CHENNAI: The Chennai-Bengaluru Double Decker Express commenced its service with revised coach composition on Thursday, drawing hundreds of passengers to the new non-AC second-class coaches and one general class coach.
After revision of the train’s configuration, previously consisting of 10 AC double-decker coaches, it now comprises eight AC double-decker coaches, five non-AC coaches, and one general class coach.
The double decker service offers a faster journey, covering the entire route within five hours and 10 minutes, compared to the other superfast trains that typically take 6 hours and 15 minutes for the same distance.
Similarly, the Coimbatore-Bengaluru UDAY, previously operating with seven AC double-decker chair car coaches, will now have eight AC coaches, while the composition of the remaining coaches, including the five ‘second sitting non-AC reserved’ coaches, will remain unchanged. The Bengaluru Double Decker and Coimbatore UDAY express, which hitherto operated with separate rakes, will now undergo interchanging of their rakes.
Sources attribute this decision to the relocation of the primary maintenance of Coimbatore-Bengaluru UDAY express rake from Bengaluru to Chennai. The maintenance slot in Bengaluru may have been allocated to a Vande Bharat Express.
S Vinoth Raj of Katpadi, a rail enthusiast, remarked that the Brindavan Express has been running with overcrowded coaches throughout the year and they have been demanding a new intercity train between Bengaluru and Chennai during day hours.