Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel will flag off the maiden run of two Vistadome coaches attached to Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur Weekly Express Special on Sunday July 11 even as all the seats on these coaches are fully booked for the day.
Besides Mr. Poojari and Mr. Kateel, Mangaluru Mayor Premananda Shetty and Mangaluru South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath will attend the programme at Mangaluru Junction at 9 a.m., said a release from Palakkad Division of Southern Railway.
Meanwhile, bookings for these coaches for the maiden run have reached wait-list within two days.
A bird’s eye view of a train with a vistadome coach.
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR
However, rail patrons are unable to book advance tickets from Mangaluru Junction from July 12 onwards on the IRCTC portal. There were technical glitches and they will soon be rectified, clarified Palakkad Division’s spokesperson M.K. Gopinath.
Bookings were available from Yeshwantpur end nevertheless and about 42 seats have been booked for the maiden journey from Yeshwantpur on July 12.
The first of its kind service in South India, Vistadome coaches are being introduced by the Ministry of Railways to promote tourism. The two tri-weekly and one weekly day train services between Bengaluru and Mangaluru traverse through the enchanting Western Ghats via Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section. The scenic section offers breathtaking glimpses of lofty mountains, ravishing valleys, deep gorges, lush greenery, streams, rivers and tunnels of the Western Ghats. The region blooms in monsoon with added beauty.
Vistadome coaches are manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, on the LHB (Linke-Hoffman-Busch) platform/technology. These coaches have glass rooftops with anti-glare screens which offer clear views of the sky. The coaches are equipped with CCTV surveillance, fire safety systems, LED display, oven and refrigerator, mini pantry, multi-tiered steel luggage shelves, mobile charging socket on each seat and “content-on-demand” viewable by passengers.
A file photo of tourists enjoying the view from the rear deck of a vistadome coach.
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR
They are equipped with automatic sliding doors and bio-toilets. The seats have foldable snack tables, similar to what is given in aircraft. The coaches are also equipped with GPS-based public address system and Braille signage to assist Divyang (physically challenged) passengers. There is also a space, sort of a lounge, provided at the far end of the coach with a large viewing window.
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