BENGALURU: The conversion of the Bengaluru-Chennai Mail into a day train until January 25 and the huge delays it suffered over last month have played havoc with the travel plans of many passengers from the city. With the morning train (leaving at 10 am) introduced on January 11 not having much patronage, the plug might be pulled on the train temporarily.
According to a railway official who has served in both Southern and South Western Railways for the last three decades, “It is the first time that I know of in the last 25 years that we are on the verge of taking the Chennai Mail out of service. Since it used to be an easy overnight journey between the two cities, it used to run jampacked always.”
The problem with the train was due to the foggy conditions in New Delhi causing its pairing train, the Karnataka Express, to have a delayed departure from there. The Karnataka Express, now Train no. 12658, leaves as Chennai Mail from Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna station at 10. 40 pm. Trouble started from December 2, 2016, after which the train started arriving late daily due to the extreme wintry conditions in New Delhi.
“No one knew when the train would arrive. After arrival, it would be taken to the maintenance shed and then readied for departure at odd hours like 2 am or 4 am from the City. Railways was also forced to provide last-minute information and the public remained clueless at railway stations,” said a top official.
The weather conditions did not affect the Karnataka Express much in 2016. However, in 2015 when the weather was extreme, the Bangalore Railway Division arranged a special train and renamed it as the Chennai Mail.
“Though our intention is to provide some kind of alternative arrangement, there is an acute shortage of rakes (coaches) with the division due to an increase in the number of trains run from Bengaluru over the last two years. So, no such provision can be made right now.”
The Railways announced it would be made into a day train from January 11. However, even that message did not reach a few like senior citizen Lakshmi.
Explaining her plight, her relative Sathya said, “She reached the city railway station on January 14 to travel to Chennai to spend Pongal with her daughter. Only after reaching the station, she came to know that it will depart only in the morning.”
Lakshmi’s daughter had to call up a cab from Chennai for her to reach her residence at Magadi Road that night. Lakshmi had to come to the station again the next morning to travel to Chennai by that train.
The day train is not running anywhere near full capacity that the night train had.
Conceding this, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager N R Sridaramurthy said, “There have been many ticket cancellations since December on the Chennai Mail. The patronage right now is not very good. It may be stopped temporarily for a few days”.