Ganapathi Bhat
The high-speed, semi-luxurious Tejas Express between Mumbai and Goa boasts of automatic doors, closed-circuit television (CCTV), entertainment screen for each seat, touch-free bathroom tap, headphones, Wifi and beverage vending machine among others. It is one of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s ambitious projects which hopes to minimize travel duration with maximum comfort.
When the luxurious train arrived at the Mumbai’s CST station readying for its maiden run, some windows of the train were stoned and their glasses broken. There were dents on the body of the train which, by all means, was the handiwork of “stone-pelters” of a different kind. However, the officials were in for a ruder shock when the train returned from its May 22 debut journey: there were scratches on many liquid-crystal display (LCD) screens, some buttons of the screens were disfigured, lot of headphones were missing and toilets were not flushed adequately enough leaving a messy stink. There were, according to the authorities, attempts to “steal” the infotainment screens themselves. A mind-boggling 337 headphones, costing Rs 200 each, were missing after 4 train trips.
The authorities have replaced the earphones with cheaper ones and rightly so. If a passenger is not so tech-savvy, and is in the dark about correct utilisation of services, there is nothing wrong in asking for guidance from the co-passengers and train attenders. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Service (IRCTC)’s move to keep a record of earphones seems to have worked with lesser reports of “theft” reported thereafter. The train travel come for a price, and obviously the Railways would indirectly recover the loss from the passengers. The government alone can do precious little in maintaining the trains without active public participation. It is incumbent upon the passengers to treat the trains like their own dwellings.
Destruction of high-end facilities on trains point to prejudicial mindsets which should change for the better. Yes, our trains are not “perfection personified” as evidenced by the poor food served on many routes. But then, what much can we expect of the Railways when its benefactors do not seem to be bothered about the trains’ upkeep?
