Though this train's last stop is Kolhapur, the same rake will go to Pandharpur as 11052 - SCSMT Kolhapur - Solapur Express with 50 minutes buffer time at Kolhapur. So people can travel from Ballari, Hosapete, Koppal, Gadag, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi to Pandharpur (on daily basis) by this train without need of changing train at Miraj.
But it will be a round about..BAY MRJ KOP MRJ PANP
Yes. It will be round about. In other routes, there will be many transfer points like Guntakal / Solapur / Kurduvadi or Gadag / Solapur / Kurduvadi
I used to travel in this train almost a decade ago. I do not even remember whether catering was available, THEN. Now, that IRI mentions that catering is available, I would like to know when going from SBC to BGM / MRJ / KOP is catering available after UBL?
I am asking this as I had a very BAD experience perhaps somewhere in between 1998 - 2000 - I was travelling from SBC to BGM and the journey upto DWR was as usual, but once our train crossed Alnavar (LWR)...
more... we had too many un-scheduled stoppages midway on the tracks in 'thick n dense' Dandeli Forests - Somehow the train reached NAGARGALI station. And it never moved further from there until I was there. The reason - a goods train that was just ahead of our train had derailed ahead of NAG. At this single platform stn, we had nothing to eat. Just a small tea shop outside the stn. We helplessly waited for more than 3 hours at this station. However, some locals made some hot UPMA / UPPIT and OGGARANE AVVALAKKI (Puffed rice dish) and sold to helpless and hungry passengers. The IR authorities then arranged 3 to 4 KSRTC buses from Dharwad Depot that arrived by around 12 noon and we were ferried to BGM - I was happy to reach BGM at 2 p.m. and passengers who were bound further were arranged accommodation in a spl train from BGM to Miraj.
I am strongly making this a point that when this train reaches UBL, its too early in the morning and most of the passengers are either asleep or do not bother to have anything more than a cup of tea/coffee at UBL, though hot and tasty IDLYs and WADAs are available at UBL from 5 a.m. itself. Further, after LWR, its thick forest, and forest and forest and nothing else upto Khanapur.
So my suggestion - carry some packed snacks (biscuits/cakes/wafers/wafer-biscuits etc) and at least a few liters of drinking water as a contingency measure - especially if you are travelling with kids. Alternately, make sure you are awake when train reaches UBL and then get some IDLY / WADAs as parcel. Its always best to have these contingency plans for food / water ready before starting your journey.
And last thought - Most of us, now-a-days carry less cash while travelling in trains for various reasons - one of them being - ATMs are available at stations - but its good to have some cash handy in emergencies when one is stuck in between two big stations - where there is nothing available and then imagine that you had to make quite a distance by hiring some vehicle locally to reach nearest ATM - this helps.
TRAVEL SAFE - PLAN for CONTINGENCY - Pantry/catering available or not - Carry enough food and water.
best train tip read ever..with so much elucidation. Hats off!
Thanks. But in that case doesn't the tip deserve a GREAT? :) Thanks again.
Unfortunately only green can be given , otherwise it eq to 10 greats!
Thanks for educating me. I grew a bit greedy I guess. Sorry!
An eye opener for many people... but even on Mumbai-Howrah trunk route I always carry dry foods & water as precaution, as I too suffered when I was small as mere 8 yrs old in Howrah-Dadar Special train which was struck for good 3-4 hrs for some track related reason...
Thanks. But how old (young) are you now? So that I can manage to calculate the problem you faced in HWH-Dadar Spl exp. :)
I would like to know when going from SBC to BGM / MRJ / KOP is catering available after UBL?
Almost nothing till Londa.
Tea/Coffee at Dharwad and some vendors selling the Peda.
Londa has things to offer, the Vada Pav and Kandha wada being the most common. The main PF, Pf1 that is, has about 3-4 stalls where things like Idlies are available. You'll have to rush to these stalls as soon as the train stops at the PF.
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No...
more... idea about BGM but if I were to guess, BGM too would have good options for BF.
