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Bhor Ghats in Monsoon - Experience one of the most beautiful train journey during monsoons. (Onboard Deccan express # Intercity express)

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Curves and Tunnels, The beauty of the Bhor Ghat rail-ways. Onboard Deccan Express

The Bhor Ghats in Monsoon (Bhor Ghat rail-ways...Mumbai – Pune rail trip). If you are a rail-fan as well as nature lover then you should plan for this trip as the journey through scenic rail-routes is every rail-fan’s ultimate dream. About Bhor Ghat, It is a mountain passage, situated between Palasdari/Khopoli and Khandala in Maharashtra. To experience the beauty of ghat, you can either take a long drive from Mumbai or opt for a train journey, both are equally beautiful as per my experience. As you might know, travel by the train is my favourite. For most of the time in rail journey, I enjoy moving scenery by looking outside of the window. If you are planning for Mumbai to Pune rail-trip, I would recommend you to prefer a train which runs during the daytime between Karjat and Lonavala, so as you will be able to view beauty of the Bhor Ghats and Monsoon season is recommended for this rail-trip as train travel through the ghats that offers lush green views and scenic waterfalls which makes it one of the most beautiful train journeys during Monsoons and being a railfan as well as a traveller this is one of the best things you can experience. There are many Intercity/Mail/Express/Passenger trains operated by Indian Railways that run between Mumbai and Pune Junction in India. I remember the first time I had travelled through Bhor Ghats was on 23rd, February 1993 from Kalyan to Bangalore in Udyan Express. It was really one of my memorable rail trips ever. This year, I travelled from Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai by intercity trains. Actually, I had gone to Pune to visit the MSRTC workshop and for attending a conference next day. Hence due to lack of time, I visited very few tourist places in Pune. Coming to my trip plan, In order to enjoy the journey more in the ghat section and to capture beautiful photographs in the morning, I decided to book tickets on the Deccan express to travel from Dadar to Pune as this train enters Bhor ghats in the morning hence I got chance to click beautiful snaps on Palasdari-Khandala-Lonavala stretch and In return journey (i.e. Pune to Mumbai), I booked tickets in Intercity superfast express so as to have an experience of a high-speed journey through LHB coaches and making the journey more comfortable as well.

The DECCAN EXPRESS and INTERCITY EXP are one of the most popular sets of intercity passenger trains meant for intercity travel between Mumbai and Pune, the cities of the Indian state of Maharashtra. These trains run by Indian Railways (under the Central Railway zone of IR) for commuters travelling between Mumbai CSMT and PUNE Junction. As per my tour plan, we travelled on the Deccan express while going and returned in Intercity.

(Note: Please go through the official website of Indian Railways for getting details about railway stations, reservations, train arrival and departure etc.)

The Beauty of Sahyadri Mountain range in Monsoons, as viewed from the train

Coming to my trip..... The day has come when I have to start the journey From Mumbai to Pune......It was a daytime journey of around 3-4 hours and there was a lot to see outside the window while onboard Deccan and Intercity exp.

