Indian Railways completes speed trial of Vistadome coach
Indian Railways has successfully completed the 180kmph trial run of the new Vistadome tourist coaches, minister of railways Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. Goyal shared pictures of the luxurious coach, manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, on Twitter
“Ending the Year on a Great Note: Indian Railways’ successfully completed 180 kmph speed trial of new design Vistadome tourist coach. These coaches will make train journeys memorable for the passengers & give further boost to tourism,” Goyal wrote.
Mostly run on India’s tourist and scenic rail routes, the Vistadome coaches are made with see-through glass rooftops and wide windows that offer a panoramic view especially built for the indulgent sightseeing experience. Indian Railways has 13 Vistadome coaches that are currently operational in select routes in India, namely, Dadar and Madgaon, Araku Valley, Kashmir Valley, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway, Matheran Hill Railway and Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
Along with observation windows at one end, the coaches are also fitted with controlled opalescence in glass roof lookout, rotatable seats, passenger information system, automatic sliding doors, a mini pantry and wide doors for persons with disabilities, according to the railways ministry. The cost of manufacturing a single Vistadome coach is approximately ₹4 crore, according to a statement from the ministry in June.
In addition to the standard safety measures provided, other measures such as glasses that are shatter-resistant and film coating for passenger safety have been used in the manufacturing of Vistadome coaches.
Goyal also announced the resumption of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway services in Tamil Nadu and the successful trial run of an electric locomotive on a newly electrified rail line between Bangaon and Petrapole in West Bengal.
