More comfort in Shatabdi

More comfort in Shatabdi
Conference Room, Internet Browsing Centres And A Virtual Library

The Times of India

Bangalore: A mini-conference room, internet browsing centres, home theatres, and a library could all soon be a part of the new Bangalore-Chennai Shatabdi, which will be flagged off in mid-October.

For starters, the train will have two rows of four-seater round tables one of the executive class coaches for the four-hour journey, Bangalore divisional railway manager Mahesh Kumar told reporters on Tuesday.

“I cannot deny that private air-carriers have become our competitors. What with a slash in prices and offers like Re 1 per ticket. All these have pushed our staff to upgrade services and facilities on and off board. And this is just a beginning,’’ he said.

A high-level team has had talks on the facilities that can be provided for this train. “The round tables are just testers. If we have more takers we will make the journey more luxurious with several other add-on facilities including a restaurant and a coffee house,’’ he said.

The train will leave Bangalore at 6 am, and in the return direction leave Chennai Central at 5.30 pm on all days except Tuesdays. The train will have two executive class coaches and five other air-conditioned coaches. This will be a non-stop train. The railways has decided to have at least two service staff in each compartment. The coaches in the train will also be increased based on the rush. The present number of coaches, he said, have been introduced based on the existing Shatabdi Express.