[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by dreamliner17

I will be travelling to Coonoor for a short vacation with friends. I will reach KR Puram Station at 10.30 on 7th July and will take a BMTC bus to Shanthinagar Bus station to catch the KSRTC Airavat at 13.00Hrs from bangalore and reach Ooty around 21.00Hrs. This is my first travel on this route and i do not know the local language. What could be my favourable options from bangalore to Ooty?

Your plan looks good. Are you asking for alternate options in case this does not work out?

Only concern here is if your train gets delayed. If you get delayed more than 30-45 min, better to take auto.

Another point is that the bandipur forest road on the way to ooty is closed from 9pm to 6am. This means the start from Bangalore should be no later than 3pm.

[dreamliner17]

Originally Posted by hserus

Make sure your KSRTC doesn't actually stop at KR Puram (near the ganesh temple). Most tamil nadu buses will go down that route.

I am sorry but i didn't understand what you are trying to say.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Your plan looks good. Are you asking for alternate options in case this does not work out?

Yes. i would like to know if there can be better route than the one i am planning to take.

I actually have to reach Coonoor. Why i have planned to take an Ooty bus is because, as per KSRTC website, there is only one Bangalore-Coonoor service in the day (ie,at 21.45Hrs and reaches Coonoor next day at 09.15Hrs). Since i will reach bangalore at 10.30Hrs, i might as well take the 13.00Hrs KSRTC to Ooty, Reach Ooty at 21.15Hrs and then proceed to Coonoor, as i will be able to reach Coonoor the same day; which otherwise i reach the next morning using the sleeper bus departing at 21.45Hrs from Bangalore. I know i have a weird plan
I am unaware of other private buses that do Bangalore-Coonoor during the daytime.

Would it be better if i do a Coimbatore-Coonoor instead of the Bangalore-Ooty-Coonoor, that i have initially planned?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by dreamliner17

I actually have to reach Coonoor. Why i have planned to take an Ooty bus is because, as per KSRTC website, there is only one Bangalore-Coonoor service in the day (ie,at 21.45Hrs and reaches Coonoor next day at 09.15Hrs). Since i will reach bangalore at 10.30Hrs, i might as well take the 13.00Hrs KSRTC to Ooty, Reach Ooty at 21.15Hrs and then proceed to Coonoor, as i will be able to reach Coonoor the same day; which otherwise i reach the next morning using the sleeper bus departing at 21.45Hrs from Bangalore. I know i have a weird plan
I am unaware of other private buses that do Bangalore-Coonoor during the daytime.

Would it be better if i do a Coimbatore-Coonoor instead of the Bangalore-Ooty-Coonoor, that i have initially planned?

Definitely don't wait for the Bangalore Coonoor service. I don't think there are any day time private services to coonoor. Would not recommend tnstc services also.

So your plan seems the ideal one. Only doubt I have is whether you will get a bus to coonoor once you reach ooty since it will be pretty late. Other experts may be able to answer.

Other option is to go to Coimbatore. Several private operators also run daily services to Coimbatore. You can check in redbus. From Coimbatore, there should be buses to ooty at all times. But it is a little round about approach.

[dreamliner17]

My train journey is from Mumbai to Coimbatore. I was searching for different ways to reach Coonoor and i found the Bangalore-Ooty-Coonoor route to be the better option, IMO.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Only doubt I have is whether you will get a bus to coonoor once you reach ooty since it will be pretty late.

To eliminate this last hurdle, i can travel Mumbai-Bangalore by bus(Private Volvo multiaxle/Scania services). Say, leave Mumbai between 10.00-12.00Hrs and reach Bangalore between 07.00-09.00 Hrs. Then take KSRTC Airavat starting from bangalore (Shantinagar bus station) at 9.17Hrs OR 10.04Hrs and reach Ooty at 16.17Hrs and 17.04Hrs, respectively. The chances of finding another bus to Coonoor might be higher since it will be evening time. But for this, i will have to cancel my train ticket and expect the bus to reach Bangalore on time (ie, between 07.00Hrs-09.00Hrs)

