The First Run of Sealdah Duronto Express

New Delhi | 19 Sep 09

I have been looking forward to this moment. Being a staunch Rajdhani Express fan (have been traveling since 1979 on Howrah Raj), I wanted to see first hand how different the Sealdah-New Delhi Duronto Express will be.

The first Duronto Express was flagged off by Smt. Mamata Banerjee (Honorable Railway Minister) from Sealdah Station (Kolkata) at 1700 pm on September 18, 2009. The 2259 Sealdah Duronto is India's first point-to-point non-stop train and has been created to cover the distance of 1454km from Sealdah to New Delhi in 16h 20min. The Sealdah Rajdhani takes 17h 55min with 6 halts.

Well! I was hugely disappointed. The SDAH Duronto arrived at Pragati Maidan at 0945 am. The right time for reaching NDLS (New Delhi Railway Station) was 0920 am. But more than that it was the color and graffiti/painting on the rakes that was far more disappointing.

In fact, if Mamata Di and the "big-wigs" of Indian Railway could launch the fastest train in India then they should have considered the visual impact of the rakes. The green is similar to that of Garib Rath, a trifle bit lighter and the entire floral design is way out of place. IR could have either chosen a more formal look and appeal for enhancing the image of the train OR they could have added more value by having separate paintings on each of the rakes. Paintings depicting different faces of Bengal like Howrah Bridge, Dakhineshwar Temple, Ma Durga, Eden Gardens and much more. That would have at least symbolized the "Cultural Spirit of Bengal"

But I would still say that the effort was valiant keeping in mind the fact that Mamata Di had very little time to get this train up and running. Her concept of "Ma, Mati, Manush" is the theme of the abstract graffiti on Sealdah Duronto. Maybe, the later versions of the Sealdah Duronto will have graffiti that people can relate to with ease.

Secondly, the rakes are quite old. In fact some of the coaches are almost 10 years old (1999). Seems like the rakes are a mix of Garib Rath and ICF Rajdhani coaches. At first instant the rake didn't look Hybrid to me but the next time around I will have a closer look.

The SMB (Side Middle Berth) has been used in the 3AC Economy and hence the lower fares. The SMB is not a great idea because it means less space.

Overall Picture - Not Impressive!

A Fare comparison with Sealdah Rajdhani

Duranto Sealdah Raj Difference
1AC 3295 3395 Rs. 100
2AC 1880 2030 Rs. 150
3AC 1390 1535 Rs. 145
3AC Eco 1335 NA

The Sealdah Rajdhani Express Runs daily while the Duronto will run on Thursday and Sunday from Sealdah (2259) and Friday and Monday from New Delhi (2260).

The rake composition of the 2259 Duronto Express as seen today was: EOG | 3AC Eco | 3AC | PC | 2 AC | 1 AC | EOG

The Sealdah Duronto Express timings are:

2259 - DEP/SDAH: 1640 PM ARR/NDLS: 1035 AM
2260 - DEP/NDLS: 2005 PM ARR/SDAH: 1100 AM

Except for a technical snag in the loco GZB WAP-7 30249 (fairly new loco), I believe the run was smooth. The P7 30249 started off from SDAH with its front Panto up but was spotted at Pragati Maidan with its rear Panto up. Hopefully, the snag has been taken care off.

Look forward to the Chennai Duronto at NZM (Nizamuddin) on Tuesday with LHB rake!

Some of the other trains/Loco that I saw today include:

GZB WAP-7 #30248 - Mumbai Rajdhani (On Time)
BSL WAM-4 #21388 - Unknown Train
UDL WDG-3A #13379 - AC Special
LGD WAP-4 #22777 - AP Express (On Time)
SGUJ WDP-4 #20003 - Kashi Vishwanath Exp
GZB WAP-7 #30249 - Duronto Express (30 min Late)
GMO WAP-7 #30203 - Howrah Rajdhani (10 min late)
HWH WAP-4 #22331 - Sealdah Rajdhani (Before Time)

Parthajit Dasgupta

Train Jam at Anand Vihar Station

22 May 2009: 1400PM to 2330PM

What a day!!!! I started out at 14:00pm to catch a loco in the rains and ended up doing a marathon railfaning for 9 hours with Mr. Vishvanathan keeping me company.

