Waitlist passengers in Mumbai Durontoupgraded as 3AC seats find no takers

By Sagar Mohod

In an indication of plans to reduce number of second class sleeper coaches and increase 3AC coaches going haywire, Central Railway, on Wednesday, was forced to undertake exercise for en-masse upgradation of sleeper class travellers in the popular Mumbai Duronto Express. Faced with no takers for the travel in 3 AC, the Railways upgraded waitlist passengers on mass scale. The exercise was carried out on ex-Mumbai in Train No 12289 as well as ex-Nagpur in the 12290 Duronto Express. As was reported earlier, Railways changed the composition of popular Duronto Express by reducing the sleeper coaches to just two from earlier eight. Similarly, number of 3AC coaches were increased to 15 from earlier eight bogies. The result, there was no takers for 3AC tickets and the same was indicated daily as the popular train was near empty causing huge losses to Railways, claimed Basant Shukla, Secretary, Bharatiya Yatri Kendra (BYK).

Similarly, there was no comparative reduction of travellers in second sleeper class bogies as the train remains popular owing to convenient timing and superfast timing. “The upgradation exercise on Wednesday validates BYK’s point, as we had already pointed out that such forcing down the choice on travellers would not work,” Shukla said. As per his information from Mumbai end nearly 100 passengers, including the waitlist travellers, were upgraded to 3 AC, and from Nagpur end nearly 90 such travellers were upgraded to 3 AC. This shows that the decision to reduce second sleeper bogies was totally wrong as demand for it has not reduced a bit, he added. On the contrary despite upgradation, nearly 300 berths in 3AC still remained vacant in Duronto Express that left Mumbai. From Nagpur end also substantial berths in AC coaches went abegging as Railways did not find any takers for the same.

Satish Yadav, Member, Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee, called upon Railway authorities to reconsider their decision to reduce second sleeper bogies in Duronto as the same is causing total chaos in the two bogies as there is no reduction in number of traveller as such. A look at the two sleeper bogies shows a pitiful picture as travellers whose tickets remain waitlisted have no other option but to sprawl on the floor. This situation was earlier seen in general compartments but in premium train like Duronto makes us hang our head in shame, he retorted. The change in Duronto composition became effective from June 15 onwards and since then booking position showcase the inverse proportion as hundreds of seats in 3AC are remaining empty while wait list in second sleeper is above 150 on daily basis. The decision on changing the rake composition of Duronto Express was that of Railway Board as it is eyeing to rake in moolah from passenger section. Hence it shortlisted popular trains and decided to enmass swap second sleeper bogies with 3AC bogies not withstanding the point about discomfort it would cause to travellers.

The situation in second sleeper is absolutely horrible as in case of any emergency one cannot even come out of bogie. Apart from wait listed passengers, the ticket checkers on station also upgrade current tickets and push them further into the crowd. Sometimes back, an elderly lady developed some medical complications and had a horrible time in second sleeper. The situation of senior citizens travelling in the second sleeper is more piquant as they cannot even move out of their seats and answer nature's call as not an inch of space is available for movement. Reacting to situation a passenger who had got confirmed ticket said they felt short changed on part of Railways as those having wait list were upgraded while we remained to travel in shoddy conditions.