Trip on Kurduvadi-Barsi Town NG line
With the threat of closing down, looming on the 34 KMs Kurduvadi-Barsi Town NG line, Jayant and asHIsh undertook a journey on a two coach train running between these stations. Pictures and text by Ashish Kuvelkar.
PUNE WDG3A 14566 leading a BCNA rake and KJM WDP4 20019 leading Udyan Express to Bangalore waiting for UP traffic to pass. Washimbe. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
A military personnel admires a WDP4 locomotive leading the CSTM-SBC Udyan Express, Washimbe. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
After drenching in heavy rains, the 1341 Kurduvadi Barsi Town mixed passenger enters Shendri Station. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
KWV ZDM 4A #206 is the power for the 2 coach passenger train 1341, Shendri. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
1341 passenger reaches Barsi Town 5 minutes before time, in spite of two unscheduled halts to drive away cows from the track. A railway employee is working on the coupler to detach the loco. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Barsi Town station is exactly 411 KMs from CSTM, via Kurduvadi. The line used to go another 102 KMs further to Latur, which is now closed for gauge conversion. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
The loco has gone for reversing, leaving the rake. The extra door on the second coach is for the Guard’s cabin. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
One monsoon ready auto-rickshaw and few more, await passengers outside Barsi Town Station. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
The loco KWV ZDM 4A #206 has reversed and waits for the signal and the clock to tick to 1700 hours to start the train’s journey back to Kurduvadi from Barsi Town. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
The coupler, the vacuum pipe and part of the cattle guard of the loco KWV ZDM 4A #206. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Bogie of KWV ZDM 4A #206. Notice the extra wheel, probably used to provide a better balance to the loco. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Name board of Barsi Town station. The station code is BTW and it is located at 515m from the MSL. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Colorful gate for trolley shed, outside the Platform. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
The signal levers located on the platform. All the three levers are currently in such a position that the semaphore signals indicate danger. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Lever 1 goes down, making starter signal to indicate proceed. The Loco Pilot and the assistant are making last minute checks before 1344 passenger can chug on. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Pappu da trailer competes with the 1344 passenger. Except for the couple of kilometers at each end of this line, the road runs parallel to the railway line including on most of the bridges. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Shendri station is located 18 KMs from Kurduvadi and 16KMs from Barsi Town . The token picked from Barsi Town is dropped at Sindri. Notice the now defunct, unique lamp post. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
Station building at Shendri is very close to the edge of the platform. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
An old overhead water tank at Shendri. In the past when trains used to run till Latur, the loop line was used for crossing UP and DN trains. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
A narrow bridge on river Sina caters to both road and rail line. The MPS in this section is 40 Kmph. It comes down to 25 Kmph when the line goes over a bridge. Photo by Ashish Kuvelkar.
With nice big trees providing nice shade on the platform of Shendri station, who needs a canopy ? Of course, it is a different story during monsoon.
Two pairs of trains run in the Kurduvadi-Barsi Town 34 KM long section which is covered in...
Vanished Track in Grass
Upalai Station. a station with no loops. note demolished station building on opposite side . the road in between
The Start. A small portion of tracks has been removed first to make way for vehicles as approach to a bypass road construction
The Lonely Barshi Light Track. Traffic has been stopped for Gauge Conversion