Southern Railway to generate 13,500 additional seats across 51 pair of trains

CHENNAI: The Southern Railway has launched dedicated efforts to generate 13,500 additional seats across 51 pairs of train.

A release here said 7,900 additional seats will be added for general passengers in 24 pairs of train standardized with LHB rake and four General Second Class Coaches.

It said 27 more train Pairs will be upgraded by the end of this year adding 5,600 seats for General Class travellers.

The Southern Railway has also launched significant initiatives to enhance passenger safety and comfort by introducing modern Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches and standardizing trains with four General Second Class Coaches each.

These efforts are focused on meeting the growing demand for safe and comfortable travel, particularly benefiting general passengers and to clear waiting lists.

Indian Railways is set to ease the daily travel for over one lakh passengers by adding 1,000 new general coaches to 370 trains by the end of November 2024.

Already, 583 coaches have been deployed in various trains across the country, with the remaining coaches to follow shortly.

To achieve this target of Indian Railways, Southern Railway on its part, has successfully standardized 24 train pairs with LHB rakes with 4 General Class Coaches in each train, generating an enhanced seating capacity for 7,900 passengers.

This included the inclusion of 79 General Second Class coaches, known for their advanced safety features and superior riding comfort.

To name a few, some of the popular trains now equipped with LHB coaches and standardised with

four General Second Class coaches included Train No. 12621/12622 Dr MGR Chennai Central - New Delhi - Dr MGR Chennai Central Express,

Train No. 12685/12686 Dr MGR Chennai Central - Mangaluru - Dr MGR Chennai Express,

Train No. 20601/20602 Dr MGR Chennai Central - Bodinayakkanur - Dr MGR Chennai Express,

Train No. 12693/12694 Tuticorin - Chennai Egmore - Tuticorin Express,

Train No. 12665/12666 Kanniyakumari - Howrah - Kanniyakumari Express,

Train No. 16338/16337 Ernakulam - Okha - Ernakulam Express,

Train No. 12617/12618 Ernakulam - Hazrat Nizamuddin - Ernakulam Mangala Lakshadweep Express and

Train No. 22648/22647 Kochuveli - Korba - Kochuveli Express.

Further, by December 2024, 27 more train pairs will be standardized with the addition of 56 LHB coaches, benefiting an additional 5,600 passengers.

Apart from easing the daily travel for over one lakh passengers by adding 1,000 new coaches, in a more ambitious move, Indian Railways plans to introduce 10,000 non-AC coaches over the next two years, further boosting capacity to accommodate over eight lakh additional passengers daily.

These initiatives are being supported by manufacturing units like the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and the Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala, which are working tirelessly to meet the deadlines. The focus on LHB coaches ensures advanced safety standards and a better travel experience.

Through these transformative measures, Southern Railway and Indian Railways are committed to meeting the growing needs of passengers and ensuring safer, more efficient journeys for millions of rail users every day.