Media Release

Udupi, Mar 12: MP for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency, Kota Srinivas Poojary, met with the Union Minister of State for Railways, V. Somanna, to address concerns regarding the integration of old and new LHB coaches in the Matsyagandha Express. The MP highlighted that the railway department had combined newly manufactured 2024 LHB coaches with older 2020 LHB coaches, which led to passenger complaints.

“The mixing of new and old coaches has been causing discomfort to passengers. I request the concerned zonal railways to ensure that only the newly built 2024 coaches are used for all trips of the Matsyagandha Express,” Poojary said.

In response, the minister gave a positive assurance that the issue would be looked into promptly.

The prestigious Matsyagandha Express, connecting the coastal region to Mumbai, was upgraded to LHB coaches starting February 17, 2024, enhancing passenger safety and comfort. However, due to the arrangement linking the two rakes of the Matsyagandha Express with another train operating between Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, some trips of the Matsyagandha Express have included older 2020 LHB coaches alongside the new ones.

Passenger complaints regarding these older coaches were shared widely on various social media platforms, eventually reaching the MP.

In response, MP Poojary had already raised the issue with the concerned railway authorities and later met the minister to seek a resolution. He urged that only the latest coaches be used for the Matsyagandha Express and requested that the practice of mixing old and new coaches be stopped.

Following this meeting, the minister directed Southern Railway, which manages the Matsyagandha Express, to take immediate action to resolve the issue. MP Poojary conveyed this development through an official press release.