Exotic ride

Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains will sport new coaches, named Anubhuti, which will have the latest facilities and pleasant ambience, providing more comfort to passengers. The fares in such coaches will be priced separately. “With increased popularity of the Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains, there is a demand for higher travel comfort. The railways will introduce one such coach in select trains,” Bansal said.

Helping hand

For the convenience of the differently abled and elderly passengers, 179 escalators and 400 lifts will be installed at major stations. The railways will also affix Braille stickers, indicating the layout of coaches, including toilets. More wheelchairs and battery operated vehicles will be provided at stations.

Girl power

Giving in to a request from lady passengers, including his own wife, Bansal has set up a security helpline number for women travellers to get immediate help in the case of harassment or any other incident in trains. The railways have raised four companies of women RPF personnel and plans to set up another eight.

Going green

Plastic cups in trains will soon be a thing of the past with the railways planning to move towards the use of agro-based and recycled material in catering. There are also plans to set up 75MW windmills, besides utilising solar power, for 1,000 level-crossings.

Meal monitor

The quality of meals served by the railways is expected to get better. The organisation plans to tie up with food testing labs and set up modern kitchens for better monitoring of the meal quality.