I came back home at 23:50pm. The reason being that something had happened somewhere ahead of Ghaziabad. Some people said that there was a Goods Train strike, while some said Laaloo Prasad Yadav had initiated this, while others said that some train got derailed. The LPs didn't have any information either. So there was utter chaos. Trains were lined up back-to-back and in some cases they were buffer-to-buffer. The saga continued from 1300 hrs to 0000 hrs - that's when I decided to leave. But it was an amazing day.

I saw 16 trains lined up on a single track back-to-back and this included 4 Rajdhani Express including Ranchi, Sealdah, Howrah, Guwahati, and RJPB Rajdhani, apart from JYJ Garibrath, Bihar Sampark Kranti, Sampoorn Kranti, Poorva Express, Lichavi, Bareilly Intercity, some WAG-7's and WAG-5's running light, and much more. I have never witnessed such a sight and today it was extraordinary.

Some of the salient aspects of todays railfanning:

1. Lot of crowd on the tracks
2. Rajdhani Express standing back-to-back
3. WAP-1 22029 that was changed to WAP-4 and re-converted to WAP-1 retaining WAP-4 livery
4. Bhagat Ki Kothi WDG 3

Loco's seen today in chronological order from 1400pm to 2330pm:

GZB WAP-7 30233
LDH WDM-3A 16277R
LDH WDM-3A 14103
LKO WDM-2A 16669
LDH WDM-3A 18878
GZB WAP-4 22721
LDH WDM-2 18879
HWH WAP-4 22321
GZB WAP-7 30247
TKD WAG-5 21124
TKD WAG-5 23500
GZB WAP-1 22029
HWH WAP-4 22242
GMO WAP-7 30204
MGS WAP-4 22587
JHS WAG-7 27519
BRC WAP-4E 22292
CNB WAG-7 27272 (Palindrome)
LKO WDG-3A 13372
BGKT WDG-3A 14835
CNB WAP-4 22608
MGS WAP-4 22243
CNB WAP-4 22539
SGUJ WDP-4 20074
AJNi WAG-9 31089
GZB WAP-7 30235
GZB WAP-7 30222
JHS WAG-7 27519
TKD WDP-3A - 15527
CNB WAP-4 22235
MGS WAG-5 23059 (Barbie Doll)
SGUJ WDP-4 20080
GZB WAG-5 23797
GZB WAP-1 22033
GZB WAP-5 30017
CNB WAP-4 22284
TKD WDM - 16274

Here are some pics:





What a Day!!! Awesome Experience!!

Kolkata by Sealdah Rajdhani Express - Part II

May 06, 2009

When I woke up in the morning, we were entering Dhanbad Jn. The right time was 06:26am and we entered at 06:53 am, so we were again 30-minute behind schedule. I took some pics of the train at Dhanbad - an irresistible urge! As we left Dhanbad, I spotted some GMO WAP-7 and WAM-4. One WAP-7 was 30201 and the other was 30202. Both had original ABB logo on them. So these are the imported WAP-7's. Lucky me!



I spotted two WAM-4 #21325 and 20662.



I got my coffee and then I went for my usual morning ablutions. No! I just brushed my teeth because the toilets were stinking. Imagine! Stinking toilets in Rajdhani Express - the premier train of India. Are we sending the right message to foreign tourists?

We reached Asansol at 07:40am still running late. I took some pictures of Mr. P.Chakraborty (air conditioning incharge - B10) who had been quite helpful.



I was looking out of the other door of my coach when I spotted an AJNI WAG-9 #31090. Before I could take a picture, a RPF guy came and banged the door on my face. I understand the security reasons but why can't the cops in India be a little more polite and sensitive. I avoided a confrontation and went back to my berth. As we neared Durgapur, I saw WAG-7 #27041 and WAG-5 #24442 (a Palindrome loco).



We reached Durgapur at 08:15am (right time is 07:48am). Sniffer dogs boarded the Rajdhani here (beautiful yellow labs) and went from one coach to another. I then walked down with my sister to check out the Buffet car and went ahead to the First Class and then to the guard cabin.



