Just within a week of its upgrade, objects worth Rs 43,000 have been stolen from the Pragati Express

The Mumbai-Pune Pragati Express, which recently became the first Central Railway train to get a swanky upgrade under Project Utkrisht, has already been defiled! Within a week of its upgrade, objects worth Rs 43,000 have been stolen from the Pragati Express, states an HT report. Mumbai-Pune Pragati Express is a daily intercity express train plying between Pune and Mumbai through Panvel and covers the distance of 189 km in 3 hours and 25 minutes. Under Project Utkrisht of Indian Railways, the interiors and exteriors of the train were upgraded. The revamped train was put into service from November 4.

According to the report, 28 steel taps from washrooms, eight wooden frame mirrors, three mobile holders, 25 faucet holders and other things went missing from the train. Objects worth Rs 43,000 have been stolen till now. Reportedly, passengers have also stolen 16 steel dustbins, four logo stickers of Utkrisht Express besides destroying new tiles of the washroom floors of the express train.

Pragati Express was revamped with anti-graffiti vinyl wrapping, braille stickers, heath faucets, pipes, wooden frame mirrors, steel luggage racks, roller curtains, passenger information system and acrylic mobile holders in every coach. Sunil Adasi, Central Railway’s Chief Public Relation Officer was quoted in the report saying that they are trying their best to provide the best modern amenities and services to the passengers. He also appealed to the passengers to not just utilise the amenities, but also maintain them.

Earlier, the passengers stole objects and damaged the LCD screens on Tejas Express which plies on the Mumbai-Goa route. These damages and rampant thefts are now a common phenomenon as the story remains the same across all zonal railway networks in the country. In the last fiscal year, Indian Railways passengers were suspected to have made away with 21,72,246 bedroll items specifically, including 12,83,415 hand towels, 4,71,077 bed sheets and 3,14,952 pillow covers from several trains. It was reported that the total estimated cost of all the missing items was worth over Rs 14 crore.