My Beloved Window Seat Journey to Office

I stay at Dombivli (DI) and commute daily to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai (CSTM) to reach my office at Cuffe Parade. A total of more than 100 kms per day in travelling by all modes of transport including autos, EMUs and BEST buses. The longest part of the journey is covered in the EMUs. Catching a train from Dombivli and securing a seat is next to impossible for a dombivlikar during the rush hour. The only way to secure a seat during rush hour is to travel back to Kalyan Jn. and traverse the same journey back from Kalyan to Dombivli to CSTM, which eats up more than ½ an hour from your daily schedule. There are thousands of commuters who do this day-in and day-out. I am very lucky in this regards as we have 2 shifts, ‘morning’ and ‘afternoon’. The crowd is manageable at 6:00 o’clock and at 1:00 o’clock and there is no need to travel back to Kalyan to secure a seat.

Sundays are different, we have a 9:00-21:00 hrs shift and that means I have the luxury of catching the peak hours’ fast trains and still manage to position myself by the window to catch a glimpse of trains and everything related to railways. Most often, I position my elbow on the window to support my head and go to sleep due to sheer fatigue. Today, I was feeling very fresh even though I had reached home at 01:45 in the late night after taking the last Kasara local which departs CSTM at 00:15. Hence, I decided to spot the trains on my way to the office. I know there would be many railfans who would love to do this daily, but mind you the commute really takes a toll on your life.

I left home at 7:20 and took a share auto to Dombivli and reached the station by 7:35. On all weekdays I talk the Kalyan End FOB and walk straight to platform no 3 to catch the local, but Sundays are different, I alight on platform no 5 and take the fast train. The next scheduled train was a 7:43 fast local to CSTM, I walked up to the Middle First Class and the train arrived sharp at 7:43. It was an MRVC rake. A quick glance into the coach meant there were no window seats available. I decided against boarding it and try my luck with the next fast local. As the EMU left the station, Mumbai –Pune intercity blasted past us from the adjoining down fast line with a WCAM3 at its helm. Unfortunately, the next fast local scheduled was 7:58 and that meant I would reach office late, so I quickly checked the status of Platform No 3 indicator which had a fast train scheduled at 7:50.

With no second thoughts I took the middle FOB and by the time I could alight on platform no 3, the MRVC 2169 series had arrived a full 5 minutes before time. The CSTM End First Class was relatively empty and I managed to secure my beloved window seat facing the 5th-6th lines. We waited for the clock to tick 7:47 and left 3 minutes early against the scheduled departure of 7:50. I don’t recollect where I read this, but it specifically mentioned that all EMUs can leave the stations en-route 3 minutes prior to actual scheduled time except the starting station. So it seems the motorman and guard was adhering to it. In the meanwhile, a WCAM3, 21944 with the Shalimar-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express sped past us on the UP fast tracks. We too joined the race, put couldn’t match it and soon the express won the race. We ran without stopping at Kopar (a paradise for high speed action seekers and freight lovers). You can spot almost everything here with the added attraction of trains criss-crossing at different levels and a triangle in the vicinity. In the far end, I could spot a container rake with caboose on one of the arms of the triangle which goes to Vasai Road, the loco was not visible, most probably it would have been a WAG 5/7.

As we were fast approaching Diva Junction, we managed to meet our competitor WCAM3, 21944 with the LTT bound Shalimar being hauled into the loop platform no 3 at Diva. Was it for an overtake, by an EMU or an Express, I would never know. Soon we were coasting through the platform no 2 at Diva and brakes were being applied by the motorman to reduce the speed of our EMU to crossover to the UP Fast Tracks just after Diva Jn. I could spot at least 300 people waiting on Platform No 5 & 6 awaiting the various non-suburban shuttles that operate from here. The minuscule siding line at the Parsik Tunnel end of Diva had an idling Kalyan(KYN) WDM3A. After we managed to successfully negotiate the crossover points at less than 20 kmph, motorman started accelerating and Mumbra Creek Bridge and Parsik tunnel were traversed at a very good speed. I don’t carry a GPS but rely on the OHE poles to calculate speed, so there is bound to be some deviation in my calculation of speed. Soon the double track line from Vashi was approaching us from the east. It stays by our side right until Thane. There does exist a crossover point, but not used by locals trains as of now. A Vashi bound DC rake crossed us on one side and on the Down fast tracks, Deccan Express sped past us. All in all, the relative speeds experienced were amazing on both sides.

