Railways robs Brindavan Express to pay Bangalore double-decker
Times of India /Feb 7, 2014 /06.17AM V Ayyappan & T Francis Sundar Singh.
Tags: Double-decker train | Chennai-Bangalore Double-decker train | Brindavan Express.
CHENNAI:...
more... It was once billed as the most prestigious day trains of Southern Railway. Now, the Chennai-Bangalore Brindavan Express is in a state of disarray, thanks to railway authorities' attempts to boost patronage of the Chennai-Bangalore Double-decker train.
Southern Railway has started to scale down reserved coaches of the popular Brindavan Express to ensure passengers opt for the air conditioned double-decker train which was introduced in April last year. The double-decker departs at 7.25am and Brindavan leaves at 7.50am. Nevertheless, Brindavan Express has a long waitlist everyday. The ill-designed double-decker which has cramped seats goes empty on most of the days.
When the Double-decker train was introduced, it evoked curiosity among passengers. However, it failed to take off as passengers complained of cramped seats and aisles.
Instead of rectifying the flaws of the Double-decker coaches, railways found a rather easy way out: It cut down the number of AC Chair Car Coaches on the Brindavan Express from three to one with the hope that passengers would shift to the double-decker train. As Brindavan still remained Popular, the only AC Coach and Four Second-Class Chair Cars (Reserved) were withdrawn from January 16, leaving it with Six Second-Class Chair Cars.
"Railways is destroying a Popular train and Eliminating a Choice of Travel for Passengers to improve patronage of an ill-designed double-decker," said S Sadagopan, who travels frequently to Bangalore.
Brindavan Express has been getting short shrift for about a year. Railways shifted it to another time slot and introduced the double-decker in its place, thinking it would fetch more revenue. That was not to be. A Senior Railway Official said that trains are introduced more due to political pressure than for Passenger Convenience. "Garib Rath, Duronto Express, double-decker are all showpieces that neither add value to passengers nor generate revenue for railways. Shortage of staff and high maintenance cost make it worse."
A Guard on the double-decker, said: "The double-decker train can be exciting for some passengers, but it can never Match the emotional attachment one has towards Brindavan Express which has fewer stops and reaches its destination in less than Five hours. For a regular traveller and someone like me who is assigned duty on this route,
Brindavan Express is any day better."
Unquote: Information for many Rail Fans comments had doubt regarding Brindavan Express speed: just 5 hours. The Double-decker is new LHB AC coaches gr8.