RailEnquiry

AC double-decker trains on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, as announced in the last railway budget, are expected to ply by this Independence Day.The air-conditioned coaches for the service reached Ahmedabad this week from the Kapurthala coach factory and they are expected to be cleared by the Railway Safety commissioner soon.The double-decker services on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Jaipur-Delhi routes were announced in the last railway budget, but they could not be started last year after the manufacturing of coaches got delayed.“This week, the modified double-decker coaches came to Ahemadabad; as trials of this train have already been undertaken by another A/c double decker train allotted for Jaipur-Delhi route and modifications were also done accordingly, only a clearance certificate from the Commissioner of Safety is required,” a senior railway official said.The trial runs were conducted in April and a double decker coach allotted to North Western Railway for the Jaipur-Delhi route was used for the purpose.These coaches have LHB fiat rubber bogies with air spring with secondary suspension like Volvo buses, which controls the jerks while travelling.Train no 12931 will leave Mumbai Central at 6 am and reach Ahmedabad at 1 pm. In the return direction, train no 12932 will leave Ahmedabad at 2.20 pm and reach Mumbai Central at 9.40 pm.The train will run on all days except Sundays and it will halt at Boivali.While a conventional compartment is able to carry around 64 passengers, the AC trains will have room for at least 35.