[RedTerrano]

Indian Railways has rolled out their brand now 3 tier AC coaches which are claimed to be the cheapest way to travel in comfort.

This LHB coach was rolled out from Rail Coach Factory (RCF) Kapurthala to Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) Lucknow for the upcoming trial.

The new design incorporates numerous improvements such as high voltage electric switchgear being shifted to below the frame so as to increase coach capacity (and bringing down cost), wider and divyang friendly toilets, individual ac vents for each berth, modular designed seats, berths, foldable snack tables, water bottle and mobile holders, individual reading lights as well as mobile charging points for all berths and other features.








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They way I look at it, the Govt is making an effort to upgrade the infra. It is now up to us citizens to ensure it is not abused (read paan stains, garbage strewn about etc)

[StarryFurry]

Amazing! These coaches look beautiful as well as the functionalities provided are also top class. I hope that they remain in this condition for years to come. The wooden theme also looks amazing.

Are those windows covered by curtains? I remember reading about the testing of a new feature which enabled the users to make windows opaque by the touch of a button.

[am1m]

Wow, these look amazing, can't wait to travel by train again!

Any idea on which trains/routes these will debut first? I'm guessing the Rajdhanis will get them first.

[abhishek46]

Apart of the enhancement in aesthetics, the two features which I found to particularly useful are:
- Electrical Socket for each berth. (No more sharing/waiting for your turn to charge stuff)
- Individual AC Vents. (Evenly distributed cooling across berths)

[shamanth]

Good Improvements overall, especially providing individual AC blower and power-switch.

My guess is window curtain will be the 1st to be broken or torn .

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by StarryFurry

Are those windows covered by curtains?

Looks like a pull down shade.

Originally Posted by am1m

Wow, these look amazing, can't wait to travel by train again!

Any idea on which trains/routes these will debut first?

Yup. Me too.
It's decades I have travelled by trains.
As per the news item, these coaches are due for rigorous testing and trials. Once they go live I am going to travel by train just to enjoy the new facilities.

Originally Posted by shamanth

My guess is window curtain will be the 1st to be broken or torn .

Or some moron will wipe stained fingers, snot or some other filth on it. Else they will be stolen to be put to use at home.

In case these things do happen, other pax can use their cell phones to capture the miscreants red handed. Those videos/pics will definitely help the authorities nab the culprits

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by StarryFurry

Are those windows covered by curtains?

This are rollable window blinds.

I hope the public maintains the coaches well. Have seen the newer LHB coaches becoming dirty over time.

[sagarpadaki]

The railways are also partially to be blamed for the cleanliness or lack thereof. They do not clean the coaches properly. I am not expecting them to clean the interiors like how a car is cleaned. But using good/dedicated detergents and scrubbing is lacking in the cleaning. The cleaning staff just pour soapy water on floor and do some scrubbing and rinse with water. The scrubbing and cleaning of the seats, windows, walls and the food tray are rarely carried out. The food stains on the food tray is really disgusting. The deep cleaning happens only when the coach is sent for refurbishing which is after years or usage

Yes, the passengers should not spit paan and damage the interiors. But these coaches are used frequently and do get dirty. We cannot expect the aam junta to keep the train spick and span. Will bet that the rolling curtain fabric will never be cleaned until it either tears or stops working.

[srishiva]

I dont use trains that much. But the ones I use most are the Jan Shatabdi or Shatabdi. I find them clean. Guess it depends on the fare and people who use the good upgraded coaches.
I hope they do light up the interiors with more outward views to not feel claustrophobic.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

We cannot expect the aam junta to keep the train spick and span.

Why not? Don't the amm junta keep their homes clean? Don't the railways belong to the people (paid with tax/ticket revenue?)
This attitude (not mine, don't care) has to change else we will get nowhere. Nobody is expecting pax to clean the coaches with soap. They least you can do is dispose of your travel garbage (wrappers, used tissues etc) properly.

And it's not that we don't understand.
I personally know 2 people who used to spit out while driving or nonchalantly throw trash out of the car while driving in India. But when in US both don't even dare exceed the official speed limit. Guess what their pet peeve is when they visit India. Yup. India is dirty.

