I've used both 11013/14 a few times between SBC and LTT/TNA/PUNE, and here's what I've noticed.

This train, after getting upgraded to LHB coaches, has become like an AC Express! The 2 GN compartments are always crowded. In the old ICF days, it only had 6 AC coaches. The LHB coaches used now are a bit old, but I have no complaints otherwise.

If you book from SBC to PUNE/TNA/LTT, you might end up on the waitlist, so try booking from SA or Hosur to your destination. It's worth paying a little extra. This train is quite popular.

The pantry only serves vegetarian food, but it actually tastes good. Much better than the unhygienic and disgusting food on the Udyan Express, which gave me a stomachache.

The coaches are mostly kept clean, even the Sleeper Class in my experience. The staff comes on board at stations like Solapur and Pune to clean.

Negative 1: Sometimes, both the UP and DN trains can be really late at SBC, but they make up for it later in some cases.

Negative 2: There have been instances where the train got diverted, causing Bangalore to lose its direct connection to Mumbai through this train. Even as I'm writing this tip, it's temporarily diverted (maybe to prioritize the CBE-BNC VB or to avoid congestion on the SSPN single line?).

I recently traveled between SBC and Pune and was pleasantly surprised by the awesome food options. The train left SBC 2 hours behind schedule but reached Pune on time. I highly recommend it!

Haal hi mein SBC aur Pune ke beech yatra ki aur khane ki achi quality se behad khush hua. SBC 2 ghante late chutiya gaya, lekin Pune samay par pahunch gaya. Sarjana kiya jata hai.

Traveling from Bangalore to Mumbai? Book your tickets from Salem and choose Bangalore City/Cant as the boarding point. Most of the time, your berths will surely be confirmed. The fare from SBC-LTT is ₹500 for sleeper class and ₹1345 for 3ac. The fare from Salem-LTT is ₹555 for sleeper class and ₹1495 for 3ac. The price difference is not much, so just pay an extra ₹55 for confirmed tickets, which is still less than Tatkal. Speaking of Tatkal quota, Bangalore has a very small quota, but neighboring Hosur has the same quota as Coimbatore, providing 193 sleeper class seats, 60 3ac seats, and 13 2ac seats. So, in conclusion, if you want a normal ticket, book from Salem. If you want a Tatkal ticket, book from Hosur.

Always go for this train instead of the Udyan express when traveling between Mumbai and Bengaluru, and vice versa, because of the following reasons: 1) Food - This train has a pantry car, so you don't have to worry about food. Even though the pantry car only serves vegetarian food, it's still better than the inedible food served by the hawkers on the Udyan express. You also won't have any problems with drinking water on this train. 2) Cleanliness - The train has OBHS (On Board Housekeeping Services), so the cleanliness is top-notch in the AC compartments. It's average in the SL compartments, but still better than the Udyan express. 3) Coaches - The coaches on this train are pretty new, whereas the ones on the Udyan express are from the 1990s and the cushions are all worn out in the 2A coaches. 4) Ticket Availability - It's easy to get GN (General) tickets on this train, but for the Bengaluru to Mumbai route, it falls under PQ (Pooled Quota), which is difficult to clear. So, if you want GN quota tickets, book them from Salem and choose Bengaluru City/Bengaluru Cantt. as your boarding point and book to any station in Mumbai. 5) Charging points - There are charging points available in each bay. 6) Punctuality - The only issue with this train is punctuality. It is punctual when reaching Coimbatore, but it can be almost 2.5 to 9 hours late when reaching Bengaluru. It's very rare for this train to arrive in Bengaluru on time.