Mumbai Rains

[srramanujam]

Ro-Ro stands for Roll On - Roll Off. Ro-Ro train is a flat bedded train. Trucks heading for Mangalore simply roll on to it. The train takes about 100 trucks in one go and near Mangalore they simply roll off the train and continue their journey to Kerala or wherever.

Travelling in this should be simpler compared to a Goods Train, since drivers and cleaners stay in the trucks. It is open, so the experience in Konkan terrain during rains with open top should be once in a life time.

For a long time i have been trying to convince the train agent to let me legitimately get on to a truck. I have been told that i have to be a driver or a cleaner.

Maybe someone in the forum in trading business or transport business can make it easier for us.

The best time is July - August

 

[grubyhalo]

I can drive and clean. Let me know if there's a way...

 

[gobble]

Ro-Ro stands for Roll On - Roll Off. Ro-Ro train is a flat bedded train. Trucks heading for Mangalore simply roll on to it. The train takes about 100 trucks in one go and near Mangalore they simply roll off the train and continue their journey to Kerala or wherever.

Travelling in this should be simpler compared to a Goods Train, since drivers and cleaners stay in the trucks. It is open, so the experience in Konkan terrain during rains with open top should be once in a life time.

For a long time i have been trying to convince the train agent to let me legitimately get on to a truck. I have been told that i have to be a driver or a cleaner.

Maybe someone in the forum in trading business or transport business can make it easier for us.

The best time is July - August

Hey!! Hey!! I planned this years back on an empty goods train, but was wondering if it could be illegal. This is great news!! I want to come!! :clapping:

Lets plan it together. Will PM you

cheers

 

[metalbandit]

This is the "roll on roll off truck train" where many trucks are transported on a single goods train. These are quite common in the Konkan and seems to be started by the Konkan Railway itself.

I am sure it would be a real adventure riding on one of these...

Konkan Railway Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[vinay]

In Shimla, with each passing year the snowfall has been getting lesser, that is a another story 3 years ago it had bumper snow fall it broke the records of 10 years or so.

v.

can only imagine rains in the metros :sad:.even here in kerala,the rain is just belting down!!!!quite sad,to see how drastically our climate has changed over the years

 

[suri]

I migrated to Bombay (and i still prefer to call it that, it has a touch of romance) on June 14th 1996. It had already started raining that year. I bought an umbrella, joined work, and promplty forgot it at office. A total usage of 30 minutes.

Since then, i have never carried an umbrella as a habit in Bombay, save a few times when i had to stay dry.

I have got damp, wet, drenched and havent given up the resolve not to use an umbrella. I savor the getting wet part of it. So one hand for more and more rains. More rains can never hurt, it is less that hurts. The human loss fro drought is far in excess of that from floods. But floods capture media attention since it happens in fast motion.

On a tangent, a few years back i travelled through Konkan Railway to Goa in August. The most exilarating day that i have had in my life. This year, i am planning to hitch in the ro-ro truck train from Kolad. Any hi-fiers interested can join. It will be a rough, but immensely gratifying trip.

Regards

HOLY SHIT - SRRAMANUJAM-

i have a good base in goa -

update -

and let me know your concrete plans-

edit - go-karting is fantastic if we stay near Madgaon.

regds

edit -

also - fine food - guaranteed!

regds
suri

 

[metalbandit]

This is the "roll on roll off truck train" where many trucks are transported on a single goods train. These are quite common in the Konkan and seems to be started by the Konkan Railway itself.

I am sure it would be a real adventure riding on one of these...

Konkan Railway Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captured on film at Madgaon

 

[srramanujam]

HOLY SHIT - SRRAMANUJAM-

i have a good base in goa -

update -

and let me know your concrete plans-

edit - go-karting is fantastic if we stay near Madgaon.

regds

edit -

also - fine food - guaranteed!

regds
suri

Still trying to figure out if the tongue is in the cheek or in the mouth, or in someone else's mouth.

 

[grubyhalo]

If the plans are concrete, kindly let me know...

 

[srramanujam]

Let me highlihght the limitations of planning.

1. The boarding point is Kolad, about 150 kms from Bombay. The train stops at Verna, again not mainstream Goa.

2. There is no reservation, because there are no seats.

3. The train frequency is once a day. Apart from that, i dont have an idea of when it starts. If it starts in the evening, it takes away all the fun.

4. I dont know what is the sure way of getting on to the train. A bit of money i am sure works. The Konkan Railway guys said that they allow only 2 people per truck. We have to figure this out too.

5. I see only two ways of planning - a) If someone has a contact in Konkan Railway,we can find more details. b) One of us (i am thinking of) goes to Kolad and checks out the possibilities, and then plans the trip for the next fortnight or so.

6. To account for disappointments of a night train, it would be best to plan this on a saturday morning (so that a shot can be taken on sunday is saturday fizzles out due to a night train).

7. I am sure a large group would be discouraged by railways. We need to look at 3-5 people group.

8. If interested people pm me their contacts, we can work something out.

9. In any case, the ride along Savithri river, even in a normal train, is a brilliant sight. For about 80 kms the train runs along the river. Another is the ride through the mountains before Ratnagiri.

 

[metalbandit]

Let me highlihght the limitations of planning.

1. The boarding point is Kolad, about 150 kms from Bombay. The train stops at Verna, again not mainstream Goa.

2. There is no reservation, because there are no seats.

3. The train frequency is once a day. Apart from that, i dont have an idea of when it starts. If it starts in the evening, it takes away all the fun.

