No More AC Chair Car on M’luru-Madgaon Express

No More AC Chair Car on M’luru-Madgaon Express

Air-conditioned Chair Car taken Off on Mangaluru-Madgaon Intercity Express. Rumours are that due to lack of customers traveling on this train, chances are that this train service could be cancelled permanently in the nearest future.

Mangaluru: Once a month I take a trip to Goa-most of the time I prefer traveling by Rajdhani Express since it is fast and reaches Margao within 4.30-5 hrs. But getting seats of Rajdhani is not so easy, always on waiting list-so the next choice to travel during the morning hours will be by Mangaluru-Madgaon Intercity Express (Train no 22635/36). Like quite a few travelers who prefer to travel by train 22635 in the AC chair car, I am one among them. But surprisingly two days ago, when I wanted to book my ticket I was told by the ticket issuer that AC Chair Car service had been cancelled couple of weeks ago. Also rumours are that the train may be cancelled for not having sufficient revenue due to lack of passenger availability.

The passenger capacity on the Mangaluru-Madgaon Intercity Express is, if it runs with 15 coaches with 108 person capacity per coach, it would be 1620 passengers. But most of the time passengers traveling from Mangaluru to Margao are about 30%–couple of days ago as per the ticket collector, there were only 75 persons traveling all the way to Margao, while few others getting down at various locations like Bhatkal, Kumta, Karwar, Canacona etc. With such kind of low passenger numbers it’s indeed hard for the railway to continue the service, it is learnt.

Inside View of a AC Chair Car

The Train had barely any passengers on 2, August 2016

Reason for this train being less patronized, it is noted due to the fact that four trains, namely Mangaluru-Madgaon train 56640/41, Verna passenger train 56665/66, Kasaragod-Byndore passenger train 16524, Yesvantpur-Karwar express and the intercity express are running in a 30 to 60 minutes gap from the city up to Madgaon. Looking at passenger’s interest and density, it is advisable that the timings may be examined and the trains rescheduled, or train 22636/36 should be extended up to Dadar of Mumbai under Central railway tri-weekly.

As per one of the manager at the Mangaluru Central Station said, “Even before the introduction of the intercity express, the public demand was for a passenger train from Vasco-da-Gama to Mangaluru Central, leaving Vasco early in the morning and returning in the night, in the opposite timing of Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Passenger (train no. 56640/641). However, the intercity express was introduced against their wishes and it runs in between other trains, thus lacking patronage. We had requested the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager to undertake the commercial survey in the opposite direction and timing of the intercity express. The railway was not averse to demands to extend the intercity express to Dadar, provided Konkan Railway agreed

“Cancellation of the intercity express appears imminent if indications from the Railway Board are to be believed. A train may be shortlisted for cancellation by the division/ zone if its patronage is less than 30 per cent throughout a year. It also may be cancelled if alternative services are available to passengers” added the manager. So until then, travelers who prefer Mangaluru-Madgaoan Intercity Express have to keep their fingers crossed- the service may continue or could stop anytime in the nearest future.