Central Railway introduces a few changes to Mumbai-bound Duronto Express. CR has replaced six of its sleeper coaches with third air-conditioned coaches leaving the express with just two sleeper coaches.
The move is going to blow a big hole in the pockets of middle-class travellers for whom sleeper class is the only choice.
Since inception, the train has been running jampacked, but post change in composition, now third air-conditioned coaches are half empty as availability is much more than demand. Given the fact that Indians, and that too marginal and middle class, do not have deep pockets; sleeper coach is the most preferred mode of travel. But, Central Government has decided to ram down the new policy and sleeper coaches that used to range from eight to ten in Mail/Express trains are being replaced with third AC coaches.
Mumbai Duronto and its pair train to Nagpur runs with a composition of 22 bogies and it previously had eight sleeper coaches that provided ample cushion to those who could not afford to travel in air-conditioned coaches. Now as decided by Board, the sleeper coaches, also called economy coaches, are replaced with third air-conditioned coaches, putting the common man in the spot.