Thiruvananthapuram: Complaints are rife that the seats in the new second-class chair car coaches in the Thiruvananthapuram - Kannur Jan Shatabdi Express are not suitable for long-distance journeys. The passengers point out that the old coaches of the train had seats with footrests and handrests, reports Manorama Online. Besides, unlike the old coaches, the new coaches do not have pushback seats that offer a comfortable travelling experience. The railway, meanwhile, has stopped building the special coaches for the Jan Shatabdi Express. Now, the old coaches are replaced with regular second-class coaches. The authorities said similar coaches are also allotted for the mail and express trains. Passengers say the Railway Board need to instruct the coach factories to build special Jan Shatabdi coaches in case there should be any changes in the design. Besides, the Railway Board prepares the annual plan for the production of coaches. Meanwhile, there have been complaints that the production of coaches for other trains, including MEMU, has significantly decreased as the coach factories have been fully immersed in building the Vande Bharat coaches for the last few years.
The changes in the new coaches
When they were rolled out, the authorities said that the new Jan Shatabdi coaches had updated German Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) technology, better and faster fans, more space, and were leak-free. The windows were also apparently improved, and the coaches had better safety features to protect passengers in collisions or accidents. Regardless, passengers had noted that the armrests and cup holders for hot beverages, which were present in the previous coaches, should be re-introduced in the new coaches, too.