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by dreamliner17

To eliminate this last hurdle, i can travel Mumbai-Bangalore by bus(Private Volvo multiaxle/Scania services). Say, leave Mumbai between 10.00-12.00Hrs and reach Bangalore between 07.00-09.00 Hrs. Then take KSRTC Airavat starting from bangalore (Shantinagar bus station) at 9.17Hrs OR 10.04Hrs and reach Ooty at 16.17Hrs and 17.04Hrs, respectively. The chances of finding another bus to Coonoor might be higher since it will be evening time. But for this, i will have to cancel my train ticket and expect the bus to reach Bangalore on time (ie, between 07.00Hrs-09.00Hrs)

This will will mean almost 30-32 hours on a bus, which does not make sense to do. If you have the ticket to Coimbatore, I feel that is the best option. I assume the train reaches Coimbatore by around 6-6.30, If you get a bus from there by 7.30, you will be in Coonoor by 9.30-10. Less tiring and less intermediate hops to do.

If you get down in Bangalore also, you will reach Ooty itself only by 10 and then have to figure out a way to get to Coonoor.

[coolclouds]

I think its better to take a train to Coimbatore and then bus to Coonoor. You might get return taxis to Coonoor from Coimbatore or go for bus. Bangalore to Ooty via Mysore may be tiring than Coimbatore route.

[raju2512]

If you are taking 16331 from Mumbai, travel up to Coimbatore. From Coimbatore you have multiple options to reach Coonoor. Most buses from Coimbatore to OOTy will go via Coonoor

[dreamliner17]

Update

So i finally travelled Mumbai-Bangalore by Trivandrum Express (16331) and took a KSRTC Airavat from Shantinagar bus depot in Bangalore to Ooty. The train reached KR Puram station at 11.00Hrs (instead of 10.30Hrs) and i managed to reach Shantinagar depot by 12.00Hrs for my scheduled bus departure time at 13.00Hrs. The bus finally departed at 13.20Hrs. Reached Ooty at 22.00Hrs and i was able to travel to Coonoor, with my friends in their car.

KSRTC Airavat Bangalore-Ooty

This was my first experience with the Volvo! I never really managed to travel in them inspite of the numerous service to/fro Mumbai and i eventually managed to enjoy the Volvo service in a very enthralling route to Ooty !

The first impression : Its a king's chariot! You sit higher compared to other buses and the sheer size of the bus encompasses you in an environment of its own. You do not feel you are travelling in a bus!

Spend a few hours in the 'chariot' and you realize that the bus is a 'silent killer'. The bus 'gradually' picks up speed and it deceives you by making you feel that the bus is running slow. Take your eyes of the speedometer for a few moments and you won't even realize when the bus crosses 60 or 80. The 'sweet spot' lies between 60-100 but you actually never feel any discomfort at any speeds. One thing that you need to get used to is the body roll. It scared me on a number of occasions but the travel is extremely smooth in a straight line. The most distinguishing feature of the Volvo, IMHO, is it's ability to decelerate very rapidly, storm the speedbreakers and get back into cruising mode quickly. This is the place where the Volvo scores over the other buses.

KSRTC experience
KSRTC has a good online booking system and overall experience with KSRTC has been good. The driver of our Airavat always maintained all driving procedures very well. The bus was driven with gentle inputs all the time - maintaining correct RPM range in-gears as well as during upshifts. Although there was only one scheduled stoppage (as per the ticket) we actually took three stops before reaching Ooty. The driver displayed his 'skill' while driving through the zig-zag barricades and on the ghat section. He drove the Volvo in the ghats, as if he was driving a sedan ! Our bus could infact catch up with other vehicles enroute to Ooty and overtake them in no time. A major reason for the higher average speed is that he didn't slow down fully on the speedbreakers and we could just plough our way through bad patches/rough roads. This might also explain the reason why the bus sounded a little 'rickety', which i feel was the only drawback during the entire journey.

Total distance: 305KM
Total time taken: 8Hrs 45Min
Total trip cost: 490+10(reservation charges)=Rs500

Next Objective: Take the Scania multi-axle back Home to Mumbai, from Bangalore !

