Indian Railways‘ on Wednesday conducted the trial run of Vistadome coaches on Kalka – Shimla railway route. These coaches were made at the Kapurthala-based Rail Coach Factory (RCF). In a 30 second video tweeted on social media, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Trial run of Vistadome coaches made at RCF Kapurthala for Kalka – Shimla railway.” The 96 km long railway line was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2009.
Commercial run
It is not still clear about its commercial run, however, it is being expected that the train will be put into service soon.
Train composition
The train will have four coaches – AC Executive Car, AC Chair Car, Non-AC Chair Car, and one power-cum-luggage and guard car. The AC Executive Car will have 12 seats, while AC Chair Car and Non-AC Chair Car will have 24 seats and 30 seats respectively.
Special features
The train is equipped with the latest safety features including installation of CCTVs cameras, fire alarms, braking system etc. The coaches will have a modular seating system, designer LED lights, mini
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Speed
The Vistadome coaches are capable of running at a higher speed from the existing one. Presently, the train runs at a speed of 25 kmph.
Lists of other train plying on Kalka-Shimla route
- Kalka-Shimla Passenger
- Shivalik Deluxe Express Superfast Express
- Kalka-Shimla Mail
- Kalka-Shimla Express/ Himalayan Queen
Last year, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said, “30 Narrow Gauge Vistadome coaches for Kalka Shimla Railway are under manufacture at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala.” The Minister further added that the conversion of 10 narrow gauge coaches into Vistadome coaches are underway at Northeast Frontier Railway. As of August 03, 2022, 33 Vistadome coaches are in operation and attached in 23 pairs of trains across zones.