Title - Pests on Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Duronto make travel a pain

CHENNAI: Travel by the newly-introduced Duronto Express to Thiruvananthapuram is not pleasant. On January 1, several passengers of B5 coach had to be shifted to other coaches after cockroaches and insects started swarming all over about 30 minutes after the train left Chennai Central.Travellers expected a better experience on the non-stop airconditioned bi-weekly train which was flagged off with much fanfare by chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 15. "Around 10 minutes after the train left, the insects came crawling out in B5 coach but few bothered as such things are common. However, when dinner was served, more pests started swarming all over the place and it became difficult to eat or spread bed rolls. Children started to cry. We asked the travelling ticket examiner (TTE) to allocate us berths in other coaches," said Hari Babu, who travelled in B5. The train was on its fifth service.The TTE allotted berths in B2 and B4. Some people, especially senior citizens and those with children, had a tough time lugging their baggage along narrow vestibules as the train was moving. Others had to wait for alternate berths. "Members of a family, allotted berths in one coach, returned after they found the coach full of mosquitoes. The TTE was able to allot berths elsewhere only around 10pm," said Hari Babu.

"Coaches didn't look new. There was no Duronto livery in B5 which looked old and the toilets didn't have water. Railway authorities are cheating people by using old coaches," he said.

"Many who struggle for confirmed tickets on other trains rejoiced when the Duronto Express to Thiruvananthapuram was introduced. The purpose will be defeated if new coaches are not used," said Manoj Kumar, a traveller.

The Duronto takes nearly 13 hours to reach Thiruvananthapuram, just 110 minutes earlier than Chennai Egmore-Thiruvananthapuram Ananthapuri Express, as it travels via Palakkad and Ernakulam. It would reach quicker if routed via Nagercoil.

Given the shortage of coaches, coaches used in Garib Rath elsewhere were refurbished and brought to Chennai to run Duronto trains. This has enraged passengers who want clean and pest free trains. A railway officer said, "Steps are being taken to fight pests. Due to unhygienic conditions in which the coaches are handled, pests continue to be a problem."