Laptop stands, panoramic windows...: Check out Indian Railways new AC 1 coach concept design

Indian Railways Rail Coach Factory (RCF) Kapurthala has recently unveiled new AC 1 coach concept design, which is aimed to offer comfort at par with business class of an aircraft. The concept design will be to the Railway Board. The concept is a big departure from the current design. In current AC 1 coaches, one side is occupied by the coupe (cubicle), while the other is the aisle. In the concept design, RCF has now moved the aisle to the center of the coach, with compact coupes of two berths each with panoramic windows of both sides, according to a report in Times of India.

The new AC 1 coach can accommodate 30 berths vs 24 at present.

“We have tried to make a design where the aisle is in the center. And we are putting the cabins on both sides so that the window look is available for more passengers. And both side windows are being provided for the passengers,” RCF Kapurthala GM Arun Kumar Jain told TOI.


In the new design, two people can sit in the AC 1st coupe during the daytime and at night, the seats can be converted to a berth. There will other facilities like laptop table, bottle holders and an entertainment screen for passengers.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways is gearing up for the launch of Vande Bharat sleeper coach trains which are expected to gradually replace Radhanis and other long distance trains. Apart from higher acceleration than the current Rajdhanis and thus lower travel time, passengers in the sleeper versions of Vande Bharat trains will experience less jerks and noise than the current long distance trains.



Earlier this month, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had shared images of the 'Concept train-Vande Bharat (sleeper version)' on social media, saying "Coming soon… early 2024."

Vande Bharat Express sleeper trains will be designed to achieve speeds of 160 km per hour and have 16 coaches with an approximate capacity to accommodate 887 passengers.