New coaches, to be introduced in Shatabdis, will have enhanced interiors and facilities
‘Anubhuti’ coaches with more facilities would be introduced in Shatabdi trains at the earliest and the ticket-pricing was being worked out, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told a select group of journalists.
Mr. Bansal said he relied on his personal experience for the introduction of ‘Anubhuti’ coaches. While interacting with passengers in the Shatabdi from Chandigarh to New Delhi, a lady, irked by incessant chattering of people around, walked up to him and pleaded for a quiet coach. She was willing to pay double the executive class fare. But a gentleman felt it was a bit too heavy on the pocket and proposed a 50 per cent hike in the fare for better services.
“I think the gentleman’s proposal is more acceptable. It [still] shows people are willing to pay for better services,” Mr. Bansal said.
The Chandigarh-Delhi Executive Class fare is about Rs. 1,000, which means the Railways are at looking at pricing the ‘Anubhuti’ experience at Rs. 1,500 to meet the added construction cost of the coach that will have the proposed facilities.
While the cost of making an Executive Class coach is Rs. 2 crore, the additional cost of for an ‘Anubhuti coach’ is estimated at Rs. 30 lakh. Fitted with automatic doors, the interiors and lighting arrangements will be aesthetically designed to enhance the ambience.
Free Internet
The coach will accommodate 50 passengers, six less than the Executive Class seats. Free Internet and improved catering services will be made available.
All Shatabdis will be provided with ‘Anubhuti’ coaches in due course; however, only one Shatabdi will get the coach in a particular sectorAccording to sources, the speed of the Shatabdi is likely to be increased. So the hiked fare for the ‘Anubhuti’ coaches may well be worth the premium.
Such experiences could be availed eventually in the Rajdhanis, Durontos and other superfast trains. These coaches will be manufactured at Rae Bareli and Kapurthala.
Mr. Bansal said efforts were on to facilitate ticket-booking through phone and SMS, which, in the long run, would eliminate the need to book through the Internet and at counters, thereby shutting out touts.
The process would reduce need to book tickets months in advance — this would save passengers harassment as well as improve the system by reducing the load on the system.
Keywords: Anubhuti coaches, Pawan Kumar Bansal, railway ticket-pricing
Indian Railway should also concentrate more on their website and their always busy servers so that atleast people can book the tickets online easily mainly during tatkaal duration.Appreciate the new coach though. Hope it maintains.
Mr. Bansal should travel in general coach at least once in his
ministerial ship , then he will realize what needs more attention.
Its high time that the infrastructure of the Railways is improved.How long can we be using those of british times which doesnt even provide a decent service.Introduction of these new passenger and express trains is a good move.
Considering the chaos these days in premium coaches of rajdhani and
shatabdi it's a welcome move.
We need more good trains and good rail infrastructure in Tamilnadu. Year after year Tamilnadu is being singled out with no improvements to service or double lines or even decent rail coaches. We order the Central Government to improve train services and experience in Tamilnadu.
A very, very sad observation one can make is that while a section of people - the
"ladies" and "gentlemen" get coaches with special ambience on request, a large
section that travels by General bogeys in most trains have to travel in inhuman
conditions, squatting on the floor, having to pay the coolies money for "saving" them
a seat, unable to go to the toilet for fear that the seat will be taken by the time they
get back, mothers putting babies underneath the seats, the smell of sweat, drunken
men, TTEs who treat you like rats- it's all happening, maybe the Minister could travel
a night by general to see what life is like.
How does it matter how so called 'luxuriously' one travels when the
train runs at the pace of a bullock cart? Better look at improving the
infrastructure and provide faster trains and take lessons from countries
like China. But it seems far - fetched because the our minds always fall
to the gimmicks of the government which are of no value at all. No
wonder India is and always will be a 'developing' nation.
Mr PK Bansal has travelled in only sadhabdi express to ascertain the
passengers view about increasing the rail fare. Generally in shadabdi
all rich persons are only travelling. He should have travelled in a
sleeper coach of a train in particularly Howrah to Chennai bound
trains. Then he come to know about the passengers fate. In a sleeper
coach as against 72 berths, more than 100 passengers are
travelling.When approached TTEs they say in each coach approx 50
waitlisted passengers are there what we have to do. Atleast Govt
should think to stop waiitlist tickets to the extent of one coach
ie.72 tickets. if still vacant they can isssue further tickets. I
once again request Hon'ble Minister to travel in a sleeper coach of
Howrah chennai bound train.
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