7571/Σ Barauni-Ajmer Mail ΣChain

Unnao serves as a junction for trains heading towards Allahabad (ALD) and Prayagraj (PRYJ) [yes, another track branches off from here towards that city; it's sadly underutilized with only 3 train services throughout the entire 24-hour period, but it does exist]. Similarly, trains to Sitapur are even less frequent [with only one direct service and a total of three services including weekly trains].

Unnao, yaar, woh junction point hai jaha se trains ALD/PRYJ jaati hain. Haan, ek aur track bhi hai jo uss city ke taraf jaata hai, but woh totally neglected hai. Bas 3 services hain poora din, 24 hours mein. But still, woh hai! Aur Sitapur ke taraf toh aur bhi bura hai, bas 1 end to end service hai, aur 3 services milkar toh yeh weekly bhi hain.

I recently took a short train journey between Lucknow (LKO) and Unnao (ON). The journey was incredibly slow, taking over 30 minutes just to get from Lucknow to Manak Nagar. Even after that, the train continued at a snail's pace, with numerous speed restrictions (TSRs) and only gaining speed after covering half the distance. We covered a mere 25 kilometers in over an hour! The entire journey to Unnao Junction took around 1.5 hours. It's quite ironic that while Lucknow and Kanpur are connected by an expressway, trains crawl along this stretch. Calling this section "high-speed" is a misnomer, as the train rarely reaches its maximum speed.

There were some stations undergoing renovation, which is a positive thing. On my return journey via the CNB-LKO MEMU, we were overtaken by the PNVL-GKP Express twice, once at Ajgain and again at Amausi. This was largely due to freight train priority and increased stops at wayside stations. Our train even stopped for 10 minutes at one station for no apparent reason, highlighting the importance of these short stops in impacting overall journey time.

The condition of the tracks in this section is truly deplorable. They are in a state of disrepair, likely worse than when they were first constructed. It would be more efficient to travel by bus between Kanpur and Lucknow, as the train journey is simply not worth the hassle. The JHS-LKO passenger train, for instance, takes 4 hours to cover this route! Even the daily EMUs take 3 hours. Clearly, the Indian Railways (IR) has made a disgrace of this section, with journey times ballooning from 1.5 hours to 3 hours.

I contrasted this experience with my journey from LKO to RBL, where our LKO-BSBS ICE train took only 30 minutes to exit the LKO-UTR section. After that, the train maintained a speed of over 100 km/h with only one unscheduled stop, reaching RBL in 1 hour 15 minutes after covering 77 km. Meanwhile, even the fastest trains like the VB/Shatabdi take the same amount of time to cover the LJN-CNB stretch, which is actually 5 kilometers shorter!

It's clear that the LKO-CNB section needs serious attention and investment. The tracks are in desperate need of repair, and the train schedules require major restructuring to improve efficiency and speed. It's simply unacceptable to spend hours on a journey that could be completed much faster. It's high time that the IR prioritize passenger comfort and expedite travel times on this critical stretch.

Okay, here's the Hinglish translation of your text content:

**LKO-Unnao Train Journey: A Disaster**

Maine LKO aur Unnao ke beech ek chota sa journey kiya is train se. Aur LKO aur Manak Nagar ke beech hi 30 minutes se zyada lag gaya negotiate karne mein. Uske baad bhi, train chheeni chheeni si chal rahi thi, multiple TSRs ke saath, aur half distance cover hone tak speed nahin pakdi. Humne 1 hour mein 25 km cover kiya. Unnao Jn pahunchne mein ~1.5 hours lag gaye. Lucknow aur Kanpur expressway se connect ho rahe hain, aur isi beech trains crawl kar rahi hain us section mein. Kehna ki is section ki koi MPS hai, yeh galat hai, kyunki maximum speed aadh time tak nahin achieve hoti.

**Freight Priority, Poor Tracks, and Slow Trains**

Kuch stations en route renovate ho rahe the [jo ki achchi baat hai]. Maine CNB-LKO MEMU se return kiya, jisko PNVL-GKP Express ne ek baar overtake kiya [Ajgain pe, mujhe lagta hai], aur fir Amausi pe bhi. Iska badi wajah freight prioritization hai, wayside stations pe zyada stoppage [hamari train ek station pe bina wajah 10 minutes ruk gayi, aur yeh 10 minutes ka difference decide karta hai ki aapki train aage overtake hogi ya nahin].

Mujhe bilkul samajh nahin aata ki Vande Metro kaise aayega in tracks pe. In tracks ki condition absolutely pathetic hai is section mein. Shayad yeh tab zyada achchi thi jab yeh banaye gaye the. CNB-LJN ke beech bus service mein paise kharch karna zyada behtar hai, train se jaane ke badle. JHS-LKO passenger check karo. Is section ko complete karne mein kabhi kabhi 4 hours lag jaate hain. Daily EMUs bhi 3 hours lagta hai regularly. 1.5 hours se 3 hours tak, IR ne is section ka mazak uda diya hai.

**LKO-RBL Journey: A Contrast**

Maine is section ki comparison LKO-RBL section se ki, jahan hamari LKO-BSBS ICE ne 30 mins mein LKO-UTR section se bahar nikalne mein lag gaye, kyunki aisa hi karna tha. Uske baad, yeh lagbhag continuously 100 ki speed pe chalti rahi, sirf ek unscheduled stop ke saath, aur RBL pahunch gayi 5 minutes pehle ~77 km cover karne mein, 1 hour 15 mins mein. Isi beech, sabse fast trains jaise VB/Shatabdi ko LJN-CNB stretch cover karne mein itna hi time lagta hai, jo ki technically 5 km chota hai.