Trip Report- The Linking Link Express
Well if the title is confusing, dont wait more. For this train was a unique of its own clan. The day time Non -superfast shortest distance Sampark kranti with a link to the branch line. Well look no further!!!! It is the 25036 Ramnagar Link of 15036 Kathgodham Sampark Kranti Express.
After a wonderful gypsy safari at Corbett, sans any animal spotting, it was time to return back to base. Since the route was initially planned to Nainital and also Corbett visit depended on permit, tickets...
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were booked on both 15036 as well as 25036. Ater Corbett permit was confirmed, ticket of 15036 were cancelled and 25036 was to be my chariot for the day
Reached Ramnagar station around 0915AM on 10.11.2018 and the front look station structure was impressive. 25036 was stationed on PF-1 in such a way that the C3 coach directly welcomes at the enterance. Need to be very very lucky to get a ticket in CC, which on August 25th itself showed a Waitlist of 25 for Nov 10th journey.
Entered the station and looked for D13. of course on a train with mere 6 coaches, it is easy to find. D13 was the 1st coach in the train, ahead of which was the TKD WDP4D still asleep. the platforms were way down the train level, which meant you had to push in the luggage and then board the train. And person standing down has to lift luggage to neck level if has to gove it to person inside. Asking my mom to board 1st, I pushed in the luggage one by one with my dad, as she carried to to the seat- 67 68 69 in a single bay
Came out of the coach and went exploring the station. Tea at Rs.7/-, Janatha khana at Rs.15/- stated the solo tea stall at the station end, next to D16. Walked to the front. Semaphore signals welcomed us there. It was a surprise spotting them after long. Three of them marked the entry direction while the solo marked the exit direction. LDH WDM-3A was shunting the Corbett Link of Ranikhet express into the pitline . Kept on moving the train back and forth may be to impress me.
Crowd slowly started trickling in. The coach composition was as under.. Loco-D13-D14-C3-SLR-D15-D16. The Loco Pilot in the meanwhile offered his prayers, and entered the loco at 0940 turning the same on.. The sound was a pleasant music and my heart throbbed- Next 2 hours i am going to be engaged completely in this melodrama
The time ticked to 0955. The coach was now 95% occupied. But still the signal was not given. As we waited, my dad remarked- "Hey there was a passenger mentioned on the board with arrival of 0950 and it is still not arrived". Oh yeah.. So we were waiting for the same pass then. Time kept ticking and there was so sign of the train yet. Waited and waited and slowly around 1010 heard the familiar boeing sound. The sound grew louder as the points were cleared. the passenger from Moradabad entered into the PF-2 of the station, late by 20 mins, delaying our departure.
Minutes after the passenger entered, heard the loud honk. 1st coach from the loco and what else do you expect. The throttle started.. Points cleared, LC cleared and acceleration started. It was an awesome pickup- the 6 coacher was a mere toy in the hands of the giant. the sound scared away the birds in the field, taking flights in scores as the train rushed past the habitation and cultivation. dhadhahdhahahak dhadhadhahak and we slowly deaccelerated as we approached a huge town. Siding emerged, points cleared and we pull into the crowded platform of Kashipur junction PF-1
Crowded?? Wait a minute isnt our train already full without any UR coaches. So what!!! It is also a day train and its Diwali time. It was a pull push from both the sides of the platform as reserved and unreserved passengers barged in. Arguments echanged, words exchanged thankfully no physical fights. Reserved passengers got their dues and Unreserved passengers were shell shocked that the all seats were full. Looks like they witness this only on occassions
Heavy crowd ensured that our delay got further delayed as our stop increased to over 10 minutes. Then a loud hoot!!! Move.,. A sudden jerk.. Stop. again a hoot, again we move. Meanwhile the DMU from Lalkuan was watching this silently from PF-3 stating "Enjoy bro- tyake the crowd to the Capital". The passenger near the centre door had a big suitcase, which few people took as a seat. Every inch of space occupied and the march started
So what if I am crowded. My only job is to go said the 4D as it stuck to its duty. LP was more dutious- looks like his hands were stuck on the horn scaring away anything possible on the track. The coaches just stuck to their loco like a inexperienced master being pulled by a dog on the leash .. The scoreboard sorry KM boards kept ticking down indicating that we were almost on verge of reaching 3 digits. Pulls and pushes later, we now slowed down to a stop at an outer. Time was 11:25
"OMG my station went .. Train didnt stop" shouted an old lady . She had to get down on some mid station and boarded this assuming it stops. But this was a SK and it just came right through. Passengers calmed her down, asking her to get down at next station and take a passenger. 5 minutes into the signal clearance, we pulled out of our unsheduled halt, crossed the points and entered into wired territory at Kathgar cabin
We curved right but still faced clearance issues, and we stopped again for 5 minutes before pulling out again to enter Moradabad junction PF-3 at 11:55, our scheduled time. Seeing the train approaching, people on PF-4 jumped out on to the tracks and tried boarding the already overcrowded coaches. Very few of the standing crowd disembarked and more crowd tried boarding but went back to PF-4 considering the situation as pathetic.
