Indian Railways: Referring to the improvements in Amrit Bharat trains, the Railway Minister said that 12 major improvements have been made in the entire train. Modular toilets, chair pillars and partitions, emergency talk back feature etc. have been improved.
Indian Railways: Indian Railways has given a big gift to the poor and middle class passengers in the country. Giving the good news, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has said that 50 new Amrit Bharat trains will be made in the next two years. These trains are being made with more features than the previous trains. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that 12 major improvements have been made in the second version of the Amrit Bharat train like modular toilets, emergency brake system and advanced design and 50 such trains will be made in the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in the next two years. After inspecting the factory with ICF General Manager U Subba Rao, the Railway Minister said that the Tamil Nadu government should put the service of the people above politics and the Center and his ministry are committed to taking steps for the welfare of the people.
“It is a great pleasure to see the second version of Amrit Bharat (trains being manufactured) (here). You will remember, the first version of Amrit Bharat was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024. Based on the experience of the last one year, many improvements have been made in the second version of Amrit Bharat,” he told reporters at the ICF. Referring to the improvements in the Amrit Bharat trains, he said, 12 major improvements have been made in the entire train. Semi-automatic ‘couplet’, modular toilets, ‘chair pillar’ and ‘partition’, ’emergency talk back feature’, ’emergency brake system’, continuous lighting system like Vande Bharat train, new design seats and ‘berths’ have been improved.
He said that the trains of the second version of Amrit Bharat have been equipped with a new design and a complete pantry car. Vaishnav said that the low-income and lower-middle-income families are being kept in mind while building these trains. He said, “50 such trains of the second version of Amrit Bharat will be built (at the Integral Coach Factory) in the coming two years. This will provide affordable service and high-quality travel experience to people traveling long distances.”
Later, while talking to PTI-Video, the railway minister said the Amrit Bharat trains have been designed to provide comfortable travel to even the poorest of the poor. “Amrit Bharat has been designed based on the experience of Vande (Bharat) sleeper and the first version of Amrit Bharat. The general coach has comfortable seats, charging points, space for mobile phones and water bottles and much more,” he said.
Responding to another question, he said the state government should extend its cooperation as land allocation to the ministry has been a major issue. “We need cooperation from the state government in land acquisition. We should ensure that people’s facilities are above politics and we should look at the welfare of the people first. I have requested the Tamil Nadu chief minister (MK Stalin) to support us,” he said.
He said, “The people of Tamil Nadu want better facilities and the Government of India and the Prime Minister are committed to provide those facilities. If we work together (Central and State Governments), we can provide better facilities to the people.” Responding to a question about the apprehensions raised by the Railway Safety Commissioner on the construction of the historic Pamban Bridge in Rameswaram, he said that the bridge was designed on the basis of Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO).
He said, “…It is a unique bridge. A bridge like the Pamban Bridge is rarely designed and constructed.” He clarified that the Railway Safety Commissioner (CRS) was told that this is not a standard bridge and is a uniquely designed bridge and the services of the best international experts have been taken for its design. He said, “CRS has understood this and he has now approved the design of the bridge. The report of the committee has also come.”
The minister said the railways has installed Kavach (a facility that helps prevent train accidents) in 10,000 engines and ‘track side fitting’ is also being done for 15,000 km. Regarding the rail link between Jammu and Srinagar, Vaishnav said it is a ‘dream come true’ project and the Railway Safety Commissioner has conducted speed tests. He said, “This is a very, very complex project. It passes through about 97 tunnels in the 110 km route and there are six kilometers of bridges.” Regarding the capital expenditure of the railways, he said that the ministry has used about 76 percent of the funds and the allocation received by the railways for capital expenditure in 2024 is historic.