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by dreamliner17

Update

This was my first experience with the Volvo! .....

Spend a few hours in the 'chariot' and you realize that the bus is a 'silent killer'. The bus 'gradually' picks up speed and it deceives you by making you feel that the bus is running slow. ...

The most distinguishing feature of the Volvo, IMHO, is it's ability to decelerate very rapidly, storm the speedbreakers and get back into cruising mode quickly. This is the place where the Volvo scores over the other buses.

KSRTC experience

Next Objective: Take the Scania multi-axle back Home to Mumbai, from Bangalore !

actually, what you travelled in, was a beaten-to-death airavat. The KSRTC drivers are well known for lugging the engine, and in the process, destroying the clutch, which shudders the bus like hell and makes a big rackety noise. Maybe since it was your first time, you might not have noticed. Agreed, the first time you travel on air-suspension, you realize how comfortable it is, even if on a rickety old airavat.
FYI, there are many powerful versions of these luxury buses (with single or double rear axle) : 7L (the one you travelled in ), 9L, 11L, 13L (the one you will return in).
If you think the rickety airavat was comfortable, fast and smooth, the return journey on the scania will blow your mind off

[dreamliner17]

Update 2 : Ooty-Bangalore

I wanted to try the local TN SETC bus from Ooty to Bangalore but changed my mind in the end. The Airavat Club Class looked too good to miss and i went ahead and booked two seats, for me and my friend, but things do not fall in place always. I ultimately land up in the Airavat.

KSRTC Experience

Me and my friend reach barely 10 mins early, to the scheduled departure time of 10.02Hrs. We received the confirmation SMS from KSRTC with the bus number and our 'Airavat' is the only Volvo available at that time, parked closely in between the numerous green SETC buses of the TN state transport. The excitement of taking the club class was so much that i didn't even realize that things should not be taken for granted and they can go wrong when you least expect them to. I put my bags in the luggage compartment and hop into my seat in the first row, still filled with excitement to experience how the Multi axle Volvo rolls! Things inside the cabin didn't feel as plush as i wanted them to. I could see the same seats and same dashboard arrangement, wondering that the 'Club Class' simply looked different from the outside and just had an extra axle at the rear, and things are the same from inside.

The conductor gave everyone a plastic bag. I realized later that the plastic bags are actually to be used as vomit bags. Inspite of having the bags, a lady ran towards the conductor and made gestures for the bus to stop, with one hand covering her mouth. And you guessed it right. By the time we could halt, she had already started to vomit inside the bus, near the front entrance. Her family members came running behind her with one bag empty and the other one 'filled' but she was determined to get out of the bus. After the activity ended, it became difficult to sit in the front row. I decided to spend some time at the rear.

The ride at the rear was better and most importantly- Silent! You get a peaceful ride with the only thing that might disturb you a little-the engine. But still i had an eerie feeling that this might not be the 'Club Class'. The front axle in this bus could be called as 'beaten to death' (As described by venkyhere, in the previous post) and made all kinds of rackety noises. Smooth road or bad road or no road, the rackety noise was always there. And how did the noise feel? Consider a fast Mumbai local train (Or any train for that matter) that crosses the track-intersection points at high speeds. That's the noise that you hear when the wheels are beating against the tracks. This front axle with air suspension gave you just that ! Keeping aside all the noises, the suspension on this bus still did a fairly good job. I am amazed to see the amount of abuse the air suspension can take.

A look at the potholed roads through Bandipur national park:






I come back to the first row after spending about an hour or so in 'silence'. The stench is still there and combining it with the 'Heavy Metal' played by the air suspension, i felt like going back to the last row again. Then suddenly i hear my friend say something that certainly could not improve the situation in any way. After 'decoding' what the driver was talking on the phone in Kannada, my friend told me that she heard the driver say that this particular bus is a replacement to the scheduled 'Airavat Club Class' for 10.02Hrs. Waiting for the next multi axle to arrive in Ooty could have delayed the trip by 3 hours and hence KSRTC decided to put this 'Airavat' as a replacement. Talk about bad luck!

