The newly-designed Vistadome tourist coaches will transform train travel experience by allowing a larger viewing area.
Adding muscles to Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission, Indian Railways has completed successful speed trials of the newly-designed Vistadome tourist coaches made at Chennai's Integral Coach Factory (ICF).
With the aim of providing world-class modern travelling experience, the Vistadome coach has large glass windows, glass roof, observation lounge and rotatable seats allowing passengers to experience locations and sites en route.
The tourist coach is provided with a larger viewing area with 44 seats for passengers with rotation up to 180 degree to face the direction of train movement. The coach also has Wi-Fi based passenger information system.
The glass windows of the Vistadome coaches manufactured at the Chennai factory have laminated glass sheets that will not shatter.
According to the railways, the coach has successfully completed 180 kmph oscillation trials. Squeeze test of the above coach were already completed in ICF in December.
The Vistadome coaches will be made available only at tourist locations where passengers want to enjoy sightseeing.
Indian Railways has taken major steps to strengthen Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign and results are now visible on all the fronts especially the quality of engines, coaches, tracks and signalling systems. All these go a long way in transforming the quality of travel experience for the people.
Some of the routes where Vistadome coaches are being operated by the Indian Railways include Dadar and Madgaon, Araku Valley, Kashmir Valley, Darjeeling, Kalka-Shimla, Kangra Valley, Matheran Hill and Nilgiri Mountain.
Meanwhile, the ICF has also turned out nine rakes of state-of-the-art MEMU (mainline electric multiple unit) trains in December.
ICF has also played a major role in fabrication of first integrated shell by the recently set up Marathwada Rail Coach factory at Latur, Maharashtra.
During December, 2020, ICF has also played a major role by assisting fabrication of the first coach integrated shell body at the Marathwada factory, marking the commissioning of the factory.