halted there for a while and departed. skipped ponmalai at a decent speed. spotted a WDG-4D shunting some LHB rake at adjacent platform. This time, without making any further scheduled halts at ponmalai Tiruchirapalli Junction outers, made a direct entry into platform - 5, arriving with a delay of 82 minutes. Erode bound passenger train with EDDX WAP - 4 22299 was getting prepared for its departure at platform - 2 and GOC WDP 4D 40099 was taking a deep sleep near platform - 8 side.
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did my train depart on time? did my train recover the delay further or was it trolled for the next leg? stay tuned for the next part.
please wait...Translate to HindiDo din pehle, mai Kashi Tamil Sangam Express mein Thanjavur se Madurai tak ke chhote se safar ke liye book kiya tha. Agle din, mere phone mein notification aaya ki train Cuddalore Port aur Tiruchirapalli Junction ke beech mein route divert ho gaya hai, Thanjavur se ho kar nahi ja raha hai, kyunki kuchh track maintenance ka kaam chal raha tha. Kumbakonam corporation ke TNSTC ki buses is route mein bahut slow chalti hai, isliye maine 16847 Mayiladuthurai - Sengottai Express lene ka faisla kiya. Is baar, meri bahut zyada excitement nahi thi. Kaaran yeh hai ki yeh pehle ek fast passenger train thi aur slip portion ka hissa thi, lekin ab isme itne halts ho gaye hain ki iske slow chalne ki ummeed thi.
Zyada ummeed nahi rakhte hue, mai Thanjavur Junction aaya, aur wahaan mujhe ek suhaana surprise mila, GOC WDP - 4B 40063, jo BOBYN rake ke saath goods siding mein aaram kar raha tha. Dopahar aur shaam ki Thanjavur - Mayiladuthurai passenger train ke rake apne respective EDDX WAP - 4 ke saath platform 2 aur 5 par gahri neend mein soye hue the. Platform 1 ki taraf piche ke darwaze se jaate hue, maine kuchh track work dekha jisme track wagons, JCB aur kai saare employees kaam kar rahe the. Chennai bound Cholan Express ke liye announcements ki ja rahi thi, jisko kal 2 ghante ke liye reschedule kiya gaya tha, aur yeh platform 3 par aa raha tha. Display mein dikha raha tha ki hamari train Kumbakonam se time par chali thi, lekin yeh Thanjavur par 40 minute ki der se pahunchne wali hai. Asli mein kal, Mayiladuthurai aur Tiruchirapalli ke beech mein 3 train thi, jinke beech mein bahut kam gap tha, inme se pehli hamari train thi, dusri trichy bound Cholan Express thi aur teesri weekly rameswaram from banaras thi.
Time chal raha tha, aur NTES mein dikha ki hamari train sundaraperumal kovil par aadhe ghante se zyada der se rukhi hai. Koi bhi train aa rahi ya ja rahi thi, aisa kuchh dikh nahi raha tha. Is beech, hamari train ke liye announcement ki gayi ki yeh platform 1 par aayegi, is baar, yeh announce kiya gaya ki yeh 60 minute ki der se aayegi. Fir se, NTES mein dikha ki hamari train Pandaravadai par 20 minute se rukhi hai. Jab clock 1400 ho gaya, to announcement ki gayi ki Cholan Express jaldi hi platform 3 par aayega. Is waqt, NTES mein dikha ki hamari train Titte, Thanjavur Junction se pehle block station par rukhi hai. Announcement ke kuchh hi minute baad, platform par sabhi log khade ho gaye, hamari train ke aane ka intezaar kar rahe the, lekin woh toh ek OHE inspection car thi. Chennai bound Cholan Express 1415 hours par platform 3 par aaya, jisko RPM WAP - 7 30391 lekar aaya tha, aur der aur badh kar 150 minute ho gayi. 10 minute hone ke baad bhi train jaane ke koi sign nahi the aur hamari train abhi bhi Titte par rukhi thi. Kuchh minute baad, announce kiya gaya ki yeh jaldi hi platform 1 par aayega. Aur, announcement ke 15 minute baad, hamari train Erode diesel shed based WAP - 4 22754 ke saath aa gayi, jisme Itarsi ka stencil faintly dikh raha tha. Yeh 90 minute ki der se aayi aur isme chadhne ke liye bahut saare log intezaar kar rahe the. Maine engine se 3 coaches piche chadha. Hairani ki baat hai ki kam log utre aur pehle se hi seats bhari hui thi, mere pass koi aur option nahi tha, isliye mujhe bheed mein jaakar apni bag rakhne ke liye jagah dhundhni padi aur khade rehna pada.
Hamari train Thanjavur se 91 minute ki der se chali, aur Kumbakonam - Thanjavur ke beech ke sirf 40 kms ke liye 2 ghante 10 minute ka time liya. Main line track par aa kar, apna customary honk diya, aur kuchh der mein MPS tak speed catch kar li. Thanjavur outers par 16834 TPJ - MV MEMU Express ko overtake kiya aur Alakkudi par apne counterpart ko MPS par cross kiya. Budalur 18 minute mein pahunch gaya, wahaan ek chota sa halt kiya aur main line platform se chala gaya. Aiyanapuram se pehle thodi si distance tak, speed restriction thi, kyunki kuchh road under bridge ban raha tha, jiske karan level crossing khatam ho gaya tha. Kuchh der mein fir se speed badhi, Solagampatti aur Thondaimanpatti se guzar gaya. Hairani ki baat hai ki haari train aiyanapuram se pehle hi decelerate karne lagi,