We passed Bardhhaman Jn at 08:55am. I saw shared rakes with the 3017/3018 Ganadevta Express rakes being shared by 2821/2822 Dhauli Express. There was no much action at BWN except for EMU's going in and out. I saw the BWN-Hatia passenger with HWH WAP-4 #22772. There was a shunter parked close to the station - BWN #17365. After BWN, I got my breakfast of two breads, butter, Jam, Omlette without any salt, half-boiled carrots. This food was outrageously bad! I was hungry and so I had it.

Then I went and parked myself at the door but there were no action. I was waiting for the train to enter the Vivekanada Setu (after Bali Ghat Station) so that I could take a video and thankfully I was able to.



By the time, my coach was in the center of the bridge, the train picked speed and I had to move away from the door. The Sealdah Rajdhani was stopped at Dum Dum Outer where I saw a lone EMU and WAG-9 #31083.



Soon after, we crossed Narkeldanga Electric Trip shed on the outskirts of Sealdah where I saw a HWH WAP-4 #22509. Meanwhile, our WAP-7 had made up for the 30-minute delay and we entered Sealdah 5-minutes late at 10:20am. The moment I got off, I headed straight for the loco but the LP had unfortunately left by then. Somewhere on the way, our loco had hit a bird, which was stuck on the grills of the windshield - dead!!


The bird hit loco - WAP-7 #30236

I stepped out of the station and was greeted by a severely hot and humid weather. Kolkata - here I come!

Kolkata By Sealdah Rajdhani Express - Part I

May 05, 2009

What a day! I couldn't sleep the whole night and the morning started off with me running around to get clothes pressed, keep veggies at the neighbors house etc and suddenly it was 1500pm. Time to start for NDLS. All packed and ready, we boarded a taxi and reached NDLS at 1554pm. I had not seen the Ajmeri Gate entrance in a long while and hence, I was surprised not to find any crowd at the gates. Then I realized that they had moved the ticket counters and the Digital departure and arrival boards upstairs. Climbed up the stairs and checked the departure of the 2314 Sealdah Rajdhani. This time around I couldn't find berths in 2AC so I had to be content traveling by 3AC.

There was an announcement and the Sealdah Rajdhani was shifted from Platform 12 to Platform 13. 13? I wondered if my lucky number was ever going to bring me any luck. I reached the platform and didn't have to wait too long as a newly painted GZB WAP-7 #30236 glided smoothly bringing in the LHB rakes of the Rajdhani Express.



LHB (Linke Hofmann Bosch) rakes were first introduced in the Indian Railways on February 03, 2006 and the Sealdah Rajdhani got its LHB rakes on March 01, 2003. The LHB rakes are now being built at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala and are the fruits of the collaboration between Indian Railways and ALSTOM-LHB GmbH, Germany. Today, LHB rakes are being predominantly used in Rajdhani and Shatabdi although the 4645 Shalimar Express also s them. The Shalimar Express runs from NDLS (New Delhi) to JAT (Jammu Tawi).

Back to my journey, I had 4 berths in B10, which was the 7th from the loco. I thought maybe, I might get to catch the Raj at some of the curves.



While waiting for the Rajdhani Express to start moving, I came across a dirty CNB WAP-4 #22235, which brought in the rakes of 2560 Shiv Ganga Express to Varanasi.



Finally, the signal went from red to green and we started of at 1630pm, bang on time but then the inevitable happenned. Everytime, I travel by Sealdah Rajdhani, there is a chain pulling incident. So between NDLS and Shivaji Bridge, the chain was pulled twice because someone's luggage had fallen off. While we were waiting for confirmation and clearance at Shivaji Bridge, I started a conversation with Mr. P. Chakraborty, who was the Air-conditioning engineer of our coach. I had met him the last time around as well in January 2009. He told me that one of the guys traveling in our coach had given his ticket to the coolie by mistake. It's wierd but I guess shit really happens!

I took a couple of snaps of the LHB rakes of the sealdah Rajdhani express. A LDH (Ludhiana) WDM-3C #16879 passed us by. It was running light and didn't have the number written on the side of the loco like most WDM's have. It went a little ahead and stopped as the LP (Loco Pilot) exchanged pleasantries and information with the LP of TKD (Tughlakabad) WDP-3a #15513. (Another "13"). The WDP was bringing in another LDH WDM #16884. Once it started from Shivaji Bridge, it was already running 30 minutes late.


