According to a Free Press Journal report, the new eight-coach Vande Bharat trains will come with a striking orange exterior will come with increased seat reclining angle, better access to mobile charging points, extended footrests for Executive Chair car class coaches and improvements in basin to prevent water splashes. In addition to this, passengers will also be able to experience better toilet lighting, touch-sensitive reading lamps and advanced roller blind fabric.

In terms of improved functionality for passengers with special needs, the new Vande Bharat train is equipped with fixing points for attaching the wheelchair in driving trailer coaches and an anti-climbing device that is expected to enhance safety, the FPJ report noted.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier said that the new colour of the 28th rake of the indigenous train is “inspired by Indian Tricolour”.

During the second week of October 2022, ICF achieved the distinction of having turned out 70,000 plus coaches since its inception in 1955, which is the highest by any passenger coach manufacturer in the world.

With a deluge of new routes this year, India now has 25 pairs of Vande Bharat services, 18 of which have been launched in 2023. The first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off on February 15, 2019, by the Prime Minister, running between New Delhi and Varanasi.

Vande Bharat Express is an indigenously manufactured, semi-high-speed, self-propelled train set. The train has state-of-the-art passenger amenities, providing passengers with a faster, more comfortable, and more convenient travel experience. It was first known as Train 18 and was manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory(ICF) in Chennai.

Updated: 18 Aug 2023, 10:34 AM IST