Title - Polls derail commissioning of double-decker

Celebrating the 160th anniversary of passenger train service in the country without much fanfare, officials from the South Western Railways (SWR), on Tuesday said that the double-decker AC train between Bangalore and Chennai, which was to add to its achievements, could not be commissioned before mid-May.

The train, pegged to be South India’s first double-decker AC train, was first brought to Bangalore on a trial run on February 24 and was supposed to be commissioned by the end of last month.

The commissioning of the train was announced in the 2012-13 Railway Budget. An SWR official said: “There has been no decision on when the commissioning is scheduled.”

Another official said that the commissioning has been postponed mainly due to the model code on conduct for the Assembly elections. It is likely to be done in mid-May.
“We have a series of functions marking the annual Railway week which is generally publicised, as it involves showcasing our achievements. But permission to do it has been denied this year and we are having a quiet celebration,” the official said