[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Do Rajdhani and Duronto offer a similar travel experience, or is one more reliable than the other?

I am contemplating this for a Delhi to Bangalore journey. The Duronto is a weekly once train while the Rajdhani plies daily.

There are 400 plus tickets still available for the 11th of March (day after tomorrow) on the Duronto (Class 3A) so was just wondering why this train is running empty!

The more expensive classes (1A and 2A) seem to be full.

2 nights in third AC is a bad idea. That’s why anyone who can afford it prefers to book 1A or 2A. And these people also are generally those who prefer travelling by train, or are travelling very heavy. Otherwise, for a journey as long as Delhi-Bangalore, I’ll always take the flight and be done with it in 3 hours.

Also, Rajdhani > Duronto.

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by Oxy

...I am contemplating this for a Delhi to Bangalore journey. The Duronto is a weekly once train while the Rajdhani plies daily.
...

We've done this trip multiple times over the past few years. But we generally travel via Rajdhani and on 1A since we travel with our pet. Like Shreyans said below, travelling via 3A on this journey is a bad idea. 3A is now a packed meat house and the last I travelled in any 3A was from Jammu to Patiala (6 hours) on the way back from Vaishno Devi in 2021 (2023 was again in 1A coupe).
If you are getting tickets, go for 2A or if you can, book 1A (coupe is pawfect).

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

2 nights in third AC is a bad idea. That’s why anyone who can afford it prefers to book 1A or 2A. And these people also are generally those who prefer travelling by train, or are travelling very heavy. Otherwise, for a journey as long as Delhi-Bangalore, I’ll always take the flight and be done with it in 3 hours.

Also, Rajdhani > Duronto.

Agree to all the points.

[Oxy]

Thanks a ton @Shreyans_Jain and @ValarMorghulis for the timely inputs.

I have booked 2A (Rajdhani) from Bangalore to Delhi for me and my 12 yr old son and 1A (Duronto) for the return leg (solo travel). Hopefully, it would be a memorable experience, though it's unlikely I would be lucky enough to score a coupe as I would be traveling alone while returning. But one can always hope!

Cost wise it's the same as flight ticket (2A is about 1k cheaper). My wife will always take the flight because she says she doesn't have that much time to waste. I, however, don't see this as a waste of time because the experience matters to me so as long as my leaves are approved, I'd always prefer train travel.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Do Rajdhani and Duronto offer a similar travel experience, or is one more reliable than the other?

Last year in May, I traveled from Mumbai to Hyderabad on Duronto (2AC).
Barring the fast speed I don't recollect any special services.

I travelled from Mumbai to Delhi last year in August on Augast Kranti Rajdhani to Delhi in 1AC. And believe me, the services were class apart. The cleanliness was un-seen in Indian rails - would approach the flight/airport levels perhaps. The coach attendant and food services caught me quite unexpected!
And well, the train was fast.

Return, I traveled from Delhi to Mumbai on Sampark Kranti in 1AC and believe me the level of disappointment I had (due to my wrong presumption that Sampark Kranti = a kind of Rajdhani). The speed was faster than August Kranti, but that was it. It was like a regular train, the experience was also quite regular.