PremiumListen to this article |
National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) officials on Saturday informed that Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) passengers who travel Business class between Delhi and Meerut will now have access to "premium lounges".
These premium lounges will be built at all the stations of the "high-speed" rail. These lounges will be will be reserved only for the business class passengers travelling via RRTS.
The premium lounge will have separate entry at each station's platform from where passengers will be able to directly get into the premium coach of the train, the official confirmed.
NCRTC is establishing the India's first RRTS, which is a "rail-based, high-speed, high-frequency regional commuter transit system" between Delhi and Meerut.
"Every train will have one premium coach. Fare of the business or premium class will be higher than that of the normal ticket. Premium lounge will be similar to lounges at airports and will have all business class facilities," an NCRTC official told new agency PTI.
The official said the premium lounge will have luxurious ambiance, comfortable couches, magazines, books, coffee and tea vending machines.
He added that only those passengers travelling with a business class ticket will be allowed in the premium lounge.
"The idea is to provide best of facilities to passengers and also cater to those who want to spend more in turn of some luxury facilities. The facility of premium services at RRTS will attract more passengers," the official said.
The RRTS trains will have standard as well as premium class (one coach per train), along with one coach reserved for women commuters.
The premium class coach will be more spacious and have reclining seats.
These premium coaches of RRTS trains will be accessible through a special lounge at the platform level.
"Fare of both the class is yet to be decided," the official quoted above said.
According to the officials, the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor will have automatic fare collection (AFC) system and QR code tickets for commuters.
Commuters will use QR code tickets which can be generated digitally on an NCRTC mobile app or its website.
The modern RRTS trains will have ergonomically designed 2x2 transverse cushioned seating, wide standing space, luggage racks, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route maps, auto control ambient lighting system.
These trains also have optimised aisle width with grab handles and rails for a comfortable journey for standing passengers.
The 17-km priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai is targeted to be commissioned by 2023 and the full corridor by 2025.
The first train set of this "high-speed rail" was handed over to the NCRTC by Alstom India at its manufacturing plant in Savli in Gujarat's Vadodara district earlier this month.
The officials said these will be the fastest trains in India as it has a design speed of 180kmph and operational speed of 160kmph. These RRTS trains will have an average speed of 100kmph.
