Railways Plans A ‘Rake In India’; To Develop 640 Series Of Coaches By 2020 For Rs 400 Crore

Indian Railways is planning to upgrade its mail and express trains in the next two years by developing 640 Utkrisht rakes at a cost of Rs 400 crore. The first lot of the Utkrisht rakes has been rolled out as Kalka Mail from Howrah station and reached Delhi in the late hours of Wednesday, Economic Times has reported.

Railway rakes are a group of coupled passenger coaches, or freight wagons, or railcars (excluding the locomotive) that typically move together.

The new rakes, which will consist of 20-22 coaches, are being developed as “green” rakes. They are being developed by Eastern Railways at its Liluah workshop and each will cost Rs 60 lakh.

The rakes are being coloured in a new exterior colour scheme of maroon in the stripes and beige elsewhere.

"Our aim is to develop 140 rakes by March 2019 after which we are planning to roll out 500 more by March 2020. The rakes will provide better facilities to passengers, including LED lightings, odourless toilets," Rajesh Agarwal, Member of Rolling Stock, Railway Board, told.

The coaches in the rake are designed to be energy efficient. LED tubelights and LED light panels have been used in gangway and doorway of the coaches, dustbins have been fitted in the toilets, AC coaches have been provided with integrated basin-cum-dustbins.

Fittings have been improved in the toilets of the coaches, doorways have been vinyl wrapped. The coaches have night glow stickers and Braille signages inside them.

Swachh Rail Toilet, which is a hybrid design of bio-toilet system, has been installed in the coaches. These toilets consume less water, do not choke, odourless and maintenance free.