::zApPy::.. Review on Shatabdi Exp.

PLZZ change the shatabdi foto & put a better one as the foto resembles a 'local' train rather than a shatabdi. For most readers there r many Shatabdis around india, but the one I m writing about is the one which runs between Ahmedabad & Mumbai. So plz bear this in mind.

Ahmedabad & Mumbai r heavy business & commercial centres linking 2 very prolific states of India ie, gujarat & Maharashtra. lots of people from either state do ups & downs to each cities by the shuttles & activity is gung ho even in the non peak season. The railways did have some trains between the 2 cities but they were less on comfort & speed. Thts y the shatabdi was launched & it proved to be an instant hit just 'coz it rivalled the Rajdhani on speed & comfort & as ppl wud say tht the shatabdi is the fastest train in India. y not ...ofcourse it is.

Being a student my travel on board the shatabdi has always been good & only a few times bad, coz it was then I realised the true potential of this train. I still remember it was Diwali time & my ticket was 234 on the waiting list even when I booked well back in advance. But even then I boarded the train, paid the TC for being a standee!!! coz even they r helpless to accomodate waiting list passengers. It shows how much the train means to the people.

That was my only experience of standing in a long distance train. Unimaginable for me but I had too....

As the train connects two imp trade terminals of India, speed is the imp factor. The train takes a mere 6-7 hrs to travel with a fewer stops now & the comfort has been improved with better upholstery & finish. As the journey starts u r served with a typical Indian railway breakfast consisting of a fruit juice, sweet, cutlets & bread & u have an option of tea & coffee. Thanks god!! tea & coffee r readymade on board this train as most of the travelers r gujaratis & they dont prefer tht other tea which is made by hand & milk powder like its served on board the Rajdhani. The entire train is airconditioned chair car with only 1 coach being first class. So we expect a typical European intercity travel here. The seats r well placed now as b4 the legroom problem was there. Cleanliness inside the compartment is noteworthy but just wen u step outside its the opposite. As each car has its own 'managers' food is served as its preheated b4 & then served. So as this distribution takes place a lot of food waste is scattered around & sumtimes u done even feel like eating the food!!! Also smokers find the place to smoke outside & stepping out of the door sumtimes isnt advisable as the out area becomes so clogged up tht its better off we r enjoying the smooth ride inside. How different na!! we r on board the train, even then we dont feel it & feel the need for a classification. neways...

Sometimes the staff is very erratic & u have to deal with utter patience, but tht is done away as the journey is only half a dozen hours. One more thing even in this train that comes to mind is the disposal of garbage in the vestibules that creates such a pathetic sight & an awful stench that its sumtimes advisable not to go to the toilet. Its even bad to see that the garbage bins overflow near the doorway & all the garbage gives us an unpleasant exit as we leave the train. The railways have to put in an effective disposal management plan so as to check the garbage on board such premium trains.

...Coming up u have a soup first which is bang on quality & is served hot for a unltd no of times. Do relish it plzz as after this in lunch u have a choice of a vegetable, rice, dal, rumali roti, salad, curd etc. The curd quality is at times & always very pathetic. So dont ever have the curd plzzzz. The food is reasonably well made. After this follows Vadilal icecream & theres a funny thing here. Be selective about choosing the icecream sticks coz I landed up getting such a feeble piece of wood and the icecream was so frozen as if it had been just brought in from the Arctic circle, that the stick broke into 2 on my first cut into the cream!!! The rest of the time I had no option but to eat up the rest with the half stick!!! It was a funny situation for me but it was the same case with rest as they found it tuf to eat the icecream!!! Everyone laughed at me first, then spontaneously came my turn!!! I enjoyed it. After all this treat...its a wait till u reach the destination.

Overall the journey is a good one. One more thing u have to take notice of is u dont hav to carry too much luggage. Coz theres always a BIG scramble for keeping the luggage on the racks above & they r always spaced out & u often land up keepin ur luggage on ur laps & rest of the journey is an obvious nightmare. This is evident coz Indians travel with a lot of luggage. Last time I carried too much luggage on board the shatabdi was this june & I myself had 4 luggage items!!! but was lucky enough as it was an off season & there was lots of luggage space. So u can calculate how many items an avg Indian family wud carry. But on shatabdi,my advise to u wud be a strict no no. The railways shud think of keeping a luggage van as they do in american & european railways as it provides passenger comfort. But it wont work either ways in Indian conditions coz the amount of luggage on board the train will make up a train for itself & who wud think of a seperate train for luggage!!!! The airconditioning is good , services r normal & occupancy is very high.

So as I sum up this train, its basically been built for commercial use as business men use it more often, so its rightfully a 'Business Express; in India as there r the Acelas in USA, Shinkansens in Japan & Eurostars in Europe. The reservations r always full on this train & at peak season its even worse. So again, travel with less luggage as possible specially as this train is chair car. rest all....styling is upto the mark, coloring is effervescent & it is small competition to any other faster train in india. If an upgrade is possible then the coaches do need a new look as they follow the same prototypical styling of Indian Railways. Attachment of a faster engine will even help reducing the travelling time & the ticket pricing shud be made concessional for regular travelers or even otherwise the pricing is just bout perfect if u keep in mind the services, the food etc.

Last but not the least for every train lover....always go for a window seat & watch the places zooom past by & take a chance to stand at the door when the train is at full speed & let urself face up against the air that zooms past into u at terrible speed. The train is a delight for a train enthusiast( I m a BIG ONE) & lovers of speed.

ITS LIKE A BIKE RIDER FALLING IN LOVE WITH ONE OF THE FASTEST BEAUTIES ON ROAD.... & HERE ON RAIL. DON'T GIVE THIS BEAUTY A MISS. AS FAR AS THE TITLE GOES... IT SUITS THE TRAIN PERFECTLY WELL.