Latest news with #AmritBharat2.0
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Indian Express
36 hours on board an Amrit Bharat train: ‘There is water in the toilet… How can this be a general coach?'
Sanjay Kumar, 38, puts train travel in perspective — no romance of the rails, just pure strategy. 'Agar aap dabdaba nahi dikhaiyega toh baithane ko bhi nahi milega (If you don't show your might, you won't even get a place to sit). This is the reality of the general class compartment.' Sitting by an open window, legs folded, he says, 'This time, I am lucky. I usually don't get the window seat… I don't even get to sit.' Sanjay, a mechanic from Gopalganj in Bihar, is on board the Saharsa-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Amrit Bharat, one of a series of 50 affordable express trains for general- and sleeper-class passengers that the government plans to run on routes that see high movement of migrant workers. While the Saharsa-Mumbai train is the third Amrit Bharat express (after Darbhanga-Delhi and Malda-Bengaluru), it is the first in the Amrit Bharat 2.0 series – non-AC trains with upgraded facilities, which, the government says, will 'provide affordable service and high-quality travelling experience for people in the lower-income and lower-middle-income category'. The trains are part of the Railways' larger Amrit Bharat project to modernise trains and railway stations. On May 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 103 Amrit Bharat railway stations through video conference. With 11 general coaches, eight reserved sleeper coaches, two second-class luggage-cum-guard coaches, and one pantry car, the Amrit Bharat trains promise to revolutionise the way much of India travels. Kumar, who is on his way to Mumbai for an interview that he hopes will land him a job in the Middle East, says, 'For AC class passengers, travelling can be a leisure activity. You can sit by the window and watch the passing landscape, but for us, most of the time, we barely get to move or look outside — the whole coach is so jam-packed. People often ask how we manage to travel in such conditions. The answer is simple. There is so much else to worry about that a difficult train journey of 24-48 hours seems normal.' A sudden shower brings a cool draft into the coach and Sanjay, his left arm now wet from the rain that has splattered the open window, looks outside, smiling. Around eight hours ago, as the train, new and gleaming, stood on Platform No. 2 of Saharsa station, many had peeped in through the window bars of a general coach, incredulous. 'Yeh toh AC-type train lag raha hai (This looks like an AC coach),' says Mithun Kumar Chaudhary, a mason from Samhar Khurd village in Bihar. Instead of the usual worn-out blue seats and broken fittings were saffron and grey seats with air-spring suspension for passenger comfort, charging sockets with multiple ports, external emergency lights, radium-illuminated flooring strips, gleaming fans and an LED display with real-time information on the speed of the train and the next station. The train also has an emergency talk-back system in each of its coaches that allows passengers to communicate with the loco pilot. The train had finally set off from Saharsa at 4.20 am for a 1,956-km journey that it would cover in almost 36 hours, stopping at 25 stations across four states. Around 3.10 pm, minutes after the train crosses the Karamnasa, a tributary of the Ganga that marks the border between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, it pulls into Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction (earlier Mughalsarai). Boarding the general coach, Mukesh Singh whips off his scarf, wipes the shiny seat and looks around: 'Yeh general coach hi hai naa, itani khali kaise hai, ye toh sleeper coach jaisa lag raha ha (This is a general coach, isn't it? Why is it so empty? It looks like a sleeper coach),' Singh says. Most long-distance trains have not more than four general coaches, as a result of which a 100-seat coach is often packed with an average of 300 passengers. But with 11 general coaches on this train, almost all passengers have a seat to themselves. Singh is on his way to Goregaon in Mumbai, where he works as a tailor. 'Mumbai has a lot of big buildings. Whenever I pass them, I wonder what must be going on inside those glass buildings. It's the same with the AC class. Everyone looks so happy. Musafir woh bhi hain, musafir hum bhi hain, ek hi train mein hain, lekin hum dono mein zameen-aasman ka farq hai (People in AC coaches and us… We are both travellers on the same train, but there is a big difference between us). But at least on this train everyone looks equal,' he says. With a sleeper class ticket between Saharsa and Mumbai for Rs 870 and a general class ticket for Rs 450, the fares on Amrit Bharat are competitive, say Railway officials. The sleeper class fare on the route is Rs 45 less than Humsafar Express and Rs 70 cheaper than the Saharsa-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus special. Manufactured at the Integral Coach factory (ICF) in Chennai, Amrit Bharat 2.0 trains feature semi-automatic couplers instead of semi-permanent ones for easy attachment and detachment of coaches, and electro-pneumatic-assisted brake system for quick brake application. There are also external emergency lights to provide basic lighting during emergency situations such as derailments and accidents. Besides, the toilets have a vacuum evacuation system similar to that on Vande Bharat trains, toilet indicator lights and automatic hygiene odour control systems. At 5.20 pm, the train reaches Prayagraj Cheoki station. A group of people huddle around Coach GS5, peeping in through the windows. They are headed to Mumbai, but many among them insist it's not a general coach and are scared they'll be fined if they board it. One of them, Mohammad Dilshad, finally walks up to a Railway Protection Force member to confirm, before the group finally boards the train. 