Antyodaya Express: The best a common man can get. - Vikas Kumar

Yo, I used to ride this train like a decade ago. Can't even remember if they had food back then, you know? But now, I saw on IRI that they have catering. So I wanna know if they still got that after UBL when you're going from SBC to BGM / MRJ / KOP. I'm askin' 'cause I had a really messed up experience, maybe around 1998-2000. I was goin' from SBC to BGM and everything was fine until DWR. But once we passed Alnavar (LWR), we had all these random stops in the middle of the thick-ass Dandeli Forests. We ended up stuck at NAGARGALI station. The reason? Some damn goods train derailed ahead of us. And let me tell you, this station had no food. Just a tiny tea shop. We had to wait there helplessly for like 3 damn hours. But luckily, some locals sold us hot UPMA / UPPIT and OGGARANE AVVALAKKI (puffed rice dish). The IR authorities eventually arranged a couple of KSRTC buses from Dharwad Depot by noon and they took us to BGM. I was relieved, fam. We reached BGM at 2 p.m. and the peeps who were goin' further got put on a special train to Miraj. So here's what I'm sayin' - when the train hits UBL, it's hella early and most people are either sleepin' or don't bother with more than a cup of tea/coffee. But yo, they got some bombass IDLYs and WADAs at UBL from 5 a.m. If you wanna be prepared, bring some snacks (like biscuits, cakes, wafers) and some drinkin' water - especially if you got kids with you. Or just be awake when the train hits UBL and grab yourself some IDLY/WADAs to go. It's always smart to have a backup plan for food/water before you start your journey, ya feel me? And one last thing - nowadays, most of us carry less cash when we travel on trains. One reason is 'cause ATMs are at the stations. But it's always good to have some cash on you in case of emergencies when you're stuck between two big stations with nothin' around. Imagine havin' to find a vehicle to get to the nearest ATM, man - that ain't fun. Stay safe while you travel, fam. Plan for backup just in case the pantry/catering ain't available. Bring enough food and water with you. You feel me?

Main toh iss train mein almost ek das saal pehle ghoomta tha. Mujhe yaad bhi nahi hai ki catering available tha ya nahi, tab. Ab, IRI ke according catering available hai, toh mujhe jaanna hai ki SBC se BGM/MRJ/KOP jaane par catering UBL ke baad available hai ya nahi? Main yeh puchh raha hoon kyunki mere paas ek bahut bura anubhav tha lagbhag 1998 - 2000 ke beech - main SBC se BGM ja raha tha aur safar aam taur par DWR tak tha, lekin jab hamari train Alnavar (LWR) cross kar gayi, toh 'mota aur ghana' Dandeli jungles mein tracks par beech beech mein bahut saari unscheduled rukavaten aayi - Kisi tarah train NAGARGALI station tak pahunchi. Aur wahaan se aage nahi badhi jab tak main wahaan tha. Wajah yeh thi ki hamari train ke aage ki taraf ek saman train pahle hi derail ho gayi thi NAG se, isliye iss ek platform wale stn par hume kuchh khane ke liye kuchh nahi mila. Stn ke bahar bas ek chhota sa chai ki dukaan thi. Humne bekhauf intezar kiya iss station par 3 ghante se bhi zyada. Lekin kuchh local logon ne garam UPMA/UPPIT aur OGGARANE AVVALAKKI (puffed rice dish) banaya aur bhookhe aur bebas yatriyon ko bech kar diya. Tab IR authorities ne Dharwad Depot se 3 se 4 KSRTC buses arrange ki thi, jo lagbhag 12 baje aayi aur hume BGM tak le gayi - Main khush tha ki 2 baje BGM pahunch gaya aur aage jaana wale yatriyon ko BGM se Miraj tak ki ek spl train mein accommodation di gayi. Main yeh bahut zor se keh raha hoon ki jab yeh train UBL pahunchti hai, hai subah ke bahut jaldi aur zyadatar yatri soye hote hain ya UBL mein chai/coffee ke alawa kuchh nahi lete, waise hoti hain UBL mein 5 baje se hi garam aur tasty IDLYs aur WADAs milte hain. Aur LWR ke baad, wahaan mota jungle hai, aur jungle aur jungle aur doosra kuchh nahi Khanapur tak. Toh meri salah hai - kuchh packed snacks (biscuits/cakes/wafers/wafer-biscuits etc) aur kam se kam kuchh liter peene ka paani bhi le jaye contingency ke liye, khaaskar agar aap bachon ke saath safar kar rahe hain. Ya phir, assure karein ki jab train UBL pahunche tab aap jage huye hain aur parcel mein kuchh IDLY / WADAs le le. Safar shuru karne se pehle khane/peene ke liye contingency plans tayyar rakhna hamesha sabse achha hota hai. Aur akhiri soch - Aaj kal hum sabhi train mein safar karte samay kam se kam paise lekar jaate hain, kai wajahon mein se ek hai - ATMs toh stations par available hote hain - lekin zaroori hai ki kuchh cash contingency ke liye hamesha sath mein rakhein jab aap kisi bade station ke beech fas gaye hote hain - jahaan kuchh bhi nahi milta aur sochiye aapko local vehicle kiraye mein lena padta hai, aur najdiki ATM pahunchne ke liye kafi door jaana padega - yeh bahut madad karta hai. SAWDO SAFAR KAREIN - CONTINGENCY ke liye planning karein - Pantry/Catering available hai ya nahi - Khana aur paani kaafi le jayein.

Thank you for sharing your experience and offering some valuable suggestions. It is always wise to be prepared for any contingencies while traveling, especially when it comes to food and water. As you mentioned, it is a good idea to carry some packed snacks and drinking water to ensure that you don't go hungry during unexpected delays. Additionally, getting some breakfast items like idli or vada as a parcel at UBL is a sensible option. It is also important to have some cash on hand in case of emergencies when ATMs may not be readily available. Safety should always be a priority while traveling, and your advice to plan ahead and be prepared is definitely helpful.