Makeover track

Ranchi, April 15: To compete with low-cost air carriers, the Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains, connecting the state capital to the national capital and Howrah, respectively, would soon don a new look.

The existing coaches would be replaced with new stainless steel coaches originally developed by Linke Hoffman Bosch (LHB) of Germany.

“The two trains will be revamped by the year-end,” said M.K. Yadav, the additional divisional railway manager, Ranchi Railway Division.

However, as the Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani train is managed by the Northern railway and the Ranchi-Howrah Shatabdi by the Eastern Railway, the task of replacing the traditional coaches with the new LHB coaches lies with them.

“Our role is only limited to secondary care,” Yadav said.

In the railway budget, this year, railway minister Lalu Prasad had said all Rajdhani and the Shatabdi trains would be provided with LHB coaches. In fact, the Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi has already got new coaches.

Stainless steel LHB coaches are manufactured at the Kapurthala-based Rail Coach Factory after a transfer of technology agreement with Alstom-LHB, Germany. The first set of coaches manufactured by the Rail Coach Factory would roll out in June.

Officials said the LHB coaches could accommodate around 10-12 per cent more passengers.

“They also rank high on comfort due to various features that include better design and lower sound level,” Yadav pointed out.