Title - Steel Express in cool avatar

The ever-popular Steel Express will now offer first class facilities with South Eastern Railway finally deciding to re-introduce an AC First coach in the face of persistent demands from regular commuters between Calcutta and Jamshedpur.“The first AC coach in Steel Superfast Express (12813/12814) will be re-introduced in the down train leaving Howrah on July 31. Passengers of Jamshedpur can avail of the new facility on August 1,” a spokesperson of the South Eastern Railway told The Telegraph.

Bookings begin Saturday.
The First AC coach, which was introduced in September last year but withdrawn due to maintenance hiccups six months later, has 18 seats in all. Three are four-seater coupes and three are two-seater coupes. A one-way ticket will cost Rs 1,040.For the Howrah-bound train from Jamshedpur, 12 seats will be available in general quota, two in Kharagpur quota and the remaining four in emergency quota. For the return journey to Jamshedpur, 14 seats will be in the general quota and the remaining four in the emergency quota.Officials at the SER’s Garden Reach headquarters in Calcutta said the decision to bring back the AC First coach was taken in view of the demand from local corporate houses and trade and industry outfits that have always been demanding a comfortable travel option between Calcutta and Tatanagar.Among the other common options for Jamshedpur residents are the Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express and Howrah-Titlagarh Ispat Express. But, both offer ordinary AC chair cars only.Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a leading trade outfit representing the Kolhan region that has been at the forefront of the demand for the First AC option, has welcomed the move.

“We are happy about the decision of the railways to re-introducing the First AC coach. We had taken up the issue at the 95th Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee meeting held at Garden Reach earlier this month. General manager of SER A.K. Verma had assured us that the First AC coach would be restored in a month,” said general secretary Suresh Sonthalia.

Passengers who were fortunate to travel on the First AC coach during its earlier run were delighted with the experience. “Travelling in the coupes is a different experience. It ensures privacy and the journey is more comfortable and relaxed,” said industrialist Raj Kumar Singh.

On the question of maintenance, something that is always a sore point with regulars on Steel Express, newly appointed coaching depot officer Ritwik Sharma was hopeful of immediate improvements.

“The maintenance of the coach will be done at the newly built coaching complex (washing line). The complex is well equipped to take care of necessary maintenance of the First AC coach,” he said.

Do you think the AC coach will have a successful run this time?