The WAP-7 picked up speed and I opened the door of my coach to wave out to Mr. Vishvanathan who was waiting patiently for me at Anand Vihar. We whizzed passed and slowed down on reaching the Sahibabad curve. This is where I saw GZB WAP-1 #22036 rush past with an unknown train. By the time, I took out my camera, the loco had dissappeared with the train. Well! It was good to see a WAP-1 because that is my favorite loco apart from WDP-4. We reached GZB at 17:28pm and I saw a couple of WAG-7, WAG-5, and WAG-9 pulling coal rakes. Saw a LGD (Lallaguda) WAG-9 #31135 and GMO (Gomoh) WAP-7 #30203 at the Aligarh Jn.

One of the surprising points of this journey was that we were not offered any Frooti, juice, cadbury, and Sonpapdi. On top of that, the hot water for tea barely filled half a cup. That is some cost cutting Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav - No wonder you lost!!We reached Tundla Jn at 19:20pm and I saw one of my favorite loco's: a WAG-7 in a WAP-4 shell and this one was #28000. Yipee!! The 5708 Amrapali Express (Amritsar to Katihar) was waiting for a green signal and it was being hauled by CNB WAP-4 #22227. The moment we crossed Tundla Jn, I came across another WAG-7 and this time the number was 28009.

We reached Kanpur (CNB) at 21:20pm, bang on time. So the Wap-7 had actually covered up for a 15-minute delay. We were served dinner. My sister had ordered continental, while I had opted for a non-veg meal. The continental was far better although the quantity of noodles was barely fulfilling. My meal wasn't great either because the parantha was cold and the chicken curry tasted stale. Seems like the Sealdah Rajdhani food has taken a real beating. In fact, the food was being made by a private caterer called: meals on wheels!





























The moment we left Kanpur, the inevitable happened again - chain pulling!!!! When will travelers learn! Someone was supposed to get down at Kanpur and had slept off. Good lord! The train picked up speed after Kanpur and after having a strange mix of vanilla and strawberry ice-cream, I just dozed off. I was on the top berth and the airconditioning was quite comforting.

The only uncomfortable part was the constant jerk. When the loco braked, there was a huge jerk and when the loco pulled, there was a major jerk. Mr. Chakraborty told me that since LHB coaches don't have buffers hence this problem. But then when I went to Kolkata in January with a WAP-4 pulling the Rajdhani, there were no jerks. Will need to ask some railway engineers or maybe loco pilots. Another uncomfortable aspect of the LHB coaches is the stairs for climbing up. My father fell down once and I also had a problem because there was nothing to hold on to if you are climbing face forward towards the upper berth.

Hope the engineers in Patiala are listening!

Delhi's Own Double Junction with Diamond

March 30, 2009

Every once in a while, I hear IRFCA fans talk or write about the Diamond crossing in Nagpur. The double diamond is actually a unique technology and there are probably very few such junctions in the world today. The Nagpur double diamond can be seen on Wikimapia clearly at Coordinates: 21°9'30"N 79°5'24"E and is formed as the Mumbai-Howrah Mainline crosses the Udhampur-Kanyakumari main line.

In fact, this double diamond junction has probably been photographed so often that railways fans across India feel that this is the only place where a double junction with diamond can be seen. But that is half the truth! Yes! There is another double diamond crossing in India!!!!

Surprised! The second and the oldest double junction with diamond exists in Delhi, more precisely on the outskirts of the Old Delhi Railway Station. This double diamond junction is at 28°39'45"N 77°13'11"E and is formed by tracks coming from New Delhi Railway Station and tracks coming from Karnal/Punjab. There is not only a double diamond but there are five diamonds at the same place and another diamond a little ahead on the tracks going towards Punjab.

I was actually unaware of this and but was well guided by Mr. Vishwanathan (IRFCA, Delhi - visva1954). I don't think I could have found this Double Diamond junction without his help! Thanks Visva!!

Both of us went for the sole purpose of finding is double diamond junction today. We reached the Old Delhi railway station and from there went straight to the Duffrin Bridge (Wikimapia: Coordinates: 28°39'43"N 77°13'15"E). We checked it out from over the bridge. Due to the confusing and haphazard catenary there, it was not easy to take the picture and the sun was also against the camera but then my Canon S5 IS did the job.


