Passengers from south T.N. to get a new travel experience on Vande Bharat Express

An official says rotating seats in executive chair car will help passengers sit in the direction of the train movement; members of a small group can sit facing each other

Option of rotating seats in executive chair car in Vande Bharat Express to 180 degrees gives an altogether new travel experience to passengers | Photo Credit: G. Moorthy

Vande Bharat Express, which will be introduced between Tirunelveli and Chennai Egmore on Sunday, will bring with it a slew of new amenities that will give passengers an altogether new travel experience.

Firstly, it will be one of the quickest trains to cover 652.49 km in less than 8 hours in the main line, thanks to the limited number of coaches and the minimum number of stoppages. The train will run at an overall speed of 83.30 kmph. Vande Bharat rakes do not have parcel vans.

| Video Credit: G. Moorthy

Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar districts are getting the first train with all airconditioned coaches. Madurai is already served by Tejas.

Explaining the new train’s technical superiority, a railway official said Vande Bharat was the first train to have a traction motor in every other coach, which would make it very balanced in terms of its haulage.

“This helps the rake achieve faster acceleration and deceleration. The multiple traction motors will ensure zero-failure of train as it has different levels of back-up traction motors,” he said.

The AC crew cabin looks like a flight pilot cabin. Mechanical parts have been replaced with electronic gadgets with a touchscreen. “It has been ergonomically designed so that all the controls are within the reach of the loco pilot and the assistant loco pilots in their seated position,” the official explained.

Pantograph, traction, brake, coach doors and lights are controlled by touching or pushing buttons.

The AC cabin was a major advantage for the crew members as they were relieved of high-level of noise and hot environment, said a loco pilot.

Better passenger facilities

Vande Bharat rake has 7 AC chair car and one AC executive chair car. While the chair car has five seats in a row (three plus two), the executive chair car has four seats (two plus two). All the seats have push-back facility.

Each seat has got dining trays, bottle and newspaper holders, power sockets and USB ports. The interior of the coaches too have a flight-like look and luggage can be kept only on the overhead rack.

While seats of chair car coaches are fixed, those of executive chair car can be rotated 180 degrees. “This will help the passengers sit in the direction of the train movement. Besides, members of a small group can sit facing each other,” a railway official said.

All the coaches have emergency alarm and talk-back equipment which allows passengers to talk directly to the loco pilot with the press of a button.

Electronic display boards, besides public address system, make announcements about the next station and provide contact numbers of railway staff who can be contacted during emergency.

All the coaches and the vestibule areas have got CCTV cameras and their visuals can be viewed at the crew cabin.

The coaches have got smoke/fire detection equipment and fire extinguishers. The toilets (western and Indian) have been provided with aerosol fire extinguishers.

“Vande Bharat rakes have bio-vacuum toilets which sucks the waste quickly and helps better flushing,” the official added.

The vestibule areas have the toilets, including the ones for physically challenged.

A new feature available here is the baby seat with belts. “Passengers coming alone can safely make the infants sit on the seat when they use the toilet,” a railway employee said.