More berths prove a bane to passengers

More berths prove a bane to passengers
By Nandini Chandrashekar, DH News Service, Bangalore:
More trains and increased frequency of the existing trains may not be a boon to the travellers, as expected.


The reason being the increased number of berths in the compartments, especially the three tier non AC sleeper class. The increase came about following the Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad’s announcement in the 2007-08 budget, to increase the berths in all different classes. The number of berths have been increased from 72 to 81. This has been done by adding an extra berth along the side berths.

But what is has been translated to is an increased degree of passenger discomfort. Complaints range from crowded areas to long lines for the toilets. A five percent discount is offered to the passenger who gets a middle berth, but that does not make for the agony of sleeping with legs tucked in or simply the crowded feeling, that is endured by all passengers.

No space to move

Shivshankar, a frequent traveller, narrates his experience on the Mysore-Chennai Cauvery Express. “It was the first time, I saw these modified coaches. The moving space was really small. As three people had to sit on the side, there was no place to move. Even the toilets are crowded.”

Another passenger complained that the long travel hours make it really difficult to endure the close proximity of passengers. “With RAC, you have four people seated in that small place. It is really inconvenient,” he said. He also says getting on to the middle berth itself is a complicated procedure for aged people, as the side berth does not have any support to hoist oneself.

Sources at the Railways, say that they have received complaints from people about the troublesome arrangement. But the conversion process seems to be proceeding at a steady pace. Divisional Railway Manager Akhil Agarwal says that they are gradually modifying these coaches, where the extra middle berth is being fitted by raising the level of upper berths. He said the complete conversion will take place in about four months time. This cannot be a good news for all the passengers out there.