RailEnquiry

Chandigarh : Duronto train between Chandigarh and Amritsar, which was started in August last year with much fanfare, will stop running on September 11, making way for a Superfast Express which will have stoppages in Ludhiana and Jalandhar — a popular demand that was voiced when the Duronto was launched. So, what went against the Duronto? Its occupancy remained as low as 25 to 30 per cent on most days which led to huge financial losses. Passengers, who had started complaining right on the day of the train inauguration, as well as politicians demanded that the Duronto should have stoppages in Ludhiana and Jalandhar for it to be successful. Also, the timings of the train should be changed as these were not convenient for passengers from Chandigarh.While buses to and from Amritsar ran completely packed, the response to the train was less than satisfactory. The train was facing losses to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh per day. Eventually, five coaches were removed from the train. From two air-conditioned coaches, the number came down to one. However, the occupancy continued to remain low.The Superfast Train would start from September 11 onwards. Keeping in view demands of the people, it would have stoppages in Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Railway officials say that there would be 16 coaches in the train. Of these, two would be air-conditioned. The fares would be lesser than Duronto. The fare for AC chair car would be Rs 321 while for second class, it would be Rs 91. A railway official stated it was expected that there would be more passengers now with the demand of the people for stoppages having been met.The train would depart from Chandigarh at 6.50 pm. It would arrive at Ludhiana at 9.05 pm, reach Jalandhar at 9.57 pm and then Amritsar at 11.15 pm. The train would start from Amritsar at 5.20 am, reach Jalandhar at 6.12 am, Ludhiana at 7.15 am and Chandigarh at 9.45 am.No breakfast or dinner would be served on the train.