DADN-KYQ Express, NR/LKO ka Aatank.
So, for some urgent work, I had to return home to Varanasi from Lucknow. The original plan was to return via Ekatmata Express, but due to some unforeseen circumstances with my Thar, I had to return back from midway to the station.
So,...
more... another hour, another plan. The 19305, DADN-KYQ Express suited me the best, so I booked the tickets in current availability. Hopped on an Uber and that was the fastest commute in my entire journey, reached Charbagh from Ekana in just over 20 minutes.
The train was on time till Kanpur, and as soon as it entered NR, it instantly got late. Still, I hoped the delay would not exceed 45 minutes. But the great NR/LKO. They were playing with a GM saloon and two ALCos on the PF-2 where the train was supposed to be received.
Shaheed Express was taken on the vacant PF-3 first, and when the ALCos finally got done with the parking simulator, Bagh Express was received on PF-2. And while it was a pleasant surprise to see coach display indicators on LKO, they were working with a mind of their own. Data of my still nowhere to be seen train was displayed while Bagh was on PF-2. And that of Shaheed started being displayed after it's departure.
Finally, after a delay of 1.5 hours, the train arrived on PF-3 and departed after accumulating a few more minutes of delay. But here comes something I hadn't expected from NR/LKO even in my dreams. The train reached SLN in around 1hr 20min, averaging more than 100kmph. And covered SLN-JOP in around 50 minutes, again an average of 100kmph. Now I was sure, we'd reach Varanasi before 11:30.
And then started typical NR behavior. The train was halted at every station to let the freights gain some progress, even though we were still late, officially. And finally the train was halted at Babatpur because operational block was taken. A totally avoidable situation, had they run the train on the schedule it was running.
The train halted there for almost an hour. Another block was scheduled if the previous one didn't work (they were welding the tracks), and exactly the same thing happened. But somehow we were allowed to proceed, supposedly because the train was full of people appearing for some exam, and they got agitated. The train was halted yet again at Shivpur and Varanasi outers.
At this point I was so annoyed, I deboarded and started walking towards the station. I boarded back when the train started crawling towards the station. Finally it reached BSB around 2 hours late. ½ hour of gained delay, even with a track-burning run, and a heavy slack in last 50km.
You can trust a wolf to guard the sheep, but can't trust NR to reach somewhere on time. Attached here are some pictures I took while waiting for my train. Well, except for the train I was traveling in.
P.S. Farakka is still displayed as MLDT-NDLS at BSB. And while the train boards are still printed and handwritten, CDO/KIR has taken extra steps to paint ER again wherever it had been peeled off. They're surely reading some blogs here.
Kumud.
please wait...Translate to HindiDADN-KYQ Express, NR/LKO ka Aatank.
To bhai kuch urgent kaam ki wajah se, mujhe Lucknow se Varanasi ghar wapas jaana pad raha tha. Plan to original Ekatmata Express se return karne ka tha, par mere Thar mein kuch anjaane halat ki wajah se, station ke beech se wapas lautna pada.
To phir ek aur ghanta, ek aur plan. 19305, DADN-KYQ Express mujhe sabse better laga, to maine tickets book kar diya current availability mein. Uber pe chadha aur yeh mera fastest commute tha poora safar mein, 20 minute mein Ekana se Charbagh pahunch gaya.
Train Kanpur tak time pe thi, par jaise hi NR mein enter hui, late hona shuru ho gayi. Phir bhi, maine umeed ki 45 minutes se jyada delay na ho. Par NR/LKO ne keh diya "No way". Unhone GM saloon aur do ALCos ke saath khela PF-2 mein jahan train receive honi thi.
Shaheed Express pehle vacant PF-3 pe gayi, aur jab ALCos finally parking simulator se free ho gaye, Bagh Express PF-2 pe receive ki gayi. Aur jab mujhe LKO pe coach display indicators dikhe, woh apna alag dimag chalane lage the. Meri train ka data dikha rahe the jab tak Bagh PF-2 pe thi. Shaheed ka display hua jab woh chali gayi.
Ant mein, 1.5 ghante delay ke baad, train aayi PF-3 pe aur chali gayi ek aur kuch minutes delay accumulate karke. Par yahaan aaya ek unexpected twist NR/LKO ka. Train pahunch gayi SLN mein 1 ghante 20 minute mein, averaging 100kmph se zyada. Aur SLN-JOP mein around 50 minutes mein, phir se average 100kmph. Ab main sure tha ki 11:30 se pehle pahunch jayenge Varanasi.
Phir shuru hui typical NR behaviour. Train roki har station pe taki freight trains thoda progress kar sake, bina kisi reason ke hote hue late. Aur ant mein train roki Babatpur mein kyonki operational block tha. Ek poori tarah avoidable situation, agar woh train schedule pe chalate.
Train wahaan lagbhag ek ghante ke liye ruki. Agar pehla block kaam nahi karta to dusra tha schedule par, aur bilkul waisa hi hua. Par somehow humein aage jaane diya, kyunki train bharpoor logon se bhari thi jo kisi exam ke liye ja rahe the, aur unka gussa tha. Train fir roki Shivpur aur Varanasi ke outskirts mein.
Is point pe main itna pareshan ho gaya tha, ki main gaadi se utar ke station ki taraf chal pada. Wapas chadha jab train dheere gaadi chalane lagi station ki taraf. Ant mein BSB pahunchi lagbhag 2 ghante late. ½ ghante ka delay bhara, tab bhi chalai jaa rahi thi train, aur last 50km mein heavy slack tha.
Ek sher ko samajh sakte ho ki bakriyon ka dhyan rakh sakta hai, par NR pe bharosa nahi hai ki samay pe kahin pahunch payega. Yahaan kuch tasveerein hain jo maine apni train ka intezaar karte hue li. Well, train ke alawa jisme main safar kar raha tha.
P.S. Farakka ab bhi BSB mein MLDT-NDLS ke naam se dikha ja raha hai. Aur jabki train boards ab bhi printed aur handwritten hain, CDO/KIR ne extra steps liye hain paint karne ke liya ER ko wapas jahan se peel off hua tha. Yeh log yahaan kuch blogs padh rahe hain, sure hai.
Kumud.