While taking the Double Diamond Junction, we saw some Train and Loco movements like:

1. TKD WDP 3A 15521 with empty rakes of a passenger train
2. GZB WAP 7 30232 standing idle
3. Katni WDG 3A 14545 running light
4. TKD WDP 3A 15536 with another Passenger
5. LDH WDM 3A 16664 standing idle
   

Once I had taken a couple of shots of the Double junction with Diamond from the top of the bridge, we decided to move down to the tracks to take a closer look. We were able to reach there after a long walk from the next bridge near the railway colony. But believe me, the walk is not going to be a pleasant one with all the stink, the garbage, and the people living in small tents on either side of the tracks. Anyways, we did walk down and reached the double diamond although pictures taken from down below did not have the same depth nor the same impact as the diamonds looked from way above.

So finally, we went back on the bridge for one final look at the Double Diamond or double crossing, which has excited us so much that we were hardly able to conceal it. From there, we took the railways tracks to walk down to NDLS (New Delhi Railway Station).

But guys, it is an AWESOME Double diamond!!! You should check it out!!

You can check the images of the Double Diamond Junction at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31386311@N08/3399814030/in/set-72157610926484952/

From:
Parthajit Dasgupta
Vishwanathan

TRIP TO KOLKATA - PART 1

January 16, 2009
Boarded Sealdah Rajdhani on Jan 16, 2009 with much anticipation of having a nice journey onwards to Kolkata. It was supposed to leave from Platform 12 and in the last moment there was an announcement and we had to move to Platform 13. This was the beginning of a holiday with my parents and sister and my trip to Kolkata after almost 7 years. I am expecting my Pishi’s (paternal aunts) to pamper me out though. I will be staying in Kolkata for 6 days and 5 days at the Chilka, Bhubhaneshwar, Cuttack, and Puri. So I am expecting a nice holiday!

I was standing on Platform 12 and suddenly there was an announcement that the 2312 Sealdah Rajdhani will start from Platform 13. Thank god for small mercies! We didn’t have to rush over the foot bridge as PL13 was the other side of PL12. The Sealdah Rajdhani, one of the premier trains in India was being pulled by it’s standard locomotive, the WAP7. This one had a GZB WAP 7 #30221, looked newly painted and fresh out of the workshop. My coach A3 was right up in the front and in fact it was the 4th coach from the Wappie, which made me feel good.

I boarded my coach and found out that a Marwari couple seated on the side berth had conveniently parked their huge bag in our luggage space. I asked them politely and they said that it had Ganga Jal. After having asked him a few times, I just said to myself that enough is enough and I asked him to vacate it immediately. That is when his wife commented that Bongs (Bengali) people don’t talk like this. So I told her that well! You don’t poke a Bong too much and that also a Delhi bong. After that the luggage was removed and we had our own cozy and private space to enjoy the ride. The fight had got on my nerves and so I got down on the platform to get a breath of fresh air.

This is when the Shivganga Rakes were being brought in by a dirty looking CNB WAP4 22300. At the same time, WDS 19664 detached itself from the Poorva Express, which was scheduled for departure. At exactly 1630 hrs, the signal went green and the Sealdah Rajdhani departed. But within seconds someone pulled the chain not once but twice and the train had stopped. We had not even left the platform. I learnt from the TT that an elderly gentleman and his family had boarded this train thinking this was the Howrah Rajdhani. So they took 15 minutes to get down and their luggage took another 15 minutes. I saw the LKO Intercity headed by a mean looking LKO WDM 2A 16502 pass us by and then the Mumbai Rajdhani also left with WAP 7 while we were still standing outside platform 13. This made me wonder what kind of a trip could I expect? A nice and smooth trip or a really eventful one!

We did some great speed after crossing the Yamuna Bridge with the WAP 7 and reached Ghaziabad within 30 minutes. First the GMO 27502 WAG7 came in with BOXN rakes and then just outside the GZB station I saw an idle BHEL WAM parked with BOXN rakes. As we crossed GZB station, I saw three WAG’s in a row including an LDH WAG 7 23437. Soon after another GMO WAG 7 27479 (Tiger Face) went flying in the opposite direction with flat-bed rakes. I was enjoying the view as the friendly attendant of my coach came in with evening snacks that comprised of tea kit, tea, samosa, frooti, sandwich, and éclairs.

