The fully air-conditioned 22666/22665 Coimbatore-KSR Bengaluru-Coimbatore Uday Express was flagged off at the Coimbatore junction by Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain on Friday.
This becomes the second double decker AC train in Tamil Nadu next to the one on the Chennai - Bengaluru section.
The train has 10 coaches including two power cars with brake vans. Three coaches with pantry facility have the seating capacity of 104 and other five coaches have the seating capacity of 120.
As many as 150 passengers travelled in the inaugural train, which left at about 10.30 a.m. All the coaches of the train will be fully manned by women ticket checking staff.
Mr. Gohain said that the NDA Government had fulfilled the demand of Coimbatoreans as the Uday Express was announced in the 2016 Railway budget.
The Minister said that a premium automated parking management system, multi-level two-wheeler lot, widening of platform 1A, water recycling plant, food plaza at the main entry concourse and additional lifts and escalators for platforms 1 and 2 were in the offing at the Coimbatore junction.
Allocation
Addressing at the function, Union Minister of State for Finance and Ports Pon Radhakrishnan said that the NDA Government allocated ₹ 1,898 crore for various railway projects every year from 2014-18 against the ₹ 879 crore allocated by the previous UPA Government. Mr. Radhakrishnan added that Coimbatore would get a bus port, a unique project, and lands had been identified for it.
Rajya Sabha MP A.K. Selvaraj and Coimbatore Lok Sabha MP P. Nagarajan urged the Railway Minister to operate an overnight train on the Coimbatore-Bengaluru-Coimbatore sector. Southern Railway General Manager R.K. Kulshrestha and Salem Divisional Railway Manager U. Subba Rao took part.
