Hi, I traveled on this train day before yesterday, from BVI-ADI.
By the time I boarded the train at BVI, our considerate fellow Indian passengers had filled up ALL the overhead luggage storage area, not only with cabin baggage size, but also FULL SIZED SUITCASES stuffed widthwise, forced into the tiny area, taking up space meant for 2-3 bags.
Since the luggage area under the seat is also very tight, I had no choice but to keep my suitcase upright between my feet.
The...
more... seats are narrow and cramped, NO DOUBT about that. I am a thin guy and yet, I had to just sit upright, with my arms narrowed up in front of me. Too much unnecessary contact with the guy next to me. I have traveled by conventional chair car dozens of times on Pragati and Deccan Queen so I know the difference.
The air conditioning went from ineffective [in the afternoon] to being on steroids [evening onwards] forcing us to wear a second layer of clothing. Attendants said no technicians around to control the temperature.
The ride in the upper deck is surprisingly smooth, with much less "sway" than I had anticipated. One nasty surprise was the presence of "Flat spots" on the bogeys of C3 and C4. Very surprising for a brand new rake. Each time the wheel turned and the flat spot hit the track, there was a loud metal-against-metal bang, along with a ton of vibration on the lower deck. Unbelievable racket throughout the 7 hour journey.
Plus such a persistent hammering is bad for the entire coach chassis.
Tea and "snakes" were being sold non stop, but because of the timing, most people had boarded the train after lunch at home.
The toilets were absolutely revolting by the time the train was halfway. People need to aim properly.
Also, the coach designers need to incorporate more drainage points on the floor to get rid of stagnant " mixed water"
The train was running half an hour late till BRC [20:05] but it was absolutely pounding away after that and reached Maninagar at 9:40. Luckily the train slowed down to a complete stop at Maninagar. I [along with half the train ] managed to get down just in time, hop across the road and take the BRTS straight to my apartment main gate.
I think Maninagar should be made a compulsory halt for ALL incoming trains. One should look at the BRTS terminal to realise how much unnecessary traffic is being kept off Kalupur station thanks to public transport.
The only overwhelming positive of this train is that under 600 rupees for a 500 km trip in about 7 hours, in quiet clean AC comfort is a bargain, anyway you look at it. No bus comes close.
And best of all, tickets are available at VERY short notice.
That is until the touts and unscrupulous elements find a way to suck this train like parasites.
Even with all its shortcomings, I give this train a thumbs up.