While I was having my frooti, the train jerked thrice when the brakes were applied. I was a little baffled because I was traveling in LHB coaches pulled by a WAP 7. This persistent jerking was unexpected, so I walked up to the engineer in my coach who was also handling the distribution of bed sheets, food, and managing the air-conditioning. I spoke to Suman Haldar, the manager in the 2nd AC coaches, and he said this is because the LHB coaches don’t have a buffer (a shock absorber system). Secondly, the WAP 7 has individual braking system, which is why the jerk is so prominent every time the brakes are applied vis-à-vis the WAP 4. (I was going to realize later that what he said was right)

We reached Aligarh Jn at 1820 hrs and an hour later, the attendant came in with soup and breadsticks. It was all dark outside, and I couldn’t see a thing except for lights in motion that told me that a train was passing by. Photography was not possible and I didn’t want to put up my tripod in the train – that would make a lot of people stare at me!

Dinner was served at 2030 hrs. My family had ordered chicken-rice and I had ordered egg-rice. At the end of the day the chicken-rice was better. The meal included 2 paranthas, chicken/egg curry, yellow dal (without salt), salad, rice, and curd and this was followed by Vanilla ice cream. The wappie was doing awesome speed and we reached Kanpur (CNB) by 2105 hrs, which is 10 minutes before time. We entered platform 3 and I saw an idle MGS WAM 20628 on platform 2. On the outskirts of the Kanpur station was a MGS WAP 4 22284, all lighted up and ready to take charge of a train.

An Empty New Delhi Station

New Delhi Station was absolutely empty at 0500 PM! Now thats news! I went to NDLS today to drop my cousin who was traveling to Secunderabad on AP Express scheduled for departure at 0535 pm. I reached NDLS (Ajmeri Gate) at 0500pm and it was announced that the AP Express has been brought in at Platform 4, which is quite a long way of from Ajmeri Gate.

No platform tickets were available from 04 dec to 31 dec. I wasn't aware of it but then it struck me that I could pick up an EMU ticket to Shivaji Bridge and walk down from NDLS. I might be able to catch some locos as well. Well! the railway guys didn't have change on them and so I had to pick up 2 platform tickets for Ghaziabad (Rs. 10/-). Once I was at platform 4, my cousins coach A2 was just under the FB (foot bridge), so it was an easy walk. My cousin was carrying an over loaded suitcase of books and clothes.

The A2 coach of AP Express looked quite neat and clean and had a fresh coat of yellow paint on the inside. The Loo was neat and clean rubber mats just under the sink. Once my cousin was aboard, I left to check the loco and it was the Lalguda (LGD) WAP 4 - 22322.

This WAP4 has had the distinction of pulling East Coast Express and Coromandel Express to Howrah on quite a few occassions. I politely asked the pilot if I could take a picture of him and the loco and with a smile on his face, he replied with a polite "No".

So I moved on from Platform 4 towards Shivaji bridge. Now here's the strange part. I saw Gomti Express standing on Platform 5 for departure and guess which loco did the honors? An ED (Erode) Wappie! The ED WAP4 22654 is a total offlink but I guess the winter delays are causing quite a few off linkers to work overtime :)

NDLS was quite empty in terms of people and trains (must be the delays!!). The only other train was on Platform 10 and it was the Shiv Ganga Express with CNB (Kanpur) WAP 4 22282. The only other locos were the WDS happily doing their job of shunting trains in and out. There was a train in the yard with IC AC coaches and an LHB Rajdhani coach bang in the middle. I couldn't see the name or number.

Since there were no trains in sight except for the ASR-Saharsa Garibrath, which came in with a LDH WDM-2 17483; I decide to walk down from NDLS to Shivaji bridge. It was a nice walk and the sunset just added more color to everything around me. On the way, I met Mr. Vishwanathan, an elderly gentleman who is also into railfanning. After exchanging pleasantries and talking about IR, we parted ways. It took me not more than 10 mins to walk down and yes, I also had the opportunity to take a picture of the traffic below from the Minto Railway Bridge.

So that was all the railfanning I could do thanks to the trains running late by hours and some by even a day!

You can check some of the low-res pics at: Indian Railways