Comfort With Qualms

The new AC EMU is an impressive step to escape the searing heat and exhaustion, but commuters are sceptical about its affordability, inclusivity, and frequency

- RAKSHITHA PRIYA G

From Tirupati, expressed his concerns about the facilities. "The seating should be changed to cushioned ones, and the announcement volume should also be reduced. But, this experience, compared to the local train, is definitely better," he said. Another regular commuter, Sashank, said that a control panel to adjust the AC temperatures would be a good addition to the EMU.

A visible difference with the AC EMUs is the absence of coaches for vendors and persons with disabilities. This raises the question of inclusivity when the commuters pay six times the normal fare. "General vendors aren't travelling much in the AC trains, fearing the costs," said Senthil Kumaran, a junior engineer in the Signals and Telecommunication Department of Southern Railways.

On the lack of disabled-friendly initiatives in the AC EMUs, Aiswarya Rajyalaxmi, director, Better World Shelter, opined, "Having one coach specifically for disabled-friendly in the MRTS, is not a feasible solution. Instead, make the entire train disabled-friendly like height of the train, width of the distance between the train and the platform. When I, as a disabled user, want to go on a train, I want to be able to use it, that is a fair thing to ask."