New Delhi: Gatimaan Express, the country’s first semi-high speed train, was flagged off Tuesday morning by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
The new train – that can reach a maximum speed of 160 km per hour – will operate between Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin station and Agra Cantonment station. It will run six days a week, except on Fridays.
“The launch of this train heralds a new era of high-speed rail travel in India. Railway Minister has been emphasising about increasing the speed of both passenger and goods trains in his budget speeches,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
The Gatiman Express train comprises two executive AC chair cars and eight AC chair car coaches. The fare for an AC chair car seat is set at Rs 750 and that for an executive AC chair car seat at Rs 1,500.
The railway ministry said that catering on the new train will be carried out by the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a railway undertaking, The Times of India reported.
“IRCTC has made arrangement for deploying train hostesses on-board the train. This train will see improved catering and will have options of different kinds of cuisines,” the statement added.
The new train also provides free on-board entertainment by a private provider, MyFreeTv.in.
“Under this facility, passengers can view various entertaining videos during the travel on their smartphone, tablets or laptops even without internet connection through Wi-Fi,” the statement said.
The express train also features new Linke-Hofmann-Busch coaches made by the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala.
“These coaches have been fitted with bio-toilets and are fit to run at 160 km per hour. These coaches have also been fitted with balanced draft gear couplers for a smooth ride,” the statement added.
The new express train will be run on “WAP 5”, an electrical engine, which has a power output of 5,500 HP.