PUNE The Central Railway (CR) has decided to replace all the conventional coaches of the CSMT-Pune-CSMT Deccan Queen Express with Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) design coaches from June 22, 2022. The decision was taken after a circular to that effect was issued by the railways on March 29. Not only will conventional coaches be replaced with LHB design coaches, the total number of coaches will be reduced from the earlier 17 to 16, all of which will be of the new design. While passengers are unhappy with the late launch and the decision to reduce the number of coaches as June 1 is the anniversary of the Deccan Queen Express train.
As per the information given by the railways, the Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai Deccan Queen train will now run with LHB coaches. The revised composition of the train will be four AC chair car, eight second class chair car, one vista dome coach, one AC dining car, guard cum brake van and generator car. It will have a total 16 coaches starting from June 22 while the passengers are requested to follow all norms mandated for Covid-19.
The Deccan Queen train runs daily between Pune and Mumbai, while there are regular office-goers who do a daily up-down commute between these two cities for work. The existing dining car has a capacity of table service for 32 passengers which will be upgraded to a seating capacity of 40 in the new dining car coach. It will have a modern pantry and kitchen facilities such as a microwave oven, deep freezer and toaster machine. While there has been continuous extension and changes made to facilities and increasing of coaches of this train considering the increasing demand of passengers. Currently, this train has a total seating capacity of 1,417 passengers.
While passengers are unhappy with this decision, Harsha Shah, president of the Railway Pravasi Group, said, “The new coaches of the Deccan Queen Express train are lying in the Mumbai yard and its dining car is at the Chennai yard and it is easy for the railways to bring those coaches from there immediately. The train started on June 1, 1930 and we demand that the new coach operations be started before June 1. Also, there was no need to reduce the number of coaches, as already passengers are demanding that it be made a 24 coach train. Then why the existing 17 coach train has been reduced to a 16 coach one!”
{{/usCountry}}While passengers are unhappy with this decision, Harsha Shah, president of the Railway Pravasi Group, said, “The new coaches of the Deccan Queen Express train are lying in the Mumbai yard and its dining car is at the Chennai yard and it is easy for the railways to bring those coaches from there immediately. The train started on June 1, 1930 and we demand that the new coach operations be started before June 1. Also, there was no need to reduce the number of coaches, as already passengers are demanding that it be made a 24 coach train. Then why the existing 17 coach train has been reduced to a 16 coach one!”
{{/usCountry}}About the issue, Manoj Jhawar, Pune railway division spokesperson said, “The Deccan Queen train new composition is going to be implemented from June 22 and passengers will have a new look train. There is no reason to create issues over its new operational date and passengers should follow the Covid protocols strictly while travelling.”