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Time of India
21-07-2025
- Time of India
Sleeper coaches halved: Hyderabad's long-distance trains now out of reach for budget travelers
HYDERABAD: If you're trying to book a sleeper berth on a long-distance train from Hyderabad, you may be out of luck. A quiet reshuffle in coach composition is turning up the heat on budget travellers, with sleeper class coaches being halved, or worse while air-conditioned coaches have surged in number. Several popular trains have undergone drastic changes. The Hyderabad-New Delhi Telangana Express, Hussain Sagar Express to Mumbai, Godavari and Gowthami Expresses to coastal Andhra, and even the Charminar Express to Chennai now run with as few as three to six sleeper coaches, down from the earlier 10 to 12. Meanwhile, AC coaches have jumped to 12 or more on many of these services. Take the Secunderabad-Bhubaneswar Visakha Express. It previously had 14 sleeper and 6 AC coaches when it ran with older ICF (Integral Coach Factory) rakes. Now, with upgraded LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) rakes - known for better safety and speed - it runs with just 3 sleeper coaches and 13 AC coaches. Similarly, the Hyderabad Deccan - Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus service now has only 2 sleeper coaches against 8 AC ones. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad "I tried booking a sleeper ticket to Srikakulam for ₹435 but found none. The only option left was 3-tier AC at ₹1,175," said N Sudha, a private bank employee, adding that: "For middle-class families, this hits hard." A member of the divisional railway users consultative committee (Hyderabad) added: "AC travel isn't viable all year, especially in winter. Yet, many special trains run with empty AC berths while sleeper travellers struggle. The railways should ideally maintain a balanced 8:8 ratio of sleeper and AC coaches." Railway officials, however, say the move is driven by rising demand for AC travel. "Many passengers prefer the comfort of air-conditioning, especially over long distances," a senior official said. But most of the passengers argue this comfort comes at a cost of accessibility. With sleeper berths shrinking, the common traveller is left standing or paying triple.
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- The Hindu
Thieves attempt robbery in Visakha Express train at Piduguralla, railway police open fire
Robbers made a vain bid to loot passengers in Bhubaneswar-Secunderabad Visakha Express train at around 3 a.m. on Sunday (June 29, 2025.) Alert Government Railway Police (GRP), who were on escort duty in the train opened fire on the thieves and prevented the offence. The GRP, Palnadu district and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) police launched a hunt to nab the thieves, who escaped into the nearby villages. RPF Assistant Security Commissioner B. Sailesh Kumar, who visited the spot said when the train reached Tummalapalem village two robbers pulled chain in S1 coach and tried to stop the train. Nadikudi GRP SI Venkatadri, who noticed thieves opened fire and chased them. 'Other members of the robber gang who were waiting near the tracks pelted stones. When another constable too opened fire along with the SI, the thieves escaped into the dark,' Guntur Deputy Superintendent of Railway Police (DSRP) Akkeswara Rao said. 'After the robbery attempt, the train was stopped for 17 minutes at Tummalapalem village. Efforts are on nab the thieves. Police opened nine rounds of fire on the gang,' Mr. Sailesh Kumar told The Hindu. 'This is the second robbery attempt on Pidiguralla-Nadikudi area in just five days. Thieves attempted to rob passengers in S4 bogie in Visakha-Charlapalli Special train two days ago by pulling the chain,' the Assistant Security Commissioner said.
