With an aim to tap the tourism market, Indian Railways is coming up with a new, state-of-the-art train which will have a glass ceiling and an infotainment centre. “The basic objective behind such a project is to promote tourism and woo upscale tourists from both India and abroad,” said Dr A K Manocha, CMD, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The construction of the coaches started in 2015, which are designed by IRCTC, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), and Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Perumbur.
The first such coach is all set to roll out this month (October) itself, revealed Dham Ghaj Prasad, group general manager (infrastructure), IRCTC. Whereas, another three coaches will be rolled out in December this year.
“The first coach will be tagged in a regular train in the Kashmir Valley while the other two will be part of some train careening through the picturesque Araku Valley (K K Line, Waltair station) on the South-Eastern Railway. There are some trains with glass ceiling in foreign countries, like Switzerland, which enjoy the patronage of tourists. We believe such coaches would also give a fillip to rail tourism in India,” added Manocha. He also said that other trains having coaches with aerial view will be decided later.
The manufacturing cost of a single coach is INR four crore. The coaches will be “ultra-luxurious” with rotatable chairs and large leg-room to provide the passengers an aerial view through partly glass ceiling.
