My first love...............

I was as usual standing at Boisar railway station waiting for her to come. Seeing her was always a special moment for me. In fact I knew that whenever I saw her, my day would go in a great manner. And soon, I could make a silhouette in the horizon. She was speeding towards me at real great speed. And soon she had arrived, her arrival marked with a storm that leaves everyone mesmerized with nature's beauty. Her departure was equally sudden, but the moments that she was there, it seemed like everything had just fallen silent, time had stopped while she sped past me at a speed of 120 kmph. And she was gone. As I saw her disappearing into the horizon, there was a sense of satisfaction. I have full belief that my day will go good as I return back home after getting darshan of the queen of Western Railway, the Mumbai New Delhi Rajdhani Express.

My love with the Mumbai Rajdhani started in 1989 with my first trip from Mumbai to New Delhi. Headed by the twin diesel engines (ofcourse, I was too young then to know anything about the classification of engines), it was really a train to watch zoom past you at full speed. Since then for numerous times, I have found myself at Boisar railway station just waiting to get a glimpse of the passing Rajdhani express. Infact one of the highlights of my journeys by Valsad passenger was seeing the Rajdhani zoom past at Palghar. When the Rajdhani would be delayed, most people would be happy as that meant we wouldnt have to wait 20 mins for it. But for me, it was sheer disappointment, an indication that the day wouldnt pass by as expected.

My second trip in the Rajdhani was in 1999, when the twin diesels had changed into a single electric engine. The traction might have changed, but the aura and romance remained the same. When the Rajdhani got the first LHB coaches in India, it made me proud that my favorite train had triumphed over several other high priority trains of India like the Howrah Rajdhani and Bhopal Shatabdi in becoming the first train in India to use LHB coaches. As expected, I was there to see my beauty dressed in a new fashion.

Now, as I see the Amtrak trains zoom past me at high speed, I get reminded of my favorite train. The Amtrak trains might have a higher speed than Mumbai Rajdhani, but they surely lack the aura and the romance of the Rajdhani. The Mumbai Rajdhani will complete 40 years of service on 17th May, 2012. Will surely like to travel by it on that day. On 17th May, 2012 as well as the grand silver jublee celebrations on 17th May 2022. 2951/2952/Mumbai Rajdhani/The Rajdhani, whatever people might call you, the truth is that you rock!!!