Hail Rail

Courtesy Indian Rail

Believe me I have never tried to get myself involved in train business. But I have, on many instances, been mysteriously drawn into it. Years of my love to travel in train, especially in the second class or general class, sitting near the window ruminating and churning the past, lying down with a book, writing a poetry or making a new music item, recording a song in the phone, listening to a portable tape recorder, Walkman, mobiles etc. etc. almost formed my persona. Now the railways is all around me. There have been a myriad incidents  in and around  Railways that influenced my life almost unintentionally. But I must admit I hail the Railways because of  two most important aspects of my life:

1. I got  married in a family hailing from Railways.
2. I proposed my co-traveler, a classmate of mine, in a running train and married shortly thereafter..    . 

From the childhood, till about the age of 12,  I remembered the train only from the memory of a distress 'call of nature' that happened while travelling with my father in the train. This happened perhaps before I went to school. I did not know that in a moving vehicle also one could relieve oneself. I held myself back till I could. But slowly I was beginning to give up. My father swung into action the moment he saw my predicament. He lifted me in one swift action and dropped me near the toilet. Holding the toilet door open he shouted "Drop the pant and get in". The memory that follows this is a sound of some gushing water that cooled down the whole of my back and below. 

Next I remember someone telling me in school that Mahatma Gandhi was once thrown out of the train. As a small child grown in a family where you found the Charkhas (चरखा )respectfully adorning the important part of the roof of the house, you get attached to the Bapu. So I carried a grudge for the train. Therefore the first thing I decided to do when I reached Bhubaneswar in 1968 was to know more about the train and whatever it is - to see it at once. 

The curiosity was high. We were at Bapuji Nagar which is named on the Great Mahatma. The train line appeared nearby. My host who was working at the Bhubaneswar Secretariat  returned in the evening. He was very fond of me. After having his evening cup of tea he took me down and showed me the Rail track. That was my introduction to the Rails. He took good care to deliver the first lesson on Rail_Fail, i.e as I said, matters relating to Railways.

There I learned that a train, usually very long, runs only on Rails. It cannot run on road. Then he showed me the Pole near the track which he described as signal. I was told that the attached lever will move up and down depending upon the will of some railway man sitting near the place which he mentioned as Station. He said the train will first see whether this lever is down or not. If not, the train will stand there and roar till he is given permission by the Signal Controller by lowering the lever.

[I will sometimes tell my readers about my encounter with a signal man in Gujarat. As the Branch Manager of State Bank of India of a village branch,  I was accorded the honour of leisurely finishing my tea on the platform, even after the Railway Guard's signal, when he simply said "Aaramse saheb, idhar me dabaunga to train jayega na. Chinta mat karo, aaramse pio".]

That day I had no interest to know more from my mentor about the Signal Control or the Station.  I stood there motionless for a longtime unmindful of my mentor who had left to attend to other household chores. I was also absolutely unmindful of some of the people who were squatting there for the evening routine round of relieving in the open. The smell still lingers in my mind so mush so that today the absence of that particular smell near rail lines becomes unbelievable . When you travel from a village of pure natural surroundings to a town then all the smells of town mixed with the smoke emanating from vehicles are foreign fragrance full of new excitement. It only hurts when you live in the town and experience this. The problem of open defecation in India in our younger days used to be so enormous that it required Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about it from the Red Fort from where once Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru talked about India's tryst with destiny. Rail corridors are thought to be public property like road sides of all national and state highways where the public engaged in open defecation almost rightfully. They will question you for looking towards them while passing that way. You cannot question them for doing what they are doing. I am writing this because of two reasons - one, because the mindset of Railways of "how much we can look after and Chalta Hai" attitude which is visible even today is affecting so many of us, two, the present generation would otherwise never be able to visualize what their fathers and forefathers went through. 

It was already beginning to be dark. But I was completely  seized with the idea of seeing  the train despite poor visibility.  It was as though, the beast could only be tamed by my being face to face with it. Those days  trains were few and far between. I stood there for nearly an hour and left. 

I came near the house where we had arrived earlier in the day. But I did not go very far.  I kept on moving in the vicinity of the Rail line so that I could jump near the line the moment I get a sound. One Sound started coming now. It was nothing like what I was coached. Still not to loose the opportunity I ran. From a distance I could see some odd structure which in the darkness was neither long as discussed nor roaring. It had two glowing lights and some red lights above them. The whole thing was a blurred view of something which could be likened to a huge bird which passed with an approaching sound which reached a peak and then slowly faded into a whimper, far away. From a distance also I could see the red lights. With full pride I returned home to tell everyone that I saw the train and it was not as great as it was made out to be.

