Shatabdi passengers for more executive coaches

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 25

With frequency of passengers high in the Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi, people demand addition of another executive coach in the train.

According to railway officials, there are 13 chair cars and only two executive coaches in the Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi while in the Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi, there is only one executive coach and nine chair cars.

“The quality of chair cars has fallen of late. Thus, we prefer travelling by executive coach. The issue is executive coach fills very fast, so there is a need to add more coaches to the train,” said Vaneet Sharma, a local businessman.

“Chair cars are often found vacant when we try to book it whereas the executive coach shows waiting as many officials or agents have already made bookings. The authorities concerned must increase the number of executive coaches,” added Charanjiv Singh, a resident of Delhi who works in Chandigarh and is a frequent Shatabdi traveller.

“When we try to book tickets for the executive coach online, it shows waiting. But if one approaches an agent, he makes tickets available,” quipped a Panchkula resident.

During one of his visits from Delhi to Chandigarh via Shatabdi, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had observed that only one Shatabdi and one proposed Tejas were required on the route due to low occupancy.

Station Director Hari Deep Kumar said, “Ever since online booking system became popular, agents or middlemen are nowhere in the picture now. On the contrary, seats are often vacant in the Shatbadi. Secondly, there is not much demand for executive class as a particular section of society travels in it. In all AC trains, there are only two executive coaches due to low demand.