Panchavati Express to get new LHB coach in five months

NASHIK: Commuters travelling by the Panchavati Express, who have been raising the pitch for the new Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches for over one-and-a-half years, have strongly expressed their dissatisfaction with the Cenral Railways for failing to meet their demand and instead installing the updated LHB coaches in Indrayani Express.
From February this year, commuters taking the Indrayani Express to travel between Pune and Mumbai are said to be having a comfortable train journey—thanks to the new LHB coaches.
The LHB coaches have been designed in a way so that there can be an enhancement of accommodation capacity to benefit passengers. Moreover, passengers travelling in these coaches will feel more comfort during the train journey.
Though Panchavati Express (running between Manmad junction in Nashik and Mumbai) was the first to get the LHB coaches on May 1 , 2018, it has still not been equipped with the new coaches.
“The new LHB coaches in Indrayani Express have all the facilities that we have been demanding for Panchavati Express. Yet the Central Railways is not paying heed to our demands,” said Rajesh Fokne, a former member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC).
Ever since the LHB coaches were introduced for Panchavati Express, regular travellers have been complaining against the bad ergonomics of the coach. Besides making travelling an arduous journey, the less number of windows and their uneven planning add to the discomfort of the commuters. As a result, commuters have developed acute neck and back pain.
Krian Borse, a regular traveller said, “The little space between the chairs aligned in one direction allows passengers little acesss to the aisle.”
The new LHB coaches in Indrayani Express have better ergonomics with seats facing each other, properly aligned windows which enhances the ventilation in the coaches, among a host of other facilities.
“The new coach has 40 windows against the 30 per coach in Panchavati Express. Built by Modern Coach Faction (MCF), Raebareli, the coach can seat 120 passengers, against the capacity of 96 passengers in the old coaches,” said Devraj Malekar, a frequent traveller between Nashik and Mumbai.
Officials in the Central railways said that the new LHB coach would be installed in Panchavati Express in the next four to five months.