Amrit Bharat 3.0: AC coaches with Vande Bharat-style features for common man soon. Why it matters

Up until now, the Amrit Bharat Express has been a non-AC long-distance passenger train.

After upgrading train travel for the common man with Amrit Bharat Express, Indian Railways is now set to introduce air-conditioned coaches in the Amrit Bharat 3.0 Express, expected to be rolled out this financial year.Up until now, the Amrit Bharat Express has been a non-AC long-distance passenger train with general class and sleeper class coaches. What differentiates the Amrit Bharat Express from other Express trains for the common man are its faster travel promise and Vande Bharat-style passenger amenities.Introduced in 2023, over 60-plus Amrit Bharat trains run across the Indian Railways network. The fares are around Rs 500 per 1,000 kilometres for sleeper class travel – the aim being affordability.Demand is clearly in place: As per Indian Railways data, the average occupancy in the sleeper class of Amrit Bharat trains is above 100%.

Amrit Bharat Express Features

Amrit Bharat Express trains boast of a locomotive at each end, with the train making use of the push-pull technology for higher speeds, faster acceleration and deceleration, cutting down the overall travel time for commuters with maximum speed of up to 130 kilometres per hour.Amrit Bharat Express caters to journeys undertaken by the common man, workers, migrants, and also aims to cater to festive season rush while providing modern and somewhat premium passenger services.

Amrit Bharat Express Comfort

ICF Chennai has been given the order to manufacture 50 Amrit Bharat 2.0 trains, of which 32 have been rolled out and 18 more are expected this year. RCF, Kapurthala is also making 50 rakes.Some of the major features of Amrit Bharat trains are:

Toilets in Amrit Bharat Express

Amrit Bharat Express 3.0 Loading

Indian Railways is now manufacturing AC coaches to be fitted into the Amrit Bharat Express formation. Sources told TOI that the air-conditioned Amrit Bharat coaches will have several Vande Bharat sleeper and Rajdhani Express features to offer passengers a premium experience.Also Read | Why India making its own bullet trains is a big deal – explainedThey said that all three types of long-distance travel AC coaches are planned: AC 1st, AC-2 tier, AC-3 tier. For Amrit Bharat 3.0 with AC coaches, a total of 14 rakes have been ordered.With AC coaches, Amrit Bharat Express trains will be similar to other Express trains that run for long-distance travel, albeit with modern passenger amenities, and Vande Bharat and Rajdhani-style passenger amenities.But even as Amrit Bharat Express looks to upgrade train travel experience for general class passengers and keeps travel affordable, railway experts point to the need for more air-conditioned travel, and more train sets.

Amrit Bharat Express: Safety in focus

The Road Ahead For Indian Railways

Amrit Bharat Express will soon get AC coaches and experts note that the demand for air-conditioned travel is rapidly increasing.In fact, Sudhanshu Mani, retired ICF GM and the man behind the Vande Bharat Express says Indian Railways should aspire to have only AC trains in the coming years so that common man’s train journeys can truly get an important upgrade.According to Sudhanshu Mani, the train does not address the issue of how to seat the maximum number for passengers who are travelling long distances cramped and standing.“An aspirational India should progressively look at replacing most trains with air-conditioned ones,” he believes.G Raghuram, Advisor, The Infravision Foundation acknowledges that having two locomotives at each end helps on high density routes to avoid locomotive reversal.

Amrit Bharat Express: Smarter Design

“Having two locomotives at each end helps in acceleration/deceleration and speed on high density routes, and to avoid locomotive reversal. Passenger amenities have been upgraded and the faster express train travel are advantages,” he tells TOI.“In a way Amrit Bharat is a new brand of trains, similar to the Janata, Jayanti Janata and Jan Shatabdi expresses that were introduced earlier, and then left to lose significance. I hope this brand survives,” he says.But, he points out that in terms of second class primacy in the train, it should be recognised that the overall demand for AC train travel is increasing at a faster rate. Introduction of more AC coaches, even for the common man is the way to go, he says.Shri Prakash, retired Railway Board Member draws on the success of the Vande Bharat trains, pitching for more trainsets in the coming years.Also Read | Why India’s first hydrogen train is special – explained“Amrit Bharat trains offer ⁠faster acceleration and as a result transit time may reduce to some extent. But there is ⁠reduction in passenger carrying capacity from 24 to 22 coaches because of extra engine. Each train carries about 18 per cent less passengers,” he tells TOI.“Going ahead, Indian Railways should go for a time-bound plan for replacement of all conventional passenger trains with trainsets which have distributed power like Vande Bharat or EMU trainsets. These are not only energy efficient but also they have operational convenience as well as improved riding quality,” he says.Which is not to say that Amrit Bharat trains do not have their advantages. “You can Amrit Bharat a common man’s version of Vande Bharat which incorporates some frills like foldable snack tables, bottle holders, radium floor strips for visibility, and USB Type-A and Type-C charging ports and serves as a train for faster travel by those who cannot or will not afford Vande Bharat travel,” Sudhanshu Mani tells TOI.“A good part is the use of semi-auto couplers freeing the train of jerks which persist on LHB coaches and which Indian Railways has not been able to eliminate,” he adds.Indian Railways moves the nation, and it moves people across economic strata. Even as premiumisation happens, affordable rail travel is the underlying fundamental that the national transporter aims to hold on to.With Amrit Bharat trains, better passenger amenities and faster travel is the goal – but as experts point out India should aspire to offer its people AC train travel as a basic amenity, and not a luxury. Though, this will obviously come with its implications for railway finances.Also Read | How trains running at 160 kmph aim to transform Delhi-NCR and cities around it