Indian Railways’ 2nd Double-Decker UDAY Express for Business Travellers – Make in India

Indian Railways is all set to run its second luxury double-decker UDAY Express between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada! In a bid to cater to the busy route in the East Coast Railway zone, Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways has decided to run the double-decker UDAY Express between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, however, the date of introduction of the train has not been announced yet. Indian Railways’ UDAY or Utkrisht Double Decker Air Conditioned Yatri Express is a specially-designed air-conditioned train with chair car coaches for business travellers. The first UDAY Express train started service between Coimbatore and Bangalore in the month of June 2018. Here are 5 key facts about the upcoming/second UDAY Express that you should know:

1) The train with nine double-decker coaches and two power cars, will have a carrying capacity of 50 passengers on the upper deck, 48 passengers on the lower deck as well as 22 on the ends.

2) Three coaches in the upcoming UDAY Express will have dining facilities with a total seating capacity of 104 passengers each. Also, five coaches will be without a dining area, with a seating capacity of 120 passengers.

3) Train number 22701 Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada UDAY Express will depart from Visakhapatnam at 5:45 AM and will reach Vijayawada at 11:15 AM. On its return journey, Train number 22702 will depart from Vijayawada at 5:30 PM and reach Visakhapatnam at 10:55 PM.

4) Between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, the UDAY Express will have stoppages at Duvvada, Anakapalle, Samarlakota, Tuni, Rajamahendravaram, and Eluru.

5) The new UDAY Express will boast several modern features including cushioned seating, automatic food and beverages vending machine, LED screen in pantry-cum-dining area for entertainment of passengers, smoke detection alarm system, WiFi facility, modular bio-toilets, etc.

The new UDAY Express has been manufactured under Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative by the Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala. The UDAY Express trains are primarily allocated to routes that see heavy passenger traffic. According to a PTI report, another UDAY Express has been proposed between Bangalore City and Chennai Central.

Source: FE (Published with Edits)

Image Courtesy: BI