Footplating the Mumbai Rajdhani

Way back in the year 2005, month of august and it was hot and humid in mathura where i had returned from a visit to Varanasi. Had decided to footplate (travelling in the engine of) the 2952 New delhi-mumbai rajdhani from new delhi to kota, a distance of 465 kilometers.

In brief about this particular rajdhani. Introduced on 17th may 1972, it had a maximum permissiable speed of 120 kmph hauled by a single wdm2 (Diesel locomotive). It was 1984 when the rajdhani was given twin wdm2's with 18 air-brake coaches (the first long-distance train to get air-braked coaches for regular operations). Currently the scene is all different, the rajdhani has been given all new design high speed german coaches (now manufactured in india in RCF kapurthala) and also Electric locomotive and an increased speed of 130 kilometeres/hour.

Spoke to my contacts a day before the footplate was arranged and all set to head to delhi as this train does not stop at mathura. Left for new delhi from mathura by the nanded-amritsar sachkhand exp at 10:30 am. Arrived new delhi at around 13:30 hrs and straight headed for cannaught place to have lunch at khana unlimited. Hogged as much as i could n immediately left back for the railway station towards ajmeri gate on platform #12 from where the rajdhani was to depart. The departure was at 16:00 hrs and i was already on the platform at the engine end at 15:00 hrs. Rajdhani was yet to be brought from the yard. Heard the thin single tone horn of the loco coming in on the platform and found it to be the wap5 (High speed AC electric locomotive).

As the engine came and halted near the signal, i met the loco pilots who were to drive this rajdhani from new delhi to kota. I was asked to come in the loco and was shown every possible electrical junk that outputted the rajdhani's high speed. Lovely piece of engineering in this particular loco. Everything decently placed and clean and has the most spacious and comfortable cabin any loco in IR has. Waited out to see the 18 coach rake being shunted by the wds4 shunting loco. Got our wap5 hooked on load and waited for the starter to turn yellow. Dot at 1600 hrs, the starter showed yellow and the chief sounded the twin tone HT horn loudly signalling to proceed.

Crawled and snaked out through new delhi station at 15 kmph. Passed shivaji bridge, tilak bridge, pragati maidan at 30 to 50 kmph. Approach to Hazrat nizamuddin was speeded to 60 kmph while along with us side by side the rake of August kranti rajdhani was shunting into nzm, for its departure at 16:55. Cleared nzm and crossed the first neutral section and the chief took the throttle to the TE max position ( acceleration made full ). 2 kms from nzm and bulleted passed okhla at 105 kmph and the speed still increasing and for the first time i saw 130 kmph from the loco and it felt simply thrilling and i was left imagining the people seeing while the rajdhani thundered. On our caution order taken at ndls, saw a few speed ristrictions between new delhi--mathura but mathura--kota had only 2 of them. I was sharing the seat with the co pilot and had full control over the horn and the exchange flag.

Right from ndls to kosi-kala we did 130 quite a lot of time but also faced the speed ristrictions. Once Kosi kala was cleared, the speedo continuously clocked 130 kmph. I saw the home signal of chhata approaching which showed green to proceed at full speed and i took over the green flag to be exchanged with the ground staff and blasted the horn throughout we cleared the station at 130. Loads and loads of dust was raised behind us as we rocketed passed at 130. Driving a car at this speed is not all that thrilling as these hundreds of tones can be.

Soon Mathura was on the approach and speed was finally dropped to 30 kmph as we cleared the home signal followed by a sharp curve to pass throught the main line between Pf #1 and 2. The Main line starter showing yellow and the advance starter showed green we made a comfortable passing while taking the turnout at 15 kmph. Waited for the last coach to take the turn out and the guard to call out on the walkie-talkie "Train on main line"!

End of part one..........