Mumbai Ahmedabad Full Journey Compilation: Shatabdi Overtake and High Speed Crossings

When one thinks of traveling from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, trains like the Ahmedabad Shatabdi, Gujarat Mail, Karnavati or the newfound Ahmedabad Mumbai Duronto comes to mind. I opted for a rather unconventional option: the Secunderabad Rajkot Express, from Vasai Road. The sole reason for the choice of journey was the fact that this train received twin Alcos, end to end, and there is an amazing thrill in traveling by these twin beauties, particularly in a fully electrified stretch. The early morning departure from Vasai Road was in pitch darkness, which meant we were hosted to a wonderful sunrise as we entered Gujarat. The twin Alcos maintained a fair pace through coastal Gujarat, arriving at Valsad well before time, where we were subjected to a rapid overtake by the Ahmedabad Shatabdi, which screamed past at 100 kmph, with an Amul liveried Vadodara WAP5, horns blaring. In between the Shatabdi and Vadodara, we have two magnificent river crossings - Tapi after Surat and Narmada before Bharuch. The halt at Ankleshwar also means that we skip Bharuch, chugging and smoking through the station. The Mumbai Vadodara corridor is one of the busiest in terms of passenger traffic, and there is a crossing approximately every 20 minutes. The prominent ones featured here are the August Kranti Rajdhani, the legendary Flying Ranee, a very colourful Karnavati Express, the Ahmedabad Mumbai Double Decker, and the Delhi Mumbai Duronto Express, which screams past at the rate of knots. Traveling on this route might also give the impression that the only locomotive produced by the Indian Railways is the WAP5 variety, and the only locomotive shed in the country is located in Vadodara - they hold an absolutely monopoly in this stretch, and the Amul livery provides the only variety! Post Vadodara, the terrain alters quite drastically and there are indications that we are entering a near desert terrain. There is a still a nice river crossing, and an encounter with a lovely Vatva WDM3 with the Veraval Trivandrum Express. We reach Ahmedabad, a little after 2, just as the Shatabdi prepares to head back to Mumbai. The journey takes an hour and a half more than the Shatabdi, but the chugging of the twin diesels make it absolutely worth the effort.