NEW DELHI: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that at least four general unreserved coaches will be attached to mail and express trains to cater to passengers’ rush for affordable travel round the year.
“The ministry has initiated a mega project to manufacture 10,000 new general coaches, including 2,500 on a priority, to meet the travel demand,” Vaishnaw said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
He said an additional 50 Amrit Bharat trains will be operationalised, besides a Vande Metro that will cover a distance of 150-200 kms. “A Vande Metro is currently being tested. For long-route journey, a Vande Bharat sleeper train is being developed,” the minister said.
He said more than 12 lakh employees working in the Railways work tirelessly to ensure smooth operation of nearly 20,000 trains across the country. Amid the criticism over safety after a few recent derailments, Vaishnaw said, “Over 2,652,000 ultrasonic flaw detection tests have been conducted and many new technologies incorporated to enhance safety measures in the railways.”