Have used both 11013/14 a few times b/w SBC and LTT/TNA/PUNE, here are my observations.
This train, after LHBfication, has become an AC Express of sorts! I could almost always see the 2 GN compartments teeming with people. In the ICF days, this used to run with only 6 AC coaches. The LHB coaches used in the rakes are comparatively older, but I have no complaints otherwise.
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Booking from SBC to PUNE/TNA/LTT can lead you in WL, so try booking from SA or Hosur to your destination. You will definitely get the bang for the extra buck. Patronage is high for this train.
Though only vegetarian fare from the pantry is on offer, it is quite tasty. Better than the unhygienic and inedible food served on the Udyan express, which gave me a stomach upset.
Coaches are mostly kept clean, even SL in my limited experience. OBHS staff frequent the train at stations such as Solapur and Pune.
Negative 1: Both UP and DN trains can sometimes get very late at SBC, but portions of the delay are made up for afterwards in some cases.
Negative 2: There have been instances of diversions in route resulting in Bengaluru losing direct connection with Mumbai through this train. Even now, as I write this tip, a temporary diversion has been made (could it be to prioritise CBE-BNC VB or could it be to prevent congestion on SSPN single line?).
please wait...Translate to EnglishI'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?).