We came to a halt on Platform No 6 at 8:00 against the schedule time of 8:03. On Platform No 7 was the monstrous WDP4 with 0103 Mumbai-Madgaon Mandovi Express. The scenes inside the train were pretty similar to what fellow IRFCAn Abhishek Tamhankar had described on the IRFCA email forum. The train was choc-a bloc with passengers bound for Konkan and Goa. Reserved as well as GS compartments looked alike. We left at 8:02 and slowed down drastically near Kopri Overbridge as the sleepers and the ballast are being replaced in this section. All along the track, we can spot jute bags filled with the debris of the track work. The substation work for AC changeover is progressing well at Kopri. We departed Mulund at 8:06 against the scheduled departure of 8:07. A WDS6 shunter 36239 was spotted at the line which terminates at Mulund Goods Terminal, which is being developed in a big way. Numerous sidings have been built over the period of 2 years for the same. We came to a standstill somewhere between Mulund and Nahur for a minute. On the varied sidings, a KYN 13619 Shakti with empty flatbed rake, a Kurla (CLA) WDS4 19699 with Harsco Track Technology machines and concrete sleepers loaded on Flatbed with another WDS4 could be spotted.

Now we were literally crawling past points one after another due to Temporary Speed Restrictions (TSRs). In the meanwhile a WCAM3 with an unknown express crossed us on the Down fast line. We managed to cross Nahur only by 8:15. Delays had crept up into our schedule and now we were actually running late. The famous TATA Truck on Rails was idle on the 5th Line at Bhandup. The motorman was trying to catch up with the schedule and we were running close to MPS by the time fellow IRFCAn Vijay Aravamudhan’s office at Kanjur Marg was traversed. As we went past the LC gate at Vikhroli, the new LC gate was ready but was not commissioned and the vehicles were allowed to stay put near the old LC gate on the east side near the UP fast tracks.

We again lost speed and started crawling after the Road over bridge (ROB). Re-plastering of the old DC Traction Sub-station (TSS) at Ghatkopar seems to be completed. The 5th-6th lines work is pending at the northern end of Ghatkopar. Tracks need to be laid. There is also a loop line here, which was first brought to my notice by Shantanu Kulkarni. We departed at 8:25 against the scheduled time of 8:19. Again at Vidyavihar the track work of installing the crossovers to fast track lines seems to be in a limbo. CR authorities had admitted their inability in completing the work by June 2010 due to lack of slots for megablocks at Vidyavihar till the Holiday season is over as most of the summer specials run by CR start and terminate at LTT. So don’t expect the services till October 2010. Inside the Vidyavihar trip shed were twin WCG2s, a WCAG1 and a few WCAM3. WCAG1s have been a common sighting this season with a host of summer specials. The Vidyavihar yard had a coal laden goods rake and numerous coaches waiting to be scrapped. It’s a junkyard for Central Railway (CR). We were soon approaching Kurla and a few things that keep bothering me about this station is the gross neglect of the Platform no 9. Why is CR adamant on not using it for EMU shuttle services between Kurla-Panvel or maybe Kurla-Vashi-Thane. I am sure there will be demand for it. The crowd on Platform no 7 and 8 at rush hours is maddening. It is not that Platform no 9 was never used. I remember traveling with my mom to Mankhurd and then by BEST bus 501 Ltd to Vashi in the late 80’s.The rail bridge was under construction and the only way to reach Vashi was the old road bridge or take a State Transport bus detour from Thane. The BEST 501 Ltd is now running on a different route. With Bandra-Kurla Complexes’ proximity to Kurla, the commuters of harbor line deserve this shuttle services as the train from CSTM via Wadala are already filled to the brim. Also there has been no news on the Grade separator design for the freight line which leads to the oil companies at Kurla East. Will it remain a promise unfulfilled? Only time will tell.