I asked the conductor about the 'change' in the bus. He said that the Club Class bus had broken down and could not be made available for the trip today and hence they have replaced it with a regular Airavat. No SMS/info was given to any passenger regarding the same. I tried to ask/tell other travellers about the issue but they were averse to the situation. One person didn't even know that 'multi axle' buses ply on the Bangalore-Ooty route, inspite of paying Rs50 per ticket more, than the Airavat Service. At Mysore depot, the conductor continued 'calling' passengers to Bangalore but he made it clear to the prospective travellers that he will charge the multi axle rate. Some travellers did hop in too. I reached Shanthinagar and went straight to the KSRTC booking office and told them the situation. I asked for the refund of the difference in amount between the Airavat and Airavat Club Class and they told me to come again the next day and visit the adjoining depot to clear my doubts. I didn't go there the next day and the issue still remains as it is.

The Airavat, with lesser axles than my expectation..


View from the rear


This journey used a two-driver combination, the conductor and driver exchanged places at regular intervals


The enroute stoppage point is nothing to write home about. It simply is a place where you can buy 'something' to eat. You get the usual idli-sambar and other dishes. If you wish to buy other packaged products (biscuits etc) at the neighbouring shop, you have to dish out more than the MRP. Toilet facility was okay. Total stoppage time is 20 mins.

Stoppage at Guru Ragavendra Bhavan, Gundalpet



Parting shot..


Total distance: 305KM
Total time taken: 9Hrs 30Min
Total trip cost: 1080+20(reservation charges)=Rs1100

Coming soon: The Bangalore-Mumbai Scania Experience

[Jeep]

Dreamliner, surprised to hear that your Volvo ride happened only recently. What you have got is yesteryear's ride.. Try the multi axle Volvo ASAP.

I have never been on the road on a more comfy vehicle than the multi axle Volvo - I mean, the suspension set up is unmatched. Note: I have travelled in some 30 feet plus Limo's as well. Volvo multiaxle swallows potholes without a sweat. The pick up and braking are awesome.

[TKMCE]

Back in Kerala after 4 months and for the first time ever I am really impressed with Kerala SRTC for intra state travel. The new JnURM buses have been deployed intelligently may be with a few exceptions. There are long routes like Trivandrum Ernakulam and Ernakulam Kozhikode.

Unlike the local intra city Volvos which stop everywhere , these have the same stops as Super Fasts which is fine as the patronage is a mix of short distance and long distance passengers.

I travelled Trivandrum Ernakulam on the 8 AM service. The service left only around 8.15 AM as the bus has to come from Eanchakkal where they are based. Reached Vytilla at 13.45. The bus goes to Thevara from Vytilla.

Polite crew, smooth driving and just one break at Kayamkulam. Bus was never less than 70% full. I used my Vodafaone 3G net connection and the service was almost un interrupted on the NH 47

End to End fare was 351 and soon after I got another Volvo from Vytilla to my final destination before Ankamaly which meant that I travelled end to end in AC comfort for 400 Rs, something I could only dream of even an year ago.


Trivandrum Ernakulam has multiple services. There are services at 7 AM which I just missed and at 8 AM and I am sure many more. The 7 AM service as per the Conductor of my bus on its return trip reaches Vyiilla at 2.15 PM and the 8 AM service at 3.45 PM. I saw atleast two return services at Trivandrum between 5 PM and 7 PM There are no reservations on these buses but you can flag down these buses at Palayam, Pattom, Kesavadasapuram and Ulloor .

Other long distance Volvo services which I observed included a Pathanamthitta Trivandrum service (via Adoor, Kottarakkara)which had already reached Trivandrum by 7.30 AM. At Kollam around 10 AM , I saw a Kottayam Varkala service via Changanacherry Mavelikkara . I have also seen Ernakulam Trichur and Ernakulam Kozhikode services.

Janashatabdi remains the best option (Aluva Trivandrum in 4 hours 15 minutes and 170 Rs for II class) but getting Jan Shatabdi tickets at short notice on AC Chair car is difficult and the JnURM services now provide a great alternative.


