I had always been keen on seeing the tracks in and around Adra (which is a division
of the South Eastern Railway), and is about 50 kms south of Asansol. Finally, the opportunity to make the trip
happen came my way. Tim Makins was here on a visit, and Saurab Basu was dying to get out of the house... so why
not to Adra I thought.
So Adra it was. We had a couple of preliminary discussions on the phone and found out the apt trains by going over
the timetables. We decided to go on the Eastern Railway route (via Asansol) and return by the South Eastern Railway
route (via Kharagpur).
We met up in front of the Wheelers stall at Sealdah at 8.40 am. Okay so I was a little late; it took a while to
find a taxi, and then, the driver had requested, citing a call of nature emergency, that I leave him outside the
station. So it was almost 8.15 by the time I made my way, seeing both Saurab and Tim patiently in wait. Saurab
had earlier managed to recognize Tim and strike up a conversation. We then got our tickets (second class mail/express,
with superfast surcharge) for Rs 71, which would cover the 200 plus km journey. The train we had chosen was the
2317 Akal Takht express, headed to Amritsar. We found ourselves a general coach and hopped in. It was reasonably
empty and we made ourselves reasonably comfortable. The coach wasn't particularly clean. The weather was pretty
hot even that early and we were expecting to be roasted by the end of the day. We set off on schedule, at 0840
and made our way through the outers, crossed Dumdum, veering off right to cross over the main line and cross the
Vivekanda Bridge at Bally. We had slowed down at Dumdum as well as Dakshineshwar, but never stopped. The train
maintained a reasonable speed, running at a good clip past all stations. The run to Asansol was non-stop, which
suited us just fine. We couldn't really check out the coach composition or the loco, but it was a Wap-1/4 in the
old livery.
We crossed the WAP-7 hauled down Sealdah Rajdhani at 0945 just before Porabazar. Next was the WAP-5 hauled down
Howrah Rajdhani at 0955 just before Jhapadanga. The weather seemed to improve, the harsh sunlight seemed to lessen
and we made it to Asansol at 1140, five minutes behind schedule. We got disembarked into the humid outside, and
watdhed as the loco was detached and a Andal based WDM #18633R was attached. Wonder why they needed a loco change,
since the train would be traveling on electrified territory.
I hopped on outside, to the crowded ticket counter to get our ticket to Adra. The queue moved excruciatingly slow,
and I kept looking at my watch, since our train was supposed to leave at 1215. Finally got our tickets (Rs 11 each
for the 42 km by second class ordinary), and I returned to platform one, where the others lay in wait. We boarded
the 6AA (Asansol-Adra) local (we were expecting an MEMU, but got a regular coached passenger instead), and saw
a new WAP-4 (#22576 of Santragachhi) attach itself. We started off on time, and headed out, taking a turn southwards.
The track was single till the first station of Burnpur (where the IISCO factory is situated), and then doubled
further onward. After the station of Damodar, was the bridge on the Damodar, which had quite a bit of water due
to the barrage further downstream at Durgapur. We then moved on, the train maintaining a decent pace; the track
was in a pretty good condition. All the stations were full-fledged stations with sidings and raised platforms.
We finally arrived at Joychandipahar, the station situated close to a three-mounded hill. I guess the station is
named after the hill.
From Joychandipahar, the double line continues towards Purulia and onwards to meet the Howrah - Mumbai main line.
It crosses the Gomoh - Kharagpur track just after the station. From Joychandipahar, two other tracks emerge, the
first to the left of the main line, which then crosses over to the other side to meet the lines towards Gomoh.
The fourth (the one we were on) takes a left turn to meet the same tracks just before Adra. It was this crossing
I wanted to see, but it was not to be.
The train stopped for a signal just before entering Adra, and quite a few people got off. We reached Adra soon
afterwards, at about 1345. Immediately, we headed to the reservation office to get our return tickets. It being
a Sunday, I was expecting a rush (as is there on the Black Diamond Express). We made it to the counter just in
time at 1355 (reservation counters close at 1400 on Sundays). We had decided upon taking AC chair car back, as
it was a five and a half hour trip and the second class could get packed. We found accommodation available, got
our tickets (Rs 306 each for the 284 km ride) on the 8024 Rupasi Bangla Express.
We thought that since Adra was a divisional headquarter, the refreshment room would serve reasonable fare and we
made our way there, only to find it dark and dreary, as the power had just gone off. They didn't have chicken either,
and Tim suggested we try a hotel outside. We trooped out, and enquired from a friendly rickshaw driver and he suggested
a Punjabi hotel, which we found. It was a tiny room, also dark because of the power cut. The weather was getting
sultrier and we dreaded sitting within the confines of this tiny place and eat from the tinier tables. But sit
we did, after gulping down the regulation Thums Up. Luckily the power came back. We feasted on chicken, roti (while
Tim stuck to the vegetarian fare), and downed more Thums Up. By then it started pouring, and that was when we decided
it was pointless trying to venture out to see the place where the tracks crossed.
