Day before yesterday, reached BSR in this train. The trip report of my journey is as follows.
Day before the journey, stuck to IRCTC at 9:55 am and hoped to secure a tatkal seat in this train to come back to BSR. I had notified my cousin to try for the ticket and hoped atleast one of us would secure a confirmed tatkal ticket for my mother, my brother and myself. As usual, the site crashed at 10:00 am. But by God's grace, my cousin secured a confirmed tatkal ticket in 2AC for 14th Nov. Next day, packed up and got ready for journey towards BSR from TCR. Left my home in TCR at 08:30 pm and reached TCR station at 08:45pm....
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After reaching TCR station, positioned myself right beneath the "19th Coach" board at pf no. 2. The platform was jam packed until 12624 TVC MAS Mail departed. Our train, as usual, arrived about 15 mins late. We got into the A1 coach. On entering, I was amused to see that the coach was a brand new 2011 ICF make!!!! I was really surprised as last time when i travelled, the A1 coach was a ICF 1993 make!!!!!( see /blog/post/470886) We secured our berths 10,11 and 12 and went off to sleep. Next day, got up at 07:05am and saw that the train was halted at Byndoor Mookambika Road!!!!! The train was running nearly 10 mins before time.After that, reached all stations on time. As the rakes were new and the AC was superb, fell asleep at 10:00am and got up only at 1:45pm. The rake was superbly maintained. The toilets were, surprisingly, very clean. The adjacent 3AC coaches were also new i.e. 2003 and 2009 ICF makes respectively. The train was full of foreigners till MAO. The food from the pantry was better than usual. Ran on time till PNVL, where it halted for almost 45 mins. At last, reached BSR at 11:18 pm at pf no.6, 33 mins late.
Overall, a great train journey. I have never travelled in such a clean rake (except TVC Raj) in my life.