From 15th of this month KeSRTC has also introduced a limited stop 2 x 2 Non AC service with Wifi and Charging facility. They are on two routes. Trivandrum Kasargod and Trivandrum Palakkad. Unlikely the Volvos these services can be reserved in advance and Trivandrum Ernakulam fare is 270 .


Trivandrum Kasargod leaves at 7 PM and Trivandrum Palakkad at 6 AM. The running time is 4 hours for Trivandrum Ernakulam (Vytilla) which I thought was optimistic but today when it was raining throughout on and off, I saw the Palakkad service at Kalamassery at 11 AM which means they are not too far off the target. Although a holiday the bus was still 75% full. The holiday could also be the reason for the fast timings today though.

Well done Kerala SRTC.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

From 15th of this month KeSRTC has also introduced a limited stop 2 x 2 Non AC service with Wifi and Charging facility. They are on two routes. Trivandrum Kasargod and Trivandrum Palakkad

Here's a pic of the KSRTC "Silver Line Jet", as they call this service:



All the services are showing good patronage.

KSRTC also has taken a Scania Metrolink HD coach on trial. If the corporation is happy with the bus, we can see them also in service



At present, the trial buses are plying between Tvm and Kozhikkode

Image credit: KSRTC FB Page

[dreamliner17]

Update 3: Bangalore-Mumbai

I was sure that i would be taking the Scania back home. It's not going to be any other bus! Started searching about the Scania services between Bangalore-Mumbai and i narrowed down to SRS.



SRS Online Booking Experience

SRS offers plenty of services between Bangalore-Mumbai. They have a range of sleeper and semi-sleeper options comprising Volvos and Scanias. Book a seat online and you get a flat Rs. 50/- discount. The best part about their online booking system- you can use your paytm or mobikwik wallet to make the payment. No need of any printout of the ticket and you can simply show the SMS confirmation that you receive. In my case, the SRS representative simply asked me for my name and checked the seat number. Thats it!

Boarding at Anand Rao Circle

I took a local BMTC AC Volvo from Hosa Road bus station to Majestic Bus Depot (Fare Rs.80/-) and reached well before the departure time. It's a 10 minute walk from Majestic to Anand Rao Cirlce. You first reach the VRL Bus depot and then a short walk ahead leads you to the SRS Bus Depot. All these private players are fairly competitive in terms of fares as well as services. However, majority of the people seemed to prefer SRS at that time and the VRL Depot was relatively empty. My scheduled departure time was 10.55Hrs from Anand Rao Circle. The bus arrived around 10.50Hrs and we departed around 11.10Hrs.

The mighty Scania getting aligned. You can faintly see the tag axle helping the bus to park


The Interior

Climb into the bus and you feel you have entered a B787! The blue and white lights brighten the cabin with a sense of luxury. The blue seat covers look and feel good and do not look 'cheap'. The seat cushioning is decent and you can get into a comfortable seating position with the help of the recline. The calf support under the seats was really of no use to me and i found it better to keep my legs straight ahead.

Interior Ambience


Digital Clock and TV Screen below


Blaupunkt Speakers


Essential Safety Equipment


The last row 'odd man out' seat


The Journey

The bus did not waste much time at the stoppage points and we could start quickly with the journey. The late night bus timings must have also helped in avoiding the peak hour traffic. We reach the last pickup point (8th Mile bus stop) and we are woken up by a loud 'thud'. Majority of the people wonder what happened and sensing that its not a major issue, they go off to sleep again. After collecting all the people from the bus stop, the bus driver and cleaner got down to examine the bus, discussed something for a while and then continued with the journey. The next morning i try to find out about the problem.

The bus was in the right hand side lane, close to the divider and then the driver suddenly decided to take a sharp left turn to pick up the passengers on the left. The result: the tag axle moved the bus more than the driver expected and the bus brushed the divider.


We reached Belgaum around 6.30-7.00Hrs after a pleasant and comfortable night drive. The bus journey followed a two driver system and the second driver took the responsibility from Belgaum. Both the drivers seemed to be aged 50+ and drove well. No unnecessary honking or sudden maneuvers were made to inconvenience anyone.