My mentor simply said , it was track patrolling by the maintenance staff. Train will come late in the night. 

Dear Readers,

In India too many things are happening too fast. The 135 crore Deshvasis, albeit the Covid-19 fears, are now active like never before. One has to remain on toes to keep track of the happenings. Forget the other sectors, only in the Railway sector so much is happening that I have to filter to list some of the key developments which may interest the readers.

I have listed a few developments for you. For further reading you may click on the given links:

1. Rail Board chief says Indian Coach Factory(ICF), Rail Coach Factory (RCF) and Modern Coach Factory (MCF) will together work for  Vande Bharat deadline, says 44 trains will roll out in 2-3 yrs.
https://theprint.in/india/44-vande-bharat-trains-will-roll-out-in-2-3-years-as-planned-says-rail-board-chairman/469990/

2. In a new move,  Railways uses NTC (New Track Construction) machines for Rail infrastructure. Currently 7 NTC machines are operating to develop the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.
http://dhunt.in/aqwyB?s=a&uu=0x46be6b509a2ab4d6&ss=wsp

3.Covid-19 impact Rs. 30K to 40K crores in the earnings from passanger trains.
http://dhunt.in/aqtCl?s=a&uu=0x46be6b509a2ab4d6&ss=wsp

4. Railway bicycle created by Indian Railways Officer for patrolling Rail tracks.
 https://www.rushlane.com/railway-bicycle-created-by-indian-railways-officer-for-patrolling-tracks-video-12369325.html

The other thing that needs sharing is that after putting up the photograph I had shown in my previous post in tweeter, the Rail corridor was intermediately cleared of the cows, vehicles, old broken furniture, so and so forth. You have to see the new photograph to believe. I provide a link for this also.
https://twitter.com/nigamananda9/status/1288391430461743104?s=08

Introductory

The name Rail_Fail. which popped up in mind is very much like School_Fool, Book_Fook, Singer_Finger etc.which are used while conveying (वगेरे, वगेरे)   ...and the like. While diving deep into my past of more than 60 years, leaving the few years of childhood, I felt that  this is one area in which I have much to share.

Rail travel is something where you come across many people and places, sit for long hours and during our good old days even wait for long hours in the platform, listen to the talents begging, eat a variety of foods, enter into discussions with strangers, so on and so forth. In our younger days even standing on a queue for booking tickets for hours together, reading a novel and occasionally smoking while standing in the queue were also a memorable experiences.  Many unique incidents and associations, which today's generation may find very amusing shall find place in  Rail_Fail.

Alongside, I shall also bring about matters of concern happening in Rail travel to bring about sustainable improvements in the system. The rail lines pass through the length and breadth of the country in much the same way as the river network . They pass through difficult terrains and through villages, towns, cities, rivers backwaters etc. There  are issues at all levels requiring attention of the local as well as state and central administrative machinery. From a conscious Citizen's point of view, I shall be posting my observations as also the actions taken or to be taken in the issues involved so that my journey with my readers becomes more meaningful.

In due course, readers would enjoy the fine emotional shade of my sojourns with The "Blind Bansuriwala of Bhubaneswar, The Duffliewala of Ajmer, The Kurla Station Begger, The Tamil Mami,  The Lady Leader, The Drunken Sardar,  Heart Attack, Smoking at a Cost and many more.

I now invite your attention to the image below. This is only a small part. This is a Railway Line now under renovation. Meter Gauge Railway line is being converted to Broad Gauge. You may please see the encroachments and wanton misuse of the space. The front side barricade is being made only now. The other side has been removed and buildings constructed on its place, not now, but long time ago when the slow Meter Gauge train moved. You may also see the yellow colour apartments in the image which is constructed to accommodate the encroachers. First Railways allows and now Municipal Corporation helplessly provides them with accomodation. Almost each items in the image tells a story. This and much more that is happening in this country where it is often quoted वसुधैब कुटुम्बकं forgetting that these accommodations are at the cost of the tax - paying loyal citizens, will also find place in Rail_Faail.




This much for this time.