Empty run of Karnavati costs rlys Rs 3L
Barring the engine driver, guard, TT and attendant staff, the entire train that left for Mumbai on Wednesday was empty; the train began running from six days to all days in a week
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, February 17, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20110217201102170256329814907d6cb
At a time when the railways is making losses, does it make sense to run an empty train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai? The railways lost revenue of around Rs 3 lakh it earns one way on this trip, not to mention the electricity charges it will have to pay.
Bookings did not open for 12934 Karnavati Express that left Ahmedabad station for Mumbai Central on Wednesday morning. Barring the engine driver, guard, TT and attendant staff, the entire train was empty, with all the coaches locked to prevent anyone from entering the train.
There are 5 AC chair car, 10 second class chair car and two general coaches on the train. The train was flagged off by WR general manager Kulbhushan in Mumbai.
Regarding why an empty train was taken all the way to Mumbai to be inaugurated, Western Railway chief public relations officer said it was a trial run. However, a senior official at Ahmedabad railway division refuted his claim, saying passenger trains don’t have trial runs.
In the last railway budget it was announced to start Karnavati Express from six days to all days a week. Wednesday was kept as maintenance day. From Thursday it will run on all days.
Just as on other days, the 12934 Karnavati Express left Ahmedabad station at 4.55 am on Wednesday, stopping at all stations. It reached Mumbai Central at 12.35 pm. It was flagged off from there at 1.40 pm and reached Ahmedabad at 9.25 pm.
WR CPRO Sharad Chandrayan said, “Karnavati Express ran six days a week and now has been extended to all days in the week. Previously, it used to have a full day maintenance. But now with better facilities, we can also have night maintenance of trains. But we still need to be sure that the maintenance is absolutely foolproof.
“Therefore, the train ran from Ahmedabad to Mumbai Central empty since it was a trial run to see whether the train can take the rigours of a seven-day schedule. It did and then the train made a formal run from Mumbai Central on Wednesday.”
A senior officer at Ahmedabad railway division begs to differ. “Since the WR GM was to inaugurate the train in Mumbai, we had to send the empty rakes to Mumbai,” he said.
When Mirror asked him if the train was sent on a trial run to Mumbai, he said, “No passenger train is run on a trial basis. Recently, new trains such as Ahmedabad-Udhampur Express and Ahmedabad-Agra Express that were launched from the city, too, did not have trial runs. And Karnavati is already running six days a week on the same route and at the same time, so where is the question of having a trial run?”
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, February 17, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20110217201102170256329814907d6cb
At a time when the railways is making losses, does it make sense to run an empty train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai? The railways lost revenue of around Rs 3 lakh it earns one way on this trip, not to mention the electricity charges it will have to pay.
Bookings did not open for 12934 Karnavati Express that left Ahmedabad station for Mumbai Central on Wednesday morning. Barring the engine driver, guard, TT and attendant staff, the entire train was empty, with all the coaches locked to prevent anyone from entering the train.
There are 5 AC chair car, 10 second class chair car and two general coaches on the train. The train was flagged off by WR general manager Kulbhushan in Mumbai.
Regarding why an empty train was taken all the way to Mumbai to be inaugurated, Western Railway chief public relations officer said it was a trial run. However, a senior official at Ahmedabad railway division refuted his claim, saying passenger trains don’t have trial runs.
In the last railway budget it was announced to start Karnavati Express from six days to all days a week. Wednesday was kept as maintenance day. From Thursday it will run on all days.
Just as on other days, the 12934 Karnavati Express left Ahmedabad station at 4.55 am on Wednesday, stopping at all stations. It reached Mumbai Central at 12.35 pm. It was flagged off from there at 1.40 pm and reached Ahmedabad at 9.25 pm.
WR CPRO Sharad Chandrayan said, “Karnavati Express ran six days a week and now has been extended to all days in the week. Previously, it used to have a full day maintenance. But now with better facilities, we can also have night maintenance of trains. But we still need to be sure that the maintenance is absolutely foolproof.
“Therefore, the train ran from Ahmedabad to Mumbai Central empty since it was a trial run to see whether the train can take the rigours of a seven-day schedule. It did and then the train made a formal run from Mumbai Central on Wednesday.”
A senior officer at Ahmedabad railway division begs to differ. “Since the WR GM was to inaugurate the train in Mumbai, we had to send the empty rakes to Mumbai,” he said.
When Mirror asked him if the train was sent on a trial run to Mumbai, he said, “No passenger train is run on a trial basis. Recently, new trains such as Ahmedabad-Udhampur Express and Ahmedabad-Agra Express that were launched from the city, too, did not have trial runs. And Karnavati is already running six days a week on the same route and at the same time, so where is the question of having a trial run?”
