Chennai too to get swankier coaches

Soon commuters will not have to wait for a better-looking train: all the trains will be good looking. A 11% increase in suburban commuter traffic has not only encouraged the railways to increase the frequencies and augment the carrying capacity of trains by adding more coaches, but also make the interiors of the coaches aesthetically appealing. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has perfected a design based on feedback for the futuristic coaches it is supplying to the Mumbai suburban railway. It will roll out the same coaches for Chennai within three years. The modern features incorporated into the design include a never-before modern frontage, an airconditioned driver cab, stainless steel interiors and an LED display linked to a geo-positioning system that will show the name of the station. The transformation has already begun. As old rakes expire (their lifespan is 25 to 30 years), they are being replaced by new-look rakes, which might not be as sophisticated as the ones ICF makes for the Mumbai suburban railway, but nearly as good. Chennai commuters, long used to dingy iron and steel coaches with narrow grilled windows, are often awestruck when one of these new-look trains rolls in. They have stainless steel interiors, better ventilation and more space to stand. That’s not all: commuters will soon have the choice of travelling by air-conditioned coaches in three surburban sectors — the Chennai Beach-Chengelpet, Chennai -Tiruvallur and the Chennai-Gummidipoondi sections. To meet the rise in traffic, the railways is also increasing the number of coaches. Starting Friday, the length of all trains will go up from nine to 12 cars, raising their minimum carrying capacity to 3,600 commuters.