Since 12531/2 ICE was canceled and LJN-BJU was under heavy load due to Diwali and Chatt Puja in Bihar, I had to take a bus. Lucknow has multiple bus stations, but Alambagh, with its relatively large space and seamless metro connectivity, takes the cake.

Just like an LJN-BJU Express, our bus wasted an hour in Lucknow itself before looping around the city before exiting. It took 2 hours to reach Ayodhya bus stand. My connecting bus to my village was 1.5 hours later, and FD/AYC was nearby, so I just walked to the station. Platform 1 was buzzing with VB passengers and had an underpass for Platform 2. Curiously, AYC-DLI Express was also stationed at Platform 4, and some passengers even occupied its GN coaches despite it starting post 1700 hours.