PATNA: The Railway Board has started working out details of its plan to introduce a new class of AC travel — the Economy AC-3 — in long-distance trains to cater to the needs of the common people. It was announced earlier by railway minister Mamata Banerjee.
According to sources, the idea behind launching AC economy class coaches is to make AC travel affordable for the common people at moderate fare in mail and express trains. While former railway minister Lalu Prasad had introduced the Garib Rath, fully air-conditioned coaches, to fulfill the needs of the common people at the most subsidized fare, Banerjee seems to be inclined to introduce AC economy class keeping in mind the interest of the common people, sources said and added the new class is likely to be unique in design and structure.
According to a Board official, this new class coaches have been introduced in the non-stop superfast Duronto trains. The railways intends to introduce these coaches in other mail and express trains as well, he said.
A Board official admitted that a journey in this class will be a bit cheaper than an AC-3 normal ticket. The railways is likely to increase coach capacity from 64 to 72 berths in the AC-3 economy class. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, is manufacturing the new economy coaches to cater to the needs of people, he said.
These coaches will be similar in dimension and size compared to normal AC-3 coaches .However, unlike Garib Rath berths, the economy class berths will be more comfortable for passengers. Besides, these new coaches will have the German LHB design and model, sources said.
That apart, the proposed economy class coaches will have more riding comforts for passengers. Hopefully, it could be introduced in July or August this year in a select mail and express trains on trial basis, sources said.