Indian Railways under its Operation Swarn is upgrading as many as 14 Rajdhani Express and 15 Shatabdi trains at an average cost of Rs 50 lakh per train. The New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express has become the first Shatabdi Express train of Northeast Frontier Railway to get this golden upgrade.
New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express is now ‘Gold Standard’! Indian Railways under its Operation Swarn is upgrading as many as 14 Rajdhani Express and 15 Shatabdi trains at an average cost of Rs 50 lakh per train. The New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express has become the first Shatabdi Express train of Northeast Frontier Railway to get this golden upgrade. Operation Swarn is a 10 parameter upgrade scheme of Indian Railways, under which passenger comfort and feedback has been given importance. Security, staff behaviour, toilets, onboard cleanliness, catering, coach interiors, punctuality, onboard entertainment, linen and real time feedback are the 10 areas that have found focus in this upgrade of the New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express.
After the upgrade of 12041/12042 New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express train upgrade, the 12085/12086 Guwahati–Dibrugarh Shatabdi Express and 12087/12088 Guwahati–Naharlagun Shatabdi Express trains will also be revamped and made swanky. According to Indian Railways, an approximate expenditure of Rs 2 lakh per coach will be incurred for these three Shatabdi trains. So what does the Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express upgrade mean for the railway passenger? We take a look at 10 salient features of the upgraded Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express that will cheer rail passengers on that route:
1. The interior of Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express has been given an “international” colour scheme. Additionally, interior panels and areas above the luggage rack have been given an anti-graffiti vinyl wrapping.
2. LED lighting has been fitted for energy conservation and better illumination.
3. Toilets – a big pain point of travellers – form a big part of the upgrade under Operation Swarn. For one auto janitors have been fitted for better hygiene
4. An epoxy coating has been done in toilets. Extra mats in the toilet and the surrounding connecting areas mean that the washroom will be dry at all times and better cleanliness will be maintained.
5. The toilet doors have been given an anti-graffiti vinyl wrapping
6. Better quality dustbins, improved soap dispenser, health faucets and stainless steel wash basins are some other features that help improve the aesthetics of the toilets
7. Also, the toilet commodes and basins have been polished and will be cleaned regularly to keep them odour free in every trip
8. LED lights have also been provided over the mirrors
9. There is now a night signage to make sure that passengers are able to easily identify berths
10. New design magazine bags and an extra pocket for mobiles are other features
According to Pranav Jyoti Sharma, CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway, the catering staff has also been given training for better servicing and the food would also be of better quality, For Operation Swarn, the Ministry of Railways has formed nine teams. These teams have two officers each from the Railway board – a step that helps better monitor the progress of work under this passenger-friendly project.
Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/railways/new-jalpaiguri-howrah-shatabdi-express-operation-swarn-upgrade-gold-standard-features/1093219/
