I took a ride in this train from Kanpur to Lucknow last week. This train had already arrived at the station when I went to take the ticket. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the local ticket was only Re 20 [only later did I know that it would involve tons of suffering for pax as well]. I had trouble finding the train because it wasn't listed on any information system though I finally got hold of it. It was generally filled but I was able to glance a window berth in one of the coaches near to the engine.

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started with a delay from CNB and that's when my co-passenger knew all heck will break lose. If this train reaches LKO on time by 1130 hrs, then all is good, other wise, it is subject to many overtakes. And that is what happened.

At Unnao, at late running Farakka express stopped on the adjacent platform and OT'd us. We were stopped at Sonik next where a rather full JHS-LKO ICE overtook us. Furthur grinding awaited us as we were stopped at Ajgain [which fortunately had a small snacks shop] where Agra ICE [had some empty seats], AYC VB and LJN Shatabdi overtook us back to back. Our train never touched mps during the whole journey; it was driven at a rather sedate pace [helped not in fact by the many TSRs in place on the route]. We had started from CNB at 0950 hrs and reached LKO nearly ~4 hrs later.

This is at par for this train. If it doesn't reach LKO at RT and escape overtakes, it is overtaken by atleast 4 trains back to back.