Howrah Rajdhani - At 50, the Handsome King 👑 is still ruling the tracks superbly. - Somanko

My Trip Diary Last Weekend
I traveled from Pune>HYB>VSKP and back last Thu till Mon. Here is a small write up on my experience.
PUNE>HYB:
Had booked berths in 2AC in the 17031 Mumbai Hyderabad Express for my journey to Hyb. Was looking forward to starting a long weekend on Thursday itself and started off early from work to reach Pune station at around...
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4. This one station shows the misery of passengers of IR. Lack of cleanliness added with huge volumes of travelers traversing here and there. Only one FOB being used which would serve for across platforms (almost 75% passengers use this FOB) and there are traffic jams faced during "peak" and "non-peak" hours. Just another stampede in the making. Remember reading a news about a surprise visit of the head of the railways commercial department and in the end he taking a press conference stating he was "satisfied" with the passenger amenities. Another of those white lies we get to hear from the "baboos" who travel in their own coupes when it comes to traveling by train. Pity the passengers who have to use such an unhygenic place to travel across the nation. Coming back to my journey 17031 was late to reach PF no 4 and reached by 4.40 PM. Hauled by a WDM3A of Kazipet shed the train chugged the platform with anxious onlookers looking for the location of their coach (the PA systems are not audible during afternoon hours, as well as coach indicators were switched on very late). I was on A1 and as soon as I entered I noticed this was an ageing coach. Though old, the cooling was good and I could laze around for hours on my upper berth till it reached Solapur around 10.30 PM. There was an argument between a group of travelers and the on board vendors and the TTE. The vendors overcharged and the quality was not edible. Irate passengers asked the TTE to provide a complaint book. The TTE was defensive and kept passengers at bay till Solapur after which he jumped out citing change of duty. The passengers then thought to give a good complaint after alighting at HYB. The train was on time throughout and reached BMT around 4.30 AM and I alighted there and picked up a taxi to home.
HYB/SC>VSKP
This was my first trip to VSKP so I thought to travel in the best train 12728 Godavari Exp. I had planned to board at SC and was on station at around 5.15 PM on Friday. After all these years it took me around 15 mins to reach the station from Garden Restraunt. Times may have changed but SC station and the people all scattered on roads and the choc-o-bloc autos, busses, vendors nothing have changed in all these years. It is the same - approach to alpha hotel/monda market blocked by vendors and autorickshaws and people all scattered around trying to find their way on their evening chores. However, nothing beats the good feeling of entering a well maintained station like SC. All neat and clean, crystal clear announcements, and all information available at the entrance. Godavari was to come on PF 1 so no need to go around, I stations myself at the edge of the platform for my coach A2. Saw a few security personnel and realised that some high profile VIP families are traveling too. Got a feeling this train would probably be the best in SCR that it attracts good patronage even from our netas and their families. The train was on time and much to my pleasure it was haulded by a WAP 7 from "apna" LGD shed (I spent two years of my childhood in LGD and the loco shed was a delight to me as my grandfather used to work there and we enjoyed our frequent trips to the loco shed). I entered my coach and boy this is a brand new one. The plasticy smell is still felt in the air and I can see that the coach is neat and clean. I settle down in my seat and I'm joined with a family of two kids and a lady traveling to their home town Vizag, only thing is they're from the USA and the kids are finicky about cleanliness even though the whole compartment is clean. I am amused by the behaviour of the "Desis" as I have two foreigners with me (of course from USA) and they're quite cool. The kids got worried about the cockroaches they found near the fold-able table and spiders which ran across the curtains. The mother raised and alarm and our dear Mr. Murthy aka TTE ran to ask what was wrong (It seems Mr. Murthy had helped them before to get their berths all together in A2 since they had scattered berths within A1 and A2). When the query was raised about cleanliness Mr. Murthy was quick to point out the scattered chips and cola and how this helped breeding of such insects. To add to it Mr. Murthy even scared the kids that there may be rats roaming around. The mother consoled her kids that Mr. Murthy was joking. Anyway back to my journey, I didn't pack food so thought of buying everything on board. So has been the experience of all the on board vendors were over charging. I cooly asked them to meet their manager and they sobered down and returned the extra amounts they charged me. But guess it is not a norm with others to ask them why prices are over-charged (jaago grahak jaago, more on this on the VSKP platform). The ride was not one of the best probably because I haven't gone on a WAP 7 since long (last I remember sitting in a train hauled by a WAP 7 was on AP Express four years ago). There were frequent jerks as and when the driver opened the notches for those extra BHP to cut through the air and blast to kazipet. These jerks were quite notic-able in comparison to the journeys I had earlier (probably I've gone used to the WDM3As and the WDP4s used in the PUNE to southern cities sector). I traversed through the train to speak to a few friends who were in Sleeper, the coaches were ok-ok not too bad though and we had a nice time playing a few games on board. Soon we realised it was raining heavily and the sleeper coach was flooded with rain water. Either the coaches (I traversed back to 2AC and saw almost all sleeper coaches flooded) were not maintained well or the angle of the rain was good enough to push water in (even though windows were shut). Poor travelers had a tough time managing their luggage lest it gets wet. While returning found the security commandos (of the VIP passengers) enjoying a party in their 3 AC compartment with a ready watering hole supported by the coach attendents who could barely stand on their feet (after maybe couple of 90s down their throat-neat). Pained my heart to see the nuisance of democracy where people take much for granted. Back to my berth and the cockroach-kill operation still on I retired to sleep in between all that "find a cockroach (and a rat)" hulla gulla. I was woken by my friend as the train was chugging into VSKP station PF no 1 around 6.00 AM the next day. Boy this was a good train ride and am finally here. Few points on my rail fanning here I spent some time to understand the coach and engine stationed at the entrance of the station asked a few guys about it and sorts. The next day I planned to see DVD (much from the experience I had reading fights between BBS and VSKP people) enroute on a sight seeing tour. I agree that this station is on a god forsaken land; my sympathies for all you VSKP people struggling out there with your travel to other places from DVD.
VSKP>SC
Now this one was to be on another superhit train in this region. You guessed it right - The 12739 Garib Rath. The train was stationed on PF 8 of VSKP station and boy this was my firt GR experience. Back to jago grahak jago I picked up food and water from a nearby shop on the station and again overcharging to the core. Good for me there was a group of people who bought exactly the same what I picked up. We all together threatened to complain and the guy was adamant do what ever you do. And at last a smart alec aka and inspector of police came in front and grabbed the collar of the vendor. I was a little uneasy that we were taking law in our own hands but the task suited best to our Mr. Inspector aka Smart Alec. Here you go a straight forward loss in the P&L statement of the vendor selling prices at the MRP. The bad thing is we did not file an official complaint (which one of us should have done, probably another example f Mr. PKVs story of nobody, somebody and anybody). Back on board I stood as the train started its journey and was there just looking around for an hour. The journey was very comfortable and I rested well on my upper berth and woke up around 7.15 AM when I realised the train was before time and held at Maula Ali. It was on maula ali till 7.45 AM, man they can speed up this train for good, but then it is upto IR.
HYB>PUNE
Was back to Pune this morning by 17032 mumbai exp. Again old rake, nothing charming but for this price it was good and a comfortable ride.
Bad thing, I had to come to work today. All I have done is sent a few emails and written this writeup. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading