I happened to travel in this train for the first time(my bad) with the new timetable on 3rd and I really wanna share this.
It was just fair, nothing really special about the train except for no halts(it just keeps running and running on a moderate speed). The train was literally stinking at Ernakulam. The toilets! ugh. The train was all dusty both inside and outside, my cousins were sneezing all day and night, i caught a mild flu too. Lets see where the flu goes. Let me get real, there is no point in booking a 2nd AC or first AC(I was in both), you're gonna get the same kinda food. The food was just heated and served. It definitely...
more... wasn't fresh, the staff himself told me to have the food quickly before it spoiled. All the stuffs(spoons, trays) were washed in the same big drum kept near the doors. Hence the doors remained closed throughout the journey. Something was wrong with the soup and paneer, i felt like throwing up. Dal-rice was my savior. The temperature was perfectly normal and not cold like you experience in rajdhani and other north bound ac trains(esp for south indian passengers). We had mosquitoes treating us all night. Not gonna say anything about it either(better than the rats in rajdhani lmao). The staff apparently weren't happy to give the complaint/feedback book but they were obviously happy to come with the tray for tips. Throughout the journey I smiled, said please and thanks and the only smile I got back was when we placed a 100 on the tray. Anyway i'm not gonna complain about that, I know how hard it is to wait on people for 15 hours.
So for travel tips, I'd say:
1. Give up on your hopes. This is just another rajdhani train with average quality services.
2. Carry some light food if you can. You're definitely not gonna like the lunch. So eat carefully in moderation.
3. Don't use the blankets either, they are full of dust and I think I saw a bug :( so keep the blanket aside and use the bed sheets instead(We were lucky cuz ours were new)
4. Carry an anti histamine just in case if you get allergies.
5. Please ask for a complaint book and liberally write your complaints. Please do that and ask your co-passengers to also do the same.
6. Ask the staff to have the toilets cleaned first. They stink the most and feels disgusting in an A.C coach.
7. The only reason the train reaches LTT on time is because of no halts, speed is just the same as netravati.
8. Don't tip the staff a 100 if you feel the service wasn't good enough. 50 is also fine and acceptable.
9. I wanted chocolate and they didnt give me one :(
please wait...Translate to EnglishI gotta tell you about my experience on this train for the first time (my bad) with the new schedule on the 3rd. It was just okay, nothing special except that it didn't stop (it just keeps going at a decent speed). The train literally stank at Ernakulam. The toilets! Ugh. The train was all dirty inside and out, my cousins were sneezing all day and night, and I even caught a mild flu. Let's see where that goes. I'll be real, booking a 2nd AC or first AC is pointless (I tried both), you'll get the same kind of food. The food was just reheated and served. It definitely wasn't fresh, the staff even told me to eat it quickly before it went bad. All the utensils (spoons, trays) were washed in the same big drum near the doors. That's why the doors stayed closed throughout the journey. Something was wrong with the soup and paneer, it made me feel like throwing up. Thank goodness for the dal-rice. The temperature was normal, not cold like in Rajdhani and other northbound AC trains (especially for South Indian passengers). We had mosquitoes bothering us all night. Can't complain about that though (better than rats in Rajdhani, LOL). The staff didn't want to give us the complaint/feedback book, but they were definitely happy to accept tips. Throughout the journey, I smiled, said please and thanks, and the only smile I got back was when we placed a 100 on the tray. Anyway, I won't complain about that. I know it's hard waiting on people for 15 hours. So, here are some travel tips: 1. Don't get your hopes up. This is just another average Rajdhani train. 2. If you can, bring some light food. You definitely won't like the lunch. So eat carefully and in moderation. 3. Don't use the blankets, they're full of dust and I think I even saw a bug :( Keep the blankets aside and use the bed sheets instead (we were lucky ours were new). 4. Bring an antihistamine just in case you get allergies. 5. Ask for a complaint book and write down your complaints freely. Also, encourage your fellow passengers to do the same. 6. Tell the staff to clean the toilets first. They stink the most and it's disgusting in an AC coach. 7. The only reason the train reaches LTT on time is because it doesn't stop, the speed is the same as Netravati. 8. Don't give a 100 as a tip if you feel the service wasn't good enough. 50 is also fine and acceptable. 9. I wanted chocolate and they didn't give me any :(