6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Vande Bharat: Tissues used to plug leaks, but what about the issues?
HYDERABAD: Passengers travelling on the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 20704) from Yeshwantpur to Kacheguda on Friday evening reported water leakage from the air-conditioning units. Complaints were raised with the concerned staff, but no action was taken until now.
According to a service provider on board, the leakage occurs when the temperature is set too low, with the problem reportedly affecting even the pilot's cabin.
Speaking to TNIE, Vijayaraghavan, a retired government employee travelling from Anantapur to Kacheguda in the C13 AC Chair Car, said, 'It is pathetic to see Vande Bharat facing such issues. We have paid more than `1,000 for this journey. The service providers keep moving from one side to the other, but no one is addressing the issue.' When another drop of water fell on his head, he added, 'It is abhishekam'.
When TNIE visited the nearby coaches C12, C11, C10, and C9, it observed tissue papers placed at certain leakage points to control dripping water. However, this measure proved ineffective, leaving passengers to travel in discomfort.
'The leakage from AC units happens when the temperature is set too low. This issue has been persisting for a very long time, but no measures have been taken so far, despite repeated complaints to our higher officials. They just fix tissues, not the issue,' said a service provider on board.
He explained that the same condition exists in the pilot's cabin, while executive chair car coaches remain unaffected, with zero issues, on Friday evening.
Another passenger, speaking to this newspaper, complained about the water dripping issue using the 'At Your Service' complaint number. The officials who answered the call said that an onboard service provider would check the problem, but it was not resolved.
'The train was already delayed by more than an hour, and now water is dripping from above. At first, it happened once every 15 minutes, but as time passed, it began dripping very frequently. Is this what we are paying for?' asked the passenger.
When SCR officials were contacted regarding the issue, they responded that it is because of excessive cooling of the condenser, which also depends on the outside temperature. They stated that the issue has been brought to notice, the concerned officials have been sensitised in this regard, and the coach is under observation.
