KOCHI: The Railway Upper Class Passengers Association (RUPA)has condemned the railway authorities’ decision not to operate first class coaches in trains which are on two-day long journeys, from next week.
The Railway authorities had taken a decision that due to bad condition and worn-out first class coaches, they will not operate these coaches in Venad Express and Parashuram Express.
However, RUPA members stated that these trains are the lifelines for several working officials and withdrawal of these coaches would adversely affect them.
According to George Mathew, president of RUPA, majority of the passengers take tickets for first class compartment to escape from the heavy rush in normal compartments.
“Venad Express and Parashuram Express are the only day trains connecting Thriuvananthapuram and other major cities in the state.
The officials working in these cities use the trains daily. Due to heavy rush in other compartments, passengers take first class ticket or first class season tickets hoping that rush would be less and they would get seats in these compartments,” he said.
Though first class ticket holders and season ticket holders pay five times higher than normal compartment tickets, the railways was not giving any additional facilities in these so called luxury coaches.
“Our request to railway authorities was that, similar to Memu trains, a sleeper class coach painted in different colour should be allotted as first class coaches in Venad Express and Parashuram Express.
But they say that it cannot be done as passengers with normal tickets would enter the compartment.
Now in the first class coaches, there would be around six passengers occupying three seats.
The passengers take first class ticket only for evading the rush.
So railways can manage it by allotting sleeper class coaches in these trains for passengers with first class daily tickets or season tickets.
Many first class season ticket holders are ready to travel in sleeper coaches if railway allots it exclusively for them,” George Mathew said.
Chain of Chagrin
Venad Express and Parashuram Express are the only day trains connecting Thriuvananthapuram and other major cities in the state
These trains are the lifelines for several working officials and withdrawal of these coaches would adversely affect them.