4. I dont know what is the sure way of getting on to the train. A bit of money i am sure works. The Konkan Railway guys said that they allow only 2 people per truck. We have to figure this out too.

5. I see only two ways of planning - a) If someone has a contact in Konkan Railway,we can find more details. b) One of us (i am thinking of) goes to Kolad and checks out the possibilities, and then plans the trip for the next fortnight or so.

6. To account for disappointments of a night train, it would be best to plan this on a saturday morning (so that a shot can be taken on sunday is saturday fizzles out due to a night train).

7. I am sure a large group would be discouraged by railways. We need to look at 3-5 people group.

8. If interested people pm me their contacts, we can work something out.

9. In any case, the ride along Savithri river, even in a normal train, is a brilliant sight. For about 80 kms the train runs along the river. Another is the ride through the mountains before Ratnagiri.

1. As for the boarding point being Kolad, even though it's a bit far off from Mumbai, still it is connected very well by road. All buses (private and State Transport) going to Konkan and Goa pass by Kolad since it is on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. Secondly Verna is also about an hour from Madgaon. So not too far really. And since the train passes through Madgaon, if it stops there, you can always get off.

2. If you guys see the pics posted by me, you will see that the trucks are mostly fully loaded with goods, so travelling on the top is unlikely; also the truck driver has to be a very good friend to allow you in, notwithstanding permission from Konkan Railway first.

3. Finally...Yes, the train journey through the beautiful and lush green Konkan is an experience in itself...and the fun is doubled in the monsoon due to all the waterfalls and greenery around !:clapping:

 

[gobble]

Let me highlihght the limitations of planning.

1. The boarding point is Kolad, about 150 kms from Bombay. The train stops at Verna, again not mainstream Goa.

2. There is no reservation, because there are no seats.

3. The train frequency is once a day. Apart from that, i dont have an idea of when it starts. If it starts in the evening, it takes away all the fun.

4. I dont know what is the sure way of getting on to the train. A bit of money i am sure works. The Konkan Railway guys said that they allow only 2 people per truck. We have to figure this out too.

5. I see only two ways of planning - a) If someone has a contact in Konkan Railway,we can find more details. b) One of us (i am thinking of) goes to Kolad and checks out the possibilities, and then plans the trip for the next fortnight or so.

6. To account for disappointments of a night train, it would be best to plan this on a saturday morning (so that a shot can be taken on sunday is saturday fizzles out due to a night train).

7. I am sure a large group would be discouraged by railways. We need to look at 3-5 people group.

8. If interested people pm me their contacts, we can work something out.

9. In any case, the ride along Savithri river, even in a normal train, is a brilliant sight. For about 80 kms the train runs along the river. Another is the ride through the mountains before Ratnagiri.

Is there a similar one from Mangalore/Bangalore side to Goa? I was thinking we could meet up if I came from south, else I will have to fly down ...

Cheers

Where can we find more details?

 

[vinay]

I like the rain only during my morning walks or when i am indoors and watching the rains from my huge sliding windows that too from the 10th floor with a great view.

In my case if the rains are beyond limits then my morning walk still does not suffer as we are fortunate to have a huge podium about 0.25 kilometer, so it is a great place to take a walk. On the other hand we have refugee areas on the 8th floor which is about 0.02 kilometer, again a some what decent place to take a walk rather then sitting at home because of the rains.

I think travelling should be on the lower side in trains or flights as massive rains could create huge problem like accidents and related, the worst is if one is departing and the climate is fine, but if the train journey is a long one and if the rain escalates during this period to alarming level, then one could be looking for trouble. As rightly said resources and amenities are so poor, in such a situation among the best way out is that we need to do a risk management.

V.

 

[srramanujam]

Vinay - Where do you stay - Powai?

 

[vinay]

You are right i am at Powai, Hiranandani Gardens.

I was fortunate enough to buy my house here, today it is among the top 5 housing complexes in India and now it is racing towards great commercial complex, the top call centers and multinationals are located here.

There is a great demand for such complexes and this builder has set a trend.

V.

 

[vinay]

At this point of time there is massive rains in Mumbai, with very dark clouds and high lightning, let's hope nothing big untoward happens.

V.

 

[rallynut]

At this point of time there is massive rains in Mumbai, with very dark clouds and high lightning, let's hope nothing big untoward happens.

V.

yeah vinay,with the weather getting to be quite unpredictable every where,lets pray nothing ever does happen of that sort!!!!!cheers

 

[spirovious]

Vinay,trains were running very late.

 

[srramanujam]

Update on Konkan Ro Ro train.


Managed to speak to Kolad Railway Station guys. The trend is as follows.

The train arrives anytime in the day. It waits for trucks (needs about 40) and leaves as soon as trucks are available. So the departure time is not fixed. It could be daytime. It could be night time. Obviously the night trip robs the fun.

The choices are as follows.

a) Blindly reach the station early morning and take a chance. If the train is not ready, take a regular train to verna and try the luck there.

b) Call at around 4 am and check the likelihood of the train leaving and depart for Kolad after a reasonable probability is ascertained.

c) Blindly reach, if the day train is not going to work out, come back to bombay after roaming around in Kolad.

I am tempted to try this saturday. Any takers. Of course there is always the risk of not being able to board the train.

Regards

 

[gobble]

Hmm I would like to plot the start and end points on a railway map,along with intermediate ones. Can you list them?

Regards