Scania Metrolink HD – the Scandinavian Griffin from Sweden made me a passionate fan of Scania, from the first glimpse i had at Bus World India – 2013, Mumbai. The HD (High Decker) coach comes with an excellent driveline with refined suspension and braking systems ensuring safety and comfort.
I stay in the lush Green City of Belagavi (Belgaum) situated in Karnataka, South Western India. Being an ardent SVM (Scania, VOLVO and Mercedes Benz) Bus Fan, I am carrying on with my childhood passion of buses which started in my native of Assam, North East India to Karnataka, with state of the art Hi tech coaches by clicking pics of them and studying about the mechanical and electronic parts which drive them.
Being in Belagavi, gives me an unique lush green environment to click the moving buses on highways with a beautiful back drop. Belgaum being strategically situated geographically between Bengaluru and Mumbai gives me an opportunity to click the Scania, VOLVO and Mercedes Benz coaches that plies on the beautiful NH4 multilaned highway connecting the both cities.
SRS was the first operator to have introduced its Scania Metrolink HD coaches between Bengaluru and Mumbai in 2014. The news of a Scania Coach being introduced on NH4 was a great moment of joy and happiness amongst all bus fans across the NH4 belt as well in the metros of Bengaluru and Mumbai.
At Belgaum, I always had constraints of clicking most of the newly introduced buses between Bengaluru and Mumbai as they use to pass Belagavi in the midnight non stop in dark and low light. Good Luck enchanted me, when SRS company choosed a petrol pump near Belagavi for its midway refueling. It was a moon-lit beautiful night, when i decided to click the beautiful looking SRS Scania multiaxles for the first time through my lens. I am thankful to the SRS Head Office Belagavi who helped me for the same with their authenticated permission.
First SRS Scania Metrolink HD Photoshoot
It was a full moon night with clear skies in the month of august in 2014. I was there at the petrol pump near to Belagavi City, on NH4 highway where i was expecting both the to and fro Bengaluru – Mumbai SRS Scania Metrolinks to arrive. It was quarter past 12 midnight and there were no signs of the vehicles from either sides. I was sitting in a remote corner of the pump on my 2 wheeler Honda activa, with my alerted anxious eyes searching for an incoming Scania Metrolink to the pump. For the time being many SRS AC Sleepers and VOLVO B9R multiaxle Semi Sleepers and Sleeper coaches entered the pump, refuelled and departed towards their respective destinations. While my eyes were still searching for a Scania Glimpse. It was 1 am on the clock, early morning cold was making me feel drowsy. I called the 24 hours SRS Belagavi Office to enquire the wherabouts of the SRS scania’s. They told to wait another one hour for the Bangalore bound SRS Scania to arrive at Belagavi. I started feeling very drowsy, and with no tea stalls opened nearby it really hard to be awake, but still i kept myself awake talking to a SRS employee who was there at the petrol pump to check all the SRS buses which refuel there.
At 02:12 am, the first Scania Griffin from SRS, one of the first additions to the fleet KA01 AD 3843 entered the petrol pump premises with a glazing look – bright headlights and the elegantly illuminated blue interior night lamps. There was a sparkle in my eyes when I saw the SRS Scania Metrolink HD elegantly sparkling. Feeling nostalgic because of the love for Scania, I couldnt stop myself for a moment and started clicking pic of the Scania with my Nikon DSLR.
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD : KA01 AD 3843 |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD : KA01 AD 3843 DOING MUMBAI – BENGALURU |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD : KA01 AD 3843 DOING MUMBAI – BENGALURU |
Video of the SRS Scania Metrolink HD KA01 AD 3843 at the Petrol Pump, near Belagavi :
I had a chat with the crew Mr Ashok regarding technical details of the Scania Coach. The crew said they were happy with the Vehicle’s performance and fuel economy of the coach. After refueling, the SRS Scania proceeded toward Bengaluru leaving behind an amazing experience on my mind.
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| ASHOK – CREW OF SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD |
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| ASHOK – CREW OF SRS SCANIA |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD : KA01 AD 3843 DOING MUMBAI – BENGALURU |
Now it was time to catch the SRS Scania Metrolink on Bengaluru – Mumbai route. It was already 02:30 am early morning. It was cold outside, I was awake somehow waiting anxiously for the pairing Scania. At morning 04:15 am, finally the pairing Scania Metrolink KA01 AD 3852 arrived. Filled with enthusiasm and happiness i rushed towards the coach and started clicking snaps. Crew member. John who is known to me, spoke to me and refueling, headed towards Mumbai.
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD : KA01 AD 3843 |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK HD : KA01 AD 3843 DOING MUMBAI – BENGALURU |
This was my first ever photoshoot of the SRS Scania Metrolink HD at Belagavi. I returned home with happiness spellbound, and reached home at around 05:30 am in the morning, totally exhausted. But i was happy and feeling good with a nice time spent with the Swedish Griffins whole night.
Scania – The World Leader
Scania as a brand has always delighted me with its premium range of Scania Metrolink High Decker (HD) coaches with its features and superior driveline. SRS Scania is one of my favorite and i recall my passionate experiences behind each photoshoot everytime, be it in the night staying awake early morning or on the hilly terrains of the Bagewadi Ghat Section at dawn.
Passion continues at the Ghat Sections near Belagavi :
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK AT BAGEWADI GHAT |
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| SRS SCANIA METROLINK AT BAGEWADI GHAT |
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ME IN BLACK POSING WITH SRS SCANIA CREW
NILESH VIJAY : KA01 AE 2593 |
Lastly but not the least, I want to thank my friendly crews of SRS Scania who have supported me and have helped me in all my photoshoots. The zeal, the passion continues and becomes more passionate as days pass by. Dreaming each night of Scania Metrolink and realizing the dreams by working hard to fulfill it will continue as ever.
I sign off with “Cheers to Scania”
svmchaser 