CHENNAI: Southern Railway has decided to reduce the number of sleeper (SL) coaches in popular express trains such as Cheran Super Fast (SF) (Chennai to Coimbatore), Chennai Thiruvananthapuram Mail, Nilgiri SF (Chennai-Mettupalayam), Nellai SF (Chennai-Tirunelveli), Pothigai SF (Chennai-Sengottai) and Chennai-Mangaluru SF that operate daily with high patronage and instead replace them with three tier (3AC) or two tier (2AC) AC coaches.
While the total number of coaches in all categories will remain 22 in each of these trains, seven to nine sleeper coaches will be reduced to six to seven sleeper coaches, in order to replace them with either two 3AC coaches or one 3AC and one 2AC coach. This would mean that 80 to 160 sleeper berths, which have an affordable fare in each of these trains, will be replaced with costlier 3AC or 2AC berths. (Refer table)
The move, which is expected to be implemented from first week of August, comes a few years after a similar reduction in other popular express trains such as Pandiyan, Rockfort, and Cholan Express.
In the Cheran and Chennai - Mangaluru SF trains, sleeper coaches will be reduced from nine to seven.
‘Railway trying to phase out non-AC coaches from express trains’
This would result in the removal of 160 sleeper berths. The total number of SL berths will be reduced from 720 to 560.
Sleeper rakes are also set to be removed from seven more trains, including long-distance ones like Tiruchy–Howrah Express, Nagercoil–Mumbai, Kanniyakumari–Nizamuddin, Nagercoil–Gandhidham and Ernakulam–Nizamuddin services. Rail passengers expressed concerns that the move will reduce the chances of getting confirmed tickets in sleeper berths and increase travel expenses for lower-income families.
According to railway officials, the initiative is part of an effort to standardise coach configurations to improve rake utilisation. “When pairing rakes are delayed, we typically have to reschedule trains. If each coaching depot uses standardised rakes, any rake can be deployed for any train, significantly enhancing operational efficiency,” an official explained.
Frequent users of trains, however, alleged that this is part of the Railways’ broader effort to gradually phase out non-AC coaches from express trains. Naveen Chandar, a regular traveller, said, “Trains like the Cheran and Nilgiris used to have 12 to 13 sleeper coaches when they operated with conventional ICF rakes, offering around 864 to 936 sleeper berths. After the transition to LHB rakes, sleeper berths dropped to anywhere between 720 to 800. Now, with further reductions, these trains will have only about 560 sleeper berths—meaning AC berths will outnumber sleeper ones.”
Comparison of data from 2016 in Cheran and Nilgiris SF express trains showed that while they had 12 to 13 ICF SL coaches (864 to 936 berths), it reduced to 9 to 10 (720 to 800) when the transition to LHB happened around 2019. They have now reduced to seven SL coaches with 560 berths. “Four members of an average family will now have to spend an additional Rs 5,000 for round-trip travel in AC coaches between Chennai and Virudhunagar, as the fare per berth is higher by around Rs 600 compared to sleeper class,” he added.
Another passenger, S. Ramachandran, pointed out that LHB coaches have been reported to generate relatively more noise than ICF coaches. “With trains expected to run at speeds of 130 kmph, railways may be reducing sleeper coaches to cut down on passenger complaints regarding noise in the future.” An official clarified, “This move is solely intended to improve operational efficiency. There is no other motive behind it.”