-Here is trip report of my Journey to Tirupati. I decided on a Monday hoping that the crowd at Tirumala will be big. So 12543, Tpty express it was…and the class I opted was CC.My cousin was accompanying me as well. The train left YPR at 7.30 am from PF 4.Our coach was sandwiched between D6 and D7.Less than a minute into the journey I could see ERS special being towed into the platform from the parking space. I also happened to spot YPR-LKO exp at the parking lot standing beside HWH Duronto. So some other rakes are being used for YPR-ERS special and not the LKO exp rake as was presumed earlier in the blog forum. 2 mins later SC-YPR Garib rath was making its way towards YPR.
-My mother was gracious enough to pack 2 chapati rolls each for...
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me and my cousin but my cousin was even more gracious to refuse it. So I had 4 rolls at 7.40 am. A heavy breakfast early in the morning is a very nice feeling to say the least!! HWH- YPR exp was made to wait at Hebbal, while our train sped away.
-Now abt the train. Only 25 in my coach!! So that’s only 34 % occupancy. Stunned?? Now wait till you hear this… D1 to D7, there were not more than 60-70 people in all the 7 coaches put together. General Coaches fare slightly better at abt 100-120. Unofficially this train stops at Devanagonthi and Jolarpet on a regular basis. The load factor might pick up if these stoppages are made permanent and official.
-Catering, well noting much… except at BWT and JTJ and KPD, where the vendors do come in with some tasteless veg biriyani and idly vada(which was now my second breakfast!).Chutney, the less you speak, the better it is! It was actually water with a couple of drops of ‘CHUTNEY ESSENCE’’!! Tea at JTJ was being sold as a mix of Bournvita and Horlicks.Thats the best I could describe it! The Coffee at Katpadi is supposedly famous...but what you get really is again…water with a couple of drops of ‘’Coffee ESSENCE”!!
In spite of stopping at Devangonthi and JTJ, the train arrived at KPD 10 mins ahead of schedule…and was put on PF 3 for abt 20 mins. As many would know KJM-KPD-AJJ is a high speed sector...so it was no surprise to see the train clocking 100 kmph on most part of the journey. A single line exists between KPD-TPTY...and I was given to understand that there are some track repair works going on for abt a week now.So the train crawled at abt 10kmph at most sections between KPD and Chittoor.At Chittoor...our train arrived on PF 3..now running 20 mins behind schedule.Venkatadri exp was on PF2.So finally our train Arrived at TPTY at 1315hrs….15 mins earlier. After a quick lunch at the station FOOD PLAZA (not recommended), we headed for Tirumala.
All in all a good train for those few who do travel in it. But this train is a waste of money and resources.
-The darshan went on smoothly…and was completed within 2 hrs. However, not wanting to take a risk, we had preferred a KSRTC Ambari bus at 11 pm to an 8.45 pm Mysore fast passenger. But we were all done with our work and were back at TPTY by 8 pm.At the RTC bus station, amid the bustling and hustling crowd , I happened to spot a AC waiting lounge .Unlike the railways, where the service is free, here anyone can use it by paying rs 15 per hour. Cozy sofas, a wall mounted LCD, a regional movie are the high points. Our bus left at 11 pm…and surprisingly made it to Bangalore by 4 am…but because the first bus to my place is at 4.30am from the adjacent bus stand, we decided to have some tea. So How was the tea??? Well, you could have guessed my answer by now!! A cup of water with drops of “” TEA ESSENCE’’!!!