Pune Rail Division Adds Extra General Coaches To Trains Amid High Demand
Pune Rail Division Adds Extra General Coaches To Trains Amid High Demand
In a bid to ease the travel woes of passengers, the Pune rail division has started adding extra general coaches to trains. The move comes after a surge in demand for general class tickets during the festive season, leading to overcrowding in reserved coaches.
According to railway officials, all mail and express trains in the Pune rail division will soon have two additional general class compartments. “This is part of the railway ministry’s initiative to make travel easier for people traveling in general class,” a senior railway official said.
The Pune-Danapur Express and Pune-Jammu Tawi Jhelum Express are the first two trains to have been given two additional general coaches. “We are adding two more general coaches to each train, resulting in four general class compartments. All trains under the Pune division will have this composition soon,” informed a rail official.
The move is expected to bring relief to passengers who have been facing difficulties due to overcrowding in reserved coaches. Between January and November this year, 64,736 cases of irregular travel were detected in the Pune division, with passengers with general tickets traveling in reserved compartments.
Passengers have welcomed the move, but some have expressed skepticism about whether it will solve the problem. “Just four general coaches might be some respite, but it won’t solve the situation,” said a passenger who faced a situation when general class travelers got into a reserved compartment of the Pune-Lucknow Express last month.
The addition of extra general coaches is part of a larger initiative by the railway ministry to improve passenger amenities. Across the Central Railway, 117 additional general coaches have been added to 37 pairs of trains so far.
