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Train journey for the poor will soon become safer and more comfortable, with the Railways starting to use LHB-platform coaches for Antodaya trains.
Antodaya trains travel long distances, ferrying passengers in fully unreserved second-class coaches.
Most of the existing second-class, unreserved coaches are on the ICF-type platform, and their manufacture has been stopped; the last coach was built in 2017.
ICF (Integrated Coach Factory) coaches, based on a Swiss company’s design, are the conventional coaches produced since 1955. LHB (Linke Hoffmann Busche) coaches — the technology for which was transferred from Germany — are being made in India since the late 1990s.
The LHB-platform coaches provide comfortable seats and the trains are interconnected for easy movement of men and material.
Unreserved travel data
The bulk of the passengers travel unreserved, by ordinary second-class coaches.
Almost 2,990 million of the the total 3,594 million passengers — 83 per cent of non-suburban train users — do not have a reserved seat, according to the Railways’ revised data for fiscal 2018.
“The coaches of these trains — on the LHB-platform — will have a pleasant colour-scheme, cushioned seats and better interiors. Also these trains will have interconnected coaches,” Ravindra Gupta, Member, Rolling Stock, Railway Board, told BusinessLine .
The connected coaches of the newly-designed Antodaya trains are expected to improve the experience of the passengers.
“Interconnected coaches are important as that will allow unreserved passengers to enjoy catering services, and de-board without much problem,” Gupta said.
The crowd can get evened out across coaches.
“These design changes were made on the basis of feedback from passengers, who complained about their inability to move across coaches and the unavailability of food,” said Gupta.
Vendor movement
With the new design, train side catering vendors can serve more travellers. .
“Usually, train side vendors entering a second class unreserved coach are limited to one coach. Passengers in these coaches have to run to the vendors at every station to pick up food,” Gupta said.
Now, coach connectivity will ensure that train side vendors are able to serve across coaches even when the train is running.
“The thought behind making these coaches available was that the poor people should have access to all benefits,” he added.
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