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The ominous demise of meter gauge in Chennai is inevitable. The Nellai express to Tirunelveli negotiates the MG curves south of St. Thomas Mount station in Chennai on its run south. The new BG track for EMUs runs by the side, threatening to proselytize the remaining tracks. This pic is dated early '98 - there are no more MG express trains in urban Chennai :(

 

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The 1007 Mumbai-Pune Deccan Express tackles the long stretch between Diva and Dombivli on Christmas Day 2001. CR has replaced all DC catenary supports and steel gantry structures with 25 KV AC ones on the new five-line assembly dedicated for handling trains between Panvel and Vasai Road. They run parallel to the four main lines between Mumbai CST and Kalyan that still display the older DC supports.

 

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The 2004 New Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi Express begins its journey slowly by trotting along the Yamuna Bridge line towards Ghaziabad. Once, GZB gets cleared, the train really picks up speed. LHB-built AC coaches were deployed on this route, but later they had to be withdrawn as the coupling mechsism wasn't working to the satisfaction of IR. This train leaves real early, but promises a lunch-time touch-down at Lucknow.

 

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One of the best experiences for a railfan is to be on a train that gives a thumbs-down and runs non-stop across an important junction or town. The 2951 Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express does just that, sprinting across Mathura Jn, not caring for the town's size or junction's importance. This is the south view of the layout as the train sprints north towards New Delhi.

 

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The 5217 Muzaffarpur Pawan Express accelerates north of Kalyan over the long haul into Kasara. The DC catenary poles and sub-stations lined on this route would soon be replaced by 25 KV AC, and the loco change at Igatpuri would be a thing of the past. Note the three-wire catenary assembly, characteristic on both Kalyan-Pune and Kalyan-Igatpuri routes.

 

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2142 Patna-Kurla (LT) Terminus Superfast Express has just two passenger halts in its 1694 kilometer run, but it gets technical halts at many places for train staff and loco changes. On a bright Jan 2001 noon, it descends along the Thull ghat from Igatpuri to Kasara. I took this train from Igatpuri and the next station stop was Kurla Terminus!