The breakfast stoppage was 'okay' and had 'okay' toilets. Decent breakfast items were available and you could grab a variety of packed chikki for the travel. Majority of the private players have the same assigned stoppage points and you can see multiple buses taking a break over there. We were soon joined by people travelling with National, Sea bird etc

Breakfast stop at Maharaja Palace just before Kolhapur


The bus looks to be sitting quite low


Rear 3/4th view


The Scania operated by National Travels


2 Volvos and 1 Scania in the parking lot. The greyish-golden Volvo is NL registered.


Breakfast done.Time to roll!


After the breakfast halt of 20 mins and clear daylight everywhere, i was expecting a good view for the rest of the journey, from my first row seat. The front curtains were drawn for the complete night journey and i thought they will open it during the daytime. They still did not open the curtains and i grew restless. I asked the cleaner to open the curtains and he declined outright. I approached the driver and asked him to keep the curtains open. He instead asked me," Tumko kya dekhne ka hai bahar? Side wali khidki se dekho..Parde bandh rahenge". I was a little annoyed and shocked to see this behaviour from the staff. Perhaps they didn't want to reveal their cruising speed/top speed ? Also, no bottle of water was provided to the travellers. When i asked the cleaner for a bottle of water he said,"Pani nahi hai". However, the cleaner would 'stock' small cartons of water bottles from each stoppage point and keep it in the luggage compartment.

"ring the curtain down" throughout the journey


The drive was comfortable, as usual, from Kolhapur and the bus reached Kharghar around 15.00Hrs. Borivali was the last stoppage on the route and it reached Borivali around 16.30Hrs.

The Scania Experience

The Scania's engine starts with a relatively lesser crank than the Volvo, that i experienced recently. The cabin is also quieter compared to the Volvo and you can barely hear the engine 'idle' in the Scania. The overall view from both the buses is great and it gives you a royal treatment. The Scania will whiz past other vehicles making the other vehicles seem pretty 'insignificant' on the road. The suspension however, IMHO, is stiffer compared to the Volvo. You can 'feel' every change in the road tarmac from the 'slighty bumpy' concrete roads to the 'smooth' tar roads. I sat in the last row for an hour and i could feel the same back there too. Its was a wee more bouncy, to my comfort level. I got the chance to talk to the driver for a few minutes, just before my stop approached. This driver had completed 33 years of service and is due to retire next month. He said that this particular Scania is just about 6 months old (which might also explain the harsher ride, maybe?). The bus completed its 60k KM run on this trip. I also managed to get a few 'sneak peeks' into the cabin after reaching Kharghar as the staff didn't bother about the curtains anymore.

The Scania in action. The MID displayed, Avg Speed: 62km/hr. Avg Fuel Consumption: 3.30km/lit. Also, a small sticker on the instrument panel read "top speed limited to 100km/hr"


The power to the wheels is distributed via an 8 Speed Auto Gearbox. The Scania always started in 2 gear from standstill and made a random pattern of 2-4-5-6-7-8 or 2-4-6-7-8 or 2-3-4-5-7-8 or some other combination. The vehicle never felt like it is being 'lugged' from standstill. All gear changes were smooth and decently fast.

The 'non-identical' twins!


Total Distance : Approx 980 KM
Total Time Taken : 17.5 Hrs
Total trip cost : Rs1,003/- (After 50 flat discount)

Till we meet again..

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by dreamliner17

The power to the wheels is distributed via an 8 Speed Auto Gearbox. The Scania always started in 2 gear from standstill and made a random pattern of 2-4-5-6-7-8 or 2-4-6-7-8 or 2-3-4-5-7-8 or some other combination. The vehicle never felt like it is being 'lugged' from standstill. All gear changes were smooth and decently fast.

It's not an AT, but an AMT that Scania calls OptiCruise (Leyland calls theirs Leymatic, Volvo has their i-Shift). The system decides which gear ratio to use, based on the load and other parameters. So it need not always shift sequentially. The system ensures that the engine remains in the most efficient power band, hence there will never be any lugging.