'It's hard to believe this is a general compartment. The seats are new, the coach is clean and there is running water in the toilet… there's handwash too. How can this be a general coach? In the other trains, the upper berth would be so high that people would have to sit for 25-30 hours with their heads bent. Those seats are hard… Most of the time the fans don't work. Luckily, not many people know about this train yet. Once they do, this may end up like all those trains,' says Dilshad, who works at a jeans workshop in Nallasopara, Mumbai. Five years since the Covid-19 pandemic, while AC 3-tier has displaced the sleeper class to become the top passenger revenue generating class of the Indian Railways, the general compartments of long-route trains continue to retain their position as the second highest earning class of the national carrier. According to the data available with the Ministry of Railways, in 2024-25, 236 crore or 32% of the total 737 crore passengers who travelled in trains did so in general class compartments. As evening sets in and the train passes through Satna Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh, IPL cricket commentary blares out of several phones. Sumitra Devi walks out of one of the washrooms and can't stop smiling, 'I have never seen such a clean toilet. Toilet main log bhi nahi baithe hain… Yeh to pura AC coach lagta hain (There are no squatters inside the toilet. It looks like an AC coach),' says Devi, who is travelling with 11 of her family members. It's 6.20 am on Day 2 and the train now races past open tracts on the outskirts of Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. Anzar Alam, a vendor from Darbhanga, makes the rounds of the coaches, his bucket filled with jal jeera, soft drinks and other beverages. 'In any train, the maximum earnings are from the general compartments. Since this train has 11 general coaches, it's good for people like me,' says Alam. Some 25 hours into the journey, Milan Patil, a 'mechanical staff', who does maintenance work on the train, steps out of one of the washrooms. 'Some of the passengers are not using the push tap installed in the toilet and the wash basin. We have already got a complaint of a missing tap in one of the coaches,' he says, annoyed. On the outskirts of Mumbai, the train slows down as it passes tall buildings and bustling markets. At 4 pm on Day 2, the Amrit Bharat finally pulls into Platform No. 7 of Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. Nand Kishore Mukhiya and his family members – seven of them, all residents of Baijnathpur in Saharsa who work in a steel factory in Panvel – scramble to assemble their luggage. 'Yeh safar poora hua… Hum pravasi log sadak ki tarah hain. Isse guzarne waale log kahan se kahan pahuch jaate hain. Lekin sadak usi jagah bana rehta hai (This journey comes to an end… We migrants are like the road. People who take it reach places, but the road remains the same),' Mukhiya says, heaving a bag onto his shoulder and stepping off the train. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amrit Bharat Express to now have stoppage at Chheoki stn for Prayagraj passengers
Prayagraj: Travellers from Prayagraj will now have access to superfast Amrit Bharat Express , with the North Central Railway (NCR) allocating a scheduled halt at Chheoki railway station in the Prayagraj division, substantially improving the travel choices for the residents. The train will begin its regular service on May 2, with its scheduled stop at Chheoki starting from May 3. With this, travellers will enjoy direct connectivity to Saharsa, Pataliputra, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur. Moreover, those heading towards Mumbai via Nashik, Kalyan, and Thane will experience a more comfortable journey. NCR's PRO, Ragini Singh, confirmed that Chheoki station was included in the regular weekly operations of Amrit Bharat Express (train numbers 11015/11016). Train number 11015 (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Saharsa) will operate every Friday, while train number 11016 (Saharsa to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus) will run every Sunday. The Amrit Bharat Express is part of Railways' 'Amrit Bharat 2.0' initiative, aimed at providing premium-like comfort at affordable prices. Specially designed to cater to the middle-class and economically weaker sections, all coaches of this train are manufactured in India. The train boasts an attractive look, comfortable interiors, and a focus on providing a superior travel experience to the common man. Significant advancements in safety and technology were incorporated into Amrit Bharat 2.0.
