‘Made in India’ panoramic coaches to replace British-era toy train on Shimla-Kalka heritage track
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The Newz Radar
SHIMLA: In a significant achievement aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, has demonstrated its prowess by manufacturing modern panoramic coaches that rival those of Swiss trains. The General Manager of RCF, Ashish Agrawal, proudly announced this accomplishment while unveiling four semi-vistadome coaches to be sent to the Northern Railway.
These coaches, consisting of one AC executive chair car, one AC chair car, one non-AC chair car and one luggage car, are slated for the second phase of oscillation trials on the Kalka-Shimla heritage track built by the Britishers. Upon successful results, a seven-coach rake will be operational on the route, allowing passengers to traverse the scenic journey at a speed of 25 kmph.
The cost of these world-class coaches, which emulate the Swiss train experience, amounts to approximately one crore rupees per coach. The AC executive coach was manufactured at a cost of Rs 1.13 crore, while the luggage coach was made for Rs 90 lakh, resulting in an average cost of Rs 1 crore for the four coaches.
These state-of-the-art coaches boast a range of amenities and safety features. Notably, they are equipped with upgraded air conditioning systems, power supply, pantry, bio-vacuum toilets, lighting, and flooring. Passengers can enjoy the breathtaking valleys of Shimla through the panoramic wide-view windows and adjust the glass on the roof to avoid direct sunlight. Additionally, the coaches feature modern security provisions such as CCTV cameras and fire alarms.
With a focus on passenger comfort, the coaches have noise and vibration-proofing, anti-ultraviolet coated window glasses, power windows, and doors. The heating-cooling package ACs installed in the coaches ensure a pleasant environment, keeping passengers cool in summer and warm in winter. The interiors are adorned with linear concealed fans, linear LED lights, modular seating, rail-mounted seats with flip banks, luxury seats for executive class, an onboard mini pantry, luggage bins, and inter-car gangways, providing passengers with an international level of comfort.
