Humsafar Express, one of the new AC trains announced by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in his Rail Budget speech this year, may see the light of the day in the coming months. The train, that has been proposed as a fully air-conditioned three-tier service, was announced as one of the three trains (Tejas, UDAY and Humsafar) for the reserved passengers. The train’s coaches are currently under construction at the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) Kapurthala. The final touches to the rakes are being given.
So, what is special about the Humsafar Express? How will it differ from any other AC 3-tier train? Officials at RCF Kapurthala told FE Online that the train’s seats will be much more comfortable compared to others in the category. “The seats have been provided with better padding, and are therefore more comfortable,” they said. Yet another feature that will bring cheer to passengers is the provision for more mobile and laptop charging points in the train. “This fully air-conditioned LCB (Linke Hofmann Busch) 3-tier coach train will have all display boards that will also have braille facility for the visually impaired,” the officials elaborate.
Humsafar Express: Watch this exclusive preview of the coaches
Other features of the proposed train include CCTVs, fire and smoke detection systems and bio-toilets in all coaches. The coaches will also boast of a vinyl coating on their exterior front. Still more features may be added to the coaches to ensure enhanced comfort of the passengers.
The Humsafar Express will also have an optional service for meals. Prabhu, in his Rail Budget speech, had said, that Humsafar and Tejas trains will ensure cost recovery by way of tariff and non-tariff measures.
While the coaches of Tejas, a train which will boast of 22 new features, are also being constructed at RCF Kapurthala, Antyodaya Express (superfast trains for unreserved passengers) and UDAY (Utkrisht Double-Decker Air-conditioned Yatri) are at design stages. Orders for Antyodaya rakes have also been placed with Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai. ICF has already delivered Deen Dayalu coaches, another announcement of the rail budget, that have several modern features such as aquaguard water and cushioned luggage racks for the general class.
