A chilly trip to Shirdi and back.

I had planned a family trip to Sainagar Shirdi (SNSI) after we railfans had visited the brand new station in 2009/10 as a special Janshatabdi was run by CR during the day time. After 2131 and 2132 were announced, in the recent budget, it was introduced as a Superfast with excellent arrival and departure timings at SNSI.

The beauty of the timings of 2131 was that one could go to office and then board a train late in the night, have a sound sleep and then get down at SNSI , have darshan and come back by 2132 and reach home well before evening the very next day. So effectively, it meant only one weekly off needed to be spared. Of course having a Sleeper accommodation helped as one could rest while returning back too. Plus the excitement of a day journey added to my interest.

I had booked tickets for a Monday night departure by 2131(Dadar-Sainagar Express) on 20th Dec 2010 and return by 2132 on the very next day for my mom, dad, aunty and yours truly between Kalyan Junction and SNSI. As the scheduled departure of our train from Kalyan was 22:25, we left home at 21:00 and boarded a Kalyan Slow local which terminated on Platform no 1 at Kalyan. I asked Shantanu Kulkarni for the expected platform and he messaged me back by saying that in all probability it will be pf no 5. I decided to take his advice and came down the steps of the Brand new Wide FOB at KYN. This FOB has truly done wonders in terms of crowd management and dispersal. I wonder when Thane will get something like this!

As I was accompanied by my family, the chances of doorplating were next to impossible. I very well knew this at the outset and hence had booked tickets for 2LB, 1MB and 1UB berths so that railfanning continues unhindered. I checked the reservation charts for our names and the coach position. We were in S3 which was 11th from the engine. There were announcements of Saket Express and CSTM UP local from Kasara being regulated for some time in the North-East line as there was some technical glitch in the UP line towards CSTM. Thank God, down line was clear!
There was a continuous stream of Locals arriving and departing from the platforms 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. Platform no 4, 5, 6 and 7 were additionally handling Mail/Express trains. The section controllers were doing a fantastic job of maneuvering each train to their respective platforms. The station was swarming with commuters of all kinds.

Though 5 digit numbering was supposed to start from the morning of 20th Dec 2010, KYN was still using the old 4 digit system. 2527, CSTM –Latur Express came behind a KYN WDM on platform no 5. Next in line to enter was 7057 CSTM-Secundrabad Devigiri Express behind a WCAM3 on pf no 4. After 2527 departed, 7057 made its way out. The next parade of M/E trains started with 1017 Chalukya Express arriving on Pf 5 and 2322 Kolkatta Mail arriving on Pf 4 behind a customary WCAM3. The CR rake of Chalukya was extremely dirty. I was having apprehensions about the cleanliness my train 2131 will have as it was commencing its journey from Dadar too. Again, 1017 was cleared first followed by 2322.

Finally, the coach position indicators on pf 5 indicated that 2131 was indeed scheduled to arrive albeit late by 10 minutes. Surprisingly, Pune WDM3D 11176 was doing the honors of hauling our train. It was indeed heartening to see that the coach was extremely clean. We boarded the S3 coach and settled down peacefully. The train did not move till 22:47 after which we were cleared for departure. They late night food options available on the train were Veg-biryani and non-veg biryani. The TTE came and checked our e-ticket and didn’t even bother looking at the Photo-ID proof. In the meanwhile our WDM3D cleared the points out of KYN station and started speeding up really fast with our rake. As my parents were all set to sleep, I had no options, but to go to the UB and try sleeping. None of us wanted the fans working as it were very cold inside the coach. We shut the glass panes of our window as it was increasingly becoming chilly in the compartment. We were carrying enough sweaters and blankets to protect ourselves. I had dared not to wear any sweater and just lie on the UB with a blanket. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sustain myself for too long in that condition, I disturbed my mom to bring out the sweater. At 2:30 am, we came to a halt at Manmad Junction on pf no 6.

I decided to get down from my Upper berth and take the Side Lower Berth as nobody was occupying it. Also ventured out with my Dad to find the elusive Chaiwalla. Tea was literally a cup of hot sugary syrup. But that was a life saver. I enquired with the station staff, if we will be put on SCR line or sent back with reversal on the old CR line. Nobody was able to give me a clear picture, finally the starter was given and we were allowed to proceed onto the SCR line after a halt of 25 minutes.

The Ankai Killa looked stunning in the moonlight and I was happy that I will be able to catch it soon in the broad daylight again in a matter of few hours. It was freezing cold and felt like temperature was in single digits. For people like me, who has lived all his life in humid conditions of Mumbai, this was a refreshing change. We stopped at Kopargaon for 3 minutes and then a few of our fellow commuters started making a beeline to the loo to freshen up. I saw the Manmad-Daund line moving away from us after Puntumba. The next 21 kms were undertaken at a very slow speed. In all probability we were cruising at speeds below 60kmph and sometimes even 30kmph. Finally, the Night sky was getting brighter over the horizon as we were nearing the temple town of Shirdi. In fact, at 04:20, when we alighted at SNSI, it seemed like the whole city was awake. There were so many neon lights advertising the motels and lodges. We took an 8 seater auto rickshaw to the temple road. The Station is about a Km from the temple. They charge Rs 10 per seat for this 5 minute ride.

