25 ADDITIONAL FEATURES IN NEW VANDE BHARAT RAKES

Kolkata, September 20, 2023:

On 24th September, 2023, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate nine (9) Vande Bharat Express trains, out of which, one is Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express. Indigenously built semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express trains have already gained popularity among commuters and travellers as the fastest mode of surface transport. West Bengal has already got three Vande Bharat Express trains running in different popular routes viz Howrah – New Jalpaiguri, New Jalpaiguri – Guwahati, and Howrah – Puri, boarding which has become a craze among the passengers. The government under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is always thriving to bring all technological breakthroughs in service to the citizens of India. The Ministry of Railways, marching ahead in this direction, has further added more features to the Vande Bharat Express train rakes to provide a better journey experience to the passengers. Keeping the continuous array of introductions of more and more Vande Bharat Express trains, several new such state-of-the-art highspeed trains will be introduced shortly. All these trains will have more and more features as an addition to the passenger comfort with the new rakes. At this time, 25 improvements have been made to the new Vande Bharat Express rakes which are as follows :

1. Increase in seat reclination angle from 17.31 degrees to 19.37 degrees.
2. Optimization of hardness of cushion (reduction from 290 N to 250N – 25% deformation).
3. The color of the seat in ECC changed from Red to pleasant blue.
4. Improved accessibility of mobile charging points under the seats.
5. Extended footrest for seats in ECC (reduced to 530 mm from 670 mm).
6. Magazine bags for ECC class end seats as well.
7. Increase in wash basin depth to avoid splashing of water in lavatories.
8. Lighting in toilets improved from 1.5 watts to 2.5 watts.
9. The toilet handle given additional bend for improved grip.
10. Water tap aerator to better water flow control.
11. Standardized colors for toilet panels with similar colors all over.
12. Provision of securing point for wheelchairs of Divyangjan passengers in Driving Trailer coaches where provision for Divyangjan seat is provided.
13. Improved upper trim panel for better aesthetics and firmness of panels in coaches.
14. Improved hammer box cover for easy access in case of emergency.
15. Borderless emergency talk back unit (to interact with driver in case of emergency) to match with a panel background.
16. Hinged transparent door assembly for the fire extinguishers in coaches to have better visibility in case of emergency.
17. Modified panels of single-piece construction of FRP panels to improve aesthetics inside the coaches.
18. Improved air tightness for better air-conditioning with insulation over panels.
19. Improved roller blind fabric with more tear strength with less transparency.
20. Hatch doors for electrical maintenance doors in trailer coaches for easy maintenance.
21. Smooth touch controls for luggage rack lights by changing from resistive touch to capacitive touch.
22. Uniform-colored driver desk in Driving Trailer Coaches for better visibility and aesthetics.
23. Interchange of emergency stop pushes a button in the driver control panel for easy operation and access for the loco pilot.
24. Improved aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system inside the coaches.
25. High-rise pantographs in areas where the landscape and OHE are in a higher position.

These new features not only include comfort elements for the passengers but also safety and security features for uninterrupted voyage of the passengers.

Shri Kausik Mitra, Chief Public Relations Officer/ Eastern Railway said, “From the past experience and from the feedback received from the passengers, Railways has made huge modifications for the smooth journey of the passengers in the Patna – Howrah route”.