The train departed almost empty with just around 30 passengers as most of the coaches of the high-profile train remained unfilled.
No one to flag off, no one to travel. Former railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s promised 15-car fully air-conditioned non-stop Duronto train between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Allahabad was inaugurated on Sunday morning. However, the train departed almost empty with just around 30 passengers as most of the coaches of the high-profile train remained unfilled, even as the normal waiting list for north-bound trains runs in thousands.
Moreover, none of the politicians, including the local Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, Mumbai’s guardian minister, the city’s mayor, that were expected turned up for the flagging off of the train, with the local low-profile MLA Milind Kamble getting the honour.
Railway officials played down the fact that said that the train was empty. “It was the train’s inaugural run and that bookings were not expected much and that the regular run of the train shall begin from Friday evening,’’ an official said. Sources said ticket bookings were less as the inaugural run was scheduled at 11:25am and the bookings had opened just three hours earlier at 8 am.
The status of booking at the time of the train’s departure was FirstAC-empty, SecondAC-Four passengers, Third AC-27 passengers. No passengers would get in between stations as it does not have a commercial halt anywhere. The train will not have any commercial halts between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Allahabad. Only, operational halts for changing crew and technical inputs will be at Kasara, Igatpuri, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Satna.
Satyanarayan, one of the passengers, said he had got his ailing father to Mumbai for treatment and was not getting a ticket back home and this train was a like a godsend for him. Another commuter said this was nothing but lack of planning as the railways could have given time for passengers to book tickets.
“What if this is the inaugural run? The same amount of money and manpower will be spent on running the train,” he said.
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