Yesterday took the #VandeBharatTrain from Bangalore to Chennai. The excitement was palpable as almost all passengers pulled out their phones to take pics as the majestic train pulled into KSR bang on time at 255 pm from Mysore.👍 
The seating inside (we were in E2 coach) is comfortable with ergonomic swivelling seats, wide windows, speed and toilet indicators. As soon as the train departed at 3 pm, all passengers jumped up and started twisting and turning their seats for swivel. 👍
Side rests are broad and fixed which is good. Also, the Shatabdi seats have big gaps where there’s a risk of phones falling out from the pant pockets onto the aisles. That problem has been addressed here. There’s also individual charging points in seats and lots of leg room. 🤙
The train picks up speed rapidly and you don’t need to sense it thanks to convenient speed indicators. Storage space is comfortable although some folks were carrying huge and massive suitcases.👍
The food trays are in the hand rests like in airplanes. It’s convenient as long as the mechanism works well. Right now it’s new and cool. Best part - thanks to the timing, we were served only snacks and coffee / tea / lassi. No dinner. An option I always wanted in Shatabdi. 👍
Food is served by males and females. After the service, a cleaning team comes and cleans the coach. Hope it is standard and not a launch offer. 👍 Western toilet was clean 👍 but the Indian one was dirty 👎 Cleanliness is a responsibility of passengers more than Railways only.
Through the journey we saw people on platforms, rooftops and roadsides talking pics. The #VandeBharatTrain seems to be quite popular which is good to see. 👍
Right through, speed was steady around 110 kmph. It also pulled into Chennai Central at 1910 hours, 20 minutes ahead of schedule. 👍Clear evidence that the Bangalore Chennai sector can be easily completed closer to 3 hours over time. I guess we will see changes shortly.
Why does this train leave Chennai at 550 am, close to Shatabdi time? I think it’s to ensure the return journey is completed mostly in daylight so that a swivel chair makes sense. Who wants to stare through the glass at darkness? The real solution is to speed up the train.
Will I repeat? Oh yes. The timing from Bangalore is much more convenient than Shatabdi. Overall rating 3.5/5 for now. Waiting for another 30/45 minutes to be shaved off. Then can upgrade rating to 4+. Big matter of pride - proudly made 💯 in India. 👍
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