It is reported that JP-LKO ac DD is an much needed option for paxs travelling between these 2 cities.
No body shall do long daytime travel (of 13 hrs) on uncomfortable chair of the extended ACDD (JP-DLI-LKO) by which shall be a 800km journey. The overnight ADI/Porbandar-Muzaffarpur & Marudhar doing 566km in 11 hrs, would be first and foremost choice.
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JP-DEL is...
more... one of the most successful ACDD train of IR (only other succesful one being BCT-ADI) and LKO-NDL is not so successful. The merger of 2 DD trains may adversely affect its patronage.
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Concept of operating AC DD trains have failed in IR. ACDD were introduced to create high capacity ac chaircar trains to serve route with dense traffic. An ACDD train with 12 DD coaches is equivalent to 18 single deck LHB coaches. So technically ACDD coaches with more than 12 coaches fulfils the concept of DD trains and ones with lesser coaches are in fact a burden on IR. But practically they are operating with just 8 coaches which is equivalent to 12 LHB single deck coaches of normal trains. Many ACDD trains have been stopped due to very poor patronage and consequent losses.
Ones still operating are just 6-
(1) DSR- JP -(13CC+1EC)-304km-4:30hrs-68kmph- successful
(1) BCT-ADI -(12CC+0EC)-493km-7:10hrs-69kmph- successful
(3) MAS-SBC-(8CC+0EC)-359km-5:53hrs-61kmph-struggling
(4) LJN-ANVT-(10CC+0EC)-479km-8:25hrs-57kmph-strugglin g
(5) LTT-MAO -(8CC+0EC)-565km-11:33hrs-49kmph-struggling
(6) VSKP-TPTY-(8CC+0EC)-761km-13:10hrs-58kmph-struggli ng
Ones declared failed and finally stopped after bearing huge losses are
(1) HWH-DHN-Ironically the first AC DD train of Indian Rly.
(2) KCG-TPTY
(3) KCG-Guntur
(4) INDB-HBJ
(5) INDB-BPL
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Major remedies to ACDD problem are:
(1) ACDD coaches of poorly patronised ACDD trains should be attached to highly patronised Shatabdies like NDLS-LKO/BPL/ASR/ASR(Rev)/CDG/CDG(Rev), Mum-ADI and other LHB intercity trains like Karnavati Express to create additional capacities.
(2) ACDD coaches have 50% extra seating capacity than single deck coaches, and the costing per seat is significantly lower. IR is trying to profiteer by charging normal AC CC fares for ACDD chairs which are cumbersome and much less comfortable than single deck AC chairs. IR should operate ACDDs as ac chaircar trains for poor with concept of earning marginal profis or NoProfit/NoLoss and reduce the fare of ACDD tickets by 25-30% so that the persons travelling in non ac CC (the subsidised ones) are motivated to switch over to ACDD chaircar (non subsidised). This will help reduce subsidy burden of non ac cc paxs.
