Bangalore to Chennai on KSRTC's Airavat 2.0: My experience

Coming to the ride, typical KSRTC driving smooth and buttery. No rash driving and hard braking.

BHPian Satish Pari recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Bangalore - Chennai Airavat Club Class 2.0 Review

Last week was in Bangalore on some official work. Thanks to Blusmart for messing up my return journey to the airport from JP Nagar, I missed my flight back to Chennai. Actually this was a blessing in disguise, I could return to Chennai by a bus. I'm an ardent bus fan and my first choice would always be a semi-sleeper service. I really miss the multi-axle semi-sleeper which are slowly becoming relics of the past (at least in the routes I travel regularly)

Missing the flight, I decided to go to Shanthi Nagar and either catch an SETC or a KSRTC service back to Chennai. I checked both websites and plenty of seats were available on SETC. On checking the KSRTC website, the 20:45 Airavat 2.0 service immediately grabbed my attention. Reached Shanthi Nagar at around 7pm, there was an SETC Non A/C Seater Sleeper (new one-green color) but seats were only at the back. The next SETC was being combined with the 19:15 service hence there was some confusion regarding empty seats. Without hesitating went to the KSRTC counter and booked the 20:45 Airavat 2.0 (Volvo 9600) service from Mysore to Chennai.

Had dinner at Adyar Ananda Bhavan and the wait for the bus started. Shanti Nagar is surely a bus-lovers paradise, multiple SETC new and old buses, Kerala RTC Gajaraj Volvo sleeper and so on. Finally this beauty came into platform 3 at 21:00 (15 minute delay). And finally we were of at 21:30 (45 minute delay). Mine was seat number 36 (window) and luckily the adjoining seat was empty. The bus had around 25 passengers in total. Pickep up some passengers on the way and then it was smooth sailing. The interiors were amazing and there was a charger between the two seats. The only break happened at around midnight just before Krishnagiri (Sree Saravana Bhavan). It lasted for close to 20 minutes and then we were off.

Coming to the ride, typical KSRTC driving smooth and buttery. No rash driving and hard braking. Did not cross 85km/hr. Horn was used very minimally. Got dropped at Koyambedu at exactly 5am. 7 hours 30 minutes was a really good time despite having so many diversions enroute. At the rest stop captured some pictures of the 9600 and a few older Club Classes (Volvos and 1 Scania)

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