[binaiks]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Do you remember similar seat numbers for Bharathi and Viji Yathra? I think many back row seats in Viji Yathra (Pathanamthitta) does not provide clear outside view.

For Bharathi: I remember it to be in the 20s. (seats in the 20-region are the best in a Mercedes Multi-Axle. In the Bharathi bus, they are "windowless").

Viji-Yathra has been rotating their buses big time now. The Pathanamthitta service is now no-more. It runs to Kottarakkara via EKM, Kottayam, Adoor now. That service was getting a fairly new bus, with clear windows. The bus with those painted windows now run to Pathanapuram (Via EKM-Alappuzha-Pathanamthitta). Avoid seats above 30 in that bus.

[dhandapanik]

SETC started running Madurai-Mangalore route. It runs via Dindigul, Karur, Erode, Sathy, Mysore, Madikerri.

Following are the two buses that are running in this route. Both of them are built by KMS in AshLey 12M platform. KSRTC has a sarige running in Madurai-Mangalore route and they also have one more sarige running in Madurai-Madikerri route.

TN01 AN 0094.


TN01 AN 0095.


From the rear, both the buses looks very much similar. By default Madurai depot is adding Non Stop stickers in all their new 12M UDs.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

SETC started running Madurai-Mangalore route. It runs via Dindigul, Karur, Erode, Sathy, Mysore, Madikerri.

Following are the two buses that are running in this route. Both of them are built by KMS in AshLey 12M platform. KSRTC has a sarige running in Madurai-Mangalore route and they also have one more sarige running in Madurai-Madikerri route.

From the rear, both the buses looks very much similar. By default Madurai depot is adding Non Stop stickers in all their new 12M UDs.

Sir, why madurai - mangalore? How is the patronage in this route? What is the running time? Is it really non-stop? I mean other than food/tea/nature call breaks, this bus stops nowhere?

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

Sir, why madurai - mangalore? How is the patronage in this route? What is the running time? Is it really non-stop? I mean other than food/tea/nature call breaks, this bus stops nowhere?

SETC was running only Bangalore bound services from TN before this route came into picture. To my knowledge they even stopped their Chennai-Mysore services. Many interstate route were non-operational because of lack of buses and crews. We had this route earlier and it is just a come back. This bus is not available in online reservation. When i saw, very few passengers got into the bus. Whereas KSRTC's 4.30 PM Sarige is busy with passengers boarding. First they should add this to e-booking.

BTW, It is not a non stop service. SETC's Madurai depot started putting this Non Stop sticker in all their services and except these two, all are running in Madurai-Chennai route. If the buses are full, i heard that they will skip trichy. I think they allotted this to Chennai route and moved to Mangalore route suddenly.

I have used a new 12M UD in Chennai-Madurai route whose actual destination is Tuticorin. He skipped Trichy and now a days many buses which goes madurai are skipping Trichy. Earlier it was mandatory for SETC buses to sign the register in Madurai, Trichy etc., Now slowly they are removing these procedures.

[DWind]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

SETC was running only Bangalore bound services from TN before this route came into picture.

Was'nt there a Chennai - Kollur service before?

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by DWind

Was'nt there a Chennai - Kollur service before?

Yes. We had chennai-kollur service from setc. But it is not running. Similarly we had salem-kollur service. It is also stopped. Only Coimbatore-kollur mookambiga service via Mangalore from tnstc-cbe is running.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

SETC was running only Bangalore bound services from TN before this route came into picture. To my knowledge they even stopped their Chennai-Mysore services. Many interstate route were non-operational because of lack of buses and crews.

What about SETC's Salem-Ernakulam, Madurai-Ernakulam, --Guruvayur services? Are they operational now?

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

What about SETC's Salem-Ernakulam, Madurai-Ernakulam, --Guruvayur services? Are they operational now?

SA-EKM is operational, last week i traveled from CBE to Salem in that bus. It took 3 hours from Gandhipuram to Salem bus stand!

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

What about SETC's Salem-Ernakulam, Madurai-Ernakulam, --Guruvayur services? Are they operational now?

Salem-Ernakulam bus is operational. I have seen that couple of times in Gandhipuram BS.

Madurai-Ernakulam via Kumily, Kottayam is still running. Both Day and night time buses are in operation.

Madurai-Ernakulam via Palani, Pollachi got an extension. In Madurai side it is extended to Sencottah.

Madurai-Guruvayur is also running, but with a single bus. overnight service from Madurai is not running. Only day time service from madurai is operated now.

[vulpine101]

I was under impression that volvo multi axle buses might be better than mercedes ones just from the looks because that is the most sexy looking bus I have seen on indian roads. Mercs do not look as graceful.
all that changed when I traveled in both of them from hyd-bengaluru and back.

Onward journey in a Garuda plus Mercedes
return journey in a Garuda plus volvo.
both triaxle buses.

though I travelled by volvo B7Rs and B9Rs many times, this was the first time I traveled by a Merc.

Merc is definitely more comfortable with lesser vibrations and better damping. The driver console is better too. what I like the most is the short stubby gear lever. it looks very cute :P better than most luxury cars.
I chatted with the driver for few minutes and he confirmed that mercs are better to drive and better built than volvos. No doubt they cost nearly 30 lakhs more!!! Still I see more carriers prefering mercs over volvos. Even APSRTC has all the latest tri axles in their stable as mercs! that says a lot.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by vulpine101

Merc is definitely more comfortable with lesser vibrations and better damping. The driver console is better too. what I like the most is the short stubby gear lever. it looks very cute :P better than most luxury cars.
I chatted with the driver for few minutes and he confirmed that mercs are better to drive and better built than volvos. No doubt they cost nearly 30 lakhs more!!! Still I see more carriers prefering mercs over volvos. Even APSRTC has all the latest tri axles in their stable as mercs! that says a lot.

