DOJ- 16/04/2012
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With reference to the blog
/blog/post/400599 , here is my return trip experience:
Many passengers have the intention of availing this train for returning so as to get back to work on the very same day of arrival, due to favourable arrival time at Howrah (P.S.-Based on feedback received from many friends and relatives who have taken this train for returning ). And our’s was none different. We checked out of our hotel around 18:30 Hrs and reached station by 19:00 Hrs. The train was allotted PF# 4 by then.
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We slowly headed towards our coach, which was quite a way to walk, as it was the first sleeper coach from engine, after a series of 7 AC coaches. The rake, as observed by me while walking towards S-12, was more or less nicely maintained (as evident from the condition from outside on first instance).
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On entering our coach, I found the coach condition perfectly fine. Two Charging points were provided in each bay, one in a bay of 6 and other at SL.
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Other trains to be seen among departures were Puri-Gandhidham Express (PF# 5), Tapaswini express (PF#3), and among arrival was the Neelanchal Express, which arrived around 2 hrs late at Puri (PF#2).
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The Loco incharge was a WAP-4 from SRC Shed. The train departed on time at 20:05 Hrs.
Some of the berths were still vacant, with most of the booked from Bhubaneshwar and remaining from Cuttack.
We decided to have our dinner around 20:30 Hrs.
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The WAP-4, initially showed “signs of laziness” but after Sakhi Gopal, gained momentum with a dual-toned honk, as if demanding a green signal and saying “Make way for me”:)
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The train met with Howrah Puri Duronto at the outer of Khurda Road, before entering PF#2.
Announcement of late running Chennai Mail, heading towards Howrah, was also made. It was to arrive at PF#1. As soon as Chennai Mail entered and was about to halt, our train proceeded further. The condition of Chennai Mail was horrible. I guess there were no less than 100-115 pax in the sleeper coaches. I really felt too bad to see the plight of one of the great trains of IR.
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Our train, then headed towards BBS .
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On arrival at BBS, at a very crowded PF# 1, many boarded the train. I think that apart from Puri, it is preferred by many from BBS /CTC to HWH.
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After BBS, we thought to take rest as the train reaches quite early at HWH.
The train maintained a very good speed. I noticed that the train was jerking very awkwardly in the CTC-JJKR stretch. One of the co-passengers (claimed himself to be frequent traveler in this route), who was at berth 46 said that although he didn’t knew the actual reason for the jerks, but it is frequent in this stretch and so there was nothing to worry.
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We woke up around 04:15. I was still feeling half-asleep, until I experienced a very steep acceleration from our train, rattling past a suburban halt at a great speed with a long honk of it’s sweet dual-toned horn. It was Uluberia.
Then, after sometime came Santragachi and our train was nearing the destination.
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The train arrived bang on time at 04:50 Hrs at Howrah. It was allotted PF# 17.
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Overall, I enjoyed my first experience in 12838. It’s a train with the greatest advantage on offer that one can resume work (either office or school/college), provided it makes it on time, which it does majority of times.
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RATINGS:
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SPEED: A+
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PUNCTUALITY: A+
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CLEANLINESS AND COACH CONDITION: A
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Thanks for reading.