We had reached Kurla by 8:30 against the scheduled time of 8:25. On the siding lines were 2 small OHE vans, ‘Godavari’ in Yellow face and Green sides livery and ‘Kaveri’ in the traditional Green/Blue livery. After we left Kurla, a WDP4 hauled Udyan Express to Bangalore sped past us. The EMU was running very close to MPS as I could see Sion go past us. We slowed down after Matunga. A freshly painted 12 car DC rake was visible in the bushes of the Matunga yard, and so were the 3 SWR Shatabdi livery coaches. They have been resting there for some time now. Platform no 7 had a visitor coach today, an Inspection Car was coupled to the rear of the incoming Yeshwantpur-Dadar Chalukya Express which was hauled in by WDMx. A WCAM3 was stuck between the rake and the end buffers of the Platform No 7. Poor guy!

We reached Dadar at 8:36 against the scheduled time of 8:32. There was a 12 car DC rake waiting for a north bound journey on Platform No 5. The Platform No. 6 has undergone a few silent changes, like granite walls near the Station Manager’s Office and the tiles on the flooring have changed. The fluorescent signages have been put up. After we left Dadar and went past Parel workshop, we were zooming at good speed. Parel Workshop has turned into a haven for industrial locos, we have spotted locos from Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant, Bhilai, Rourkela and a host of Kalyan Shakti WDG3A. It augers well for the future of Parel Workshop. Chinchpokli sidings had the CSTM-Karwar Triweekly Superfast express. This train has the best timings for an overnight journey to Madgoan, CSTM dep at 22:15 and reaching Madgaon by 07:30 with very few stoppages. What more could you ask for? I hope the Mumbai-Ernakulam Duranto AC biweekly announced in the rail budget adheres to this timing for CSTM dep, which will make it possible to reach Ernakulam by next evening at Duranto speed. All trains departing from Mumbai to Kerala are in the day time. It would be interesting to see a late evening departure, whereby people can go to office and then come back to board the train You see I can work one more day.. (I am ready for brickbats guys. Please start throwing…hehehehehe..)

We reached Byculla at 8:40 against the scheduled time of 8:38.As we left Byculla, there was a temporary loss of power to the fans in the coach just as we went past the Byculla Bridge. Did the pantograph go down too low resulting in loss of power? God knows. Nagpur Duranto was stabled in the Reconditioning Depot at Mazgaon. That is where it rests all Sunday morning. I have often seen it there. At the Wadibunder coaching depot, I could spot 4 WDS6 shunters and one CLA WDM2. Soon we went under the Rail Bridge at Sandhurst Road. The 7th line to the yard from CSTM has come up in a very good way. CR is utilizing it for empty rakes movement with shunters. After yet another WDP4 with Kolhapur bound Koyan express cleared the way for us, we negotiating the 25 kmph turnout at Masjid. Had to stay put at CSTM outer for 3 minutes and finally managed to reach CSTM by 8:51. The CSTM yard was full of coaches of all configurations, right from the Inspection cars, Janshatabdi coaches, plain SLRs, to rakes of the already arrived Siddheshwar Express from Solapur. A total of 9 WCAM3 could be spotted as far as my eyes could see along with a few diesel locos from various sheds in India, mostly from Kalyan, Erode and Kazipet to name a few.

I did not waste time in roaming around the station. Ventured out and caught hold of the BEST 138 to my office located at Cuffe Parade, reaching there by 9:10 thus bringing to an end to a fruitful railfanning journey by my beloved window seat.

Nikhil Padinjaroot Karunakaran