[given2fly]

Recently saw Pune-HWH Azadhind exp. running an 81 birth system. At the same time, Amar Kantak Exp running from Durg-Bhopal has been convert back to the 72 birth rake. Go figure.

[meerkat]

Indian Railways are still happily selling 81 berth tickets!
my most recent experience was just last week, in
Kanchankanya Exp (from NJP to SDAH). No they have
not updated the reservation software, so there were the
usual fights amongst passengers and with the ticket
checkers! So when Lalu promised a removal of the SMBs,
was it just an election promise (i.e. never to be
implemented) ?!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

I was on waitlist when booking, but was later allotted berth No. 77. By the computer. (reservation through IRCTC.co.in).

The coach hower had both numberings - handwritten old numbering, and new (81 seat) numbering on plates. It certainly was confusing.

The train - Malabar express. I now stick to :upper berth" instead of my usuall "Side uper berth" on that train.

[manavdotcom]

Had same experience in Tamilnadu Express as well.Complete chaos. The additionl third guy in side berth has only sleeping . he has to sit crampted with other three people in the front LB.And where will this additional guy put his luggage is a million $ question.

[vnabhi]

I was lucky when I travelled to Bhubaneswar from Hyd in Feb, 09 by Falaknuma Exp.
My irctc ticket indicated a lower berth (36)---not side lower---but since the train had 81 berths, the berth number was on side middle.
I was horrified, but when I saw the chart on the door, I found that my berth number had changed to 40 from 36, and it was a lower berth, as indicated in the ticket. I heaved a sigh of releif!
I also found that none of the side middle berths were alloted during the entire journey.

[pradster]

Some idiot babu decided that this would be agreat way to gather more revenue and please his boss lalloo!
Nutcase should be made to travel in the middle birth all the time, let see how great an idea it appears then!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by pradster

Nutcase should be made to travel in the middle birth all the time, let see how great an idea it appears then!

If he is only 4 ft 6 inches and wtights only 50Kg,, it would not make any difference.

Grrrrr.....

[given2fly]

More Updates..

Gitanjali Exp (HWH-CSTM) is running a 72 birth system. But HWH-Yeshwantpur Exp is running the new coach system (N-X) instead of old coach system (S-X). But both have the old AC-3 system (64 birth system) which was such a relief to see.

Tamilnadu was supposed to be running on a 72 birth system, isn't it?

PS: Only gripe about Gitanjali was no charging points in most sleeper coaches. So if you are planning to travel in that train, beware. Keep fully charged batteries!

[supremeBaleno]

Am I glad that the rustic nut lost the elections and is hopefully not a part of the Cabinet. Atleast he won't get Railways this time around. Now to see what Didi does about this torture chamber called 3 side-berths.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Am I glad that the rustic nut lost the elections and is hopefully not a part of the Cabinet. Atleast he won't get Railways this time around. Now to see what Didi does about this torture chamber called 3 side-berths.

Biju,

I was told that booking for 3 side-berths has been dropped or will be dropped very soon. No more coaches will be manufactured with this configuration. Existing 3SB coaches will be modified to make the side middle berth unusable.

regards
tifosi.

[benbsb29]

Tifosi, thats what was going around since quite some time. However, the trains on which this move was implemented was not rolled back, while passengers continued to suffer, and the TTs continued to roll in money.

[condor]

supremeBaleno : Am I glad that the rustic nut lost the elections and is hopefully not a part of the Cabinet. Atleast he won't get Railways this time around. Now to see what Didi does about this torture chamber called 3 side-berths.

If things so far are anything to go by, we can expect a different set of changes.

Does any one else get a feeling that the rusticness was lesser of two evils ?

[meerkat]

First, the good news, -- looks like the SMBs have finally stopped being
allotted by the railways. As recently as some 4 weeks back, bookings were
still being made for them. However, on my last trip two weeks back, the
TTE asked passengers to follow the old style 72-berth numbering (handwritten
on walls in the 81-berth coach), since the SMB bookings had stopped!

Now the bad news! To my horror I watched as all the SMBs were allotted,
apparently to "unofficial" passengers. So, rather than feeling relieved
that the SMBs would disappear, I fear that people need to be prepared for
a situation where the SMBs will continue to be allotted unofficially to
anybody willing to pay for them. The vested interest would see to it
that they are not physically removed anytime soon!

The only saving grace would be that you can now get the berth of your choice
while booking, and thus avoid the cramped SUB/SMB. However, the overcrowding
is likely to continue in the existing 81-berth coaches.

[bblost]

Railways lost Rs 75 crore on middle berths - Nagpur - City - NEWS - The Times of India

NAGPUR: The Indian railways spent Rs 75 crore installing side middle berths and is now removing them involving a huge waste of public money.

Experts are asking why rail-users should pay for former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s whimsical decision that troubled the passengers instead of benefiting them.

On a query under the RTI Act by Avinash Prabhune, a citizen working for consumers rights, Railway Board has revealed that railways installed side middle berths in 5,000 sleeper coaches. It spent Rs 1.5 lakh per coach for conversion or about Rs 75 crore. The Board said that the railways had removed the side middle berth from these coaches by August 2009. The decision to enhance capacity of the coaches was made in 2007, implemented in 2008, and undone this year.

Interestingly, Prabhune had submitted the query in March to public information officer of Central Railway but he directed the query to Railway Board. The three queries included cost incurred on side middle berth, number of coaches and time these it will take to remove them. The reluctant officials made him run from pillar to post for getting a reply. Prabhune says the berth mess seems to have turned out a big fraud on the consumers. Even as middle berths have been removed, the upper ones are still causing inconvenience to travellers. The railways will again spend huge money on adjusting these berths.

Bharatiya Yatri Kendra general secretary Basant Shukla says, “there was no need to modify 5,000 coaches. On a trial basis 100 coaches could have been modified and reactions of travellers obtained. Can the railways compensate for the mental and physical agony caused to passengers?” Shukla asked.

Prabhune said it was clear that Rs 75 crore spent had gone completely waste. The railway officials argued that railways earned revenue due to capacity addition but were mum on problems caused to passengers.

“I feel neither the railways nor the consumers benefited due to the decision. Such costs are ultimately passed on to consumers. Tendency of taking such decisions will not change unless policy makers are held personally responsible and made accountable,” Prabhune said.

Prabhune has urged railway minister Mamata Banerjee to investigate and tell the country about action taken in the matter.

Mods: Can this thread be closed.

[Technocrat]

Looks like another Politically motivated RTI