Fate of many AC DD rakes is pitiable like (except DSR-JP and BCT-ADI):
IND-BPL AC DD , IND-HBJ AC DD both ran with only 3 coaches and stopped and now running on Mumbai-Goa Route without much success with only 8 coaches
HWH-Dhanbad the first AC DD Express rake still biting dust in yards
Kacheguda-Guntur AC DD Discontinued for lack of patronage
Kacheguda...
more... - Tirupaty AC DD Discontinued for lack of patronage
Chennai-Bangalore AC DD hardly sustaining with only 8 coaches i.e. curtailed rake is being operated .(2 coaches withdrawn for want of passengers)
LKO-Delhi AC DD same as above
Mumbai-Gao AC DD barely managing with 9 coaches
About five years ago first AC DD was introduced and they still continue to bleed Indian Railways. It is high time to take big steps to stop the loss which IR can ill afford to bear further .
Above facts give a clear indication, need of the hour is to use these DD coaches to replace ac chair cars in highly patronised trains like DElhi-ASR, Delhi-LKO, Delhi-Chandigarh/ Delhi-BPL BCT-ADI Shatabdis, Karnavati Express etc to create additional capacity and additional revenue. Running them as a poorly patronised DD AC brand express trains is leading to wastage of precious line capacity and that too on super saturated trunk routes. Craze of running AC DD brand of trains is proving costly for IRlys.
Alternatively second class DD coaches and ac executive chair car may be attached to above AC DD rakes in order to attract traffic.