I travelled in 11004 Tutari Express from Rajapur Road to Thane in a 3A coach in April 2022. Here are some observations based on my experience:
1. Coach: It has ICF coaches and our coach B1 was built(rebuilt) in 2017 (171131/C).
2. Amenities: The amenities were top-notch in our coach.
A....
more... Climbing up the berths: The rails to climb up the berths are new and wider than the regular ones. There was a grab handle on the upper berth to hold while you are pulling yourself right up.
B. Charging Points: Two Charging points were provided in each bay and one at the Side berths.
C. OBHS: OBHS (On Board Housekeeping Service) is available on this train and hence it is clean throughout. If you face any issues, call on the 8452008193 and the OBHS team would attend to your complaint.
D. Switches: Modern switches were provided for fans and lights
E. Seat Indicator: Seat indicators with blue LEDs are fitted at each bay to help us find the seats even when it is dark. More info about OBHS is provided in the attached image
F. Grab Rails: The Grab rails at the coach entrance had dotted textures on them for better grip.
G. Emergency Lights: A different kind of emergency light was placed near the Lavatories to be used in case of power failure.
2. Toilets and Sanitary Fittings: I was surprised to see the good state of the toilets.
A. Fittings: The Indian Styled Toilets were in very good condition with Jaquar fittings and metal finish throughout. The flush was like a typical press button we find in modern homes.
B. Toilet Indicators: Toilet indicators were available but placed incorrectly. In our coach, it indicated a WC toilet but both were Indian ones.
C. Washbasins: The Washbasins had Jaquar fitted press taps, a towel ring and a big sized mirror. A soap tray was available and the dustbin was below the basin.
3. Crowd: The reservation gets into higher WL on the ARP day during Ganeshotsav and Holi like it is for any train in Konkan. This being an overnight train, enjoys almost full occupancy 365 days of the year. This is better than Konkan Kanya which reaches Thane way too early.
4. Food: As this train doesn't have a Pantry Car, you have to depend on the vendors for food. Veg Biryani, Chicken Biryani, Tea, Coffee and other snacks were available up to Ratnagiri. I cannot comment on the quality and taste as I had home-cooked meals.
5. Punctuality: On most of the days, it reaches almost every station in the Konkan stretch up to Mangaon late by at least 30 mins. However, it would reach Panvel and further its destination on time (many times even before time) due to the slack time.
6. Railfanning: Although it covers the scenic Konkan stretch at night, this train is amazing for railfanning. Do not miss the blazing overtakes by the Rocket and Konkan Kanya. During my journey. the Rocket overtook us at Ratnagiri and Konkan Kanya just blasted at Mangaon at 2.30 am in pitch darkness. The AC coaches are close to the engine (in the down direction) and hence I could enjoy the amazing Chugging sounds of the EMD from Kalyan. It gets an EMD WDP-4D from Kalyan shed. I just enjoyed railfanning the whole night in Tutari express as it was a first-night railfanning session for me.
Cheers,
Vivek