Railway passengers: Make Rockfort superfast an express
Blaming that the railway department is attempting to make money at the cost of passenger's convenience, the Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu has urged the railway authorities to make the Rockfort superfast express train into an express train. They blame that the train, although technically meets the superfast norm of 55 km per hour, hardly offers any benefit to the passengers as it was doing 53 km per hour earlier.
Since this is an overnight train no one has felt and expressed the need to speed up the train, said S Pushpavanam, the secretary of Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu in a representation sent to the Member-Traffic of Railway Board, Mohamed Jamshed.
According to the revised timing with effect from November 1, the train leaves at 11.30 pm from Chennai and reaches Trichy at 4.30 am and leaves from here at 10.40 pm and reach Chennai 4.40 am. Both arrival and departure are unearthly hours. One has to wait till 5 or 5.30 even to get coffee, he stated.
Besides the superfast surcharge of Rs 45 (for AC classes) and Rs 30 (for Sleeper class) the passenger has to spend more than one and half times the regular fare on taxi or auto as night fare. The total extra cost for a passenger within a 4 km radius of the station is more than Rs 100. As the bus is frequent, it is enough for the passenger to leave his home at 21.30 pm can reach the station in time.
Similarly, on arrival, either way, he has to pay night fare as buses are infrequent at 4.30 am. It is tortuous to wait till 5.30 am or 6 am to catch a bus had arrived at 4.30 am.
"Trains are run for the convenience of passengers. However, railway authorities attempt for making money at the cost of passenger convenience is very much resented. Passengers who have to pay much more for disturbed sleep are not likely to bless the railways. So, it is feared that the railways are working overtime to get a bad name for the present government as this move would affect the patronage. Besides, railways cannot afford to lose the patronage as its financial position is already fragile", he added.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/railway-passengers-make-rockfort-superfast-an-express/articleshow/61328664.cms
Source:
Since this is an overnight train no one has felt and expressed the need to speed up the train, said S Pushpavanam, the secretary of Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu in a representation sent to the Member-Traffic of Railway Board, Mohamed Jamshed.
According to the revised timing with effect from November 1, the train leaves at 11.30 pm from Chennai and reaches Trichy at 4.30 am and leaves from here at 10.40 pm and reach Chennai 4.40 am. Both arrival and departure are unearthly hours. One has to wait till 5 or 5.30 even to get coffee, he stated.
Besides the superfast surcharge of Rs 45 (for AC classes) and Rs 30 (for Sleeper class) the passenger has to spend more than one and half times the regular fare on taxi or auto as night fare. The total extra cost for a passenger within a 4 km radius of the station is more than Rs 100. As the bus is frequent, it is enough for the passenger to leave his home at 21.30 pm can reach the station in time.
Similarly, on arrival, either way, he has to pay night fare as buses are infrequent at 4.30 am. It is tortuous to wait till 5.30 am or 6 am to catch a bus had arrived at 4.30 am.
"Trains are run for the convenience of passengers. However, railway authorities attempt for making money at the cost of passenger convenience is very much resented. Passengers who have to pay much more for disturbed sleep are not likely to bless the railways. So, it is feared that the railways are working overtime to get a bad name for the present government as this move would affect the patronage. Besides, railways cannot afford to lose the patronage as its financial position is already fragile", he added.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/railway-passengers-make-rockfort-superfast-an-express/articleshow/61328664.cms
Source:
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