New Delhi: Trains running at a speed of 130 km or more on certain routes of the railway network will have only air-conditioned coaches in the near future. This information was given by an official on Sunday. Railway Ministry spokesman D.J. Narayan said that the ticket price in such trains would be affordable.
He clarified that it should not be misconstrued that all non-air-conditioned coaches will be made AC coaches. Currently, Mail Express trains on most routes have a speed of 110 km / h.
Premium trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto run at a speed of 120 km per hour. Officials said that coaches of such trains are suitable for running at speeds above 130 km per hour.
Narayan said, wherever the train speed is going to exceed 130 mph, AC coaches have become a technical necessity. The golden quadrilateral and diagonal tracks are being upgraded in such a way that trains can be operated at speeds ranging from 130 km to 160 km per hour. Air-conditioned coaches will be installed in trains that will run at speeds ranging from 130 to 160 kilometers per hour.
He said non-air-conditioned coaches would be engaged in trains that run at a speed of 110 km per hour. Narayan said it will be ensured that the rate of the ticket in the converted AC coach is affordable for the passengers, convenience and comfort are manifold and travel time is cut significantly.
He said that the prototype of such an AC coach is being prepared at the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala and should be ready in a few weeks.
He said, currently 83 berth coaches are being designed. There are plans to make 100 such coaches this year and 200 coaches to be made next year. These coaches will be evaluated and further progress will be made based on the experience gained from operating these coaches. Officials said that the new AC coaches will be cheaper and their ticket rate will be between AC Three and Sleeper Coach.
