Title - Flag-off in doubt as double-decker kisses platform

A slew of technical snags has cast a shadow over the inauguration of south India’s first double-decker train, which would ply between Chennai and Bangalore.

Questions have been raised about the possibility of flagging off the uber cool air-conditioned service before March 31.

If the train is not inaugurated by this month end, it will fail to catch the deadline for the current financial year. The Southern Railway had even released a schedule last year listing this train. As per that time table, the daily train would depart from Chennai at 7.25 am and reach Bangalore by 1.30 pm.

Railway sources said the train had completed two trial runs from Chennai to Bangalore. “During the trial run, it came to our notice that the double-decker rake is coming in contact with a platform at the Jolarpet Junction railway station. Thereafter, the Southern Railway and South Western Railways sent their reports to Railway Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO),” official sources said.  An RDSO clearance for the train is required to operationalise it, sources added.

The Southern Railway received the double-decker rake from the Rail Coach Factory in February and it was subsequently put on trial run for inspection.

Contrary to this, another source claimed that the lack of man power to maintain the train was the reason behind the delay in plying it.  Adding that the Commissioner of Railway Safety had cleared the train for operations, the source said necessary steps were being taken to operate the train before March 31 this year.