Srinagar, July 20: The trail run of Kashmir’s first Vistadome coach services was conducted successfully on Tuesday and it will be inaugurated likely before August 15 and all arrangements have been finalized in this regard, officials said.
The Vistadome coach is a state-of-the-art coach made by Indian Railways, designed to provide passengers with travel comfort as well as an enhanced viewing experience of their surroundings.
Chief Area Manager (CAM) Kashmir, SaqibYousufYatoo (IRTS) told Rising Kashmir that the Northern Railways conducted a successful trail run from Budgam to Baramulla of the Valley’s first Vistadome coach on Tuesday.
“The trail was supervised by the officials from northern railways and dates for its inauguration have not been decided yet,” CAM Kashmir Saqib said.
He further said the ticket rates for Vistadome coach will be decided by Northern Railways and will be announced later by the authorities.
Another senior official at Northern Railways said that a 40-seater couch will be inaugurated before the 15th August celebrations by the Prime Minister or Union Railway Minister and for that all arrangements have been finalized.
He said this special couch is equipped with extra-large glass windows, LED lights, rotatable seats, and inbuilt GPS-based information system.
“Both visitors and locals will find the trip to be comfortable and enjoyable due to its glass roof, LED lights, rotating seats, and GPS-based info system. This couch will add new features to promote Kashmir tourism,” the official said.
The coach was manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai at an estimated cost of about Rs 4 crore. It is well equipped with extra-large glass windows, LED lights, rotatable seats, and inbuilt GPS-based information system.
On March 22 this year, Railway Minister AshwiniVaishnaw announced the operation of the country’s first indigenous semi-high speed train on the Udhampur-Srinagar- Baramulla rail route. The new age train is likely to be introduced by the end of this year.
Vaishnaw stated that the Udhampur-Banihal track connecting Jammu with Srinagar will be completed by December this year, or early next year.
The 53 km Jammu-Udhampur, 25 km Udhampur-Katra and 112 km Banihal-Baramulla links of Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla line have already been completed and are functional. However148 km Katra-Banihal is the only missing link between Jammu-Baramulla.