BGM has everything. Kunda, Idly Wadas (not as good as in UBL), Wada Paav, Egg Omlets, etc. Many Engineering students from KLE Engg college and GIT Engg college of BGM come here to savour EGG omlets, Bhurji, Half-boiled (Bull's eye) etc between 12 midnight and 3 a.m. - when all restaurants are closed and these hungry-guts need to cool down their hunger. And I do not want to forget to mention here that ADRAK ki CHAAI is also available inside and also outside of the BGM STN.
Hello sir,
You are telling 15 years old story.The Belgaum is now one of the top 10 stations of SWR.I have travelled more stations in SWR but belgaum is best.
Don't worry about food .Login to yatracgef.com and enter your pnr,select menu and order yummy and delicious food which I have tasted.
I was in Belgaum recently. The food options is not good even now. Regarding yatrachef the minimum order for Belgaum is Rs 180 which I think is not good for single travelers.
Catering is available at Londa Junction
I am told Upma (Uppittu in Kannada) sold at Londa Railway station (Londa Jn. is on Hubli Belgaum Line with a Branch Line towards Madgaon/Vasco) is very famous. Those travelling/getting down at Londa Railway station may taste this and give their feed back. Thanks in advance.
Don't know about upma but have tasted vadapav at Londa at evening taste was always good.
Belgaum is famous for "Kunda", a delicious milk based sweet that is very popular in North Karnataka and some parts of Maharashtra. (Pic-1)
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Another town in Belgaum District is Gokak, famous for Gokak Falls. But the city is known for one more thing, a delectable sweet made from edible gum and dry fruits, known as Kardant in Maharashtra and Kardantu in Kannada. (Pic-2)
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more...
Both the sweets sold by vendors all over the station.
The best place to buy Kunda in Belgaum is Purohit Sweets. They have branches all over the town. The ones sold at the station has too much maida content(adulterated) I feel. Kunda is called Thirattipal in Tamil Nadu.
Kardantu is very delicious ... Yummy... :)
really useful, i had kunda bt never knew abt kurdantu..
belagavi kunda and dharwad peda are famous sweets in karnataka
A little history of the famous KUNDA of Belgaum / Belagavi (BGM): It is said that a Chef at the NAGORI Sweet Mart on Kirloskar Road (now perhaps closed/defunct, but very much a flourishing sweet stall/mart in the 1970s/1980s) in the heart of the town, was preparing masala milk - a famous drink with the locals then. He kept milk to boil in a big pan and forgot to turn-off the heat for some time and the milk boiled much, much more than required and turned into golden-brown in colour. When he turned up and glanced at the pan, he was shocked to see this. He added Sugar and some other ingredients and made a semi-liquid sweet-dish and hesitantly presented it to the shop owner and said it was a new invention. :) To his surprize and to everyone else's, we see the KUNDA of Belgaum as a famous sweet dish...
more... today.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Purohit Sweets in Camp, Belgaum and their cousins RAJ PUROHITs and ATUL PUROHITs overtook the business of KUNDA from the NAGORIs.
Camp PUROHITs also have these available in tinned cans and export the same to the GULF countries.
I know about this so much as I stayed in BGM between 1979 and 1998. As a small lad, I used to go to the NAGORIs and have a plateful of HOT and delicious KUNDA for about Rs.2/- and then gulp it down with a hot glass of Masala Milk. I miss it now though. :(
And another SWEET delicacy from Belgaum is MANDE (in Marathi - pronounced as MAAN + DAY) & MANDAGI (in Kannada). However, I am afraid that they are not sold at the Rly Stn as on date. But its worth trying when in BGM.
Belgaon airport is situated at SAMBRA village in bgm district, which is apprx. 7 to9 km from main city.
City buses available from belgaon city to airport(sambra). Also pvt mini buses playing on this route, which charge only rs.10/- per sit. Auto-rikshwa fare apprx. Rs. 150-200
Also sambra village have IAF
Indian Air Force has an Airmen
Training...
more... Centre (non-flying station).
There is Sambra station also. How far is airport from this station SXB, and is connectivity available from this station ?
no idea abt sambra stn but its appx. 5 km as per site.......