HUBBALLI: Under Project Utkrish, which was launched by Indian Railways last year, rakes of more than 20 trains of the South Western Railway are being upgraded and colours of the coaches of these trains are also being changed. Rakes of Hubballi-Varanasi- Hubballi Express train have already got a makeover and soon, Rani Chennamma Express — which runs between Kolhapur and Bengaluru via Hubballi — will also change its colour.
The makeover is getting done at century-old Carriage Repair Workshop in Hubballi itself. Under the project, Rs 60 lakh is allotted to develop rakes of each train with smart facilities like smooth toilet flush, LED lighting, attractive PVP stickers, braille signage, bio-toilets in every coach and many more. The colour of the coaches will change to yellow and blood red.
Besides Varanasi and Rani Chennamma Express, the Hubballi workshop will be upgrading more than 18 rakes soon. The workshop has already upgraded rakes of Hubballi-Varanasi Express and it started running on May 25. Stickers like Taj Mahal, Vidhana Soudha, Delhi Red Fort and pictures of other heritage structures will be displayed in the coaches.
Coaches of the Varanasi train have already been upgraded by the workshop and put into service. Carriage Repair Workshop deputy chief manager Jayant Ramachandran said implementation of Project Utkrisht began with Central Railways and Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, upgrading the coaches. However, for the South Western Railway, the coaches are redeveloped at Hubballi workshop only, he added.
“Most of the complaints about Indian railways are related to cleanliness. Rakes upgraded under the project will help change that image for passengers. Fire extinguishers are placed at every coach to use in case of emergency. Improved facilities in the coaches will ensure a comfortable train journey for passengers,” Ramachandran said.