Sapt Kranti Express: Ruling the tracks with EMD Power - Keshav Singh

I took the train 06518 from Hindupur to Doddaballapur in general after finishing some work in Hindupur. Here's what I noticed. Arrived in Hindupur earlier on the SBC-SSPN MEMU - no seats, had to stand the whole way. But on this train there were some empty seats when it left Hindupur. Got to the station around 3 pm, an hour prior to departure. Saw the same train I came on in the morning just lying there since then. The loco was a new KJM WAG9HC from February 2024. The GN and SL coaches were clean. The train left exactly on time and quickly hit 100 kmph - pretty good for an unreserved train. Passed a bunch of other trains on the way, even the Vande Bharat expresses. A light drizzle in Makali Ghats lifted my mood. Vendors hopped on at Hindupur and Gauribidanur selling water and snacks, but I passed on buying any. Arrived at Doddaballapur right on schedule. Was unsure about taking this train at first, but it turned out better than expected.

Maine 06518 se ride kiya Hindupur se Doddaballapur tak GN mein kuch kaam karne ke liye Hindupur se laut kar, yahan hai mere observations.

Maine Hindupur pe din mein SBC-SSPN MEMU se aa gaya, jispe mujhe sirf standing room mili thi. Ulta, is train mein kuch khali seats thi departure se Hindupur se. Main station pahuncha lagbhag 3 baje, ek ghanta pehle departure se. Rake platform 1 pe hi bekaar padi hui thi meri subah ke MEMU se SSPN aane ke samay se.

Loco link tha ek naya factory fresh KJM WAG9HC, bana February 2024 mein.

Coaches (GN aur SL) saaf the.

Train ne time pe départ kiya aur jhat se speed badha 100 kmph tak, jo ek unreserved train ke liye impressionable hai.

Hamne kai doosri trains ko cross kiya safar ke dauraan, including Vande Bharat expresses KCG aur KLBG ke liye. Ek rim jhim Makali Ghats mein mera mood aur bhi achha kar diya.

Vendors train mein chadhe Hindupur aur Gauribidanur se pani aur snacks bech rahe, par maine kuch nahi khareeda.

Train time pe pahuncha Doddaballapur mein.

Main pehle is train mein chadhne ke baare mein skeptical tha, par anubhav ne meri expectations ko exceed kiya.

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?).

Traveled on 22476 from MAJN to PNVL in 2A; here are my observations.

The locomotive was a shiny new BGKT WAP7, which occasionally reached 120 kmph between MAJN and UD and between MAO and RN.

My coach, A4, was fairly well-maintained, with the washrooms in very good condition, even after a long run from CBE. The provided bedrolls were clean.

The pantry food was nice, even comparable to some Rajdhanis (I only tried the vegetarian options).

Views of the Konkan Railway's Maharashtra section could be enjoyed in broad daylight.

I booked my ticket on short notice and easily got a confirmed seat.

The only disappointment was that the train arrived only 2 minutes late at MAJN, but became progressively more delayed, finally reaching PNVL approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes late. Luckily, I wasn't in a hurry.

Overall, a solid 8.5/10.

(I accidentally posted this in the "General travel" section instead of as a train tip.)

I am a frequent user of this train between Pune and Thane; here are my observations.

It has the same average speed as the Deccan Queen. It's almost always punctual.

The food served on board is delicious, especially the bread cutlets.

The push-pull WAP7 locomotives that haul this train are very powerful. Excellent for railfans.

The second-class seats are comfortable. Some coaches even have AC chair-car type seats!

Mai Pune aur Thane ke beech ki is train ka regular passenger hun, yaha meri kuch observations hain.

DQ jitni hi average speed hai. Hamesha punctual rehti hai.

Train mein milne wala khana bahut tasty hai, khaas karke bread cutlets.

Is train ko khinchne wale Push-pull WAP7s ka speed zabardast hai. Railfans ke liye ekdum perfect.

2S ki seats comfortable hain. Kuch coaches mein toh AC chair car jaisi seats bhi hain!