The most disinterested train ever.. in trying to reach its destination.
I have traveled more than half a dozen times by this train in more than 20 years. Everytime, I look back on those journeys, they bring me sorry and lethargic memories.
Facts and figures:
Technical name, pet name & Railway: 8029/8030 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus - Howrah Express, In short Kurla Express. Routed on Central Railway in India!
Legitimate number of station stops during the total journey: Approx 80!!!
Total hours of journey in train: 41!!
Distance in kms: 1953
Fares: 2159 for Second AC, 497 for Sleeper Class
Interconnected Train: Yes
The carriage rakes/ coaches age: I guess its as old as me.!!!L
Speed touched: A station awaits the train, the moment it chugs to the top speed.J
Crowd travelling: Yes they travel!!! .. All on your berth!
In house Safety: I had no experience of loss of any kind of goods on this train!
Hawker mania: So many. One never knows, that the guy next to your seat is actually a passenger or a hawker.. till the time he takes out his saleables!!
Hygiene & Cleanliness Factor: You got to be very judicious of what you eat, as you need to hold all inside your stomach, till the time you reach the destination. The basins were thankfully not choked, but then you got to have water to flow to choke them.. right..?;)
Pantry Food: no no.. spare me the blushes! Actually the Chinese food was ok. But then I do not have a taste for Bengali fish!
Menu served: Predominantly Bengali and some Chinese!!
Service staff on train: The staff was there….but service???
Punctuality: If you think that 2 hour delay is bad…!! Wait till you ride me..J
Frequency: Everyday. Day after day!!!
Reservation status: If the reservation for this train is full.. then there is no chance whatsoever to get you a reserved ticket on that sector.
Convenience of departure: Very convenient timings from both Bombay and Howrah, as train leaves at 10 pm.
Convenience of arrival: Fairly convenient timings from both Bombay and Howrah, as you arrive at 12 noon. In summers, 12 noon can be real hot!!
Most likely syndromes you would do after travelling in this train:
The Rhythm break syndrome: You will take a break after walking for 10 minutes, as the train starts to run into your blood even after the journey is over.
The feed-me-at-home-only syndrome: You start regularly eating at home, with no meals bunked out!!!
Sleep-on-half-the-bed syndrome: You will be sleeping on half the bed after getting used to sleeping on the 2 feet W-I-D-E berths
The potty syndrome: You will be spending hours in and out of the royal seat!!!
The civic-duty syndrome: You do a part time duty, by educating people the dismerits of boarding this train.(like the way I am doing it on this forum..;))
The I-am-now-free syndrome: You are bound to do all sort of crazy things, just like the day when you had escaped from your grandpas punishment
Recommended for:
Travelers on absolute Leisure for the Pace & stoppages!
For fitness conscious people who need to jog every half hour. (The train gives ample opportunity to the incumbent, with insipid stops and slow rolling to catch up with individuals desire to jog)
For people trying to improve their social interaction, bargaining & negotiation skills (The class is conducted by zealous fellow travelers, Ticket collectors and local commuter trying to steal your seat respectively!)
The better trains on the Bombay Howrah route are
Jnaneshwari Express: Ideally the best!!
Howrah Bombay Mail (via Nagpur)
Geetanjali Superfast Express
Hey guys! If you think I am being over critical…I am sorry! The train leaves at 9.20 from LTT (Kurla)/ Howrah!!!!!!!!