Travelling to Save Farm Gholvad

We generally book reserved tickets well in advance on an express train when heading for a trip. For our recent trip to Save Farm Nursery, Gholvad for the first time in our life we decided to travel like the aam janta, in a general compartment of a long-distance passenger train.Turned out to be a totally madcap idea!!

We booked our tickets at the new spacious ticket booking section at Dadar station (located on the upper section) for the Saurashtra Express which has a halt at Gholvad station. The ticket price is just Rs. 55/-. You have to stand at platform No. 3 to board this train. The train halts for just 2 minutes at Dadar station, so we had to hustle aboard real quick. 

We were horrified to note that the compartment was absolutely jam-packed. I was forced to climb up like a monkey on to the upper berth since there was no standing room even, while my sister had to perch on the very edge (literally, the very edge) of a seat. Note that the upper berths are not cushioned, but hard surfaced ones. So for 2 ½ hours I had to keep adjusting myself to avoid leg cramps. The positive point was that, as advised, we had not boarded the train at Borivali since we were told it was a major stop with many people getting in at that station. Indeed, it turned out to be true, with what looked like a quarter of the local population getting in when the train did its scheduled 4min. halt at Borivali station!! Since I was on the upper berth directly near 4 fans, I did not feel the heat except when the train halted at Borivali station when it became unbearably hot & stuffy up there. 

The long & short of it is that we are NEVER going to experiment again, travelling in a general compartment! Next time we will take the sleeper coach if not the usual reserved Chair Car by which we generally travel. 

Once the train crosses Vasai, one can immediately feel the air to be fresher and less polluted as the journey continues. We disembarked at Golvad station, which is nothing more than the platform, a foot overbridge and a single square block that houses the ticket booking office (see photo on the right). 

One thing to note here – don’t stupidly try crossing the tracks. Other than the obvious fact that it is extremely dangerous, there is no proper place to climb up on the other side. Use the foot over bridge (FOB). Even though the steps are many up one side and down the other, the steps themselves are not of the high kind. 

Once you come down the FOB, head diagonally to the right outside. Here, you have to wait for an auto. You can ask the Save Farm office staff in advance to arrange for an auto to pick you up. We had not done this and so had to stand in the hot sun & sort of got withered away, awaiting the appearance of an auto. Two auto drivers did come by, but refused to take us to Save Farm – much like what we experience back in Mumbai, where taxi and auto drivers often refuse short distances. You can contact this auto driver to pick you up: Vijay (Mobile no.: 7507079025). He is a local resident of Kosbad so in case you are taking a train to Dahanu Road station (one station stop before Gholvad) too he will pick you up from there.

Finally we got an auto and arrived at Save Farm after a quick 10min. drive. The auto driver charged us Rs.100/ - (3 passengers) when actually the fare is Rs.50. He said he was charging extra as he was going back empty. In short, we got ripped off, but did not really have a choice. 

Trains from Mumbai to Gholvad

1. Local trains operate between Mumbai and Dahanu Road station, which is one station before Gholvad.

2. Express trains which operate between Mumbai and Gholvad include: 

• Bandra Terminus trains (known as BDTS)  
• Gujarat Express
• Firozpur Janata Express (photo below)

• Saurashtra Express
• Paschim Express
• Flying Ranee
• Lok Shakti Express
• Aravali Express

For details of train timing, station halts, etc refer: http://indiarailinfo.com/search/mumbai-central-bct-to-gholvad-gvd/297/0/2420

Journey by road

My aunt and uncle hired an air-conditioned car to travel by road as they are senior citizens and cannot hop on and off trains. While going it took them a little over 3 hours as it does take time to understand a route when travelling along it for the first time. There were also no advertising sign boards as such of Save Farm, something they would be well advised to put up. They took a brief halt at the Charoti toll naka to have tea at a roadside stall. The return journey was much quicker, of 2 ½ hours, just like our train journey. 

The road journey is not at all uncomfortable, so you have the option of driving down in your own vehicle too rather than hiring a car.

Have a safe trip!