New trains to cut Metro travel time; Ridership to touch 28,000 on Phase III

NEW DELHI: The first double-decker train, to be introduced between Delhi and Jaipur, will be finally running on the tracks within the next two months before presentation of the railway budget.

The train that was to make its maiden journey in July last year was delayed by several months after the Howrah-Dhanbad prototype being run by the eastern railway faced technical snags. This train, though, is now running without a hitch prompting northern railway to take the plunge.

"We are planning a trial run from February after which we plan to start operations from March,'' said S K Sharma, CPRO (northern railway).

Sources said the railway safety commissioner is yet to give a go-ahead.

The trial run of the new coaches from Kapurthala is also yet to begin. S K Budhalakoti, general manager, northern railway, said, "The date of inauguration of the train will be announced shortly. It will definitely run before March 31, 2012." Having only AC chair-cars, the train will leave Delhi at 5.35pm and reach Jaipur by 10.05pm, stopping at Gurgaon and Delhi Cantonment. On its way back, it will depart from Jaipur at 6am.Tourists and businesspersons are expected to benefit from this service, the sources said.

Railway sources said the prototype of the country's first AC double-decker passenger coach carries 70% more people than conventional coaches. Double-decker coaches, which will have 128 seats, are expected to be introduced in Yuva and Shatabdi class by the end of this year after undergoing extensive trials.

The futuristic high-speed, stainless steel AC coaches would be introduced to cater to the heavy rush of commuters in high-density corridors offering AC travel at a low cost. A totally new coach design capable of running at a speed of 160 km/hr was developed by RCF engineers in tandem with Research Design and Standard Organization ( RDSO) and Kapurthala rail coach factory within just nine months.

Double-decker coaches, which only have seating arrangements, will be about one to one-and-a-half feet taller than conventional ones and ten inches higher from the ground level. Designed with new-age features including sliding doors, the coach rolled out by railway coach factory, Kapurthala, has been provided with enough space for passengers to sit comfortably.