Hello fellow IRIans,

I recently traveled on the 12151 LTT Shalimar Samarsata Express via Adra and Purulia, completing the end-to-end journey on October 3rd, 2024. It was my first time on this train in seven years, back when it ran with ICF coaches.

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Here's my review:

Punctuality:
The down train is notorious for being late by 8 to 10 hours, and it sometimes gets rescheduled from LTT itself. For example, the Wednesday departure on October 2nd, 2024, arrived at Shalimar 9 hours late.

For my journey, the train departed on time on October 3rd. It was running ahead of schedule at Nagpur, but after Raigarh, we were stuck behind the Azad Hind Express, which had been ahead of us since Manmad. Thanks to SER’s freight train prioritization, by the time we reached Shalimar, we were 5 hours late.

Platform issues also caused delays at Santragachi and Shalimar. Our last coaches were outside Santragachi station since platform 2 is too short, and we had to wait 30 minutes at the Shalimar outer due to platform availability.

Food:
I ordered e-catering from Nagpur for lunch and Bilaspur for dinner, so I can’t fully comment on the train’s food. However, the breakfast items like bread cutlet and omelet were good, but both non-veg and veg thalis were substandard according to my fellow passengers.

Cleanliness:
Shout out to LTT CDO! The OBHS staff regularly cleaned the coaches, and the washrooms were maintained well. Unfortunately, some passengers didn’t flush after use, making the toilets dirty. I noticed people smoking inside the toilet, and even though I reported it to Rail Madad, there was little response.

Railfanning:
There’s plenty of action for railfans on this route! Since my train was ahead of schedule, we were looped at Khapri, where the Dakshin Express bound for Nizamuddin overtook us. Post-Nagpur, there were lots of freight trains, and don’t miss the scenic beauty of the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border ghat.

Availability:
People from the Adra-Midnapore belt prioritize this train, so during peak times, tickets get booked quickly. If you’re traveling during festival seasons, make sure to book well in advance.

Overall:

It’s a good train, but the punctuality is quite poor.

Let me know if I missed anything or if you have something to add!

Sharing some snaps from the journey.

Cheers!