Why I would choose Gatimaan over Shatabdi? -Governance Now

Why I would choose Gatimaan over Shatabdi?

It makes sense to take the Gatimaan Express to Agra as it is value for money.

Aasha Khosa | December 21, 2016 | New Delhi

#value for money #hotel #Agra #Shatabdi #Gatimaan Express

I have started liking the Gatimaan Express, the Delhi-Agra ‘bullet’ train, not so much for being a time-saver – as it takes about 15 minutes less than the Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi - but for the awesome food that’s served on board to passengers.

The breakfast platter that the waiter served me at about 8.30 am qualifies to be called the brunch. Food came in good measure, both in quality and quantity.

The Uttapam-rava idli served with piping hot sambar and coconut chutney had an authentic taste. It also had seasonal cut fruits and bread. One could wash the food down with pineapple juice and later, with the choice of tea or coffee. A pack of two biscuits, and sachet each of jam and butter for the bread was there.

The non-vegetarian travelers were served omelet. At Rs 755 fare, I thought, the food give the traveler good value for his money. The food indeed was such a refreshing change from the potato-cutlet fried pea stuff often served on the Shatabdi and even Rajdhani trains.

My co-passenger, who was a frequent train traveler, told me that this was the best train meal he had ever had. “Rajdhani food is so down market.” His experience related to the Kolkata-bound Rajdhani.

Being the youngest train, the interiors are clean and toilets not too bad. However, the only time one is transported to the normal train is, when the otherwise well turned out waiters awkwardly carry the breakfast trays on their arms; the rest of the serving is done on trolleys. One wonders why trolleys should not be used for serving breakfast too, the way it’s done in the airplanes. This, obviously, would make serving convenient and dignified.

I found a lot of foreign tourists on board. In Agra the general manager of a top-end hotel told me that his guests were opting more for Gatimaan than the Shatabdi.

More importantly, unlike the Shatabdi, the Gatimaan is never late. In fact it’s too punctual to be called the Indian train. Shatabdi from the Bhopal end (to Delhi) usually gets late by hours, causing huge inconvenience to the passengers due to its post-midnight arrival.

Comments

Other News

CAG flags major fiscal lapses in Maharashtra

Maharashtra`s fiscal management has come under sharp scrutiny after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its State Finances Audit Report for 2024-25, flagged significant budgetary inefficiencies, accounting irregularities, understatement of key fiscal indicators and widespread governanc

The health sector research we are not doing

Some neglect is loud. This kind is quiet. It sits in research never commissioned, data never collected, questions never asked. In South Asia, that quiet has let the region’s worst health problems stay understudied, underfunded, and out of sight of those who could act.

Study flags accessibility and last-mile challenges on Mumbai Metro Aqua Line

Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line), the city`s first fully underground metro corridor and one of its largest public transport investments, represents a major engineering achievement and has been widely welcomed by commuters. However, the overall commuter experience continues to be constrained by accessibili

Centre intensifies preparedness as El Niño threat looms

Amid uncertainty in the southwest monsoon due to the potential impact of El Niño, the government is addressing the situation with comprehensive preparedness, a clear strategy, and strong ground-level action. While challenges remain, the entire system has been activated in advance and is working proa

India is crossing a climate threshold

On June 28, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41.3°C, four degrees above the seasonal normal. But the “feels like” temperature, which factors in humidity, showed more than 51°C. What the body experienced was very different from what the thermometer recorded. India`

The Geography of India’s inflation

India today finds itself in an unusual position. At a time when geopolitical conflicts, trade fragmentation, and supply-chain disruptions are reshaping the global economy, the country`s macroeconomic fundamentals remain relatively upwards. Growth remains among the highest in the world, inflation has larg