The three Shatabdi trains which resumed their services on the Delhi-Chandigarh route are yet to achieve 100 percent occupancy of the pre-pandemic days, a report said. The railway officials of Chandigarh railway station said that only 75 to 89 percent of seats are being filled in Shatabdi. They listed various reasons behind the dip in occupancy of seats on the trains. According to them, the culture of work from home in many private companies, suspension of physical classes in schools, and the looming threat of the Covid-19 third wave could be the reasons behind this.
Since June 21, the Indian Railways have resumed the services of three Shatabdi trains — New Delhi Shatabdi Special, Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi Special, and Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi Special. Their services were suspended in May in view of the second wave of coronavirus.
The report published in Indian Express said the occupancy rate was higher when trains leave from Delhi to Kalka and Chandigarh as compared to their departure from Kalka or Chandigarh to Delhi.
There are 1,092 AC chair car seats on the Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi Special while the number of executive class seats is 112. The New Delhi Shatabdi Special has a total of 1,014 AC chair car seats with 112 executive class seats. The Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi special has a total of 702 AC chair car seats and 56 executive class seats.
GM Singh, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ambala confirmed that the Shatabdis are yet to achieve 100 percent occupancy like pre-Covid days due to various reasons. He said people are not preferring to travel for tourism amid the looming threat of the third wave of coronavirus.
“Earlier, the occupancies increased especially on the weekends when people prefer to travel to their house,” Singh was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. Singh is hopeful that the situation will improve in the coming days.
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