New Delhi, Jan 22: Flooded with complaints against
the introduction of high capacity coaches with extra berths in
certain trains, railways have decided to get a feedback from
passengers travelling in these coaches.
All zonal railways have been instructed to carry out
a survey to find out the response of passengers who have
travelled in the modified coaches, said a senior Railway
Ministry official.
While Southern Railway has already submitted the
feedback, other 15 zonal railways are in the process of
sending their reports.
About 98 percent passengers, who had travelled in the
modified coaches with nine extra berths, have expressed their
dissatisfaction and "utter disgust" in the feedback survey
submitted by Southern Railway, said the official.
Railways have added nine extra side-berths by raising
the upper berth and fitted another berth in the middle in
sleeper and 3AC coaches in certain trains.
Majority of the passengers have found their travel
experience in modified high capacity coaches as "highly
unsatisfactory" due to the restricted sitting space, limited
leg space, inadequate sleeping space and restricted movement
in the coaches.
To a question on whether passengers wanted the berth
arrangement to continue in modified coaches, most of them
responded in the negative.
Majority of railway passengers have described their
experience as "highly inconvenient and disgusting" after
travelling in high capacity coaches with additional berths.
With increase in the number of passengers, railways
had decided to add extra berths in sleeper and 3AC coaches to
accommodate more of them and accordingly fund was also
allocated for the retrofitting work.
It costs about Rs 1.5 lakh per coach to do the
retrofitting work.
While the Research Design and Standard Organisation
(RDSO) approved the changed design, railways had also got the
safety clearance to go ahead with retrofitting work in
12,500 non-AC sleeper coaches and 1,500 AC coaches in its
workshops.
However, the addition of another berth is inconveniencing
many passengers, the survey has found. Unlike the other side
of the coach where the lower berth can easily accommodate
three seated passengers during the day, the side berth cannot
accommodate three seated passengers.
"The middle side-berth passenger is being accommodated in
other side of the lower berth during day time," said the
official.
Bureau Report
