SCR cancels Kacheguda-Guntur double-decker

Faced with poor patronage, the South Central Railway (SCR) on Monday announced that it was cancelling from November 14 the two air-conditioned double-decker express trains that run from Kacheguda to Guntur and Tirupati.

After making an announcement in the Railway Budget of 2014-15 and starting operations amid fanfare on May 13 and 14, 2014, respectively, train Nos. 22118/22117 between Kacheguda and Guntur and Nos. 22120/22119 to Tirupati and back stood cancelled, a press release said.

From Day One of their introduction, passengers found the seats uncomfortable for the long journeys to Guntur and Tirupati and remaining very poor, occupancy ratio dipped to single digit.

Following this scenario and after taking the opinion of people’s representatives and others in the Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee, the SCR wrote to the Railway Board seeking permission to cancel these services.

Accordingly, the services have been cancelled.