Vistadome coaches
Indian Railways introduced Vistadome Coaches on 17 April 2017 on the Vishakhapatnam to Araku route. This coach has been launched by the railway to promote tourism in India. Indian Railways awarded this contract to Integral Coach Factory for the manufacturing of these Vistadome coaches. These Vistadome coaches have various features to attract tourists. The features of this coach are large glass windows, 180 degree rotating seats, glass roofs and an observation lounge behind the coach.
| Vistadome Coach | |
|---|---|
| File:12052 Dadar Madgaon Jan Shatabdi Express - Vistadome (Executive) Class coach.jpg Vistadome coaches of Mahabodhi Express at Kanpur. | |
| In service | 2018–present |
| Manufacturer | Integral Coach Factory |
| Designer | Integral Coach Factory |
| Built at | 1. Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli 2. Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala |
| Replaced | ICF coach |
| Constructed | 2018–present |
| Entered service | 2000 |
| Operator(s) | Indian Railways Bangladesh Railway Mozambique Ports and Railways |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Spotwelded Stainless Steel |
| Car length | 23.54 m (77 ft 2 3⁄4 in) (body) 24 m (78 ft 8 7⁄8 in) (coupler-coupler) |
| Width | 3.24 m (10 ft 7 1⁄2 in) 3.05 m (10 ft 1⁄8 in) (Double decker) |
| Height | 4.039 m (13 ft 3 in) 4.25 m (13 ft 11 3⁄8 in) (AC 3 Tier & Vistadome) |
| Floor height | 1,320 mm (4 ft 4 in) |
| Platform height | 840 mm (2 ft 9 1⁄8 in) |
| Doors | Manual/ Automatic Pivot Hinge Doors Automatic Sliding Single Leaf Plug Doors (Tejas Express) |
| Wheel diameter | 855–915 mm (33.66–36.02 in) |
| Wheelbase | 14.9 m (48 ft 10 5⁄8 in) bogie centers |
| Maximum speed | 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) (Non-AC coach) 160 km/h (99 mph) (AC coach) 200 km/h (124 mph) (potential max speed) |
| Weight | 39.5 t (38.9 long tons; 43.5 short tons) (average) |
| Train heating | 85,303 BTU (89,999 kJ) x 2 RMPUs 122,837 BTU (129,600 kJ) x 2 RMPUs (Double decker) |
| AAR wheel arrangement | 2'2' |
| Bogies | FIAT Bogies |
| Minimum turning radius | 175 m |
| Braking system(s) | Railway air brake Electro-pneumatic brake (Only in 200 km/h (120 mph) fit Tejas Express coach) Axle mounted Railway disc brake |
| Coupling system | AAR Type-H Tightlock coupling Semi-Permanent Coupler (Only in Amrit Bharat trainsets) |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge |
Vistadome Coaches (EV)
As of February 2022, 45 trains on various routes were launched with these coaches. Fares are equivalent to AC Executive Chair Car. Indian Railways has plans to introduce these coaches in all Mountain railways of India.[1]
Indian Railways have deployed these vistadome coaches on various tourist routes, popular destinations and most scenic spots across India. Some of these routes are:
- Kalka-Shimla: This route generally covers around 95.5 km and was inducted into the list of UNESCO World Heritage in 2008. The train on this route passes through 50 tunnels of Kalka and 53 tunnels of Shimla. This train also passes through 864 bridges. This train has 18 stoppage stations.[2]
- Mumbai-Goa: This route covers around 697 km with 91 tunnels and 1,880 bridges. This route has 10 stoppage stations. The train passes through natural waterfalls, Western Ghats and rocky mountains.[3]
- Ahmedabad-Kevadiya: This route covers the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, which is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India. The train also covers the place of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, the Kevadia Zoological Park, and the surrounding greenery.
- Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley: This route covers the beauty of the Eastern Ghats, the green valleys, and the tribal culture of Andhra Pradesh. The train passes through 58 tunnels and 84 bridges, and offers a panoramic view of the Borra Caves, the Anantagiri Hills, and the coffee plantations.[4]
The Indian Railways gave more contracts to Integral Coach Factory to build these Vistadome coaches for other routes as well.
References
- ↑ "Vistadome coach in kashmir for tourism".
- ↑ "Kalka Shimla Vistadome Coach". Himachal Travel Guide. 2019-03-08. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ↑ "How Vistadome coach with transparent roof, rotating seats is changing the way passengers travel from Mumbai to Goa". The Economic Times. 2022-10-20. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ↑ Bureau, The Hindu (2023-10-24). "Additional Vistadome to Vizag Araku train on October 24". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
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