As we got down, we were swarmed by a host of sales guys from various motels for accepting their offer for wash and change facility. We decided upon one guy and followed him all the way to a small lodge where we got a decent accommodation for Rs 350 for 7 hrs as we were supposed to return back at 10:00 am to the station after the temple visit. After completing the morning chores, we entered the main decorum of the temple by 05:30 and had a peaceful darshan by 06:15am. As we had nothing else to do, we visited the museum and other related artifacts in the vicinity. We finally returned back to the station after a rather early morning breakfast. The chill in the air was still persistent.

The return journey was what I was waiting for as it was a day journey. We reached Sainagar Shirdi Station which is still clean. I managed to click a few photographs of the station, before entering the lone platform of SNSI. The only train at the station was that the one which we were supposed to board. The loco had reversed and the rake was in one of the two siding lines at the station. The platform line was empty and it had washable apron. I decided to soak in some sun and walked to the loco and clicked a few more pics of our train. One thing I like about this miniscule station is that the signages were all there and the lone canteen served some hot bread patties with branded tomato sauce. They also served batata wadas and veg sandwitches. The owner of the canteen seemed to be very optimistic with the prospects of this station growing in stature over the next few years. He believed that in a few years time, he will have trains coming to SNSI from all major cities in India.

At 09:30 the 2132 stabled on the siding line started moving ahead, only to reverse back with the rake onto the platform line. Some non reservation passengers had already occupied their seats in 2S coaches while it was idling on the siding line. Exactly at 10:00 we departed from SNSI with some devotees chanting Saibaba’s bhajan. We were running at a sedate speed. There were many speed restrictions enroute to Puntumba. A few minor bridges, a RUB had speed restrictions of 30kmph. As we joined the Mainline from Daund to Manmad Jn at Puntumba, the late night CSTM-Shirdi Passenger’s loco Pune WDM2 17987R had reversed and waiting for us to clear the single line. Look at the irony of IR, here we were returning back and there was a train which had almost left from CSTM around the same time we left KYN and it hadn’t yet reached SNSI.

As we came to a halt on the beautifully curved platforms of Kopargaon, the other platform had Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Express behind a Pune WDG3A 14810. Both of us departed in the opposite direction simultaneously. At the next unscheduled stop, we were held up for crossing by a Twin Diesel hauling the Nizamuddin-Goa Express with 187XX leading the loco pack. I turned on the GPS on my phone to just check the speeds at which we were running and it was clocking a good speed of 102-105kmph.(let’s not debate the speed as I know GPS are not very accurate in reading out speeds of moving trains). Soon it was time to spot the Ankai Killa. I am simply spell bound by its beauty and monstrous standup in an almost plateau region. I also spotted the single line diverting to Aurangabad. We were again taken on the SCR line to enter Manmad and were berthed on pf 5. Orders were being taken for food on board, but we decided to not buy anything as my mom had carried some fruits and nuts while boarding the train.

As the SCR line joins the CR lines from Bhusaval, one comes across the Passenger yard at Manmad, filled with lot of rakes and blood red liveried accident relief train. I could spot one WAP7 20207 and many WCAM3s, WAP4s and some WAMmies. Tapovan Express was already waiting with a huge load of unreserved passengers to Nanded. My view was blocked by the presence of a Container rake on the adjacent track. It was headed by a twin Diesel pack with the leading loco being the Green beauty, WDG3A 13457. By now we were delayed by 10 minutes. We had vada pav from Manmad which were too salty. I was feeling sleepy so decided to take a power nap before Igatpuri arrived. I woke after an hour to see us waiting at Nasik Road. As we were approaching Igatpuri an emergency chain pulling (ECP) brought our rake to a standstill. I could spot a few men getting down from the coaches and making their way to the adjoining villages. After a halt of 10 more minutes, we entered pf 4 at Igatpuri to see the Rajendranagar Express being cleared ahead of us from pf 3. LTT-Gorakpur 2541/2 arrived on Pf no 2. We waited at Igatpuri for more than 20 minutes and then proceeded slowly down the gradient over the majestic Thull Ghats.

We halted for the customary brake testing halts. I managed to photograph the catch siding and the famous viaducts enroute. As there were no brakers attached to our trains we were given a run through Kasara, where I could see 2 sets of WAG5 bankers awaiting duties. As we passed Umermalli cabin, saw the ERS –NZM Mangala Express cross us. Next to follow it was an MRVC rake to Kasara. We crossed the Mumbai Jabalpur Garib rath near Vasind behind the customary WCAM3.

Surprise visitor of the North-East line was the Pune-Nizamuddin Duranto Express, as it might have been diverted due to Gujjar agitation on the WR line. (Information courtesy Mumbai IRFCANs) We crossed the Aurangabad Janshatabdi behind a diesel link at Titwala. We entered Pf 6 at KYN at 15:29 delayed by 40 minutes. I was more than happy to arrive on pf 6 as pf 7 had an MRVC local waiting to depart at 15:33 for CSTM.We boarded the local without wasting any more time. After 2132 cleared the points we were given the go-ahead. I could see the Sinhagad Express to Pune arriving on Pf 4 at KYN. Got down at Dombivali and took an auto to reach home.

It was a fulfilling trip and I expect more and more people to chuck the dangerous road trips to Shirdi and take the pleasant journeys to SNSI via the 2131/2. More importantly the timings are excellent for an overnight journey and return back the next day by afternoon.