By Milan Sharma: Amid an uproar on social media on the condition of sleeper coaches in trains, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam has written a letter to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, claiming that the government was prioritising “luxury trains” like Vande Bharat over general trains.

Viswam said the aim of writing the letter is to “put a spotlight on the plight of millions of general class railway passengers.”

The letter comes on the heels of a slew of images and videos which have gone viral on social media showing the condition of sleeper coaches.

ALSO READ | Vande Bharat Express train trial begins on Mumbai-Goa route

In the photos shared by the passengers in recent days, people can be seen sleeping, sitting in the aisle, leaving no space for other passengers to move around.

Passengers have also complained about overcrowded coaches as well as the dilapidated condition of toilets, fans and berths of the trains.

“The priorities of government seem to have shifted in the past few years, where luxury trains like the Vande Bharat series are being prioritised at the cost of the general class trains connecting rural and suburban areas. Maintenance and upkeep of the existing passenger trains and general coaches is dismal making travel difficult,” the letter stated.

ALSO READ | Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express to get faster by 15 min, bigger from tomorrow. Details here

“People from all regions of the country, especially from the South and the North East, are regularly communicating to me on increasing difficulties of general class passengers. The number of general coaches in trains have been drastically reduced and general trains are in dire need of upkeep and maintenance. Gaps in frequency of passenger trains is resulting in overcrowding making travel troublesome and claustrophobic affecting the wellbeing of commuters,” Viswam said in the letter.

The CPI MP further said, “Lacklustre upkeep of fans and toilets in trains makes travel difficult and suffocating, especially during summer. Trains connecting suburban and rural areas to cities are lacking in numbers. The charges of tickets are on a steady increase but the passengers have received no additional facilities.”

“While introduction of special trains connecting cities like Vande Bharat is welcome, the Ministry of Railways must ensure quality travel to last-mile locations too for the benefit of common people, who need affordable travel more than anyone else,” he noted.

The CPI MP urged the Railway Minister to increase the number of general coaches in trains and make sustainable plans for their regular upkeep.

The letter read, “Therefore, I urge you to increase the number of general coaches in trains and make sustainable plans for their regular upkeep to ensure hygienic and troublefree travel. I also request you to introduce more trains to suburban and rural parts giving affordable mobility to the common people of the country.”

ALSO READ | Rajasthan: Cow, hit by Vande Bharat train, falls on man peeing on tracks, killing him