Minutes into the halt at 1205, saw GOC WDP-4B 40066 entering into PF-4 with the main train from Kathgodham, more crowded than us. Just as it cleared the points, our train was pulled out of the station in the same direction as we entered, to be attached to the rear of the 15036. TKD 4D was no more attached with us and a alco did the job of pulling out and pushing back. The complete job was done by 1225 idnicated by a pull from the leading loco, now a Southern Region beast
Jusdt as coupling finished, WDP-4D entered into PF-5 of the station, hauling the Sadbhavana Express from Raxaul with UR and SL sparsley crowded. Dad asked- How come noone want to take it. Checked the trainenquiry and it showed train running close to 12 hrs late. I said "This is out of syllabus train". Dad laughed, as we get a honk and pull out of Moradabad at 1240, delayed by 15 mins again. A WDG-4 hauled BCNA gives us a parallel run through the freight byepass of the station, till we pick up speed as the loco finally halts before the same intersection which we trundle on to our journey
Good speeds were achieved again and the train was almost filled with foot board travellers now. Consistent speeds avhieved, we pull into Amroha at 1310 for a small halt, with more people trying to enter and leaving the train in despair as they couldnt. 5 mins later we depart and blast past the cultivation as the National Highway keeps giving us company.
As the clock ticks past 1400 we slow down to 75 and move past on the Ganges river bridge, indicating our entry into Garmuktheshwar. the Garmukteshwar bridge and Garmuktheshwar were cleared at slow speed before again accelerating. Based on Shatabdi experience, we predicted that it should take an hour to reach GZB from here, which can mean a slight delay in the arrival at DLI.
Well we slowed down well after that, and pulling into Kuchesar Road, came to a unscheduled halt. the kilometer mark showed 94, indicating we had averaged around 60kmph. After a 3 minute halt, we proceeded but again at Babugarh came to an unscheduled halt- What is happening- some freight ahead?? Passenger?? Overtake??
The halt now extended beyond 10 mins before we hear the whistle. Hunger cramps start pulling up but all that was going in train was vendor selling groundnuts. Finished a packet of biscuit, before opening another and that was also soon devoured. The dry winter sun was making its presence felt .
We next pick speed, but again at Hapur junction, come to a complete halt on the platform. Tea was available so we immediaterly bought it. A vendor was selling channa and we decided againt it, but then samosas caught our attention. Rs. 10/- for 2 he said as we took 2 each to be devoured. Samosa was filled with aloo and the tea decided to keep away the hunger crampes for a while.
TE said expected at GZB at 1522 and we were still 45 kms away with time already past 1500. In the last 1 hour we have barely made 20 kms as per the km markings on the poles. Possibility actually present. We pulled out from Hapur after a serious long halt at 1520 hrs and now it was time to feel uncomfortable. the time the journey should have ended , we were still 65 kms away from our destination
Trains kept passing by on the opposite, but owing to the crowd, nothing was visible. We trotted past Kastla Kasmabad halt and neared Pilkhua again to halt on the main line. 2 LHB rakes train wait on the opposite for clearance with WAP7. One clears as soon as we enter while the other waits still. The blue board through the gap reads Danapur indicating it could be Jan sadharan express A short halt, we leave again, with a complete trot pass through Dasna and Adhiyathmik nagar with no signs of picking up speed. We again apply brakes past Mahrauli and then at ghaziabad outer, as 2 trains engaged in a parallel run, move out of the station. ?We then pull into Ghaziabad, at 1630 hrs, and 25% of the crowd get down,. Train still full., Pity the standees said my mind as well as my mom. Train running late, anything can be done. Ludhiana WAG7 combo await with a BCNA freight at a corner, and a MEMU pulls into our adjacent platform
after almost 10 minute halt, we leave Ghaziabad, and take the middle line . Slowly pick up speed as we race to our destination. A WAP4 hauled train closes in to us and the board reads Hatia Anand Vihar Express. He races past us, and we pull ahead again to race past him and the drama continues for about 10 minutes after which we zoom past him straight , while he slows down.2 LHB intercities cross us in the meantime At around 1700, the lines to NDLS leave us and we go past the rail under rail bridge, as a Rajdhani rakes moves towards Ghazaiabad above us. We are now entering into the core part of the Capital and the sun begins to set slowly. We slowly cross the Yamuna river bridge, slowly crawl and come to a halt in the middle of the bridge . Slowly again we get clearance and move out , moving just past the Red fort as a peacock stares down on us- National bird loves Railfanning.. wow that was awesome. We slowly move past the red fort building and steadily, 120 mins behind schedule, pull in into the overcrowded platform 4 of DLI, with a sign of relief of passengers inside the train, as well as outside, as a long journey of 270 kms slowly come to an end, while for people outside, a long journey ready to begin!!!
Thanks for reading