I wanted to put up a chain (one of my long wishes as I've always been a lazy bird on IRI and the ones I've used have already been put up by other members) from Pune to HYB via Hutatma Exp till SUR and Mumbai Exp from SUR to HYB. I see that this has already been put up by someone else (Chain# 3578) but this doesn't show up in the list of chains from Pune to Hyb. Guess it would have been turned down due to the low TAT at SUR but I will write up my trip report here for others to consider and approve this chain.
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It...
more... was another Friday last week when I had this hush hush trip lined up to HYB and back (I'm writing the first leg here, my return was on Konark which I will write separately). I had already pre-booked 17031 from LNL to HYB with a BP from PUNE (this has been discussed in a separate blog how I managed to book a ticket on IRCTC with a different BP) but you know how things change and I had some meetings lined up which meant I cannot board 17031 at 4.40 PM. So I went with option 2 (best is to book Konark but this high demand train doesn't leave scope for confirmed tickets and I do not travel on WL tickets) where I booked 17031 from SUR to HYB and 12157 from PUNE to SUR. This was the seventh time I will be traveling in this fashion recalling the "Peecha Karo" games I'd played on local buses and locals in Mumbai. The Hutatma is a pride of daily travelers in this section. It is the second fastest in the section after only the Shatabdi.
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So I boarded 12157 from Pune at 6.00 PM after completing my office chores and rushing to station (I thank my luck everyday that my office is in main city and do not have to travel from the PCMC area). The train has ultra demand and is normally full. I settled in my second seating seat and was planning for the next day as I had some early tasks to be completed and to pick up my mother to get her along to Pune (had to board 11020 next day 11.45 AM). Though I was confident on my 'peecha karo' mission but was as well anxious as you know 'IR ka koi bharosa nahi', so plan 2 will be to take a 'laal dabba' from SUR to HYB if I miss the link. But as things will be my confidence was boosted as we chugged into Kurduvadi to find 17031 stationed on the very next platform at 8.30 PM. I asked the TTE if I could de-board 12157 and board 17031 here but was cautioned that I will be technically 'without ticket' on 17031 from KVW to SUR. He strengthened my confidence saying 'Sir, chinta mat karo. Hutatma humesha issay pehlay hi pahunchti hai'. I started chatting with him about happenings in CR and didn't realize that we had been talking for 20 mins and both trains were stationary (12157 and 17031 had no clearance to proceed). After around 5 mins a massive roaring of a WDM3A was heard approaching us and I shouted this must be the 'prestigious' shatabdi approaching us and it was. It passed us at massive speed and I confirmed with my TTE if it will reach on time and he was affirmitive (so the shatabdi now seems to be on time most of the time ;-P). After the crossing the 12157 was immediately provided with the green to proceed as we chugged out seeing my second leg stationary at KVW. We reached SUR on time and I picked up some snacks to eat as I didn't wish to eat much (due to a heavy lunch). As we expect from IR 17031 reached SUR only at around 10.40 PM that about half an hour late. I settled on my side upper (much to my dismay as the berth doesn't suite me, I'd always prefer an UB) and went on to sleep to wake up early at LPI.
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Now I'm a little adventurous and know that an MMTS will start after 17031 reaches so I boarded the Falaknuma MMTS to SC to reach SC by 5.00 AM (by the time I would have reached BMT by 17031)
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Will recommend my fellow members and admins to consider this that I've been successful 7 times on this chain and this definitely will benefit others as well who want to start late from Pune and reach Hyb early morning.
As always, thanks for reading
