The much-awaited air-conditioned double-decker train linking Bangalore
and Chennai is set to debut this month.
The Bangalore-Chennai service is expected to lure more
passengers to take the train, rather than ride a bus on the 360 km route. The
trip will take six hours.
To be operated daily, the train will initially have 10 AC
chair cars and two power cars for air-conditioning, lights and auxiliary
services.
“Each coach will have 120 reclining seats, with 50 in the
upper deck, 48 in the lower and 22 in the middle, split at entrance on both
sides. Being a double-decker, the train will carry 42 more passengers in each
coach as against 78 per coach in a Shatabdi,” Agarwal said.
With 1,200 seats in the double-decker, the railways will not
only be able to ferry more passengers to Chennai or eight other destinations in
between the two metros, but also offer a choice of travelling in AC comfort.