[am1m]

About cleanliness, well, it depends on the sector and the route and the kind of train. Before covid, I traveled at least once a month by train. Mostly 3-AC or 2-AC and on the few routes I went on, I was pretty happy with the cleanliness. The Railways have improved MASSIVELY on that front since I was a kid. I remember Bangalore station being really, really filthy and the train coaches were extremely bad too. These days, they clean the coach every few hours and if something is not cleaned, a call/SMS to the numbers in the coach does bring the cleaning people out pretty quick. Again, it depends on the region, I've also traveled on a couple of sectors where it seemed like I had gone back in time! (Won't mention the states because that will escalate the discussion to another area, and it's never a good idea to generalize.) But overall, down South, the few routes I've frequented, very happy with IR cleanliness and am sure they will take extra care with these new coaches. Hope I can go back to trains soon, am fed up of using the car for day journeys that used to be so much more easier as an overnight train ride!

Originally Posted by srini1785

One thing they must introduce is some kind of biometric system so that only the authorized passengers get into the coaches.

That might be too elaborate a solution for an issue that can be solved much more easily! Again, the few routes I've frequented, unauthorized entry hasn't really been an issue. I'm sure there will be one-off cases like yours but overall I think it will be solved by the TT and RPF if required.

(Though again, from personal experience, there are certain routes in certain parts of the country where having a valid ticket could be the exception and you'll be asked (politely at first, not so politely later) to 'share' your reserved berth with up to 2-3 people who obviously haven't even bought a ticket! We're pretty lucky that doesn't happen all over the country!)

[srini1785]

These facilities were already there in H1 coaches of duranto coaches and they have just extended them to A/B coaches so nothing more or new. The bio toilets have been introduced a couple of years earlier and in almost all coaches which is a welcome change to a hole-to-the-ground kind of concept.

One thing they must introduce is some kind of biometric system so that only the authorized passengers get into the coaches. Last time I travelled from Bangalore to chennai in bangalore mail (T No : 12658, pre corona days) , just after Whitefield a group of unruly drunk men (and women) got into the B coach and sat all over the place. They created a ruckus and we scrambled to find the TT only to see that he had peacefully settled to sleep. We had to wake him up and he got the guard to throw the crowd out in Katpadi but not before some heated arguments. I could not get a wink of sleep. Why pay for a sleeper when you can't sleep?.

So the need is not only to upgrade but to ensure that those who paid for it get some peace travelling.

PS : Inside news from IR: All coaches in future will be AC only.

[bejoy]

The thread title confused me a little, as I thought 3-tired AC coaches are already available. So looks like this is an upgraded coach.

Most welcome and much needed upgrade. Getting to see these new age coaches in pictures and when I actually board a train I see smelly decades old coaches. This is my experience with Bangalore - Ernakulam trains. Railways don't give these new rakes to all the divisions and there is usually competition between the divisions in acquiring these. There is a notion that the allocation of these new rakes doesn't have any relation to the patronage of the trains.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by bejoy

The thread title confused me a little, as I thought 3-tired AC coaches are already available.

This is supposed to slot in between AC 3-tier and Sleeper. And I guess the plan is to replace Sleeper class eventually. Actually I think it will end up replacing 3-AC as most passengers will opt for this over 3-AC!

According to this article, it will cost more than Sleeper and less than 3-AC tickets. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/80789167.cms

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Why not? Don't the amm junta keep their homes clean? Don't the railways belong to the people (paid with tax/ticket revenue?)
This attitude (not mine, don't care) has to change else we will get nowhere. Nobody is expecting pax to clean the coaches with soap. They least you can do is dispose of your travel garbage (wrappers, used tissues etc) properly.

And it's not that we don't understand.
I personally know 2 people who used to spit out while driving or nonchalantly throw trash out of the car while driving in India. But when in US both don't even dare exceed the official speed limit. Guess what their pet peeve is when they visit India. Yup. India is dirty.

We keep the home clean by sweeping and mopping. I am not talking about the loose items like wrappers and plastic covers or behavior like spitting paan. Where there is lot of people sitting and moving in a confined space eating food and drinking juices/tea/coffee, the surrounding is bound to get sticky and dirty. I am referring to these. Surely you do not imply that the passenger should take a mop and floor cleaner to clean the spilt juice/milk/team/coffee/sambhar/sabji on the floor I believe