News18
22-04-2025
- Business
- News18
Amrit Bharat 2.0, Vande Metro Coming To Bihar This Month In Transport Boost For Poll-Bound State
Last Updated: The economical non-AC Amrit Bharat 2.0 will connect the state with Mumbai, while the fully AC Vande Metro will connect the capital city with Jaynagar Months ahead of assembly polls, Bihar is set to receive a transport boost with the first Amrit Bharat 2.0 train and India's second Vande Metro train launching this month for the state. The economical non-AC Amrit Bharat 2.0 will connect the state with Mumbai, while the fully AC Vande Metro will connect the capital city with Jaynagar. The Amrit Bharat 2.0 train is an upgraded version of the already functional Amrit Bharat. It will operate between Saharsa and Mumbai. The poll-bound state had also received the first version of the Amrit Bharat train when it was launched in 2024. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Amrit Bharat train between Saharsa and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai) along with the Vande Metro, officially called the Namo Bharat train, between Jaynagar and Patna. Amrit Bharat 2.0 In January 2024, the Indian Railways launched two Amrit Bharat trains, including the Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal train. Another train operates between Malda Town and Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (Bengaluru). So, the Saharsa-Mumbai Amrit Bharat will be the second train for Bihar from the newest series of trains. In January, News18 visited the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, where one coach each of the sleeper and general class of Amrit Bharat 2.0 was kept ready for Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to inspect. The Amrit Bharat train was upgraded with enhanced features for making it more modern, comfortable, and high-tech. In the Railway Budget for FY 2025–26, a plan to introduce 100 new Amrit Bharat trains was announced. Vande Metro After Ahmedabad-Bhuj, the Jaynagar-Patna Vande Metro will be the second Namo Bharat rapid rail service in the country. These trains operate at a speed of 110 km/h, reducing the travel time by half. Speaking to News18, a Railways ministry official said with the launch of this train, common passengers of north Bihar will get a fast, safe, and modern travel experience. 'Namo Bharat connects north Bihar directly to Patna, ensuring better access to education, healthcare, justice, and administrative services. With improved connectivity, local handicrafts, agricultural products, and small entrepreneurs will gain access to larger markets," they said. Both these trains are among the latest trains launched by the Indian Railways and are set to transform the way the state travels. The term of the current Bihar assembly is ending in November 2025 and elections are scheduled to be held around the year-end. First Published:
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bihar to get second Amrit Bharat train service from Thursday, PM to inaugurate
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off a non-AC Amrit Bharat train service between Bihar's Saharsa and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai on April 24, the Railway Board said on Monday. Once operational, it will be the second such modern state-of-the-art train connecting Bihar with the rest of the country. As of now, Amrit Bharat trains are operational on two routes. The first connects Bihar with the national capital on the Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar route and the other runs on the Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya route, connecting West Bengal with Karnataka. "The Saharsa-Madhubani-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus service is the third route (overall) and the second for Bihar on which an Amrit Bharat train will be operational. It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi (on April 24). Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads View Deals Undo "The other important stations on this route include Hajipur, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Bhusaval," said Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board. Railway officials said the train can reach up to a maximum speed of 130 kmph. Designed especially for the middle class and Antyodaya (economically weaker) sections, the service won't be hard on the wallet -- costing around Rs 450 for 1,000 km of journey. Live Events "Amrit Bharat 2.0 trains are manufactured at ICF (Integral Coach Factory) and have push-and-pull technology, meaning they have engines on both ends that save turnaround time," Kumar explained. Highlighting several passenger-friendly services onboard the train, he said the train has foldable snack tables and bottle holders, mobile holders, fully sealed gangways, a vacuum evacuation system, radium-illuminated flooring strips like in aeroplanes and air spring suspension in the body among many other special features. "The toilets have an electro-pneumatic flushing system, automatic soap dispensers, and aerosol-based fire suppression systems. The train has an emergency talk-back system in every coach for two-way communication between passengers and security personnel," Kumar said. Highlighting the security features, he said, "It is for the first time that fire detection systems have been offered in non-AC coaches. There is an onboard Condition Monitoring System (OBCMS) for real-time monitoring of wheels and bearings."
