Indian Railways is not only going hi-tech but is also on a new trail of offering unheard-of luxuries in its trains to make it compatible to air travel. The latest offering on the cards is the introduction of train hostesses (in line with air hostesses) who will welcome the traveler with a rose and take him to his seat. This facility will soon be available on the soon to be launched Delhi-Agra Gatiman Express - this would be the first train in India to run at a speed of 160 kmph.
This has been reported in
ibnlive.com dated 21 February 2016.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will make necessary announcements about the special features of the first semi-high speed train in the country while presenting the Rail Budget on February 25.
In brief - the train will have a high-power emergency braking system, automatic fire alarm, GPS-based passenger information system and sliding doors in the coaches apart from live TV service as part of infotainment. The catering will also match the standard of airliners. The fare will be 25 per cent higher than Shatabdi Express, and both Indian and continental cuisine will be served - the range will be from wholewheat upma, mini dosa, Kanjeevaram idli,
fresh cut fruits, aloo kulcha with swiss roll to roasted dry fruit and chicken roll. Chicken sausages with Spanish egg white omelette and date walnut slice cakes will also be served in bone china crockery.
AS to the fare - chair car in fully air-conditioned Gatiman Express has been fixed at Rs 690, while a passenger will be required to spend Rs 1,365 for traveling Executive Class. In comparison, the Delhi-Agra Shatabadi Express chair car fare is Rs 540 and Rs 1,040 for Executive Class.
The Gatiman Express will have 12 coaches and, while Shatabdi takes 120 minutes to cover the 200 km distance, Gatiman will do it in 105 minutes. Such trains will subsequently be introduced in 9 more routes including Kanpur-Delhi, Chandigarh-Delhi, Hyderabad-Chennai, Nagpur-Bilaspur, Goa-Mumbai and Nagpur-Secunderabad.
Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org
Some more interesting links -
Industries – the Achilles Heel of Didi (satire)
Lord Shiva does the treadmill as Sarasawti advises students (satire)
Moody & Co to invite Eskimos for the Yoga meet (satire)
Commuters go in for online purchase via smartphones when in packed subways
US and Cuba to restore commercial flights after 50-years
Tea and toast out of fashion in Britain just like fish and chips
Quantum jump for Priyanka Chopra from Quantico to Baywatch
Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood
British actor Tom Hardy could become the new face of James Bond after Daniel Craig
Airstrikes in Syria target schools and hospitals - nearly 50 children killed
F-22 Stealth Bombers of the US fly low over South Korea skies
North Korea plans to carry out terror attacks on South Korea
