Safety nod for Mumbai & Jaipur AC double-decker trains

NEW DELHI: The much awaited fully air conditioned double-decker trains between Delhi-Jaipur and Mumbai-Ahmedabad are set to be launched soon as both of them have got safety clearance.

"We have got the safety certification from the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS) after meeting all requirements in the due process. Now the date for flagging off the two AC double-decker trains has to be finalised," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

The safety clearance was pending with the CRS who gives the nod for newly introduced trains to run.

Both the trains have already had a trial run on their respective routes.

The double-decker services on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Jaipur-Delhi routes were announced in the 2011-12 railway budget, but they could not be started last year because of the delay in getting safety clearance and manufacturing of double-decker coaches.

There is already an AC double-decker train operational between Howrah and Dhanbad.

There were certain modifications in the manufacturing design for the Jaipur and Mumbai route. The coaches are being manufactured at Kapurthala coach factory.

According to the schedules, the AC double-decker train will leave Mumbai Central at 6 am and reach Ahmedabad at 1 pm. In the return direction, train will leave Ahmedabad at 2.20 pm and reach Mumbai Central at 9.40 pm.

The AC double-decker coach has a seating capacity of 120 and every coach has fire extinguishers on its gate. Equipped with fully automatic doors, each coach has 8 emergency windows, mini pantry including fridge and microwave.

The AC double-decker will depart from Jaipur at 6 am and would reach Delhi Cantonment at 10.05 am and Delhi Sarai 10.30 am.