NOVEMBER 26, 2015
Here’s the Future: Indian Railways’ New Make in India Coaches will Change the Way You Travel!
We have told you about luxury trains before, and you have drooled when you saw pretty trains in Hollywood films. And we are pretty sure that you, like us, have deplored the state of Indian Railway coaches – bugs, cockroaches, torn upholstery, dirrrrrrrty toilets, and these are only a few of the problems that plague our coaches. What if we told you that all that is changing – we are about to get luxurious coaches? And what if we told you that this is all part of Indian Railways’ new Make in India scheme? Don’t believe us? Read on, as we bring you the 7 awesome features of the new avatar of Indian Rail.
1. Bio Toilets
Watching a leading hero walk hand in hand with his lady-love on a rail track, but try doing that in real life, and you’d be more turned off than you can imagine. Why? Er, where do you think the waste goes from the toilets? In an effort to do away with direct discharge of human waste on the railway tracks, Indian Railway’s new Make in India coaches are going to have far, far more eco-friendly Bio toilets. Finally, that dream of walking along the tracks is going to come true, huh? Oh, and every toilet will now come with soaps and dustbins that will be cleared at regular intervals.
2. Spacious, Bigger Side Berths, Jerk-less Seats
The seats are now going to be more spacious, and the side berths have also been given a size upgrade. They will also have tray tables that are not present currently, and the seats have been designed such that they are structurally jerk-less, or at least jerk-resistant. In addition, they will be made of poly-vinyl, making them fire-resistant. In addition, all seats will have water bottle holders next to them so you don’t have to look for a place to keep that Rail Neer bottle
3. No More Chains in the Middle Berths
Under the Indian Railway’s new Make in India scheme, the annoying chains in the middle berths will be replaced with side-support and railings. These are the chains that were used to keep the middle berth in place and dangled from the top berth. While we do not have any clear idea yet about how the middle berth is going to be suspended now, the fact that those chains are being replaced is good enough for us!
4. Better Looking Compartments
The colour scheme of the compartments have been revamped, so now it is going to be a lot more colourful and way brighter than the drab blue we have had all along. More colours have been introduced in seat upholstery and curtains and even the floor of the compartment is going to be painted to resemble a carpet. While carpeting the entire train was not financially feasible, the new paint scheme certainly takes care of the dirty steel look of the current trains
5. Chair Cars Will Have Better Seats
Chair car compartments will now have better, more ergonomic seats with lumbar and arm support and have tables between facing seats to accommodate passengers’ needs. Currently, the most comfortable chair car seats are on the Shatabdi, and under the new scheme, the same level of comfort will be extended to other trains as well.
6. Charging Points
You know how in current trains some charging points don’t work at all and it is a fight getting to a working electrical socket to charge your phone? Well, the fight ends now – these new compartments wil have separate points for charging mobiles and laptops. And as if this wasn’t wonderful enough, seats will now be equipped with LED lights for reading! Oh, yay!
7. Safety
Fire has been a recurring worry for Indian Railways, and the problem is now being tackled with working, quality-tested fire extinguishers at both ends of a compartment. This is to ensure that if fire breaks out at any end of the compartment, there is an extinguisher close at hand to douse it immediately. The extinguishers will be checked regularly to ensure they are not damaged and are in working condition.
We really can’t wait to see the new coaches installed in our trains. And the good news is, it won’t be very long before we get to see them – the trial run of 24 such fully equipped coaches has been successfully completed between the Bhopal and Bina railway stations, and the plan is to manufacure 11 coaches including 87 non AC coaches, 17 coaches for AC 3 tier, five for AC 2 tier and one each for AC 1 tier and chair car coaches. The first set of coaches will be introduced in the ISO-certified trains and Rajdhani Expresses nationwide, and in the phase two of the Indian Railways’ new Make in India scheme, the Coach Rehabilitation Workshop at Nishaputra, Bhopal will make executive chair car class coaches for the Shatabdis.
Sure it will be a while before the aam junta can experience these luxury coaches, but at least the powers that be have made a beginning – and we are waiting with bated breath to check out the new makeover. Are you? Tell us in your comments, and prepare to plan more trips in these swanky new coaches with our online travel itinerary planner!
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