Go West

A relic from the past, still going strong - The lovely platform bell at Palanpur awaits the arrival of the Aravali Express from Bandra Terminus.

The Bronze Bell dates from the BB&CI days and was made by R Young & Company - London. It still used to announce the arrival and departure of trains.

The lovely Palanpur station building. Many stations in these parts feature the multiple domes seen on the right.

Rush Hour at Palanpur - all available tracks are occupied. On the right is the Ahmedabad - Haridwar Mail and the passenger train in the centre is the Palanpur - Gandhidham Express. The double stack container on the left was headed toward Gandhidham as wel

Leaving Palanpur - just out of the South exit the former MG tracks to Gandhidham (GIMB) take a sharp right hand curve.

The abandoned MG goods siding at Deesa.

Our first halt - Deesa. Many of the former MG buildings have been retained but the higher BG platforms overshadow them.

Overtaking the double stack container train that left before us at Palanpur. Was headed by Mughalsarai based WDM3A twins.

The newly converted BG line from Jodhpur via Samdari joins us at Bhildi. Once upon a time this used to be the boundary between NR and WR.

A passenger train to Jodhpur gets ready to leave Bhildi, hauled by an Abu Road WDM2.

We pull into Luni only to find the the Jodhpur bound passenger waiting to depart from the adjacent platform. The people of these parts wear impossibly colorful garb as if to compensate for the drab surroundings they live in.

The abandoned signal cabin at Diodar. Conversion to BG meant motorized points and electronic MACL signalling, hence making this quaint buildings redundant.

Whatever be the gauge though, a bench can never be redundant.

The PNU-GIMB Express has a dedicated rake and is fully vestibuled despite being a completely unreserved train.

BG may have replaced MG and buses and jeeps may rule the roost, but the camel cart will always be around.

The charming MG station building at Santalpur, now used as an office.

With the sun now dipping toward the horizon, a Khalasi gives the all clear to crossing freight at Chhansara

Past Santalpur, the train well and truly enters the Kutch region of Gujarat while crossing a causeway built over the famed Rann of Kutch. This spot makes fantastic spotting for both train and bird lovers with plenty of traffic and lots of migratory and na

More freight passing us. This time a BCNA rake led by a WDG4 from faraway Hubli.

We reach Samkhiali Jn. This is where the line to Viramgam and Ahmedabad splits.

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The Adipur - New Bhuj section is controlled by LQ semaphores and is still Token Territory.

The Samkhiali - Gandhidham - Adipur section is double tracked to permit the smooth movement of freight destined to Kandla and Mundra ports. Here a freight heads on the privately owned line to Mundra while our train splits to New Bhuj.

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