Day 1: Early morning…I was pretty excited as I was going to travel in one of my favourite trains, the Deccan express, after a long time. I packed my bag and proceeded towards the Dadar railway station to board the train for Pune. I guess this may be the third train after Indrayani and Intercity that leaves Mumbai and takes you to Pune junction. That day, I reached the station quite early to check the position of my coach as I had a confirmed ticket and the seat allotted to me was in coach number D4. The train hauled by a WCAM electric loco, arrived on-time at Dadar station. I boarded the train, got into our coach and sat on the window side. The announcement was being made that the train is ready to depart from Dadar and after some time the pilot honked the horn. A memorable journey was about to begin. The train slowly started moving from the platform and the journey towards Pune began. We left Dadar at 07:15 am and after crossing Sion, train picked up a good speed to cross upcoming stations. Our coach was empty at Dadar but got filled up heavily at Thane and Kalyan junction. Many EMU locals and mail/express long-distance trains crossed us in the journey. We left Kalyan as per scheduled departure and picked up more speed, I guess train was running at 100-105 km/h. We were heading towards next station Karjat. Our train arrived at Karjat railway station around 8:57 am. At Karjat, the train gets attached two or three banker locomotives that temporarily assist a train that requires additional power to climb a gradient i.e. to push and balance the train in the ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala. Mostly all trains halt here for attaching banker locomotives. Karjat is well known for its famous cuisine, Vada-Pav. You can get it everywhere at Karjat railway station. After departing from Karjat, now it was time to enjoy the Ghats from there on till Lonavala. Lonavala is amongst the best places to visit during monsoon in Maharashtra. If you are living in Mumbai and if you wish to visit one of the best places during the rainy season, I would recommend you to visit this place when the monsoon sets in. It is a famous hill station surrounded by green valleys and there are many things to do in Lonavala like sightseeing, trekking, camping and adventure activities etc.

Onboard Deccan Express, Bhor Ghat

The train started journey up the ghats to reach Lonavala and passed through magnificent scenic spots filled with full of hills, lush forests, mountains, valleys, tunnels etc. Near Khandala, train passed through one of the longest tunnels on the same route. The scenery viewed from the train was just amazing and the climate was awesome. On both sides, we can also view beautiful waterfalls along the route. That’s why I would suggest you undertake a journey during the monsoons. You can see some of the photos I captured through my camera during the entire trip. Throughout the ghats, speed was normal, probably due to the gradient and the curves. Around 9:50am we reached Lonavala, a popular hill station in Pune district. Most of Southbound mail/express trains passing between Karjat and Pune have a major stop at Lonavala. Banker locomotives, which were attached at Karjat, were detached here. In the train, We purchased some Chikki which is famous in Lonavala. There are different varieties of chikki which are packaged and sold to train travelers between Pune and Mumbai. Also, there are many chikki shops in Lonavala so you can buy it anywhere in Lonavala.

Dark clouds, Mountain and Greenery as viewed from the train in Bhor Ghat. We can see, hills and mountains got carpeted with lush greenery

Train rapidly picked up speed after departing from Lonavala. I observed that the railway line and Pune expressway are in parallel to one another for some distance and we could see the race between some vehicles and our train. Max Permissible Speed has been defined for rail-routes i.e. The highest speed permitted for a train in a particular section hence I think speed was being maintained at MPS, except speed restrictions. The next halt was at Talegaon, which is situated on highest altitude between Mumbai and Pune as per info on the internet. Train was running at good MPS speed to reach the destination. Around 11 am, we reached Pune railway station. I enjoyed the entire journey i.e. travel along the scenic mountains of Western Ghats, a breathtaking view of lush valleys, green hills, beautiful waterfalls, picturesque villages, woody forests, long tunnels etc. You will find full of greenery everywhere. After reaching Pune, I proceeded to my work and other activities.

Onboard Deccan Express, Indrayani River, Kamshet....river comes close to the line

Day 2: The return journey was by Pune-Mumbai Intercity express. After local sightseeing and shopping in Pune, I took an auto and proceeded towards Pune railway station to board the train for Mumbai. Around 5 pm, I reached Pune railway station. In return journey, I purposely selected Intercity express so as to travel in LHB coaches, for enjoying high speed as well as a comfortable journey from Pune to Mumbai. The rake of Intercity was waiting for departure from platform no. 2. Mumbai Pune Mumbai Intercity Express is a superfast express train belonging to Indian Railways that runs between Mumbai CSMT and Pune Junction in India. This express train presently has advanced LHB coaches for safety and speed and It is hauled by AC-DC WCAM series of electric locomotive, occasionally hauled by pure AC locomotives as well.

