High Speed Parallel Action on Indian Railways: NJP Shatabdi and Patna Jan Shatabdi Overtakes

Some high speed parallel action on the Bardhaman-Howrah section of Eastern Railways. Our 18628 Ranchi Howrah Intercity Express, powered by a Santragachhi WAP4 is placed on the extreme track (main down line) and proceeds slowly towards Howrah. Our first encounter is with a very pretty Howrah WDM3D, hauling the weekly Secunderabad Guwahati Express. A couple of minutes later, a Howrah WAP4 comes roaring through the reversible middle track with the 12024 Patna Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express. Our Santragachhi WAP4 also notches up at this point and there ensues a ferocious race between the Howrah and Santragachhi WAP4s, enjoyed wholeheartedly by the passengers on both trains (you can see the kids waving at 01:43) . We for a few seconds gain on the Jan Shatabdi before the Howrah WAP4 shows its class and accelerates further to breeze ahead and leave us in the lurch. 10-12 minutes later, the six day old 12042 New Jalpaiguri Howrah Shatabdi Express nonchalantly overtakes us through the reversible track with a Siliguri WDP4, after a two short honks. Our LP probably threw in the towel after his race with the Howrah WAP4 and there was not much of a contest here...This however is a really rare instance of a diesel-hauled train overtaking an electric powered train (that too WAP4) on IR.
It is worth mentioning here that there was an EMU bang ahead of us, which had been switched from the reversible track to our track a little before these two trains whizzed past. If that train had not impeded our progress, the race with the Jan Shatabdi could have been a little longer as both trains had an MPS of 110 kmph, and were WAP4 hauled!
My good friend and fellow Kolkata Railfan Anindya Roy accompanied me on this trip and can be seen at the adjacent door. You can get a partial glimpse of the videographer in action between 01:35 and 01:43, on the windows of the Jan Shatabdi's AC Chair Car, courtesy the laws of reflection!

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