Upgradation of Coaches

It is a continual endeavour of Indian Railways (IR) to provide more comfort to passengers during rail travel. Several steps have been taken by IR in this regard, some of which are listed below:-

1. State-of-the-art Train-set Vande Bharat services have been introduced between New Delhi – Varanasi and New Delhi- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. These trains have ultra modern features like quick acceleration, on board infotainment and Global Positioning System (GPS) based passenger information system, automatic sliding doors, retractable footsteps and Zero discharge vacuum bio toilets etc.
2. Various premium train services like Humsafar, Tejas, Antyodaya, Utkrisht Double Decker Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY), Mahamana and coaches like Deen Dayalu and Anubhuti, which have upgraded interiors / exteriors and improved passenger amenities, have been introduced in service in various train services over IR.
3. With a view to provide safer and more comfortable journey to the travelling passengers, it has inter-alia been decided to proliferate / induct Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches and convert trains operating with conventional Integral Coach Factory (ICF) type coaches by LHB coaches, in a phased manner. LHB coaches are technologically superior and have better riding, aesthetics and safety features than conventional ICF type coaches. To this end, Production Units of Indian Railways are producing only LHB coaches from 2018-19 onwards. Presently, 647 pairs of trains on IR system are being operated with LHB coaches.
4. Vistadome coaches provide panoramic view, through wider body side windows as well as through transparent sections in the roof, thus enabling the passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of the places through which they travel. Recently, Vistadome coaches on LHB platform have been manufactured with several modern features and amenities.
5. IR had also launched Project Utkrisht in April 2018 in order to improve the condition of ICF type coaches running in Mail / Express trains. Upgradation of 447 rakes of Mail / Express trains has been completed till December 2020 under Project Utkrisht.
6. Under Project Swarn, 65 rakes of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains have been upgraded across multiple dimensions, which include coach interiors, toilets, onboard cleanliness, staff behaviour, linen, etc.
7. 63 smart coaches with ultra modern features like Smart Public address and passenger information system, Smart HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system), Smart security and surveillance system etc. have been manufactured and introduced in service.
8. Conversion of End-On-Generation (EOG) trains into Head-On-Generation (HOG) trains to reduce noise and air pollution at stations and in trains. It is expected to significantly reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.
9. Conventional lighting in coaches is being replaced with modern and energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights.
10. IR has also been providing increased number of mobile charging points in coaches.

The design of LHB AC General Second Class coaches is under finalization by Research Design and Standards Organisation / Lucknow and design features of the coaches shall be finalized once the layout is frozen. The coaches shall be manufactured by Production Units thereafter.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have already been provided in more than 2,900 coaches. Installation of GPS based Passenger Announcement cum Passenger Information System (PAPIS) in EMU & Kolkata Metro has already been installed. This Passenger Information System informs the passengers regarding the next approaching station through audio announcement on speakers as well as through video display on LED screens simultaneously. Further, newly manufactured EMU / Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) rakes are already equipped with such technology/system. PAPIS system is also available in premium trains like Vande Bharat, Humsafar, Tejas and UDAY Express.

Indian Railways endeavours to gradually proliferate CCTV and PAPIS in more coaches in order to enhance safety & security of passengers. Sanction under Rolling Stock Programme is also available for provision of PAPIS in 19,050 coaches and CCTV in 40,750 coaches under Plan Head-21.

This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.