BENGALURU:Within a couple of days of changing two pairs of trains to MEMU (Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit), the Bengaluru Railway Division has been forced to rollback its move owing to public wrath.
It was only on Monday (September 2) that the Marikuppam - KSR Bengaluru - Marikuppam Passenger (Train no 56507/56508) and the Bangarpet-Marikuppam-Bangarpet (Train no 56511/56512) were replaced with MEMU trains and given new train numbers. The Railways had informed the public of the move only a day earlier through the media.
It was greeted with numerous complaints and rage expressed by passengers on the day the MEMU train was launched and many preferred to take a bus to their workspot. Railways ended up running the train with Railway Protection Force (RPF) accompanying the trains throughout.
According to a senior official, “The seating capacity in a conventional coach is much more than a MEMU train. The seats comprise railway berths unlike the MEMU which is a chair car. In addition to that, the conventional train has toilets which the MEMU lacks. This upset many passengers.”