Ballari Jn - Look around and enjoy the station. A sacred place where Mahatma Gandhi once spent 8 hours. - Vishwanath Joshi

if they slightly modify the timetable to reach LKO/NDLS before Lucknow Mail, then it would have to overtake Mighty Lucknow Mail, which I think they (RB) want to avoid. as well as if they shift the departure timings from the originating stations, then it would be troublesome for travellers to reach at late night to catch the train. Hence, probably, they are not getting any other time slot except this.
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I feel that still little speed-up can be done; like it can start at 11:45pm from the originating stations and reach right after Lucknow Mail say at 07:15am in UP direction and 06:50/06:55am in DOWN direction subject to the availability on NDLS and LKO stations.'
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and yes for this to realize, they need to focus on infrastructure as well.