During my trip, at around 5:30pm, the WCAM3 loco arrived from Pune loco trip shed and got attached to the rake of the intercity ex. Another beautiful journey was about to begin. The horn was being blown by the loco-pilot for alerting the passengers that the train is ready to depart and after a couple of minutes, We departed from Pune as per schedule of departure and the journey towards Mumbai started. After crossing Shivajinagar, train accelerated rapidly. I ordered a sandwich for evening snacks. We reached the next station, Lonavala at 06:45pm.

Onboard Intercity express, Bhor Ghat

Train departed from Lonavala and started moving slowly towards Karjat through Bhor ghat. We slow down near Khandala, might be for brake testing halt. Throughout the ghat, speed was normal with unofficial halts due to signal clearance. In the ghat, our train was running parallel with one freight train. The race between passenger and freight train was really amazing. It seemed like both the trains were trying to overtake each other. Actually, It was not the race, both the trains were running in the same direction on parallel tracks by following their signals on the route. I was enjoying parallel action between the two trains in Bhor Ghat but due to this situation, I could not take photos as that side of the train was blanked by the rake of the Freight train and clouds were everywhere hence, I could not get a good view of the scenery. Finally, we overtook the freight train before Palasdhari. But again I could not take photos of the scenery outside because of the darkness. As soon as we left Karjat, the train accelerated and ran at good speed till the next scheduled halt, Thane. One thing I have observed, the acceleration of electric loco is superb.
I got enriched by viewing beautiful scenery throughout the journey. Around 08:38pm, I reached Dadar railway station and from there, i booked the cab and reached home safely by 9pm. The overall experience of the journey was excellent.

The Ganesh temple in Saras Baug, Pune

Pune is one of the largest cities in the Indian state of Maharashtra and it is well connected to almost all major cities across India by mode of Air, Road and Rail transport. Pune Junction is one of the major railway stations in Maharashtra. Also, there are some major bus stands like Pune station (near railway station), Swargate and Shivajinagar that connect Pune to several locations across Maharashtra as well as neighboring states. From outside the Pune railway station, visitors can also hire a taxi, cab or auto to reach anywhere in the city.
By plane (Pune Airport): The city is well connected to other major cities of India and abroad with the help of airways.
There are various types of tourist attractions in Pune like Museums, Forts, Temples, Palace, Parks, Hill stations, Wildlife Sanctuary, Shopping Markets etc.
The following are the places I visited during my trip to Pune.
Saras Baug: A well-maintained place having a picturesque garden and a beautiful temple of Lord Ganesh Ji (known as Talyatla Ganpati). The temple has a large garden around it. It is a perfect place to spend time with family and friends. There are many food stalls available in the vicinity of the Park so as to enjoy a variety of food. Pune railway station to Saras Baug approximate distance is 6 Kms and it takes about 20 minutes by cab from station.
Dagadusheth halwai Ganpati temple: It is one of the most famous Ganpati temples in India.
Approximate distance of Dagadusheth halwai Ganpati temple from Pune railway station is 4 Km.
Tulsi Baug Market: One of the famous shopping places in Pune which is at walking distance of about 4-5 minutes from Dagdusheth halwai Ganpati temple.

Peshwe Energy Park, near Saras Baug, Pune

Details of expenses during the journey:

Train Reservation ticket from Mumbai to Pune (DECCAN EXPRESS): 90Rs (second sitting)
Train Reservation ticket from Pune to Dadar (INTERCITY EXP): 100Rs (second sitting)
Karjat Vadapav: 10Rs pp
Tea / Coffee in train: 10RS (X4 times)
Water Bottle: 10RS (X6 bottles)
Lonavala chikki: 50Rs (X3 packets)
Taxi (Cab) from Pune railway station to Saras Baug, Pune: 140Rs
Auto from Saras Baug, Pune to Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple: 30Rs
Auto from Tulshibaug shopping market to Pune railway station: 70Rs
Food and refreshment during the journey: 400Rs
Accommodation Charges: As per duration of the trip.