Yo, let me tell you about my trip from Lucknow to Chhapra. I took the GTNR-CI train which used to go all the way to Chhapra Jn but now only goes up to Chhapra Kaccheri. It ain't the top pick for most people anymore 'cause it got shortened to Gomti Nagar on the Lucknow side. The LJN-CPR trains via BSB and Farrukabad are better options even though they take the same time (well, LJN-CPR takes more). There are other cool choices like GWL-BJU for night travel. But hey, the train I hopped on allows last-minute bookings since almost no one reserves seats. Took the LJN-BJU express to GTNR (got there way too early). People were complaining about the GTNR-PPTA train being 8 hours late! Gomti Nagar station used to be tiny but now it's got six platforms and many trains start from here. My train left on time at night. I had a side lower berth. Kept the windows open at first but it got chilly quick, had to shut them to try and sleep. Annoyingly, there was a noisy family with a kid on board. Dozed off at Gonda Jn but woke up at Basti. Tried to sleep again but woke up once more after GKP 'cause someone opened the main door bringing in cold wind directly at me. Realized sleep was out of the question. Since it was still dark, I couldn't chill by the door, so checked out the Second AC coaches instead. Surprisingly, it was half empty with no linens on the SL berths. Wondered why they didn't upgrade passengers. Came back to my seat and half-snoozed. Later, found out from the coach attendant that the Second AC started half empty from Lucknow but filled up with RPF and almost no regular passengers after Thawe. After Thawe Jn, where the train reverses, I stepped out for a bit to experience footboarding. The train was not speeding but reached on schedule. Covered the last 2 kms to main Chhapra Jn on another train. Check out some pics of CPR station below.

Travel report [Lucknow se Chhapra tak]

Maine GTNR-CI train se safar karne ka faisla kiya. Ye train pehle Chhapra Jn tak jaati thi lekin baad mein Chhapra Kaccheri tak simat gayi. Lucknow ki taraf se ye Gomti Nagar tak kaafi kam hui hai. Iss wajah se ye kisi ka pehla chunav nahi hai. Muhafiz LJN-CPR via BSB aur Farrukabad - Chhapra behtar chunav hai, barabar samay lagate hain [pehla zyada samay]. Raat ke safar ke liye GWL-BJU jaise kai behtar vikalpon ka bhi chayan hai. Jahan tak meri train ka sawal hai, last minute booking ka fayda hai kyunki bahut kam log ticket book karte hain. Mai LJN-BJU express liya GTNR tak pahuchne ke liye [haan, main wahaan bahut jaldi pahunch gaya]. Log wahan GTNR-PPTA train ko gaaliyan de rahe the jo abhi tak apne manzil tak nahi pahunchi thi aur aath ghante der se chal rahi thi.

Gomti Nagar station pehle ek rookne wali station tha jo do dashak pehle ke lagbhag inaugural hui thi ek akeli line/platform ke saath. Ab yahaan chhe platform hain aur kai train yahaan se shuru hoti hain. Koi na koi, raat mein humari train sahi samay par shuru hui. Meri SL berth thi. Shuru mein maine khidkiyan khuli rakhi lekin jaldi hi thand ho gayi. Mujhe use band karne pade sirf sone ka ek bekaar prayas ke liye. Aur bura karne ke liye, ek couple apne bachche ke saath safar kar rahe the jo sadaatein rukne ka naam nahi le rahe the. Maine bas Gonda Jn par sone ki koshish ki. Basti mein jag gaya. Fir so gaya lekin GKP ke baad phir se jag gaya kyunki koi aisa darwaza khol diya tha jo paas mein tha [mere paas pehli wali seats thi toh hawa seedha mujh tak aa rahi thi]. Iss samay mujhe pata chala ki sone mein maza nahi aayega. Kyunki abhi tak raat thi, footplate nahi kar sakta tha, toh maine faisla kiya ki dekhu AC coach kaisa chal raha hai. Mera hairat tha, Second AC coach aadha khali tha. SL berth mein toh mattress/bedsheets bhi nahi the, matlab shayad koi unka istemal bhi nahi karta. Mujhe hairat thi ki iss halat mein IR ne passenger ko upgrade kyun nahi kiya. Main wapas apni seat par aaya aur waqt ko adha jag kar/adha so kar bitaya. Dophar mein, coach attendant ne mujhe confirm kiya ki Second AC Lucknow se aadha khali aaya tha. Usme RPF personnel the aur kisi passenger ke khatam hone ke baad hardly koi bhi passenger Thawe ke baad nahi bache the.

Maine footplating shuru kiya apne Sleeper coach se Thawe Jn ke baad jahaan is train ne loco reversal kiya. Is section mein train zyada speed nahi pakad payi lekin manzil samay par pahunch gayi. Main ek aur train mein sawar hokar ye station aur main Chhapra Jn ke beech ke do kms ka fasla tay karna pada. Yahaan CPR station ke kuch tasveerat hoti hain.

The route from Ayodhya to Barabanki was already terrible and now it has to deal with a lot of trains being diverted. But at least the Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway are working well together this time. Last year, the North Eastern Railway just cancelled most of the trains instead of diverting them. LOL.

Are bhai, Ayodhya se Barabanki ki taraf jaane ka toh pata nahi kitna bakwaas rasta hai aur abhi uspe diverted trains bhi chalengi . Haan par, abhi NR aur NER mein acha coordination hai.
Pichle saal, NER ne direct train cancel kar di thi, diversion ke bajaaye.