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Almost a year and a half after reducing the sleeper coaches on the Chennai Central-CSMT Mumbai Express, the Central Railway has now cut the sleeper coach count on another Mumbai-bound train, the Chennai Egmore-CSMT Mumbai Superfast Express. The number of sleeper coaches on this train is being reduced
from 8 to 5 as part of the move to switch from older ICF coaches to newer LHB coaches. The railway authorities have officially approved this change.
New Coach Arrangement
Under the new coach arrangement, effective from January 16, 2026, the total number of sleeper berths will drop from 576 to 400. At the same time, the number of AC two-tier coaches will increase from one to two. With fewer sleeper seats available, passengers may be forced to book AC tickets, which are two to four times more expensive. For example, a sleeper berth from Chennai to Mumbai costs ₹600, while a third AC seat costs ₹1,600 and a second AC berth ₹2,230.
Chennai-Salem Express
Because the Chennai-Salem Express uses the same rake as the Chennai Egmore-CSMT Express, it too will see a reduction in sleeper coaches. The new arrangement will include five sleeper coaches, three third AC coaches, two second AC coaches, and four general coaches.
Central Railway Operations
Earlier, the Central Railway operated the train with 18 ICF coaches, but this has now been replaced with 16 LHB coaches. Rail enthusiast Naveen Chandar mentioned that if the rake is handed over to Southern Railway, they might increase it to 22 coaches, which could bring back more sleeper coaches.
Currently, four daily trains run between Chennai and Mumbai. Two Chennai-LTT trains still have eight sleeper coaches. However, the Chennai Central-CSMT Express had its sleeper count reduced to two last year, pushing passengers toward costlier AC options. Some travellers say a Vande Bharat Sleeper or a daily Rajdhani is needed, but affordable sleeper options must also remain available.
