Indian Railways journey to get more scenic: ICF develops new high-speed Vistadome coaches

Indian Railways' Integral Coach Factory(ICF) the coach manufacturing unit located in Chennai has successfully completed the speed trials of the new design Vistadome tourist coaches.

The new design Vistadome tourist coach manufactured by ICF has successfully completed 180kmph oscillation trial.

Squeeze test of the above coach were already completed in ICF in the current month.

The Vistadome coach has large glass windows, glass roof, observation lounge and rotatable seats allowing passengers to experience breathtakingly beautiful locations and sites enroute the journey.

Updated features of new vistadome coach

The Vistadom tourist coach is provided with larger viewing area including roof top glasses with 44 seats for passengers with rotation up to180 degree to face the direction of train movement. The coach is also having Wi-Fi based Passenger information system.

The glass windows of the BG Vistadome coaches manufactured in Integral Coach Factory / Chennai have laminated glass sheets that will not shatter.

The Vistadome coaches will be made available only at tourist locations where passengers want to enjoy sightseeing.

Some of the routes where these vistadome coaches are being operated by the Indian Railways include:

• Dadar and Madgaon
• Araku Valley
• Kashmir Valley
• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
• Kalka Shimla Railway
• Kangra Valley Railway
• Matheran Hill Railway
• Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Meanwhile the ICF has turned out 9 (nine) rakes of state-of-the art 3 phase - MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains in December, which is the highest ever outturn of MEMU rakes in a month by any production unit of Indian Railways.

ICF has also played a major role in fabrication of first integrated sell by Marathwada Rail Coach Factory at Latur, Maharashtra, according to a statement.

During December, 2020, ICF has also played a major role by assisting fabrication of first coach integrated shell body at recently set up Marathwada Rail coach factory at Latur, marking the commissioning of factory . The integration of the coach body shell has been achieved in just 8 days, which is a record of sorts.