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Leg 3: Cntd from Leg 2: /blog/post/959420 & Leg 1 /blog/post/958357
Of THE WINTER TOUR TO HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS
-----AN RF TRIP REPORT
THE MISERIES AT SAHIBABAD
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– CHATTISGADH EXPRESS, From AGC to SBB/GZB. 31st December 2013.
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Pnr Entry: /pnr/post/902065
At AGC
After completing a brief local sightseeing to TajMahal, Agra fort and Walking the length of the PALACE ON WHEELS and capturing some snaps, finishing admn shake hands, we were made to run to PF 2 as the Chattisgadh Express hauled by an AJNI WAP 7 with #palindrome number 30303, was running ontime and entering Agra’s PF 2.
We boarded into the train and bid farewell to my friends at Agra and set our journey to Sahibabad Junction a Suburb between NZM & GZB. The meeting point of Chattisgadh Express and Ranikhet Express.
Going through the curvature at Raja Ki Mandi, we enjoyed splendid scenes. Our copassengers were travelling to LDN and were to meet some relatives at MTJ. So I too deboarded at MTL in the hunt of SriKhand, so that I can feed that to my Kid. But nothing was available except for tea.
So gotinto to the train and for onward journey expecting that I would get the Srikhand at NZM PF 4 as provided a tip by a fellow member on IRI. We arrived at NZM PF 1 at 7:50 pm much close to the schedule.
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At NZM
I also was out of cash, the first thing that I did is went out of the station entrance to find some ATMs and withdrew some money. And then went to Comesum outlets but Srikhand was not available. As still there was some time for the departure, I ran onto PF 4 enquiring for the Sanchi Parlor Srikhand. They kept on pointing me to the end of PF 4. And then I found that the Srikhand is soldout.
Again got back to PF 1 this time to walk the length of the Chattisgadh Express back to see the Panchvalley Passenger’s only slip coach (SL class) from Chhindwara to Amritsar. I found it but there were two RPFs in each coach and were standing right outside the coach, so couldn’t capture the pic for you all.
I then started walking back slowly that’s when the train started moving. So ran into and got into my coach.
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Food on board:
Finished the Pantry dinner. Expected it to be good comparing it with AP expresses. The collected the same amount of money but the taste wasn’t on par. They didn’t give me curd as they did in AP express in Leg 2. So I asked the vendor. He told me that he has been working on this train for 5 year, never did they give curd. I asked him that how it would change from train to train while the cost being the same. He asked me which train I was referring to, I said I had dinner in AP express a day before. He couldn’t reply me after that.
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At SBB – the miseries.
Then we finished dinner and got down at SBB PF 2 on right time at 9 pm as out ticket was upto SBB only. We moved on to PF 1 taking the stairs. We were to make a wait of 2 hrs at this station and transfer by Ranikhet to KGM on our Leg 4. It looks a very remote station, even though several trains stop here. Not many light or people around. The only tea stall was about to be closed. I asked for the waiting room, they should me direction to the entrance, which is the only shelter to withstand the cold weather. Can’t stay there it was so dirty and no lights. So thought of going back on the PF and stay under a light on an iron seater. It was cold. Having no clue, we thought we should have alighted at GZB.
Then came a Delhi local, in which we got into. A dirty vendor car, which still had wooden seating. Just imagine how old the rake is. We manged to stay in there for 10 minutes and got down at GZB’s PF 4. We dared to travel ticketless unable to withstand SBB in cold weather. As suggested by a co-passenger of the local, we went into PF 3 and found that there is an AC class waiting room. We happily gotin and started waiting for the announcement of arrival of Ranikhet express in next one hour.
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To be Cntd………………