Deccan Queen Vistadome passengers irked by blocked views, dirty toilets

From missing sunshades to blocked views and deteriorating food quality passengers of the iconic PunendashMumbai Deccan Queen are voicing serious concerns over the condition of the Vistadome coach Several commuters say the coachmdashpopular for its scenic viewsmdashdeserves the same level of maintenance as the premium Vande Bharat Express trainsStarted in 1930 the Deccan Queen holds an emotional place in the hearts of many with a loyal following Even minor complaints are usually addressed swiftly given the iconic status of the trainldquoThe railways should maintain the Vistadome coach better especially considering the high ticket pricesrdquo said senior media professional Pradyuman MaheshwariHe pointed out that Train 12124 now departs from platforms 4 or 5 at Pune station instead of platform 1 ldquoThis is Punersquos flagship trainmdashit deserves pride of place on platform 1 Overcrowding can be controlled with proper platform ticketing The only silver lining is that passengers get some early morning exercise while climbing steps to reach the new platformsrdquo he quippedPradyuman Maheshwari senior media professional right CR CPRO Dr Swapnil NilaOn the Vistadome coach specifically Maheshwari said ldquoItrsquos located at the very end of the train giving a great view when travelling from Pune to Mumbai But on the return journey the coach is placed next to the engine completely blocking the scenic view To make things worse it usually halts at uncovered sections of the CSMT platform which is a nightmare during the monsoonsrdquoHe added that since the coach is not vestibuleconnected passengers canrsquot access other compartments during rain to alight from covered platforms ldquoAll this despite the Vistadome fare being nearly three times the AC chair car Washrooms are filthy and poorly maintainedrdquoAnother sore point is the foodldquoCatering has worsened IRCTC should either privatise the catering or go back to the old railwayrun services Vistadome passengers have to wait for the attendant to fetch food from the pantry coach at LonavalardquoAnother commuter Jatin Bhavsar from Pune said ldquoThere are two key issues mdash one is heat and the other is glass cleaning Cooling the coach in the train 12123 Punebound is a challenge as it becomes very hot due to the glass roof and windows which trap heat The rake spends the entire day parked under the sun in the yard further increasing the temperature inside The railways must pay special attention to cleaning the glass panes of the Deccan Queenrsquos Vistadome coach For a Vistadome coach clear glass is essentialrdquo said Jatin Bhavsar from PuneRailwayrsquos responseResponding to the complaints Central Railwayrsquos Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Swapnil Nila said the Deccan Queen is a premium train and efforts are made to maintain itmdashwith special attention to the vistadome coachOn the change of platform Dr Nila said ldquoPlatform 1 at Pune station is reserved for trains with more than 20 coaches Since the Deccan Queen has only 16 it is now stationed at other platforms to optimise usage Escalators and elevators have been provided for easy accessrdquoAbout the Vistadome halting at uncovered parts of the CSMT platform he said this is why platform extension work is underway across the station to accommodate 24ndash26 coach trains ldquoCSMT is also being upgraded with multiple elevated decks for passenger movementrdquo On the blocked view from the Vistadome during return journeys Dr Nila said the coach will face the engine in one direction due to operational constraints As for the nonvestibuled coach he said it was kept isolated to prevent crowding by passengers from other coachesRegarding food complaints he assured that the issue would be taken up with IRCTCWhat is a Vistadome coachThe Vistadome coach is a special tourismfocused coach with a glass rooftop large windows LED lights rotatable pushback seats GPSbased info systems multiple TV screens automatic sliding doors wide doors for Divyang passengers ceramictiled toilets and a panoramic viewing gallery Itrsquos designed for a premium scenic travel experience mdash but passengers say the reality is falling far short1930Year Deccan Queen was started