Interesting find. I always felt the opposite in the Mercedes. Especially the cramped seating, and the narrow gangway, all giving a very claustrophobic feel. Not to mention about the shallow and narrow overhead rack, plus the awful window ac vents. The price difference between the Volvo B9R and the Mercedes Benz Tri-Axle is less than 10lakhs, not 30 lakhs as you mentioned.

Most carriers are preferring Volvo over the Mercedes, not the other way round. APSRTC purchased equal number of Mercedes Tri-Axles and Volvo B9Rs - so that does not "say a lot". Also, the second order placed by APSRTC is purely Volvo B9Rs.

Edit: Kallada (Suresh Kallada) is launching a new Mercedes Benz Tri-Axle Sleeper service on the Bangalore-Nagercoil-Trivandrum route. The timings are 2100hrs dep from Bangalore (0700hrs at TVM) and 2000hrs dep from Trivandrum (0600hrs at BGLR). The fare is Rs. 1600 per berth.

The buses on the route: (one image is old - taken while the bus was being refurbished)

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Interesting find. I always felt the opposite in the Mercedes. Especially the cramped seating, and the narrow gangway, all giving a very claustrophobic feel. Not to mention about the shallow and narrow overhead rack, plus the awful window ac vents. The price difference between the Volvo B9R and the Mercedes Benz Tri-Axle is less than 10lakhs, not 30 lakhs as you mentioned.

Binai sir, is it being furbished at a private workshop or by any brand body builder?

I second that. I have already posted my experience in the original Mercedes Bus, here in Germany, in this very thread. I found the Merc very very uncomfortable and amongst the buses I found the scania, offering the best comfort, not even volvo, Setra(another mercedes company), MAN comes any close to a scania. Moreover, the largest RTC volvo operator, in the country, KaSRTC too operates a limited number of mercs(tri and two axle buses) whereas, they readily buy any new volvo out on the market straightaway. This clearly shows the preference of the operator and also the preference of the general traveller.

Moreover, I was lucky to travel in the two axle benz of KaSRTC(review already here in this thread), to precise, in its second trip. The moment I entered the bus, I found the dashboard too old(two axle has full analog dash, whereas multiaxle has a digital console too i believe) and seats were very cramped, not to forget the a/c vents. Moreover, ride was very harsh, very hard gear shifts, long clutch travel and bus was struggling in the climbs. (Remember, merc runs a detuned 12 litre engine as against volvo's 9 litre and 7 litre). The feel of the dash board and steering was very crude, cost cutting was very visible everywhere. Seriously, not expected from mercedes, that too I am a hard core mercedes fan! I was very dissappointed.

I had already said this and repeat it again, I sincerely wish, Merc goes the Volvo way and start building their own body,
1. to improve quality
2. bring in more equipment, and ease the driver. Bring in that 9 speed auto-box.

[TKMCE]

For people who want to book the Bliss/Superia services of KaSRTC, here are the details for Bangalore-Chennai

Bangalore Dep 1406 - 1406BNGCHN -ex Shanti Nagar (Double Road)
Chennai Dep 2309 -2309CHNBNG - ex CMBT

The booking system still does not have a separate Superia/Bliss category. Look under "Volvo Multi Axle" This service has a higher fare and also mentions the word "ENTERTAINMENT TV"

Interestingly a few days before the launch I had come accross this (and posted on another thread in this forum) the "Entertainment TV" service showing up in the schedule without realising it is the "Superia/Bliss" offering.

[LPT2625]

Originally Posted by binaiks

The buses on the route: (one image is old - taken while the bus was being refurbished)

Question about the bus being refurbished (the red-colored one): Are you suggesting that this bus is a second-hand purchase? If so, do you know which operator was using it before?

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

(Remember, merc runs a detuned 12 litre engine as against volvo's 9 litre and 7 litre). The feel of the dash board and steering was very crude, cost cutting was very visible everywhere. Seriously, not expected from mercedes, that too I am a hard core mercedes fan! I was very dissappointed.

The two-axle Mercedes Bus uses a 7.2litre engine, while the three-axle ("Tri-axle") uses a 11litre engine. The two-axle bus was very crude - to be serious, I felt that Mercedes approached the market in a very wrong market, may be an over-confident approach. Those buses had a lot of complaints about the suspension. The cabin of Multi-Axle looks much much better than the two-axle one.

Originally Posted by TKMCE

For people who want to book the Bliss/Superia services of KaSRTC, here are the details for Bangalore-Chennai

Bangalore Dep 1406 - 1406BNGCHN -ex Shanti Nagar (Double Road)
Chennai Dep 2309 -2309CHNBNG - ex CMBT

The booking system still does not have a separate Superia/Bliss category. Look under "Volvo Multi Axle" This service has a higher fare and also mentions the word "ENTERTAINMENT TV"

That is neither the Bliss nor the Superia. Both the Bliss and Superia are sold as such. KaSRTC has announced a new service from Bangalore to Chennai at 9AM (not sure of the exact time), and the service is sold as "Airavat Superia" itself. Similarly, there is a bus to Tirupati at 0735 - "Airavat Superia". They are not selling the Bliss as of now.

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

Binai sir, is it being furbished at a private workshop or by any brand body builder?

Originally Posted by LPT2625

Question about the bus being refurbished (the red-colored one): Are you suggesting that this bus is a second-hand purchase? If so, do you know which operator was using it before?

It is NOT a second hand bus. Neither the Volvo nor the Mercedes offers Sleeper buses off the shelf. Both the manufacturers sell the bus as shell alone - the bus is "furbished" (Or re-furbished) by a third-party body builder. In this case, Kallada took the shell to Prakash and they did the interior work, painting and fitting glasses.