Indian Railways to add 100 more see-through Vistadome coaches in 3 years: Officials

The Indian Railways will add 100 super-luxury glass-roofed Vistadome coaches in trains on several routes throughout the country in the next three years to attract more passengers and promote tourism, officials have said.

“We will run it on the tourist places and most likely hill area will be selected for travel in Vistadome coaches. The production will be doubled by 2019-20 and in subsequent years we will produce 40 coaches every year,” a railway official said.

The officer, who did not want to be named, said the railway will decide the routes once the coaches are ready.

Railway currently has three such coaches and each of them is part of trains that run between Visakhapatnam and Araku valley hill station and Mumbai and Goa. It will introduce the coach on the 112-km stretch from Baramulla and Banihal in Kashmir in May.

“In 2018-19, we plan to add another 20 coaches which will be put on different routes,” Ravindra Gupta, member (rolling stock) of railway board, said.

The Vistadome high-end coaches have opalescent roof glass windows which can be made opaque or transparent through centrally-controlled electrical switches.

Fitted with state-of-the-art information systems and large side windows to enable a panoramic view, these coaches have been manufactured at an estimated cost of Rs 3.85 crore.

These coaches also have revolving twin chairs that can be oriented in the running direction of the train and are equipped with mini-pantry and service station with aircraft-type food trolley.

They also have LCD television screens, a mini fridge, automatic sliding compartment doors and bio-vacuum toilets.

There are 40 seats in a Vistadome coach and the ticket price will be equal to the first class ticket on a particular route. The railways is also installing toughen glasses to avoid the damage that may occur due to stone pelting by passersby.

The Indian Railway introduced the Vistadome coaches for the first time in April last year between Visakhapatnam and scenic Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh under the East Coast Central Railway.

Former railways minister Suresh Prabhu said these coaches would help promote tourism while inaugurating the initiative.

The railway is also planning to introduce customised tour packages on trains with Vistadome coaches.