After the hearty lunch (which cost us all of Rs 117) we headed back to the station, crossed over towards the DRM
office. Tim asked the railway police manning the entry if he could photograph the NG loco plinthed outside but
he was refused (at least the cops did call up and ask the higher ups for permission). Used to such mindless bureaucracy,
we asked if we could shoot from the road and they said sure, no problem. So that's what we did, though the trees
did not afford a great view of the BS class #619 which had worked the Ranchi - Lohardaga narrow gauge line (info
courtesy John Lacey, we never managed to look at the board).
Job done we made our way back to the station, trying to take photographs. I got a rather nice view from atop the
overbridge, where in the distance we could see the almost perfectly symmetrical layout of the tracks and the turnouts.
Down below, in a middle line were three WAM-4s from Tatanagar shed. I took a photo just as a fitter or someone
asked me if I had permission. This elicited an innocent 'no… do I need one?' from me. Job done, we headed to the
Station Manager's office, where Saurab wanted to try get a copy of the Working Time Table. The concerned gentleman
was just entering and the person in the office was most corteous. The Station Manager himself was a very nice person,
and we were soon immersed in conversation with him, told him his station was very clean an dwell maintained an
dhe was telling us stories of how difficult it was to inculcate good clean habits among people, inspite of his
constant endeavours. We had to refuse his offer of tea since our train was due.
Saurab and I made our way back to platform 1 where after locating Tim. The Rupasi Bangla came in behind a Tatanagar
WAM-4 and we found our single AC chair car coach with no trouble. The coach was about half full and we got seats
towards the door. We departed at 1620. There were quite a few railway staff on board and one had his walkie-talkie
on in full volume, which created quite a ruckus. Waited till we crossed Bankura, where I wanted to see the tracks
towards Rainagar. This, an erstwhile narrow gauge section had closed years back and is now being converted to broad
gauge. The track till Sonamukhi has been completed. Spotted the newly laid tracks, conspicuous by its wavy up-down
profile. Spotted a shed, which could have been the old narrow gauge station.
I slept a little after that, listened to some music and chatted with the others, time flew by as we crossed Kharagpur
and were on the main SER route towards Howrah. We were right on time till Andul, belying Saurab's fears, since
he insisted that the train was known to run perpetually late. By then it started raining again, and the downpour
built up. We were stopped at Andul for a long time. There was some trouble beyond with the rain playing havoc on
the schedules. Finally we started out, but not before I had helped myself to some snacks, which I soon realized
was not very agreeable to my constitution.
From then on it was touch and go. We halted at every station, and that too at times for ages. Saurab's parents
were a worried lot. We were all tired and willed the train on. We finally pulled into Howrah, having braved the
lightning laced thunderstorm just before midnight, way past the scheduled 2155 arrival. Next to us was the Black
Diamond express, which too had probably reached very late. Through the light rain we made our way to the Taxi stand,
and found, to our dismay, that there were just a handful of cabs. There was a sizeable queue already. Not wanting
to wait till perhaps the next morning, we accepted a drivers offer to take us (along with 3 other passengers he
already had) home. We had to pay Rs 200 for the three of us, whereas the normal fare is Rs 60 or so. So we got
in, a tight squeeze. Tim was dropped first to his Sudder Street hotel and then We were dropped at my home; Saurab
having deicded it was a safer bet to spend the night at my place. |
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Bridge on the river Damodar on the Asansol - Adra section.
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A Bokaro homed WDM-2 hauls a freight.
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Approaching Adra station, just beyond Joychandipahar, The two lines on the extreme right head towards Purulia.
The line next to the train actually takes a right turn (crosses the two tracks to its right) and goes towards Gomoh.
And we take the link which turns left and meets the tracks from Gomoh at Adra
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Adra DRM's office, a plinthed BS class #619 used on the Ranchi - Lohardaga 2'6" section.
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Old BNR coat of arms, freshly painted - at Adra station.
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Almost perfect symmetry of tracks and turnouts at teh eastern end of Adra station.
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Three Tatanagar based WAM-4s rest on a middle line.
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A MEMU sporting an unusual livery slinks out towards Asansol.
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At Bankura, the newly laid line to Sonamukhi on the Bankura - Rainagar section.
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AC Chair car coach - near the toilets, the glass encased hammer for emergency use (to break the sealed windows).
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